SEASONS END

In comes new singer Hogarth and out goes most of what made Marillion special. At least that's how I recall my first impression of this album. I remember buying this for my brother's X-mas in '89 and how enormously disappointed we were when listening to it. It sounded so bland. It was Marillion, but reduced from stellar to ordinary with the passing of just one album. But the blame should not be put on Hogarth, he's a fine singer that would gradually integrate well with the rest of the band.

20 years after its release I can appreciate it a lot more. There are some songs like Berlin and Seasons End that reveal some of the potential of what the Hogarth-fronted Marillion would become but most of it is still pretty disappointing, especially where they sink down into pop territory. Hooks In You and The Uninvited Guest simply make me cringe.

The unbearable lightness of pop music...