MARBLES

Note: I was one of the fools who did not know that Marbles came in a two-cd version. Hence, I have the single disk edition. I feel I'm really missing out on some great songs, mainly "Ocean Cloud." Oh the pain...

Marbles really didn't do much for me on the first listen. I'm not quite sure why. On subsequent listens, I found myself enjoying it more and more. Of course, it couldn't be any further from Fish-era Marillion. Hogarth has a way of sneaking up on you, whereas Fish was more overt with his emotions. The music on Marbles is generally more subdued, emotional, yet sometimes cold. Many of the songs are ballads of a sort, and I believe one or two even became singles, though I think we all know Marillion--or any prog band for that matter--isn't cut out for that game.

Yes, the music is mostly pop-rock, but honestly, this is some of the best pop any band could come up with. "You're Gone" sounds like a mid-tempo European club track, but don't click off the page in disgust just yet. It's very well-done and tasteful, and it truly retains Marillion's individuality, which ultimately saves it from sounding like a rip-off of some egotistical pop star. "Don't Hurt Yourself," reminds me of Achtung Baby-era U2, which I consider a compliment, but something another might call atrocious. It's decent, but not mind-blowing. Another ballad, "Fantastic Place" is mellow love song that builds as it moves along; one of the better mid-length songs .

"Angelina," is yet another ballad, and I find it just a bit too much of the same. The previously mentioned ballad is more engaging, and more worth your time. The four "Marbles" pieces never really amount to anything except enjoyable filler, and I wish they had been combined into one song, which I believe would have been more effective. "Drilling for Holes" is chaotic, random and verges from murky to benign. This amalgam of elements makes for a rather confusing song, and I really don't know why it's even on Marbles.

Now, the two epics-of-sorts on my one-disk version of Marbles, "The Invisible Man," and "Neverland," both have far more prog elements that the rest of the album, yet they are still fairly simple and easy to get into. "The Invisible Man" has a dark and disturbing intro, and grows far more massive and powerful with Hogarth's every trembling wail. I don't feel that it ever reaches greatness, though. The real gem of Marbles, however, is "Neverland." A minor-key grand piano begins the piece, and a powerful vocal performance from Hogarth, excellent string arrangements here and there, enthusiastic playing from the band-especially Rothery's guitar work-carry it to the exultant conclusion.

If I was rating Marbles on a pop scale, it would probably get 4 stars. But this is a progressive rock site, and though it really is not the best example of prog rock, Marbles does have quality songwriting to save it from being a failure. On many levels, it's quite an achievement.

* Update June 27, 2006:

Well, "The Invisible Man" finally grew on me and now I like it just about as much as "Neverland." It's just a great derision from the usually easy-going remainder of Marbles. Seeing how "The Invisible Man" is a great prog near-epic taking up a respectable amount of Marbles, and also considering that I am still listening to Marbles with just the same and often times even more enthusiasm than when I first reviewed it several months ago, I'm bumping up it's rating to 4/5 stars. Whoopee!