AFRAID OF SUNLIGHT

Track 1- Gazpacho

We have a very slow fade in to kick things off with an announcer and audience sounds. I have read that this track is based on the OJ Simpson trial that was happening as this album was being recorded. Some distant spoken word parts mixed in with a mellow synth intro before Steve Rothery gives us a clean rhythmic guitar riff that serves as the basis for the first verse when the full band kicks in. The chorus follows with a half time feel, before returning to the next verse. A bit of a dramatic bridge happens after the next Verse/Chorus cycle. At around 5:40, the whole feel changes with a new melody. Steve Hogarth (AKA "H") has been providing outstanding vocals. The song fades out with sound effects and news coverage of the OJ Simpson white Ford Bronco chase.

Track 2 - Cannibal Surf Babe.

Wikipedia describes this one as a "Beach Boys pastiche, inspired by late-night horror movies." We shall see what that sounds like next.

Rothery begins this one with a distorted guitar riff that provides a backdrop for harmony vocals that remind me of "California Girls" by the aforementioned Beach Boys. We then get a sudden change into a "surf" rhythm on the bass & drums (Pete Trewavas and Ian Mosley) I recognize having heard this one from the chorus ("I was born in nineteen sixty weird") Mark Kelly's keyboards remind me of 60's science fiction music (i.e. Star Trek). The tune closes out with mor Beach Boys style vocals, followed by a female voice speaking what I believe to be French. This leads us directly into?

Track 3 - Beautiful

Rothery begins with a clean arpeggiated guitar riff that is the basis of the song. This is the track that I know best from this album. I consider it to be one of my favorite Marillion tracks. This is a "beautiful" ballad with great vocals from "H". I love the overall "sound" of this song. Mark Kelly's organ adds a nice dimension to the overall tonality. The backing vocals also are a wonderful element. The one thing that I would have liked them to add is a soaring Steve Rothery guitar solo. This song screams out for his signature soloing. It was the mid 90's however, and guitar solos were considered to be out of style at the time.

Track 4 - Afraid of Sunrise

I have heard this one before, but not enough for it to be sticking with me well enough to remember how it goes. We'll see if it rings any bell as I listen.

The song starts off softly with gentle guitar and drums with Trewavas' bass taking the lead in the odd metered timing. The mellow feel continues into the first verse/chorus. "Dayglo Jesus on the dash?" jogged my memory of this song.

Track 5 - Out of this World

At just under 8 minutes, this is the longest track on the album. The mellow feel carries over from track 4 as this one begins. This one builds up at about 2 and a half minutes in, and we FINALLY get one of Rothery's fantastic soaring guitar solos. In the Fish era of Marillion, they were often compared to Genesis. This track however reminds me more of Pink Floyd. Rothery's soloing style is much closer to Gilmour than Steve Hackett IMHO. But really the overall feel of this track gives me Floydian vibes, while still very much Marillion.

Track 6 - Afraid of Sunlight

Now we have the title track. The mellowness continues into this one. Rothery has a nice modulation effect on his guitar. The dynamics really build into the chorus around 1:45. H continues to show what a fabulous singer he is. Nice Mark Kelly keyboard textures around 4:45. "Dayglo Jesus on the dash?" makes a return at the end of this one.

Track 7 - Beyond You

Another mellow start?begins building around 2:25?excellent crescendo into the chorus. This is apparently an homage to Phil Spector's Wall of sound and mixed in mono.

Track 8 - King

This one is about Elvis Presley, Kurt Cobain & Michael Jackson. First a guitar riff, then it starts with people talking as if in a crowd all talking at once. The song proper begins with low volume guitar and vocals, then the band kicks in full force. The guitar riff is slightly like Tom Petty's "Last Dance with Mary Jane." There are alternating periods of soft and loud, much like the band Live was doing around this time. The band is rocking hard in the loud sections. A gradual crescendo begins at about 5:30. Then an ascending chord progression kind of explodes in a "Day in the Life," kind of way to end the song. I almost expected a big piano chord at the end, but it didn't happen.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:

Excellent songs throughout. My main complaint is the lack of guitar solos. Steve Rothery is an excellent soloist; it seems a waste to not feature him more prominently. But as I stated earlier, that was the style in the early to mid 90s, when guitar solos were considered to be passe`. I generally enjoyed the album though. I'll go with 4 out of 5 stars.

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