MARILLION

Review Nº 901

Marillion is a British prog rock band formed in 1979 in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England. The band was formed under the name of Silmarillion, using the title of J.R.R. Tolkien book. The name was shortened to Marillion due to legal copyright of Tolkien's work. Their career is normally divided into two phases, separated by the departure of their front man Fish and the arrival of Steve Hogarth in 1988. With this change, the band changed their musical direction and style.

"This Strange Engine" is the ninth studio album of Marillion and was released in 1997. The album is more acoustic than the band's other albums, but it also has a bit of everything from their previous works, resulting in some radio tracks, mainstream rock tracks, some clever and organized songs in similarity to material found in "Afraid Of Sunlight". Steve Hogarth is very interpretive as always and his voice continues to match the songs perfectly well. Steve Rothery shows why he is considered in general a great guitarist with moving solos, but also providing tough riffs and great rhythmic approaches. Mark Kelly uses many different keyboard effects, in addition to having top notch progressions. Finally, Ian Mosley and Pete Trewavas are as cohesive as ever, offering dynamic performances with a lot of precision. Maybe it's not as long-lasting as some other albums of theirs, but even so, in a balanced way, it can provide good moments of fun.

The lineup on "This Strange Engine" is Steve Hogarth (lead and backing vocals, keyboards and percussion), Steve Rothery (guitars), Mark Kelly (backing vocals and keyboards), Pete Trewavas (backing vocals and basses) and Ian Mosley (drums and percussion). The album had also the participation of Charlton & New Bottle School Choir (chorus), Tim Perkins (balalaika), Paula Savage (trumpet) and Phil Todd (saxophone), all are here as guest artists.

"This Strange Engine" has eight tracks. The first track "A Man Of A Thousand Faces" nobly introduces the album. It's a strong opener at the start, but then turns into a brilliant finale. This is a straightforward track with a memorable chorus and good melodies and where the instrumentation is formed mainly by acoustic guitar, organ and piano. Although not very progressive, I like it very much. The second track "One Fine Day" tends in the same direction as "Beautiful" from their previous album. It's a peaceful, contemplative track about Carpe Diem, with sensitive piano playing and singing and after a classical intermezzo with "synthetic violins". Rothery has his guitar solo for the first time, actually. The third track "80 Days" is the ideal track for a single's release. The chorus in particular hits your ear straight away and won't let you go that quickly. It's acoustically a tinged airy summer radio song, which unfortunately for them, it didn't make it there. It's thematically similar to "Splintering Heart" of "Holidays In Eden". The fourth track "Estonia" is one of the most powerful tracks on the album. This is a gorgeous and deep feeling ballad. It's quiet and carried by the very soulful vocals of Hogarth. This is one of the highlights on the album. It brings to us, more or less, the atmosphere of "Easter". The fifth track "Memory Of Water" is a kind of interlude to the next song "An Accidental Man". It's a short song that has been sparsely arranged with synth strings. This is a kind of a Celtic folk song that continues the melancholic tone of the album. It's almost an a-capella track and it's very beautiful. The sixth track "An Accidental Man" is a rocker, the only rock song on the album. The keyboard interludes are rather experimental and the lyrics are very postmodern. This is a very nice track that does sound much like The Police. The vocals of Hogarth remind me of Sting, not necessarily the voice, but the way he sings. The seventh track "Hope For The Future" returns the album to a more calm, bluesy and acoustic atmosphere before becoming something altogether funky and different. I must admit that I'm not a great fan of this track. It's a very fun song with its Caribbean style, but it's definitely a silly song to Marillion, a song that we never expected to hear in a Marillion's album or any prog work. The eighth track is the title track "This Strange Engine". With its almost 16 minutes proves that Marillion is a prog rock band. Quiet parts alternate with heavy ones. The song is in the beginning rather similar to the quieter parts of "Brave", but in an early part some more rocking portions can be heard. The rather chaotic, but seemingly the emotional ending of the track, indicates that Hogarth cares about the lyrics.

