Grendel is not Apocalypse in 9/8

King Crimson was pretty good at churning out songs based on the same formula in the 80s - interlocking 16th note bass-guitar-and drums with looping.  I'm not sure what's progressive about that, especially when you do it over and over.  Personally, I think KC had too many great players and not enough songwriters in the 80s.  That stuff is also too verse-chorus-verse for me.  At least Marillion had some interesting song structures.

Marillion kept prog in the public eye throughout the 80's and though, from what ive heard, IQ were nearly a match for them (though not quite) they appealed to more people than Pallas and Twelfth Night and probably helped those bands get fans as well.

And to those that say that Camal influenced Marillion, of course they did, Marillion had their drummer for about a month or two in 84, how could that have not influenced them.

Prosciutto wrote: Green and Funky wrote:   Marillion kept prog alive in the 80's. Would it have been better if Marillion didn't exist in the 80's and all music was just pop sh*t? Marilion kept the prog flame alive. If Marillion hadn't existed, we would always have had Pallas and Twelfth Night

Marillion are in a higher class of prog than both Pallas and Twelfth Night (thats my personal opinion anyway) 

Totally agree with the posts supporting Marillion's work.

Yes, Marillion (in the Fish-era) were influenced by 70s prog rock but not solely Genesis.  Fish is a huge Yes fan (maybe even more so than Genesis) and elements of their music could be detected in what Marillion were doing.  Also agree that Camel had an influence - but that's what all these bands were - influences.

My personal is view is that Marillion filled a void and kept the flame burning for prog throughout the appallingly bad 80s music scene.  I think it's mainly people who were say teenagers and "grew up" with prog when it was in effect, born are maybe the harshest critics of early Marillion music. 

Marillion have went from strength to strength over the years constantly releasing fresh, original & experimental music - not just staying within it's prog core.  To still slate them as throwback Genesis clones is harsh & unfair.

SlipperFink wrote: Now if we can just school him on the glaringly apperant distictions between blue-eyed gospel, folk and country influences in American music in the 70's we may be able to take him to woodshop II. SM.

What's this in reference to?

yargh wrote: Forgotten Son wrote: The only similarities between them is in that one section, which I think of as Marillion paying homage to an important influence. Marillion did not rip off Genesis, nor did they seek to mimic them. They may have set out to create an epic slightly similar to Supper's Ready, but not to the extent of plagarism. Author Paul Stump said it best when he characterized Marillion as basically "a Genesis tribute band."

thats going a bit too far i think, Marillion has their own "sound" thats different to that of Genesis, but yea I see the similaritys.

Forgotten Son wrote: The only similarities between them is in that one section, which I think of as Marillion paying homage to an important influence. Marillion did not rip off Genesis, nor did they seek to mimic them. They may have set out to create an epic slightly similar to Supper's Ready, but not to the extent of plagarism.

Author Paul Stump said it best when he characterized Marillion as basically "a Genesis tribute band."

Forgotten Son wrote: The only similarities between them is in that one section, which I think of as Marillion paying homage to an important influence. Marillion did not rip off Genesis, nor did they seek to mimic them. They may have set out to create an epic slightly similar to Supper's Ready, but not to the extent of plagarism.

Of course not to that extent but the band (or at least the three remaining members from that time) all admit that that was their attempt at the 20 minute epic in the fain of Suppers Ready, even if they vehmenently denied any influence from Genesis at the time