COVER MY EYES (PAIN AND HEAVEN)

The second Marillion studio album with the new vocalist Steve Hogarth, Holidays in Eden (1991), was a disappointment after the fairly strong Seasons End. I didn't keep the vinyl very long, and only years later I returned to appreciate its better songs such as Splintering Heart and The Party, but for me they really are a minority. The band took a much more mainstream pop direction which is best showcased with the three single outtakes. The other two were 'No One Can' and 'Dry Land'.

'Cover My Eyes (Pain and Heaven)' peaked at #34 on the UK Singles Chart, but reached #14 in the Netherlands, becoming the band's biggest hit there since Kayleigh. There is no shade of prog, this is a plain straightforward pop- rock song. The guitar especially at the very beginning is reminiscent of the style of The Edge of U2, on songs such as 'Where the Streets Have No Name' (which is a whole lot better song than this one!). The way Hogarth howls repeatedly the words "pain and heaven" is a bit irritating. Otherwise a decent, accessible pop song, nothing more.

On the B side there is a non-album song 'How Can It Hurt' which rocks harder. It slightly reminds me of 'Hard As Love' (Brave, 1994) but it doesn't have the more serene moments that IMHO save the mentioned song. This is just a boring and totally unoriginal rocker to me.

The 12" maxi single and the CD single contain also 'The Party', perhaps my favourite song from Holidays in Eden.