Conclusion: "This Strange Engine" is a surprising album. Overall, it's not their best, but not their worst either. It's not very progressive really that at times they sound like Simple Minds or The Police, but on the whole I found it rewarding with very good melodies and a lot of variation across the tracks and that should contain something for everyone. Modern is a good word to describe the sound on "This Strange Engine", a bright and serious work with some high moments and very few disappointing ones. The only real disappointing moment here is "Hope For The Future", but even this song isn't without its merits. So, Marillion is therefore far from being an old-fashioned band for me. It's a solid work, very varied and with enough strength to warrant a recommendation, especially for the long-time fans of Marillion.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

Call me a cynic, but this whole Steve Hogarth style of Marillion music seems to be on auto-pilot where cinematic keyboards and lyrics about humans not engaging with one another (the sightly annoying 'I put my arms around her' refrain in 'Murder Machines') have taking precedent over memorable hooks and melodies.

I find some of Hogarth's lyrics to be pretentiously outré such as the aforementioned 'I put my arms around her/and killed her with love' but in earlier times, the melody and arrangement was king so the lyrics and even Hogarth's nasally delivery were tolerable (1995's excellent 'Afraid Of Sunlight').

This is not to say that some of the material lacks merit. This is a seasoned progressive rock band and 'Sierra Leone' for example, has some charm and warmth (at least the first parts).

The album opener 'Be Hard On Yourself' also surprises a little with the use of a choir- although its remaining segmented parts are less distinct and merely re-iterate the first part (a problem with most of the song suites).

'Murder Machines' has a light funky groove but it takes a back seat to the lyrics. So as with the group's previous album FEAR and most of SOUNDS THAT CAN'T BE MADE (apart from the extraordinary 'Gaza'), the most dangerous thing about Marillion's brand of airy, synth-laden Prog Rock is the lyrics.

Musically they are still of a very high pedigree as this album demonstrates, but if you are a bit too familiar with this incarnation of Marillion, you may want to skip this one.

Review Nº 893

Marillion is a prog rock band that was formed in 1979 in the UK. Marillion had its origins in the early 80's presenting itself as the main representative of the new generation of the English progressive rock, as it was in decline since the appearance of the Punk Rock Movement and the New Wave, in addition to the abandonment of the style made by many of the classic prog bands, such as Genesis, Yes and Emerson, Lake & Palmer. They're one of the founders of neo-prog.

"Afraid Of Sunlight" is the eighth studio album of Marillion and was released in 1995. Here again the band was faced with the challenge of continuing after the release of a very well finished album, "Brave". Although in its own way, Marillion remained within an excellent quality level. All tracks here are melodic, well written and beautifully produced, although on "Afraid Of Sunlight" the sound is much softer than in the Fish's era and even in the early Hogarth's era albums. Containing beautiful soundscapes, the songs are beautifully harmonized and are simply transposed into one another with organic textures, taking the listener in a musical ride that eventually erupts with good emotional intensity. So, all in all, "Afraid Of Sunlight" is an album that has emotions, complexity, excellent lyrics and good instrumentation. The line up on "Afraid Of Sunlight" is Steve Hogarth (lead and backing vocals, keyboards and percussion), Steve Rothery (guitars), Mark Kelly (keyboards), Pete Trewavas (backing vocals and basses) and Ian Mosley (drums and percussion). "Afraid Of Sunlight" is an album that had also the participation of Barbara Lezmy, Wendy Page and Hannah Stobart (backing vocals), as three guest artists.

