HOLIDAYS IN EDEN LIVE

Holidays In Eden is one of those Marillion albums (Radiation is another) where the songs don't quite work as well in their studio incarnations as they do live. In the case of Holidays, I tend to put the blame at the doorstep of an unsympathetic production job myself; either way, in the live context the band have done a great job of reclaiming the songs and making them popular favourites with the fans.

However, whilst inserting a well-honed live version of This Town or Splintering Heart into a concert setlist is one thing, playing the album all the way through is another. Whilst it does have its own distinctive atmosphere, Holidays In Eden simply isn't a piece which demands to be listened to as a cohesive album all the way through in the way that Brave or Afraid of Sunlight do, making this a good-quality live album that doesn't quite measure up to the best of what Marillion can achieve live onstage.