RADIATION

After having had controversial feelings about Hogarth, I think that the reason of the low rating of this album stays just in his voice. Let's forget "Costa Del Slough" even with the nice ragtime guitar, and I didn't imagine that Rothary was a finger-picker, too. Under the Sun is not a bad song but it misses something.

It's with "The Answering Machine" that the reason becomes clear. Try to imagine Fish whispering instead of Hogart crying on the same chorus and you'll discover that the band is playing old style, this song could stay on Clutching at Straws, and maybe for this reason Hogarth appears to be misplaced.

Things change with "Three Minute Boy" that seems to be built for Hogarth. A good melodic song on which Hogarth's voice sounds appropriate. Not the same on "Now She'll Never Know". The initial high-pitched singing makes me think to a sort of dry-throat version of Demis Roussous. The keyboard sound seems stolen from Beatles and the song is a bit boring. One waits for a crescendo or a vocal explosion but it doesn't happen. Too long.

"These Chains" isn't much better. At least there's some rhythm brought in by the acoustic guitar. This country-rock flavor is interrupted by the chorus that's not so nice. "Born To Run" (very slowly let's say) seems a R&B slow song of the 60s. Think to Percy Sledge, this kind of things. Is this what we look for in a Marillion album?

"Cathedral Wall" is more rocking. Not a masterpiece, but at least it keeps me awaken, except for the interlude with Hogarth singing like he was drunk.

Said so, when it comes to "A Few Words For the Dead", one hopes that they are really few. What comes is something that one doesn't expect from Marillion. Please let Edgar Froese make this kind of things. They're not playing Epsilon in Malaysian Pale, and even if, it shouldn't feature Hogarth's vocals. Listening to it better the sitar in the background and the repetitive guitar plus the electronic are not absolutely bad, but a track of this kind shouldn't have a so melodic singing. The possible oriental flavor gets lost.

I can save just a couple of songs of this album so I'm sorry but I put myself together with its low-raters. I can't give it more than 2 stars