"Afraid Of Sunlight" has eight tracks. The first track "Gazpacho" opens with Rothery's chiming guitar figure and Trewavas' hyperactive bass line, as Hogarth introduces the themes that will emerge over the next seven tracks. This seemingly jaunty tune with its chiming guitars floats along on a deceptively cheery melody and with some great hooks. The second track "Cannibal Surf Babe" is a fun and silly stomp that recalls the 60's surf music and features some pretty awesome Beach Boys. While this could seem the album's throwaway track, there's nothing wrong with a bit of fun on the album. It has good lyrics with highly unconventional music for Marillion. The third track "Beautiful" was chosen to be released as a single. This is a melodic ballad which might not be to everyone's taste, since it's quite sentimental. It's a nice pop song with a good melody and a simple naive text with few extremely broken treatments of the chosen meter. It would have fit in well on "Holidays In Eden". The fourth track "Afraid Of Sunrise" is a truly gorgeous track. This is a completely atmospheric song, which is particularly noticeable with the lively bass from Trewavas and the broom drums from Mosley. It's one of the best tracks on the album and features some really enjoyable fretless bass work. This is probably one of the highlights on the album. The fifth track "Out Of This World" is another huge highlight. The lyrics get really personal and in the midst of this calm, cascading soundscape hides one of the most beautiful guitar solos that Rothery has ever played. The final consists of a carpet of keyboard sounds with all sorts of samples and around it, nothing for the impatient, but absolutely great for the intensity of the mood. The sixth track is the title track "Afraid Of Sunlight". This is another highlight, possibly one of my favourite tracks on the album. It's again a slow ballad, but this time tranquil and reflective, with some great evocative imagery. The track is further distinguished by a sprawling, grand chorus and a stupendously beautiful middle section. This is pure sonic nirvana music. The seventh track "Beyond You" is another heart on sleeve song, I think this time on the subject of love. This is almost a personal piece for the band, and especially for Hogarth himself, for a long time. According to Hogarth's own statements, he simply couldn't sing it live. The lyrics are top notch with a haunting melancholy. The eighth track "King" closes the album bringing all the threads together in rumination on the attention seeking. It forms the massive conclusion, the dangers of fame, Kurt Cobain and Elvis from the thematic framework, along which we can see the claustrophobia. It concludes with a gloriously oceanic, noisy, soaring build up. This is perhaps the strongest single track on the album.

Conclusion: Despite a disappointing commercial performance, the album was critically acclaimed as one of the band's best ever. From the opening track to the closing one, the album is an authentic musical journey, a perfect blend of different musical approaches that goes from progressive rock to pop. "Afraid Of Sunlight" has no weak points and it's the final proof that Marillion are meanwhile in a class of their own. It has a timeless quality and an effortless melody, not to mention that beautiful all around glow. In retrospect, "Afraid Of Sunlight" proves to be a perfect divider between the first Marillion with their strong purely progressive atmospheres, and the futures projected towards a genre closer to rock than prog. The still unbroken courage to take risks against the too narrow die hard supporters ennobles the five.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

Brave has been one of the most acclaimed Marillion album from the start in fact, it used to be even more acclaimed back in the days when the 1980s Marillion sounded dated and this still didn't. Naturally, Brave has begun to sound a little dated itself, while the 1980s Marillion has almost turned kind of fresh. Anyway, this one was a brave album, as it introduced a new kind of Marillion that had left the 1980s and Fish's ghost behind, instead presenting us a new progressive rock hybrid that was recognisably 1990s.

The opening "Bridge" doesn't really get going, but the following "Living With the Big Lie" and "Runaway" are already better. Then there is the lengthy "Goodbye to All That", which features some nice fragments, but I quickly learned to skip it. "Hard as Love" is not actually my favourite either. Instead, "The Hollow Man" and the 8-minute "The Lap of Luxury" are high quality music, while "Paper Lies" is not much worse. but "The Great Escape" and "Made Again" close the package with a high note. This is a Magnum opus of progressive rock and music and general. Mariilion created this album with a narrative and created It perfectly. 5.0

Released in 1984, 'Brief Encounter' is a five-track EP by British progressive rock band, Marillion. Originally intended for American markets to coincide with their tour of the States and Canada, it would eventually be re-released on CD format as a bonus disc for a re-mastered 'Real to Reel' live album.

The EP features two studio tracks that were previously released as b-sides to various singles, 'Lady Nina' and 'Freaks', which have gone on to their own acclaim as Marillion classics, and the live tracks, although available elsewhere, are still good. In particular, 'Kayleigh' and 'Fugazi' deserve recognition for the excellent performances involved.

Overall, this is a good EP. While nothing remarkable, it's a cool collectable, especially if you have an original vinyl, and at barely 32 minutes in length, is a harmless keepsake for fans.

