MADE AGAIN

'Made Again' is a double live album from Marillion, released 25 March 1996. The first disc is a combination of recordings from the Holidays in Eden tour and the Afraid of Sunlight tour. Tracks 1-6 were recorded in London on the Holidays in Eden tour (1991), and tracks 7-13 were recorded in Rotterdam on the Afraid of Sunlight tour (1995). The second disc consists of a full live version of 'Brave' recorded in Paris in 1994. The band played 'Brave' two other times in their career: Marillion Weekend 2002 and Marillion Weekend 2013. The format of 'Made Again' mirrors that of the previous Marillion live album, 'The Thieving Magpie' (1988), which also documented a four studio album period, contained a complete performance of a concept album on one disc (in that case, 'Misplaced Childhood'), and marked the end of an era (Fish's departure). 'Made Again,' in turn, was the final album Marillion released with EMI Records.

The live material taken from the Holidays in Eden tour obviously consists of mostly songs from 'Holidays in Eden.' These include "Splintering Heart," "No One Can," "Waiting to Happen," and "Cover My Eyes." I love the opener "Splintering Heart" as it's a powerful live number that lures the listener in and then punches them in the solar plexus once the whole band starts playing. The other songs included from 'Holidays in Eden' are not favorites of mine from the band, making this portion of 'Made Again' a low point on the album. I don't mind simple pop songs, and I think that Marillion excel at writing great pop melodies and hooks, but these songs in particular don't do much for me. Nevertheless, the performances are great, especially from Steve Hogarth who is incredibly enthusiastic in every live performance I've seen of him. The remaining tracks from the first half of the first disc, "Easter" and "The Space," are both taken from 'Seasons End.' Both of these tracks, especially "Easter," are live favorites from Marillion that the band have played countless times over the years.

I prefer the second half of the first disc, which was taken from the Afraid of Sunlight tour. I'm biased for holding this opinion as I think 'Afraid of Sunlight' is a masterpiece and one of the best albums Marillion has ever done. The last two tracks of the first disc ("Afraid of Sunlight" and "King"), both of which were originally recorded on 'Afraid of Sunlight,' are among my favorite Marillion songs. Both songs are incredibly powerful. However, I feel that the ending of "King" on 'Made Again' doesn't quite match the same power as it's studio counterpart. While I'm not the biggest fan of "Hooks in You" from 'Seasons End,' there's no denying its infectious energy that is especially palpable when performed live. "Beautiful" is an example of a great pop song that Marillion are very capable of writing. Then, the band indulge in nostalgia as they play "Kayleigh" and "Lavender" from 'Misplaced Childhood.' Steve Hogarth delivers a great vocal performance on both songs that were originally written when Fish was Marillion's frontman.

My favorite Marillion album may change here and there, but 'Brave' has been my favorite Marillion album since I first listened to it a couple years ago. 'Brave' has a gravitas unlike any other album I've ever heard. I wasn't sure what to expect in terms of how it would sound in a live setting, but I was pleasantly surprised. The atmosphere of the audience and the whole venue is unlike anything that was heard on the first disc. I was curious to see how the band would pull off the chaotic 'Goodbye to All That' with it's contrasting musical sections. I'm pleased to say that the band replicated the whole album flawlessly. I wish I was there to see this magical piece of music performed live in all its glory.

In conclusion, 'Made Again' is an excellent live album from Marillion. My main criticisms come from the first disc. I find that the combination of two different tours creates a disjointed live album listening experience. However, the second disc is cohesive as all the live material was recorded from the same show. Also, certain performances on 'Made Again' pale in comparison to the studio versions. Another minor issue I have of 'Made Again' is that all of these live performances sound nearly identical to the studio versions, which is why I don't return to this live album too often. There's no reason for me to choose 'Made Again' over 'Holidays in Eden,' 'Afraid of Sunlight,' or 'Brave.'