In the 1990s: Dream Theater, Marillion, Swans
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Prog Polls
Forum Description: Create polls on topics related to progressive music
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=131264
Printed Date: August 02 2025 at 19:43
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Topic: In the 1990s: Dream Theater, Marillion, Swans
Posted By: Logan
Subject: In the 1990s: Dream Theater, Marillion, Swans
Date Posted: July 14 2023 at 15:14
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I did the 2010s up, and now is the 1990s. When considering each of these bands various releases from the 1990s, which of these bands that released its first studio album in the 1980s has been strongest for you? I'd be interested to hear about your particular favourite releases too (love reading the more detailed answers) as well as any thoughts you think pertinent or of interest. Here are the studio albums from the 90s for each as well as a couple of the live albums from each. Dream Theater studio: - Images and Words (1992) - Awake (1994) - Falling Into Infinity (1997) - Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From a Memory (1999) Dream Theater lives: - Live at The Marquee (1993) - Once in a LiveTime (1998) Marillion studio: - Holidays in Eden (1991) - Brave (1994) - Afraid of Sunlight (1995) - This Strange Engine (1997) - Radiation (1998) - marillion.com (1999) Marillion lives: - Made Again (1996) - Unplugged at the Walls (1999) Swans studio: - White Light From the Mouth of Infinity (1991) - Love of Life (1992) - The Great Annihilator (1995) - Soundtracks for the Blind (1996) Swans lives: - Omniscience (1992) - Swans Are Dead (1998) Dream Theater makes a much a stronger showing here than in the last poll -- probably generally thought as as its best decade. Not surprisingly, I vote with Swans again. I have not listened to Love of Life as much as the other three albums, but I adore those others. And I still tend to think of Soundtracks for the Blind as Swans masterpiece, with Helpless Child as its central masterpiece. I also love those live. Omniscience is not one that is very well-known, is taken from its 1992 tour, and is out-of-print and never been re-issued. It's one of my very favourite Swans albums and I find it sad that such an album is out-of-print and has not been re-issued (at least it's on youtube). And it has fantastic version of the song "Love of Life" on it. I'd like to own that one with a signed copy on vinyl. By the way, any of you get to see any of these bands in concert in the 90s, and if so, how was it? ------------- Watching while most appreciating a sunset in the moment need not diminish all the glorious sunsets I have observed before. It can be much like that with music for me. |
Replies:
Posted By: Cristi
Date Posted: July 14 2023 at 15:24
| still Marillion |
Posted By: omphaloskepsis
Date Posted: July 14 2023 at 15:30
| DT |
Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: July 14 2023 at 15:34
Marillion wins easily for me here by a Monstrously Festive(al) margin.   2010: Marillion - Tumbling Down the Years - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdktF-lL0yEaBrUixkwNfLezOUEmDxRQa" rel="nofollow - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdktF-lL0yEaBrUixkwNfLezOUEmDxRQa 2015: Marillion - A Monstrously Festive(al) Christmas - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdktF-lL0yEbNFSN-9oL2yNFevItRkdcQ" rel="nofollow - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdktF-lL0yEbNFSN-9oL2yNFevItRkdcQ 2018: Marillion - All One Tonight: Live at the Royal Albert Hall - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdktF-lL0yEakZ6mkRJZKBkFhmVLxmYej" rel="nofollow - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdktF-lL0yEakZ6mkRJZKBkFhmVLxmYej 2019: Marillion - With Friends from the Orchestra - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdktF-lL0yEYmGh3DybrrqwWegtIEhBjD" rel="nofollow - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdktF-lL0yEYmGh3DybrrqwWegtIEhBjD 2021: Marillion - With Friends at St. David's - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdktF-lL0yEYisQxexxEup3kw66TB3AB8" rel="nofollow - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdktF-lL0yEYisQxexxEup3kw66TB3AB8 |
Posted By: IncogNeato
Date Posted: July 14 2023 at 20:34
| By the slightest margins, I'm going with DT mainly because 'Awake' is one of my favorite albums of all time. |
Posted By: mathman0806
Date Posted: July 14 2023 at 21:19
| Soundtracks for the Blind may be my top album among the three artists for this decade, but I don't know the othe Swans' albums too well. Funny that I like the other Marillion studio albums for that over the highly regarded Brave. And those are among the better DT albums. I will go with Matillion. |
Posted By: Necrotica
Date Posted: July 14 2023 at 21:23
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Ok, NOW I'm picking Dream Theater Definitely my favorite decade of theirs ------------- Take me down, to the underground Won't you take me down, to the underground Why oh why, there is no light And if I can't sleep, can you hold my life https://www.youtube.com/@CocoonMasterBrendan-wh3sd |
Posted By: Saperlipopette!