'Real to Reel' is the first live album by British progressive rock band, Marillion. Released in 1984 and featuring only seven tracks, it shows a band that are only two albums into their career, but already displaying the prowess of a tight-knit unit.

When writing about this album however, I don't really have too much to say. The sound is really good, and the performances are excellent, with particular praise to vocalist Fish, who bellows every note with passion and conviction. Sadly, as it is still early days for the prog rockers, the set list is a little dated by today's standards.

That's not to say that it's bad, but I'm just not likely to ever listen to this. With highlights including 'Assassing', 'Cinderella Search', and a fantastic rendition of 'Forgotten Sons', it's no doubt a nice memento for a time before Marillion would become huge worldwide superstars. But really, considering the absolute wealth of material the band has produced by now, this is nothing more than a nice collectable for fans.

Script for a Jester's Tear is a strong debut album from the neo-prog group Marillion that succeeds in foreshadowing the traits the band would employ in their magnum opus, Misplaced Childhood. The instrumental arrangements are sufficiently dense for most prog fans while even those like myself who aren't diehard fans of the genre can still find this a relativley accessible album. Most of the melodies here are keyboard or synth driven though there are some that feature more prominent lead guitar parts that could be more appealing to fans of the bands later works.

The album starts off well with the classic title track and the more straightforward "He Knows You Know". "He Knows You Know" might hold up better if it didn't feature the bizarre telephone sequence at the end but it's a small criticism. "The Web" through "Chelsea Monday" are too slow developing for my tastes but I'll concede that each track features an interesting instrumental portion and the playful synth line thorughout "Garden Party" keeps my attention. The final track, "Forgotten Sons" is more in the mold of "He Knows You Know" both in terms of how much guitar is present and the odd lyrical choices. What's missing here is the continuity of a story that showcases Fish's lyrical capabilities. This feature is what won me over on Misplaced Childhood and it is noticeably absent here. Still, this is an excellent album whose minor flaws don't impede enjoyment of the album. 4.0 this defiantly gives this six piece their sound.

Review Nº 881

It's impossible to talk about neo-prog and not talk about Marillion. They're a British prog rock band that was formed in Aylesbury, UK. They're one of the biggest names in progressive rock music and are perhaps the main responsible for the style's survival in the 80's when punk rock movement and the new wave dominated almost the entire music scene.

Marillion is divided into two phases. The first was with Fish, where the music is directed around his poetic and sometimes fanciful lyrics, which sounds a lot like Peter Gabriel. The band achieved their most success in that phase, artistically, progressively and commercially. After four studio albums, Fish left the band and was replaced by Steve Hogarth, where the band introduced a new more oriented towards radio friendly style, although they still have an air of depression in their music. But regardless of which stage we are talking about, the band has significant works to offer.

"Brave" is the seventh studio album of Marillion and was released in 1994. The line up on the album is Steve Hogarth (lead and backing vocals, keyboards and percussion), Steve Rothery (guitars), Mark Kelly (backing vocals and keyboards), Pete Trewavas (backing vocals and basses) and Ian Mosley (drums and percussion). The album had also the participation of Tony Halligan (Uilleann pipes) and of The Liverpool Philharmonic (cellos and flutes), as guests.

With "Holidays In Eden", Marillion couldn't reach a wider audience and had turned away their faithful fans. So, they thought it was time to go back to their roots and make a more progressive album. "Brave" is a conceptual album based on a news story that Steve Hogarth heard on the radio about a girl who was taken to police prison after being found wandering the Severn Bridge. She didn't know who she was or where she came from and refused to speak. This inspired him to write a fictional story about this girl and what could have led to her being on Severn Bridge in this state. "Brave" explores the conceptual issue in an elegant and well executed way, providing a taste of the band's potential.

The keyboards are the show really on this album showing a "resurrected" Mark Kelly, whose role had diminished in importance since Fish's departure, Steve Rothery's guitar is present throughout and always fills the songs very well and Pete Trewavas and Ian Mosley form a solid rhythm support base. But, Steve Hogarth is also a big name on this album where his vocals are superb and temperamental. If at any time we have doubted his abilities, we must listen to the album and at once see him live in the editions released on video in which the band plays "Brave" in full.

