tri.ad's Marillion Top 40 v. Like anyone cares anyway

[tri.ad]

It's getting exciting.

15. 100 Nights (Holidays In Eden, 1991)
As I said, I considered counting the whole This Town suite as one, but I figured that it would be cheating. So I'll present you the conclusion of it on position 15. What a way to close an album. Almost undeserving for HIE since it's not one of my favourite albums, but still.
Steve Rothery presents the most poignant solo on the album, and the final part (well, almost) is purely amazing, mainly due to h's vocal work. Mark's fading piano playing may be the ending of the album... but it isn't - the song comes back with a final four-chord scheme and h muttering the chorus of This Town from far, far away before the song fades out for a last time. An already amazing closer gets bumped up two more levels by that. Very, very nice.

14. Out Of This World (Afraid Of Sunlight, 1995)
This is where the production of AOS fully comes into its own. OOTW never takes up a fast pace, but remains rather melancholic and thoughtful, thus creating a nice contrast to the lyrics' topic: Donald Campbell and his fatal speeding record attempt with a hydroplane ("300 miles an hour..."). Also, it's another song that dabbles a bit in the ambient genre, showing mostly in the middle section with the samples and the final section (no drums, almost no guitars, no bass). Mark Kelly is the main driving force in this song, and he does a damn fine job. The atmosphere of his playing mixed with h's vocals is spot on and everything fits together very well. One of the main reasons why AOS is a top tier Marillion album for me.

13. Heart Of Lothian (Misplaced Childhood, 1985)
A true anthem to the area where Fish comes from. I was very surprised to see it played on the Out Of Season DVD since it's a true Fish song - more than several others, but it reminded me of what a great song this is. The chorus is amazing and invites you to sing, to shout along to it, and Steve Rothery's playing soars above it all, which makes the song even better. The OOS version sent multiple shivers down my spine (mostly because of the audience's singing).
I also like the second part of it that cools the song a bit down, and the resolution in minor gives it a really celtic-rock-ish feel.
Speaking of which...

12. Real Tears For Sale (Happiness Is The Road, 2008)
Marillion have never been really known to utilise the musical styles from Scotland or Ireland in their works, but this song is an exception. It's not only the flute that appears between the first verses, it's the chord progressions, it's the middle section, it's the guitar playing and several other things. And it really works amazingly well, the general melancholy of this music is captured and makes the song even better. Of course, the emotional renditions by h and Steve Rothery give their share to the goodness of this song; and the final section with Steve soloing over h's falsetto harmonies is just godly. An awesome closer to a very good (although inconsistent) album, and I don't think that this song gets the love it deserves.

11. King (Afraid Of Sunlight, 1995)
Yeah, I admit it, I have a strong weakness for amazing closers. King is no exception. It starts out quietly, but soon explodes into one of the most genuine rock songs Marillion have ever written. Then it calms down again before it turns into a huge build-up with another, even bigger explosion at the last second. Originally written about Elvis Presley, the lyrics' similarities to Michael Jackson's fate really struck me. I wonder if Marillion play this song with the thought in mind that they involuntarily predicted his life's ungrateful ending so accurately.
Anyway, King is the perfect conclusion to the album's general theme, and it mostly shows in its final lines: "I hope for your sake / You got what it takes / To be spoilt to death". I don't know exactly which lines John Helmer contributed to the lyrics, but it's one of his best contributions (his writing was often pretty lackluster otherwise imo). A song that everyone who wants to get into Marillion must have heard. I deem it essential.

[ytserush]

For the record I don't actually hate H-era Marillion, I just don't think it comes close to the greatness of the Fish era. I will further add that a few months back I went back and listened to Marbles and Brave again and found them more enjoyable than I had previously. Still, I find that Season's End is better than both.

Some of it does...just in a different way.   I can't get into Brave for the life of me. Fortunately, Brave and most of Afraid of Sunlight do nothing for me but I can't get enough of the rest of it.

[tri.ad]

Entering the top 10 now!

