Marillion's "Brave"

Marillion's Brave

Edited by Mirror Image - June 20 2014 at 23:56

progbethyname wrote: I myself, honestly love the album and it was an album that grew on me very quickly; however, this is an album that I haven't listed to in over a year, so to be fair to your thread ill give it another spin in the next couple of days. ;) A good album indeed and an excellent audio recording released from EMI records. Just Stunning. Well, you've got me excited to revisit this one. Thanks.

SteveG wrote: What can I say. Brave is a fantastic inspired concept album that does indeed have many misteps that are more compensated by  numerous extraordinary bursts of fantastic ethereal dramatic music. My only real gripe with Brave is that it appears to be an album without a resoved ending (like many of the albums fantastic epic songs!) But it remains one of my favorite all time works of the band and thanks for posting this thread about it.

SteveG wrote: Mirror Image wrote: SteveG wrote: What can I say. Brave is a fantastic inspired concept album that does indeed have many misteps that are more compensated by  numerous extraordinary bursts of fantastic ethereal dramatic music. My only real gripe with Brave is that it appears to be an album without a resoved ending (like many of the albums fantastic epic songs!) But it remains one of my favorite all time works of the band and thanks for posting this thread about it. Yes, beyond the missteps, this is a work of musical brilliance. As for an unresolved ending, could Made Again count? The Great Escape obviously has the woman plummeting to her death, but I don't think I've even looked at the lyrics of Made Again, which, of course, is what EMI suggested Marillion tack on to the end of the album instead of it ending on that fatal note. Just MHO on this one MI, but I feel that the band may have felt Brave originally ending with The Great Escape  did not provide closure to the album, so Made Again was a clumsy attempt to achieve that with, what I felt, had poor results. Again, it's just my opinion but if it works for other people that's great.

SteveG wrote: Mirror Image wrote: SteveG wrote: Mirror Image wrote: SteveG wrote: What can I say. Brave is a fantastic inspired concept album that does indeed have many misteps that are more compensated by  numerous extraordinary bursts of fantastic ethereal dramatic music. My only real gripe with Brave is that it appears to be an album without a resoved ending (like many of the albums fantastic epic songs!) But it remains one of my favorite all time works of the band and thanks for posting this thread about it. Yes, beyond the missteps, this is a work of musical brilliance. As for an unresolved ending, could Made Again count? The Great Escape obviously has the woman plummeting to her death, but I don't think I've even looked at the lyrics of Made Again, which, of course, is what EMI suggested Marillion tack on to the end of the album instead of it ending on that fatal note. Just MHO on this one MI, but I feel that the band may have felt Brave originally ending with The Great Escape  did not provide closure to the album, so Made Again was a clumsy attempt to achieve that with, what I felt, had poor results. Again, it's just my opinion but if it works for other people that's great. But, it was EMI's urging that made Marillion close the album with Made Again, correct? If I'm not mistaken the original ending of the album is the sound of the water and that just played out. Made Again isn't a bad song IMHO, I just think it's intention was of the band's but rather them trying to please EMI. It doesn't come as a surprise that Afraid of Sunlight is Marillion's last for the EMI label. I've heard some conflicting stories but on reflection it does seem like a Marillion thing to do in concluding the album with The Great Escape. In that case, I might feel that album was unresovled!   No matter, it's a great album no matter what were the circumstances for the inclusion of Made Again. Hope this helps.

A brilliant album and a masterpiece in my mind. The 2013 remix from original vinyl masters is insane! Marillion consistently put out some of the best vinyl, no question.

I am good with the "endings" since they created the story from essentially nothing but an incident, that seed has grown into a timeless album.

I haven't played it for ages but I remember I really enjoyed it when I bought it.  Will have to dig it out sometime, thanks for the reminder!

Simply the finest thing Marillion ever did.

*shrug* whatever.

Mirror Image wrote: progbethyname wrote: I myself, honestly love the album and it was an album that grew on me very quickly; however, this is an album that I haven't listed to in over a year, so to be fair to your thread ill give it another spin in the next couple of days. ;) A good album indeed and an excellent audio recording released from EMI records. Just Stunning. Well, you've got me excited to revisit this one. Thanks. You're welcome! This album has been circling my current playlist for the past few weeks and each time I listen to it, I'm finding how much I really love the album. Runaway Girl is another stunning piece of music that I should have mentioned in my initial post. I agree with you about the audio quality of Brave. I'd love to hear a 5.1 surround sound mix of the original album.

Ah yes. Brave in good old DTS 24/96 would work brilliantly, but the latest remaster pressing for CD format is in a lovely 24bit/48k bitstream and sounds out of this freaking world when the CD is ran through a high quality DAC. It rivals any vinyl/turntable setting, especially through headphones.

Meanwhile I gave Brave a listen last night and this morning. My first impressions still remain the same where the last half of the album (BRAVE through MADE AGAIN) is still my favourite. And it's funny, the album sonically would end nicely after the GREAT ESCAPE. Much better than falling from the moon and Made again. Album overall, ends oddly and abruptly and that has always bothered me, but lyrically it all makes sense.

Talking a bit about the beginning (intro) of the album from BRIDGE to RUNNAWAY I just love Mark Kelly's highly ambient synth style. So moving and beautiful as Hogarth's vocals crawl along. Love it.

However, the middle section of the 5 part suite from GOODBYE TO ALL THAT through STANDING IN THE SWING loses me a bit for the first 4mins, but the last 7min of the suite are just beautiful and Rothery's guitar comes into full flight while Trewas's bass pulsates magically all the way through.
P.T is the best and key performer on this album for me. His bass playing is beyond words. I love the sheer warmth of his bass sound and it is so soothing to listen to after a long day.

Album gets a 4/5 in my book.