MARBLES

Since the release of 'Afraid of Sunlight' in 1995, the quality of music from Marillion had declined. This was especially apparent on albums such as 'Marillion.com' and 'Anoraknophobia,' which marked a low point in the band's discography. Obviously, Marillion are capable of making masterpiece albums with Steve Hogarth, as evidenced by 'Seasons End,' 'Brave,' and 'Afraid of Sunlight.' Would this mark the end of great Marillion music? Fortunately, that would not be the case with the release of 'Marbles' in 2004.

'Marbles' is a return to form for the band. Prior to the release of 'Marbles,' Marillion were releasing albums fairly consistently every year. For this album, the band set aside two years solely to write the material. As a result, every song is intricately constructed and arranged. In addition, 'Marbles' is one of the most mature sounding Marillion albums. The band don't totally shy away from their neo-prog past. In fact, they embrace it on this record with longer tracks such as "The Invisible Man," "Ocean Cloud," and "Neverland." Marillion have always attempted to write epics, but the three on 'Marbles' are among their best. 'Marbles' isn't technically a concept album, but it does contain four 'Marbles' interludes interspersed throughout the record, which gives the album gravitas. While 'Marbles' doesn't follow a narrative flow like traditional concept albums, some may argue that 'Marbles' is a concept album about escapism. 'Marbles' is the longest Marillion record and is nearly 100 minutes in duration. For a double album, it doesn't get more flawless than 'Marbles.'

The concept of each of the "Marbles" interludes is based on the phrase "lost one's marbles," meaning that someone has gone insane. Marbles is also a game, and the narrator of these tracks has an obsession with collecting marbles. However, over the years, the narrator keeps losing their marbles, which is a metaphor of losing one's sense of innocence as one gets older. The first of the four "Marbles" pieces evokes the feelings of a reverie. The second piece starts off dreamlike. Once the piano enters, the track becomes more melancholic. I love the lyric, "More valuable than diamonds. More magical than diamonds." This lyric captures the idea that certain things in life that bring us joy are more important than just wealth. You can't play with diamonds, and just because they're expensive doesn't make them inherently more valuable, as everyone values things differently. The final lyric, "Did anyone see?" breaks my heart. The third piece mentions how many marbles the narrator owned until the "black day." They also discovered that by whacking a marble with a tennis racket up into the sky, it will have greater acceleration than a tennis ball. The fourth and final "Marbles" piece sees the narrator admitting that they should go see a shrink, in hopes that they can find them their lost marbles.

The opening track, "The Invisible Man," is a 13-minute neo-prog tour de force starting with atmospheric Mark Kelly synths, reverb guitar, and a pulsating Pete Trewavas bassline. Steve Hogarth's vocals on this track are among his most theatrical. Even when watching the live performances of "The Invisible Man" on YouTube or The Space, h looks like he is living what he's singing. Steve Hogarth is a strong contender for my favorite singer of all time. This song wanders the musical landscape through different sections, but not in an aimless way. Hogarth also plays hammered dulcimer near the midpoint of the track, which provides an eeriness as the music transitions. The next section is in 7/4 time and crescendos beautifully over a haunting Steve Rothery guitar ostinato. Mark Kelly shines during this part as he uses a mellotron choir and hammond organ. Seriously, does it get more prog than that? The music suddenly stops as we enter a slower, emotional section with a bluesy Steve Rothery guitar solo. The music crescendos once again into a glorious coda, which is nothing short of moving. Though it doesn't musically remind me of this, the end section of "The Invisible Man" in a way reminds me of the end section of "The Musical Box" by Genesis. Especially in the way Steve Hogarth delivers his vocals and lyrics.

