FROM STOKE ROW TO IPANEMA - A YEAR IN THE LIFE (DVD)

In my opinion this is far from being a masterpiece. It's just a concert emphasizing on the album Seasons End - not a spectacular show in any sense - accompanied by few videos and interviews, the latter not really interesting stuff enough for repeated viewings. And it all would have fit just well in one disc. This DVD left me with a taste that it tries desperately to prove that Marillion survives well with the new singer, Steve Hogarth. But after all, one year is not so notable measure. They started with two mediocre, commercially accessible albums (at the time they were writing Holidays in Eden from which they throw a rough live-in-the-studio 'This Town') before really finding their new style.

The Fish-era material in the concert works quite ok, though I understand the opinion that it's not 'the real thing' without Fish. Steve H. seems quite sympathic guy and as a newbie he surely manages well. But it's the material itself that stops me giving more than 2,5 stars. This is Marillion at its - perhaps - weakest point in their career.