HOLIDAYS IN EDEN

This album needs MUCH more love. I KNOW, I KNOW...but seriously, there is a huge place for emotionally inspiring music that the general public can enjoy. AND, if one can invite people in to advanced music through "accessible" tunes with outstanding musicianship, isn't that better than indefinitely alienating thousands through overly elitist "standards"?

This is my actual story! In 1984, I was a high school sophomore devouring all New Wave stuff. 90125 hit, and I was blown away by "Leave It". It was so astonishing that I decided I must understand everything about Yes. Fast forward to now, and I can say that my first listen to prog rock was definitely not one of Yes' best songs ever. However, it did the job. "Holidays in Eden" most certainly should have been Marillion's 90125.

I'm playing time-traveling metaphor-mixing ridiculousness now, and I know it. 90125 worked because Yes was "over" and no kids in 1983 knew anything about them. Marillion never reached the heights of Yes' popularity, except to be irrationally hated by the mainstream media to (maybe) Nickelback levels of intensity. Therefore, there was simply no awareness that Marillion could be deeply cool. But they totally are on this album. This is perfect for the time, fits everything else that was selling by the millions. It "should" have made Marillion as much of a household band-name as Pearl Jam, U2, Live, Gin Blossoms, and hundreds of other faceless 90's bands. As much as I disparage, I equally covet. Those perfect chord progressions, instantly lovable melodies, high-reaching emotion reflecting the optimistic notions of that time in history, all combined into a kind of intellectual confectionary. So sweet tasting, with just a pinch of authenticity to hook you, but mostly just empty-caloric orgasm.

If Yes, Genesis, and Asia can make bank with this recipe, by all that is honorable in the universe, Marillion deserves to have done the same with HIE. It is a tragic tale, but perhaps if they had hit big, Brave would have been equally "great but not ground breaking." So everything works out in the end?

No matter what, these songs are just wonderful, from start to finish there's really nothing less than 90s perfection here. If this had been heard by enough folks, it would have exploded. This must be due to lack of enthusiasm from the record company and the aforementioned biased media. Sucks. Simply put, this album deserves a high place in a special category: best albums to introduce people to prog.