The Marillion Round Table

lazland wrote: progkidjoel wrote: Slartibartfast wrote: If they're is a bomb about to dropped on Marillion appreciation, I am out of here. Here's my Marillion story and I better make it quick:Started off with Script, lost touch, reacquainted with Afraid, was not afraid of Brave (enjoyed it), kept following and getting their new albums ever since.  I must admit I am a bit of a lukewater fan these days. Good story! On the note os SFAJ'sT, I really didn't think it was that great. Other than the Title track, Garden Party and Forgotten Sons, I couldn't really get into it. -Joel Further to this, and Eric's comments, I think that people have to remember the context in which the album, and the whole new 2nd wave of prog, came about in the 80's. The so called golden era of prog was over. Genesis had moved on to the phase which most people on this forum, but not me, utterly hated, Yes were all over the place, King Crimson was still moribund, ELP no more. I could go on, but you get my point. There was a real danger that those of us who loved 70's prog would forever be harking back to a long lost era, with nothing to replace it. Then along comes this band, who quite deliberately made themselves sound like Gabriel ear Genesis, with an extremely charismatic face painted frontman, who told stories in both the lyrics and stage shows, and actually made a virtue of playing songs longer than three minutes. They also very succinctly echoed the trials, fears, and realities of modern life to people such as me in their late teens/early twenties, and also made a point of integrating some of the punk mentality into their ethos. It was magical, and SFAJT epitomises that approach perfectly. It was also great musically. Chelsea Monday, Forgotten Sons, and the title track still sound fantastic, even after all these years. I had The Web on last night, and really enjoyed it.

I can totally appreciate what Script meant to progressive music. When you put it like that, I do seem a bit hasty. It's still a disc I can't quite get into, but you have forced me to look at it from another point-of-view.

E

I was hoping to get a dialogue going regarding Steve Rothery's side project band The Wishing Tree's new album Ostara.  Any interest amongst Marillion fans?  If so, please check out this neglected thread. 

 

E-Dub wrote: Listened to Radiation today: grossly underrated album. I also had a major goosebump moment yesterday while listening to Marbles. The part right before the guitar solo on "Fantastic Place" when h observes that he "sees the island behind your tired, troubled eyes" and it goes right into the guitar solo. Chokes me up every time. E

Whoever says that H lacks emotion really should check themselves into their nearest doctor's surgery. That passage, and the resulting guitar solo, never ever fail to move me. The same is true of Neverland, a track I feel is unparalleled in terms of sheer emotion.

^^

Definitely overrated, but still, those 3 tracks are masterpieces.

Tonight I'm going to listen to BRAVE... Loud, with the lights off!

-Joel

Slartibartfast wrote: If they're is a bomb about to dropped on Marillion appreciation, I am out of here. Here's my Marillion story and I better make it quick:Started off with Script, lost touch, reacquainted with Afraid, was not afraid of Brave (enjoyed it), kept following and getting their new albums ever since.  I must admit I am a bit of a lukewater fan these days.

Good story!

On the note os SFAJ'sT, I really didn't think it was that great.

Other than the Title track, Garden Party and Forgotten Sons, I couldn't really get into it.

-Joel

Not a new statement. I've heard a ton of people say it's their favorite. Can't say that I blame them.

E

Listened to Radiation today: grossly underrated album.

I also had a major goosebump moment yesterday while listening to Marbles. The part right before the guitar solo on "Fantastic Place" when h observes that he "sees the island behind your tired, troubled eyes" and it goes right into the guitar solo. Chokes me up every time.

E

I think that Season's End is a far better and more direct album than its predecessor, and when that opening burst gives way to Hogarth on King of Sunset Town, the true fan just knew that everything was going to be alright.

There were some interesting comments about follow ups to epic albums.

Holidays in Eden is, to me, the worse album they ever made, and certainly put a lot of people off. Good job this was followed up with Brave, one of the finest albums ever made by anyone.

I enjoyed Afraid of Sunlight, and I think it is one of my most played Marillion LPs. Certainly, I feel that one of the tests of a good work is that you will still go back to it and listen out of pleasure, rather than mere curiousity, over and over many years after the album's release. AOS passes that test in spades. Beautiful is their best single ever, a wondrous track, the tribute to Donald Campbell, Out of this World, is still played live and exceptionally, Beyond You features an exquisite Hogarth vocal, whilst King has to be one of the most epic ends to any album. It rocks with such a huge intensity.

I think Radiation is a much underrated LP, especially the recurrent Now She'll Never Know sequence. It was a great follow up to This Strange Engine, which was, of course, a seminal moment in the band's career and move to independence, both financially and creatively.

I'm sorry, but I really do not rate Somewhere Else. Of course, any follow up to the incredible Marbles was always going to be tough, and I respect the band for trying something different, but the LP is fractured, way too introspective concentrating almost entirely on Hogarth's marital problems, and I hardly play it now, aside from the title track, The Last Century for Man, and Faith, which are the album's highlights.

I am also aghast at how low the PA rating for HITR is - only 3.43? That MUST improve, because it is a superb work. I only hope that Somewhere Else was an aberration, and the acoustic album promised in the Autumn, and the main follow up next year will continue this rich vein of form.

Sorry all - I've gone on far too long there, but plenty of things to consider and discuss

progkidjoel wrote: ^^ I absolutely love Somewhere Else as an album, and as a track... I can't put a finger on anything its done wrong.

The only song I can't quite get into is "The Last Century For Man". Everybody detests "Most Toys", but I like the tune.

E

^^

I absolutely love Somewhere Else as an album, and as a track... I can't put a finger on anything its done wrong.