"Brave" cuts across all the facets of Marillion's career, but with a greater emphasis on a mix of the two first studio albums of Hogarth's era, "Seasons End" and "Holidays In Eden", plus a dose of inspiration and in a more progressive approach. "Brave" is an album with eleven tracks, where some of them are broken down into several parts with separate names, "Goodbye To All That" and "The Great Escape". Besides them, we have some tracks that are like passages made to allow the listener to immerse themselves in the album's mood. In them, the shine is on account of the great Mark Kelly and his synthesizers. "Brave" starts with the atmospheric "Bridge", one of the most ambient songs on the album. It's followed by "Living With The Big Lie", one of the best pieces on the album with great music and good lyrics. This is a dense, bright and emotional track. "Run Away" is a very beautiful and melodramatic ballad. It has a great guitar solo. "Goodbye To All That" is a fantastic and very dense progressive song that revolves around intense space atmospheres and with an extremely accessible melody, but without losing its essence. "Hard As Love" is the first hardest song on the album with an excellent solo synth, plus great guitars and powerful vocals. "The Hollow Man" is semi-acoustic, a really nice change of pace and atmosphere after the previous rock song. "Alone Again Into The Lap Of Luxury" is beautiful, transforming from a great rock melody with a memorable chord progression to a dark ambient sound. "Paper Lies" is like "Hard As Love", a hard rock song that shows the rock side of the band. The title track is another atmospheric mood piece, mostly an ambient track. "The Great Escape" is a great track, one of the greatest works in the band's history, such is the emotion it brings. With the ballad "Made Again" the album closes very sweetly.

Conclusion: "Brave" isn't a unanimous album for fans and critics. But, for me, it's a very interesting work, one of the best in Hogarth's era. "Brave" is a unique album, not only in Marillion's back catalogue, but in the realm of rock music in general. Marillion may never have been the first choice of the usual prog rock heads, yet their fan base remains the most rabidly loyal and in "Brave" they demonstrated that you don't always have to be cool to release a jaw-dropping album. As "Brave" is such a very cohesive album, a conceptual album where all tracks are somehow linked together, it's difficult to pick out individual tracks as highlights. In reality, Marillion has great albums in both phases, but I'm still rooting for the band to produce something again in this format in Hogarth's phase, another excellent concept work.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

Marillion have gone ahead and given This Strange Engine a very similar deluxe edition treatment to those previously received by the first 8 albums they put out through EMI. This Strange Engine, of course, represents the start of their independent era, and perhaps it's notable then that the two-CD live show bundled in this time comes from the legendary US tour which was the result of enthusiastic American fans chipping in to make it financially viable, kicking off the band's now-historic role in cultivating early forms of online crowdfunding.

There's also a "live bootleg" of an Utrecht gig on the accompanying Blu-Ray; this has soundboard-quality audio set to less-than-professional footage, and captures a gig where unfortunately Steve Hogarth's voice was shot, meaning that the band are hardly at the top of their form.

As for the album itself, it quite simply has never sounded better. Mind you, it's never sounded that much worse either - it's a mild tightening-up, not a game-changing remix like that enjoyed in 2018 by its follow-up, Radiation.

This album is just alright for me. This is Marillion's second attempt at a more commercial prog rock setting the guidelines for neo - prog. The reason for the low rating is the constant grating drums with way to much reverb. It's like they are trying to make up for having a bad drummer. If they weren't so large and important in the mix I wouldn't have a problem but they have this gross overproduced garbage sound that makes me feel sick. Each song has emotional and dark lyrics sung by their obviously Peter Gabriel Singer, Fish, but unlike Gabriel, Fish just mopes about the state of the world and begs for us to fix it for him. Maybe if you're lucky he'll sing a concept piece about his mean girlfriend or something. On occasion an interesting organ solo will try and rip you away from the vile drums but its never enough. I enjoy the lyrical content and the instrumentation but the way they went about producing it completely ruins it for me.