Marillion's "Brave"

I really tried liking Brave, but there are too many slow and boring moment for me to really think it is a masterpiece. After reading about all themeticulous recording and re-recording of all the individual parts, then picking out each one to try to find the most perfect take....it just seems like (and from listening to the album I get this feeling too) that Marillion tried too hard on it. They tried to make a perfect album...and although the songs are mostly all fairly good, none of them really have any punch and they (the songs) seem to convey fatigue.

Putting that aside, my real beef with the album would be that EVERY SINGLE SONG is overly long. Lap of Luxury and Hard as Love could have been cut in half easily. I suppose it wouldn't have had that epic feel if each song was 3-4 minutes though.

Perhaps I was not this album's intended audience though? Seeing as how my favourite song off the album is Made Again...

I don't really follow Marillion (though I was into them briefly in the Fish days), but I picked up a copy of "Brave" because it had been described here as a great concept album.  The first thing I did when I got it was to read the lyric booklet, and I have to say it's a wonderful, dark set of lyrics, and a real strong story overall.   However, when I listened to it, I found the music to be kind of inconsequential.  If it's only there to serve as a background for the lyrics, then I guess it was a success, but it felt very nondescript to me.  Still glad I have it though.  It may grow on me more someday.

Edited by HolyMoly - June 23 2014 at 14:24

Guldbamsen wrote: HolyMoly wrote: I don't really follow Marillion (though I was into them briefly in the Fish days), but I picked up a copy of "Brave" because it had been described here as a great concept album.  The first thing I did when I got it was to read the lyric booklet, and I have to say it's a wonderful, dark set of lyrics, and a real strong story overall.   However, when I listened to it, I found the music to be kind of inconsequential.  If it's only there to serve as a background for the lyrics, then I guess it was a success, but it felt very nondescript to me.  Still glad I have it though.  It may grow on me more someday. This pretty much sums it up for me as well. It irritates me that it doesn't knock my socks off, but alas it doesn't. I am however, like you Steve, hoping it will some day.  After all some of my most treasured albums these days were completely incomprehensible and "wrong", when I first heard them.

True Dave, Brave is an album that grew on me. There are some things about it that are annoying to me but I just try to keep them in perspective.

Barbu wrote: Masterpiece

Ya mun. Pretty damn close.

You know what is interesting to me about 'Brave' is that it sounds like an album that doesn't belong in the 90's era at all.
1993? More like 2003. The album was ahead of its time. Sounds like it could have come out last year.

AEProgman wrote: I really just began listening to Marillion over the past couple of months after finding some of their CDs in a 2nd hand music store and Brave is one of them (Clutching and Misplaced Childhood are the others).   So far I have mixed feelings on Brave....I love it on one listen then dislike on a another listen and back and forth it goes.

The Hogarth era is very inconsistent for me. The Fish era reigns far superior to my ears, but Brave is definitely one of the Better Hogarth era albums. It's very layered and textured musically. A lot was put into the music and I think most here on PA say that they tried a little hard. You wanna absolutely love it, but you can't.
Marbles is an easier album to digest. I'd get that one if you care to explore further in Hogarth land....don't go too far though.

richardh wrote: SteveG wrote: DJPuffyLemon wrote: I really tried liking Brave, but there are too many slow and boring moment for me to really think it is a masterpiece. After reading about all themeticulous recording and re-recording of all the individual parts, then picking out each one to try to find the most perfect take....it just seems like (and from listening to the album I get this feeling too) that Marillion tried too hard on it. They tried to make a perfect album...and although the songs are mostly all fairly good, none of them really have any punch and they (the songs) seem to convey fatigue.Putting that aside, my real beef with the album would be that EVERY SINGLE SONG is overly long. Lap of Luxury and Hard as Love could have been cut in half easily. I suppose it wouldn't have had that epic feel if each song was 3-4 minutes though.Perhaps I was not this album's intended audience though? Seeing as how my favourite song off the album is Made Again... I have to agree with you that several songs are overly long but I try to keep in mind that not everyone and his brother was releasing decent concept albums in the '90s. I wonder if it would be worth me putting up a poll pitting Brave against Subterranea?

No contest in my mind. Subterranea is by far and away a superior album to me sonically speaking.

I think I have become one of the lonely now that everybody talks to me...


The Hollow Man hits the #1 spot for me. Brilliant.

^ word....

I'd love if Marillion got someone to release a 5.1 surround sound mix of this album. If any album truly deserves 5.1, it's Brave. Just think of all the effects and different parts we would finally be able to hear in a song like Goodbye To All That or the title track? I get goosebumps just thinking about the possibility of something like this being released.

Mirror Image wrote: I'd love if Marillion got someone to release a 5.1 surround sound mix of this album. If any album truly deserves 5.1, it's Brave. Just think of all the effects and different parts we would finally be able to hear in a song like Goodbye To All That or the title track? I get goosebumps just thinking about the possibility of something like this being released.

Mirror Image wrote: I'd love if Marillion got someone to release a 5.1 surround sound mix of this album. If any album truly deserves 5.1, it's Brave. Just think of all the effects and different parts we would finally be able to hear in a song like Goodbye To All That or the title track? I get goosebumps just thinking about the possibility of something like this being released.

This is a lovely thought and I share the same feelings as you. You know, it's funny how more people aren't really aware of 5.1 audio formats or home cinema/receiver/amp set ups. It's one of the very best ways to bring out the life in your music and do an album it's true justice. The 5.1 market is a niche/luxury market still! I'm sure cost and the rising technology in movie theaters have negated people to buy their own sound system for their homes.
My point is I wish a 5.1 audio DVD was available and as common to buy as a regular CD. I know production costs are more to make these audio formats, but If the market was bigger we would not have scarce availability for these truly amazing formats via bit streaming. :)

Prog on nonetheless. Guess we will have to settle for Dolby prologic 2 or 5 channel stereo with DSP.