HOLIDAYS IN EDEN

I did not listen to this album at the time it was released, back in 1991. I was too disappointed with their previous Seasons End (and the band´s new musical direction) to actually risk buy the record to get to know the newer material (like a did with Seasons). So I asked my friends who did and they did not like it. Critics in general dismissed Holidays In Eden as a blatantly commercial attempt to get a wider, pop audience, specially in America. So I just forgot about it until 2001, when I decided to give the Hogarth era Marillion a second chance. And I was quite surprised.

While Seasons End best track (The Space) is the last one, on this album is the opposite: the opener Splintering Heart is definitely one of their finest songs ever, Fish era included. It is beautiful, powerful and dramatic, with a strong build up that delivers the goods like the old prog times of the band. It is no surprise how this became so popular among fans, and a live favourite. The closer 100 nights is another excellent tune that reminds of the "old Marillion in terms of overall quality, a very strong prog song that deserved to be more known. Both feature blistering, emotional Steve Rothery guitar licks and solos and an emotional delivering by the band in general (and Hogarth in particular) that give goose bumps every time I hear them. The rest of the album, unfortunately is not on par with these two, of course, but it is far better than I initially thought.

The so called "commercial songs" (Cover My Eyes, No One Can, Dry Land, Waiting to Happen) are of course less prog and more pop, but of highest quality nevertheless. I really wish the radio played that sophisticated kind of accessible stuff more often. the problem here are the "rockers": numbers like This Town and the title track, like Hooks In You from the previous album are not their forte. Not really bad, they have good moments, but uncharacteristically and spoil the overall flow of the CD. However, they are only two "weak" tracks among 10, so I guess it is not that bad. (the extra CD that comes with the 1998´s remastered has a much more convincing rocker called How Can It Hurt. It would have been a better choice for either song. The other bonus tracks include a good selection of out takes, covers, demos and singles that did not made the final cut. So, if you´re going to get this album, be sure to buy the double remaster).

So, Holidays in Eden ended up being a far better CD than I expected. That if you don´t compare with the Fish era stuff, of course. The band had decided to change their style before Fish quit Marillion, so it was not Hogarth´s fault. Whether or not you like it, they would have been different from their sound of the 80´s anyway. So it is another band altogether, and seeing that way, I can appreciate them as they should (why not a change of name? I guess the recording company would not have agreed with that).

Rating: 3,5 stars. Not really essential, but more than just good.