10. Ocean Cloud (Marbles, 2004)
So what characteristics must a song have to be a good song about the sea? Accordions and 6/8 time? Marillion, and particularly Mark Kelly and Steve Rothery prove you wrong. Basically, this song is a "Out Of This World meets This Strange Engine" thing. At nearly 18 minutes in length, it's Marillion's longest officially released song found on any album. And what an adventure this is. Atmospheric beyond most of Marillion's other stuff, laden with great solo spots by Steve and Mark, an amazing vocal performance by h, and a somehow laid-back, but still driving rhythm work by Ian and Pete. When I heard this song the first time, I was blown away, although I had heard many good things about it. Truly a magnum opus in the band's catalogue.
So why is it "only" ranked tenth? I find the section with the protagonist getting bullied by his PE teacher slightly out of place, at least musically, and the subsequent chorus feels a bit rushed. Nonetheless, this song is almost flawless (the Storm section is incredible!) and will most likely be a song Marillion's going to be remembered for - at least for its length and also for its atmosphere.

9. The Last Straw/Happy Ending (Clutching At Straws, 1987)
My favourite song from the Fish era. It amazingly conveys the emotion of desperation and abandonment, and it features my favourite lyrics and vocal performance by Fish. It surely ends his career with the band on a very high note. Forgotten are the lyrics where Fish tries too hard to be opaque and metaphorical - in fact, very few lyrics of him seem personal and emotional, and TLS's outdo them all. Possibly my favourite section is the same as Nick's - after the astonishing guitar solo by Steve: "And if you ever come across us / Don't give us your sympathy / You buy us a drink and just shake our hands / and you'll recognise by the reflection in our eyes / That deep down inside we're all one and the same". This is one of the songs Fish should be remembered for, because it displays his singing and his writing best.

8. Gazpacho (Afraid Of Sunlight, 1995)
Now this is just pure beauty. Interestingly, this song is, as a single unit, more than the sum of its parts. Steve Rothery's guitar playing is the first thing you'll notice - again, it's beautiful and fits it very well. Then Pete's bass sound - possibly my favourite of all Marillion albums, and his lines are really cool. Love how crisp and clear the drums sound on there as well. Mark Kelly knows exactly how to add the silent cries of melancholy to this song, and the chorus is one of my favourites ever. And h gets a load of moments where he can shine - without outshining the other members.
Now put all that together and you'll get THE representative Marillion song of the album, and probably of the whole decade.
Key timestamps are 1:42 and 4:33, if you want to listen to it for yourself.

7. This Strange Engine (This Strange Enging, 1997)
In my book, it's Marillion's first attempt at writing a true epic, and it was highly successful. Easily the best song on the album, it's build-up after build-up, with changing moods and styles, but nearly always top-notch. Two sections particularly stand out: The whole hard-rock section, including the two keyboard solos (which - and I'm going to make a very bold statement now - is better than many, many other keyboard solos I've heard, including the vast majority of DT's keyboard solos), and the last six minutes. Now that's what I call perfection. The build-up, the guitar solo, h's vocal performance (the last 60 seconds, damn!), and of course, the climax, which consists of h almost screaming "and is true". His voice is also the last thing that can be heard until it all echoes out. My first listen was an amazing experience, and even after many times, its magic still hasn't gone lost on me.
Side note: h tends to use the moments after the guitar solo to thank the audience in concert. Brought a big smile to my face when I watched this song on the OOS DVD.

6. Berlin (Seasons End, 1989)
I honestly can't recall many songs where almost eight minutes passed so quickly. Lengthy, but incredibly concise, Berlin shows the most melancholic side of Seasons End (apart from the title track). The sax part fits very well and adds a lot to the almost jazzy atmosphere at the beginning. Then a slight change of mood, and Marillion reenters with yet another great build-up that finds its climax with "With a hole in our hearts". And the song stays there until Steve Rothery's guitar solo slightly fades out and the band reprises the first theme again. I've been listening to this song a lot since I bought Seasons End, at this song never ceases to amaze me. Its topic might be outdated (the Wall of Berlin is no more), the music is not.
And a slight teaser for you for what's coming with the next batch: It's not my favourite song on the album.

[Nick]

Entering the top 10 now!
9. The Last Straw/Happy Ending (Clutching At Straws, 1987)
My favourite song from the Fish era. It amazingly conveys the emotion of desperation and abandonment, and it features my favourite lyrics and vocal performance by Fish. It surely ends his career with the band on a very high note. Forgotten are the lyrics where Fish tries too hard to be opaque and metaphorical - in fact, very few lyrics of him seem personal and emotional, and TLS's outdo them all. Possibly my favourite section is the same as Nick's - after the astonishing guitar solo by Steve: "And if you ever come across us / Don't give us your sympathy / You buy us a drink and just shake our hands / and you'll recognise by the reflection in our eyes / That deep down inside we're all one and the same". This is one of the songs Fish should be remembered for, because it displays his singing and his writing best.