Date Posted: July 15 2023 at 01:19
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I can easily see why and how DT is doing better in this decade, but I think they are awful by default. And well, I don't even like Marillion when Fish was the vocalist. Much less so with that other guy. Three out of those four Swans studio albums are classics and White Light... was sort of lifechanging for me.
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Posted By: Octopus II
Date Posted: July 15 2023 at 01:52
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Marillion, but I love all 3 of them!
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Posted By: suitkees
Date Posted: July 15 2023 at 03:03
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Not much fan of Swans earlier output, although I like most of Soundtracks for the Blind. Of Dream Theater, two of my favourite albums of theirs are listed: Awake and Metropolis Pt. 2, and Images & Words is good too. Regarding Marillion, apart from the in my opinion mediocre Holidays in Eden, these are all enjoyable albums, although sometimes their mellowness becomes a bit too much for me on the long run. Their stand-out albums for me are Afraid of Sunlight and Marillion.com... Marillion has the edge here. ------------- The razamataz is a pain in the bum |
Posted By: essexboyinwales
Date Posted: July 15 2023 at 03:09
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Don’t know Swans, but between DT and Marillion this is quite tough….but it’s DT, as I&W and SFAM are such strong albums v Brave, and the weaker DT albums are stronger than the weaker Marillion ones…. ------------- Heaven is waiting but waiting is Hell |
Posted By: Lewian
Date Posted: July 15 2023 at 03:25
I don't know any of these Marillion albums.  |
Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: July 15 2023 at 10:46
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Listened to DT a ton in the '90s, up till SFAM. ------------- https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay |
Posted By: Jared
Date Posted: July 15 2023 at 10:50
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DT ------------- Music has always been a matter of energy to me. On some nights I believe that a car with the needle on empty can run 50 more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio. Hunter S Thompson |
Posted By: Octopus II
Date Posted: July 15 2023 at 10:50
| Swans are on tour here in the UK in August. I must get to one of those gigs. |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: July 16 2023 at 06:59
| Doesn't seem fair to vote as I don't know Swans apart from their latest album. Marillion got a bit boring in the 90's but I like their recent 3 or so albums a lot. By default I vote for DT mainly for the just ok album Awake and the not previously mentioned EP A Change Of Seasons. The title track is the only thing I really love by them. |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: July 16 2023 at 10:52
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I don't mind if people vote without being familiar with all, as what is strongest "for you" can be so dependant on what you know. I do hope some people take some time to try to familiarise themselves with all a bit, at least, and maybe try to turn people onto music, or just educate them (Lewian mentioned not knowing Marillion for the period) -- even if one doesn't end up liking the music, I still find value in that sharing experience. Sharing is caring. ;) I've been rather surprised that Swans 90s output is not better known and appreciated by members of this community. My three favourite Swans studio albums from the 90s are Soundtracks For the Blind, White Light From the Mouth of Infinity, and The Great Annihilator. While Swans Are Dead is commonly a particularly lauded live album by Swans, I love Omniscience (partially because it tends more to the gentle and delicate -- love that Gira and Jarboe mix). Here are the first two tracks from Swans 90s albums that I really loved (Blind was on a solo Gira album, Michael Gira is the person behind Swans, and was not originally on White Light, but on later releases. Such a fantastic band (or Gira project) in my opinion. My top seven studio Swans albums would be (in chronolologial order): Children of God (1987) White Light From the Mouth of Infinity (1991) The Great Annihilator (1995) Soundtracks for the Blind (1996) The Seer (2012) To Be Kind (2014) The Glowing Man (2016) And Omniscience from 1992 is my most listened to Swans live album (despite Swans never re-releasing it and it being long out-of-print. I'm the only here I have known to comment on it, so it may be just me here). While I know many are reluctant to listen to music outside of the context of the albums, if others want to share some of their favourite tracks off albums by any here, and talk about their favourite albums, I would appreciate it and check out the music. I like for polls often to be interactive in that way, and that I and others discover, re-discover music, maybe deepen appreciation, and just get more of communal feel for each other's specific tastes. I do like threads often to act like listening rooms for a more communal and interactive experience. ------------- Watching while most appreciating a sunset in the moment need not diminish all the glorious sunsets I have observed before. It can be much like that with music for me. |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: July 16 2023 at 11:37