"The Invisible Man" is an emotional rollercoaster. The song starts eerie as our protagonist claims that they "haven't changed" and it's the world that's changed, causing them to feel cynical of people and the world as a whole. Then, the music becomes more pleasant, as if the protagonist has accepted or come to terms with their invisibility. I love the line, "The invisible heart beating against you. The invisible pulse silently thumping." Earlier in the song, the protagonist claimed that "My body has gone, but my eyes remain." The protagonist has realized that they can still feel their heartbeat, meaning that they aren't as different as they thought from other, sentient people. This line also indicates what's to come; fear. The protagonist expresses frustration as "no one seems to notice" or "understand." They could literally "stand perfectly still in the middle of the road" and no driver would care to move or "swerve" around them. This statement reinforces the idea that the protagonist is truly "invisible." Lyrically, the song takes a turn as the protagonist says that they can hear "your" prayers. Are they talking directly to us, the listener? Quite honestly, I'm not sure myself. That's up for the listener themselves to decide. The line, "I am the one you felt was close. Close behind you at St. Stephen. You lit a candle. Blessings in the cold night air," makes me think that maybe the protagonist is a ghost. The protagonist describes the horrors they have to witness as they watch this person and the cruelty they face from their abusive partner. This is the moment in the song where the protagonist wishes they weren't invisible, because they "cannot lift a hand to stop him." This is also the moment where the feelings sink in of what it's like to truly be invisible. The next section, after the realization, sees the protagonist depressed, mainly due to the slower tempo and melancholy of the music. The final lyrics of the song encapsulate the concept perfectly. "Talk to me. Acknowledge me. Confide in me. Confess to me. Or leave me be. Leave me be." As someone who has always struggled socially and sometimes feels invisible, these words resonate with me profoundly.

"Genie" is a beautiful pop song that is based on another phrase, that being "letting the genie out of the bottle," or, in this case, the "box." The meaning of this phrase, according to Cambridge dictionary, is "to allow something to happen that cannot then be stopped." The lyrics of "Genie" capture that feeling well. "Fantastic Place" begins extremely quietly with calming synths and Steve Hogarth's delicate vocals. The song gradually builds into a beautiful climax. I like the lyrics and how it describes an island as an escape from the burden of life. Lyrics like "Forgive me if I stare, but I can see the island behind your tired, troubled eyes" captures the abstractness of an island and how there are glimmers of hope in everything. The title of the song "The Only Unforgivable Thing" is a biblical reference to eternal or unforgivable sin, which is perhaps why Mark Kelly plays the church organ at the beginning and end of this track. I interpret the only unforgivable thing referred to in this song as the negative voices that plague our minds and affect our day-to-day life. No matter where we may be, they're always there to tell us that we're not good enough. It's important to recognize these voices (as we all have them) and learn to disregard them, especially if they're hurting us from the inside.

The 17 minute and longest track on 'Marbles,' "Ocean Cloud," starts with a quiet Steve Hogarth acapela vocal. Instrumentation builds underneath h, reminding me of "Dogs" by Pink Floyd. Steve Rothery plays a slide guitar as the music continues to crescendo. The guitar riff on "Ocean Cloud" may be the heaviest moment on 'Marbles.' The ambient and atmospheric moments on this epic hark back to 'Brave,' which was released a decade before the release of 'Marbles.' After a series of audio excerpts, the band returns with even more heaviness than before, but only for a brief moment. The music then diminuendos. Mark Kelly's synths provide incredible atmosphere during this section in particular. The music crescendos yet again with a sea shanty rhythm pattern. This vibe continues but in 6/8 time instead of 4/4 as played before. The shift from a simple meter to a compound meter is exciting. This particular moment on "Ocean Cloud" sees Marillion at their most symphonic, which is why I was so pleased to see them include this track on their 2019 orchestral album, 'With Friends from the Orchestra." The song ends with Pete Trewavas' soothing arpeggiated bass and airy synths. Typically, when Marillion write longer stretches of music, they tend to have a difficult time creating a cohesive piece. That is not the case with "Ocean Cloud," which is a perfect epic.

Lyrically, "Ocean Cloud" is dedicated to Don Allum, the first man to row solo across the Atlantic in both directions (The Independent). Ocean Cloud was the name of his boat. I like how Steve Hogarth compares the sea to the narrator's wife and the boat as their mistress. The narrator recalls being bullied as a child and seeing how far they've come since then. The word "wave" in the line, "The medium wave brought signals here from far away. Your tender voice riding on the sea spray," is a double entendre. It could refer to a radiowave carrying a message from their wife back home. It could also be interpreted as the figurative voice of the ocean warning the narrator of an impending storm. The lyrics, "Stretchin', cursin', hurtin'," paired with the intense music paints the picture of the narrator tenaciously rowing through a violent storm. The narrator compares the Eastern and Western hemisphere to two separate planets and being in between them. "The Invisible Man" is referenced. The final line of the song implies that the narrator didn't survive their journey. In 1992, five years after his last Atlantic crossing, Don Allum died at home in England of a heart attack. I appreciate Marillion for enriching Don Allum's legacy and immortalizing him in this epic piece.