For any differences we might have... I will always love you forever for this post.

[skydivingninja]

Great songs from Marbles, Clutching at Straws, and Berlin.  Don't know TSE or AOS too well/at all though.  I agree that The Last Straw is Fish's best performance with the band.  Ocean Cloud has one of my favorite Marillion choruses.

[tri.ad]

The countdown's running...

5. Living With The Big Lie (Brave, 1994)
Incredible. This song perfectly sets the tone for the album: It's bleak, desperate, hopeless. And so, so beautiful. Again, this song starts out rather quietly until it picks up some drive. Meanwhile, one of the most amazing chord progressions I've ever heard happens (timestamp for reference: 2:16) - great keyboard lead by Mark Kelly. Steve Rothery captures the emotion perfectly yet again with his solo. The quiet part gives a bit time to breathe, until the rocking part comes up yet again - and this time with a conclusion that somehow never loses the tension it creates and conveys exactly the emotions I've mentioned above. Steve Rothery drives this riff, and h's "It's OK, it's OK, I got used to it" is easily my favourite moment of the song and possibly even of the whole album.
LWTBL is my favourite song on Brave, and it deserves a top spot on any Marillion list imo.

4. The Invisible Man (Marbles, 2004)
To whoever who said it: Nope, it's not my number 1 song. Good try, though.
What an opener. The darkest song Marillion have made so far. The deep bass beat, the eerie guitar sound, the lyrics, and the keyboard patches... It all melts together to an amazing opening to one of Marillion's true epics. The second section is incredibly Pink-Floyd-ish - Mark uses patches that strongly remind me of Richard Wright, and Steve Rothery really plays in a gilmouresque kind of way. And I really love the chorus riffs, they're my favourite part of the song.
The third part takes it to some kind of higher level: More desperation, more tension, a huge build-up, and a top-notch delivery by h (particularly "I don't exist, what can I do, what can I do?" The fourth part drops down a bit in comparison to the other parts, but I still like it - apparently, they feature the most important lyrics of the song, at least that's what h said about the song. The fifth part, the grand finale, so to speak, picks up the momentum again and closes the song in a very cool, almost cathartic way.
This song is truly an amazing journey from beginning to finish and promises a lot for the whole album. Well, Marbles is mostly able to hold up to that.

3. The King Of Sunset Town (Seasons End, 1989)
This song contains my favourite song intro ever. 107 seconds of building tension that make you expect one hell of a song. Well, TKOST is such a song. The first song h was heard on - also for me, since Seasons End was the first album with h as a singer I purchased. But first, we get a blissful Steve Rothery solo, and then the moment of truth for many Marillion fans. And as you probably realised, I prefer the h era to the Fish era, so there's no need to comment on that any further.
The chorus is extremely catchy, and the calm middle section doesn't make the song lose its momentum. Love the final chorus as well. All in all, it's an opener in its most classic sense, and what an opener it is.
One of my favourite Marillion songs to sing along to (as you may know from last year's karaoke competition), the others being the ones that are yet to come.

2. Easter (Seasons End, 1989)
What Kayleigh is for the Fish era, Easter is for the h era - the best-known Marillion song with their respective singer. It is always extremely well received at concerts, and most of the lyrics are sung by the audience. Being a love song to Ireland and the Irish people, it was the first song to feature some celtic rock elements in Marillion's music. Anyway, this song is perfection itself. The acoustic intro is very nice, and the core of the song is Steve Rothery's guitar solo, my favourite of his. Recorded in one take, it really shows why he's one of my favourite guitarists - relying on feeling and not on shredding, and always perfectly in the flow of the song. The final section is amazing as well. This song has been one of my favourites since I've heard it for the first time. Six minutes of perfection, nuff said.

And of course, I won't reveal the number one just yet.

[The Letter M]

Oooooh I bet it's "Neverland"... come on "Neverland"!!! 

Amazing 4/5ths of yoru Top 5. I can totally agree with these and I'd say they'd be in my top 10-15 myself.

-Marc.

[skydivingninja]

The top five so far is filled with some of my favorites as well.  I also like how they're all dominated by H songs .  I said the Invisible Man would be number 1 based on your user title.

Of course, you've set yourself up so that if number one ISN'T Neverland, I'll have to fly over to Europe and nuke it.  All of it.  Just to make sure you're caught in the blast.

[ClairvoyantCat]

This means that either Goodbye to All That or Neverland are not on here, and those are the two best!

[tri.ad]

Am I really that predictable?

