HOLIDAYS IN EDEN

This album is hardly as bad as some people make it out to be. Sure, it was Marillion's most commercial release at the time that it came out, but that doesn't detract from the quality of the album. The main problem is that the album isn't really Prog; it has a few Proggy moments, but that's it (the main reason my rating is so low for the album). So what we have here, is high quality pop/rock.

The album's opener is probably one of the few Proggy moments on the album. Both Steves shine at their craft on this track. "Cover My Eyes (Pain and Heaven)" is actually one of my favorite songs on the album. It's very catchy and keeps the listener's interests, mostly due to Hogarth's EXCELLENT vocals. "The Party" is a decent song, but nothing outstanding. "No One Can" is another catchy Pop song similar to "Cover My Eyes," very addictive! The title track is a pretty bland and boring rocker, probably the worst track on the album.

Next up is another one of those great, catchy Pop songs, "Dry Land," definitely another highlight of the album. "Waiting to Happen" is rather forgettable, but still decent, not as bad as the title track. The last three songs are interconnected as a trilogy. The first, "This Town," is the weakest of the three. Like the title track, it's a more bland, rock tune, but still ok. "The Rake's Process" is a nice segue into "100 Nights," another one of the Proggy tracks, and one of the better songs on the album, and a great way to finish things off.

It's hard for me to assign a rating to this album. While I like it a lot, it's barely a Prog album at all. Many of the tracks are quite accessible and catchy, full of great vocals, keyboards, and of course, Rothery's signature guitar. In the end, I think the album deserves 2.5 stars, while great, it still suffers from having little to no Prog elements. Still a good listen for the Marillion fans, though.