Musically, "The Damage" reminds me of Radiohead, particularly during their "OK Computer" era. The opening lyrics reference the lyrics of "Genie." "Don't Hurt Yourself" is a pop acoustic number with slide guitar from Pete Trewavas. The lyrics tell us not to hoard memories from the past that may hurt us from the inside. It's important for all of us to look to the future, because we can't change what's already happened. "You're Gone" starts with an upbeat groove that is the foundation for the rest of the instrumentation. This song is about the daily grind that we all face and how it separates us from our loved ones. I love Steve Rothery's sliding guitar embellishments. The start of "Angelina" hears someone flicking through radio broadcasts, until they stop on an ad for lonely men. At the beginning, the music is in the style of lounge jazz. Then the actual song begins shortly after. The music is relaxed but has a dark undertone. The ascending chromatic bassline of "Drilling Holes" gives the song an interesting tension. The bridge contains harpsichord and makes me think of the Victorian era. "Drilling Holes" also has a psychedelic quality, which is acknowledged lyrically in the line, "chewing the wrong kind of leaves." This is a reference to the natives of the Andes, who have a tradition of chewing on coca leaves (which contain cocaine) for recreational and medicinal purposes. The lyrics also reference the English rock band XTC.

Then we come to the final song, the twelve minute "Neverland." "Neverland" is my favorite Marillion song of all time, and a strong contender for my favorite song of all time of any band. The haunting chord progression of this song is first introduced on piano, and then the song explodes as the rest of the band start playing. Pete Trewavas and Ian Mosley provide a swinging rhythm section that is constant for the whole piece. "Neverland" captures Steve Rothery's most emotional guitar playing, which is even more powerful when paired with Steve Hogarth's passionate vocals. The crescendo and climax of the song is perfection. Wind chimes fill the last couple minutes of the song.

The title of "Neverland" is a reference to Peter Pan. It's that ideal or imaginary place that we drift off to when we daydream. The opening lines of "Neverland" hark back to the very beginning of 'Marbles.' The feeling of loneliness takes over. However, there is that voice, whatever or whoever it may be, that is there to let you know that you are not alone. In addition, we all have that one person who keeps us motivated to move forward, and makes us feel like we're alive rather than merely existing. The line that resonates with me the most is, "I want to be someone that someone would want to be." The lyric, "Wendy Darling," is a reference to the eldest child in Peter Pan. You could also interpret it as a woman named Wendy who is the narrator's "darling." The line, "In the kitchen with your dreams. Will you fly again? Take to the sky again?" is saying that your dreams will forever be dreams unless you pursue them. The line, "Undo the hooks once and for all. Banish the tik tik tik tok tok tok," is a reference to Captain Hook, Peter Pan's mortal enemy. He was attacked by a crocodile that had swallowed a ticking clock. The song "You're Gone" is referenced in the line, "But when you're gone, I never land in neverland." The overarching theme of "Neverland," as I see it, is that if we as individuals are people that we want to be, then we will be able to truly fly, like Peter Pan. The album's general concept of marbles captures the feelings of happiness. Marillion also delved into a similar concept for the album 'Happiness Is the Road,' which was released four years after the release of 'Marbles.'

In conclusion, 'Marbles' is a masterpiece that is essential for all fans of progressive rock. As I was listening through the whole Marillion discography, the albums that preceded 'Marbles' marked a low point. 'This Strange Engine' and 'Radiation' have their moments, but the following two records, 'Marillion.com' and 'Anoraknophobia' are among my least favorite Marillion records. 'Marbles' rekindled my love for the band and is my favorite Marillion album of the 21st century. If I had to choose, I still think that 'Brave' is my absolute favorite Marillion album, but 'Marbles' is equally as special of a record for me. I've done enough rambling, all I ask of you (whoever may be reading this and if you've gotten this far, thank you) is to do yourself a favor if you haven't already and listen to this timeless piece of art.