1. Neverland (Marbles, 2004)
Mentlegen, I present you the best Marillion song (and also my favourite love song of all time). 12 minutes in length, and every second is pure gold - starting with the fade-in soundscapes and ending with the wind chimes. Musically, and lyrically, this is where Marillion have outdone themselves to the furthest extreme. Listen to it. Enjoy it. Love it. That's what I do, and that's what I recommend to everyone.


Thanks for following my list. If someone of you wants to present an own top 40 (or whatever) list, feel free to do so. Of course, this thread is also open for discussion.

[skydivingninja]

 

One of my favorite songs ever, and the greatest love song ever written.  Nick will name his child Ayreona, my first dance as a married couple will be to this song. 

[ClairvoyantCat]

Goodbye to All That - the best song and did not even make the list    you need moar BRAVE. 

[tri.ad]

GTAT is too long for its own good. It drags quite a bit, sorry. I'd rank it around position 60 or something, though.

[ClairvoyantCat]

Oh well, it's a good list.  Good to see some support of the proven inequality that is H > Fish   ( )

I guess right now for me it's....

9  Out of this World
8   Script for a Jester's Tear
7  Fantastic Place
6   Neverland
5   Bitter Suite
4   Easter
3     Ocean Cloud
2     Goodbye to All That
1  The Invisible Man

[skydivingninja]

You must really like Fantastic Place for it to be your number 9 AND number 6 song.

[ClairvoyantCat]

You must really like Fantastic Place for it to be your number 9 AND number 6 song.

godammit




fix'd it ya bastard

[Dittomist]

I was very impressed with your list, tri.ad, and I enjoyed reading your comments. I love Marillion with all my heart so I couldn't resist making a Top 40 Songs list of my own.

40. State of Mind (Happiness is the Road)
39. Genie  (Marbles)
38. Go  (Marillion.com)
37. Interior Lulu  (Marillion.com)
36. Heart of Lothian  (Misplaced Childhood)
35. Living with the Big Lie (Brave)
34. Estonia  (This Strange Engine)
33. No Such Thing  (Somewhere Else)
32. Born to Run  (Radiation)
31. Three Minute Boy (Radiation)
30. The Party  (Holidays in Eden)
29. Angelina  (Marbles)
28. This is the 21st Century  (Anoraknophobia)
27. Incommunicado  (Clutching at Straws)
26. Going Under  (Clutching at Straws)
25. The Space  (Season's End)
24. Quartz (Anoraknophobia)
23. Don't Hurt Yourself  (Marbles)
22. Happiness is the Road  (Happiness is the Road)
21. Cover My Eyes (Holidays in Eden)
20. Alone Again in the Lap of Luxury (Brave)
19. Trap the Spark  (Happiness is the Road)
18. When I Meet God  (Anoraknophobia)
17. Bitter Suite  (Misplaced Childhood)
16. He Knows You Know  (Script from a Jester's Tear)
15. Somewhere Else  (Somewhere Else)
14. The Last Straw (Clutching at Straws)
13. Easter  (Season's End)
12. Kayleigh (Misplaced Childhood)
11. Ocean Cloud (Marbles)
10. Afraid of Sunlight (Afraid of Sunlight)
9. Season's End (Season's End)
8. Blind Curve (Misplaced Childhood)
7. Out of this World (Afraid of Sunlight)
6. Incubus (Fugazi)
5. House  (Marillion.com)
4. Berlin (Season's End)
3. Neverland (Marbles)
2. The Great Escape (Brave)
1. The Invisible Man (Marbles)

[The Letter M]

tri.ad's Top 40 at a glance:
Script For A Jester's Tear - 1
Fugazi - 2
Misplaced Childhood - 2
Clutching At Straws - 3
Seasons End - 4
Holidays In Eden - 3
Brave - 2
Afraid Of Sunlight - 6
This Strange Engine - 2
Radiation - 1
marillion.com - 1
Anoraknophobia - 3
Marbles - 7
Somewhere Else - 1
Happiness Is The Road - 2

Looks like Afraid Of Sunlight and Marbles are pretty high up for you, especially with three quarters of AOS and half of Marbles. Both are very good albums, IMO. It's nice to see EVERY album get at least one spot in your Top 40, though!

-Marc.

[tri.ad]

I was very impressed with your list, tri.ad, and I enjoyed reading your comments. I love Marillion with all my heart so I couldn't resist making a Top 40 Songs list of my own.

*snip*

That's a pretty nice list, and full of surprises, especially regarding House.