I have heard full albums by all here from the period (never more than once all the way through except for Swans), but I too am not that familiar with Marillion. Since I chose Blind by Swans from a 1991 release (even if originally off a Gira "solo" album, hey Swans is Gira), I chose something by Marillion of an album from the same year of about the same length. And I since I chose an almost 16 minute track from Soundtracks from 1996 (Marillion has not studio album release from that year), I chose the closest length Marillion track to it from an adjacent year, which is This Strange Engine. Swans' The Sound might work as a better comparison than Helpless Child to This Strange Engine as I think both bands take some influence from Pink Floyd. Or maybe not. ------------- Watching while most appreciating a sunset in the moment need not diminish all the glorious sunsets I have observed before. It can be much like that with music for me. |
Lewian wrote:Posted By: Prog-jester
Date Posted: July 16 2023 at 18:41
| love all three bands but this poll idea is bizarre (voted Dream Theater) |
Posted By: O666
Date Posted: July 17 2023 at 06:35
| DT |
Posted By: Lewian
Date Posted: July 17 2023 at 07:11
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Thanks for providing the Marillion links. I've got to say they didn't really convince me though. Voted for Swans despite liking some DT from that era (and not all Swans). |
Posted By: suitkees
Date Posted: July 17 2023 at 10:08
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^ Regarding Marillion I'd suggest tracks from other (and better) albums. Not that these would necessarily convince you, but at least they represent - in my opinion, of course - the better Marillion of that decade. (you probably know that many consider Brave to be their masterpiece, but to me that album is too long and especially saturated with that - trademark? - Marillion wall-of-sound sound that is to my ears rather fatiguing on the long run): From Afraid of Sunlight, King: And maybe their best track of the decade, from marillion.com, Interior Lulu (it starts a bit mellow, but after 4'30 they get into an interesting frenzy...): ------------- The razamataz is a pain in the bum |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: July 17 2023 at 13:54
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Thanks, I was hoping that some people who know Dream Theater and Marillion better than me might try to highlight some specific music for those of us who are not fans. I just chose a way to choose the Marillion tracks without considering the quality. Choosing 1995, as I think that and 1996 (and 1997) are such amazing years for music, here is a favourite of mine from Swans from 1996 for those that don;t know Swans well. Here's one from Dream Theater from 1997 (I remember this being the track I appreciated most of DT's 90s material that I had heard -- being an instrumental helps, and it's tasteful, not that a Swans fan needs tasteful): And I really like this short opening track to Marillion's Radiation (it starts off sounding quite Swans when noisy). ------------- Watching while most appreciating a sunset in the moment need not diminish all the glorious sunsets I have observed before. It can be much like that with music for me. |
Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: July 17 2023 at 14:08
| Marillion wins for me in every decade against Dream Theater and Swans. The same applies for my other favourite Neo Prog bands too, including:- Arena; IQ; Magenta; Pallas; Pendragon & Solstice. |
Posted By: Lewian
Date Posted: July 17 2023 at 19:41
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@Kees: I like these quite a bit more indeed, thanks. |
Posted By: Boi_da_boi_124
Date Posted: July 18 2023 at 21:23
| Imma say this again - Swans is just TOO underrated. |
Posted By: UnderGround
Date Posted: July 18 2023 at 22:46
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"Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From a Memory" is a masterpiece! ------------- https://antonisadelfidis.bandcamp.com/album/zantea-chronicles-the-nightmare-awakens |
Posted By: Cambus741
Date Posted: July 21 2023 at 15:38
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Marillion by a country mile. Afraid of Sunlight is probably my 2nd favourite album of the 1990s by ANYONE. Just beaten into top spot by Amused to Death. Brave, Holidays in Eden and Radiation are also great albums. I've lost count of the amount of times that I've given Dream Theatre yet another try to see what the fuss is about.
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Posted By: terramystic
Date Posted: July 22 2023 at 00:43
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DT for me. Their best years. Marillion is OK but didn't impress me much. I can't get into Swans - too depressive. |
Posted By: terramystic
Date Posted: July 22 2023 at 03:04
Here's something from DT that might appeal to Swan fans: |