Marillion

[HOF]

The thing is, Marillion have always been pretty meandering, ever since the Fish days (Misplaced Childhood is essentially one meandering song). Marbles is replete with it. Brave had it too. It’s their trademark in a way. I don’t think it’s always worked out perfectly, but I don’t have a problem with how it’s evolved on the later albums. Not sure there is another band that approaches their compositions in quite the same way.

[romdrums]

jammin' nailed the post-Marbles era for me. Very well put.

Yep. I wholeheartedly agree.

You still have my favorite album to go with Afraid of Sunlight, plus Marbles (IMO Afraid of Sunlight, Brave, and Marbles plus Clutching at Straws are the band's masterpieces).

I'm with you on this as well. All of them are 5 star albums.

[Stadler]

I just haven’t been able to get into the post-Marbles material at all. It just seems to meander and wander through unconnected ideas. Everything just feels like it’s drifting aimlessly. There are wonderful and majestic “bits” to it. I’ve been through the last two albums several times and each time I find myself getting really bored and then suddenly going, “oooo! Ok I like that bit.” And then it just aimlessly drifts into something else.

It’s like listening to your grandfather tell stories where he can’t remember the whole thing. He remembers some of the exciting stuff but then a blank look crosses his face when he realizes he has no idea what happened after that. That’s what the most recent material feels like.

So... famously, the band would jam and Dave Meegan (producer of Brave, AOS, Anoraknophobia, and Marbles) would collate those "bits" and the band would hone them into something more substantial. I think, frankly, they miss him.  I think they still do the "jam" part, and the collection of "bits", but they don't have someone to drive the "honing".  I haven't really been able to get into anything since Marbles.   I can (mostly) deal with the politics, but I miss the ebb and flow of the best of Marillion. 

Though, for anyone that cares, on the deluxe version of AHBID, there is an instrumental version of the album and it's OUTSTANDING.  Mood music to be sure, but it's awesome to put that on for an hour and let it wash over you.

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

if i've only heard the classic stuff and then brave and marbles, what other marillion records would you recommend? i think brave or clutching at straws are my favorite

[HOF]

if i've only heard the classic stuff and then brave and marbles, what other marillion records would you recommend? i think brave or clutching at straws are my favorite

Afraid of Sunlight.

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

i'll check that one!

[HOF]

i'll check that one!

It’s my favorite album. Not just by Marillion!

[romdrums]

i'll check that one!

It’s my favorite album. Not just by Marillion!

I'll second that. If you ever go to Las Vegas, and happen to take a road trip to the Grand Canyon, I highly recommend listening to AOS as you leave Vegas. It's a wonderful soundtrack!!

[Stadler]

if i've only heard the classic stuff and then brave and marbles, what other marillion records would you recommend? i think brave or clutching at straws are my favorite

Afraid of Sunlight.

This.

[HOF]

BTW, the next Deluxe Edition to be released will be This Strange Engine. It’s been remixed by Mike Hunter and they band were doing interviews for the documentary a couple weeks ago, so I imagine this might be out next year sometime. It’s not one of my favorites, but I’m interested to see if it will benefit from some sprucing up.

Listening to Man of a Thousand Faces this morning (one of 3 legitimately great tracks on the album), and I think that track could sound much more massive if done right.

[Stadler]

BTW, the next Deluxe Edition to be released will be This Strange Engine. It’s been remixed by Mike Hunter and they band were doing interviews for the documentary a couple weeks ago, so I imagine this might be out next year sometime. It’s not one of my favorites, but I’m interested to see if it will benefit from some sprucing up.

Listening to Man of a Thousand Faces this morning (one of 3 legitimately great tracks on the album), and I think that track could sound much more massive if done right.

I've been vocal on my distaste for this record - and Mike Hunter's involvement doesn't move the needle even a little bit for me; I'm a Dave Meegan guy - but I'll give it a whirl.  I want to hear some of the behind the scenes stuff.  There was a version of... I forget, that was mooted during the AOS sessions and I'd dig that.   I like Estonia, too.   We'll see. 

[XeRocks81]

interesting, I thought (assumed) the deluxe edition project was over as it was only the emi (or parlophone) albums?

[HOF]

An Accidental Man is the one that was originally written during the AOS sessions, but I think it was in a pretty different form. It’s been released somewhere I think but I’ve never heard it.

[HOF]

interesting, I thought (assumed) the deluxe edition project was over as it was only the emi (or parlophone) albums?

I think there was enough interest from the fans that the band decided to keep going on their own. Not sure how far they will go since the more recent albums all have making of documentaries and have been pretty well documented with live releases.

[nick_z]

An Accidental Man is the one that was originally written during the AOS sessions, but I think it was in a pretty different form. It’s been released somewhere I think but I’ve never heard it.

Influence from The Police is strong on that one. I like that song.

Man of a Thousand Faces is a fantastic tune.

Overall, I agree This Strange Engine is a pretty flawed record, but I have a certain fondness for it

[HOF]

Yeah, they were sailing a little too close to the “Wrapped Around Your Finger” melody on Accidental Man. Not a particular favorite of mine.

On the other hand, the song on this album that I enjoy way more than I used to is Hope For The Future. It’s good fun.

[Stadler]

interesting, I thought (assumed) the deluxe edition project was over as it was only the emi (or parlophone) albums?

I think there was enough interest from the fans that the band decided to keep going on their own. Not sure how far they will go since the more recent albums all have making of documentaries and have been pretty well documented with live releases.

I'm not going to shell out $200 per like for the Tull releases, but if they did a proper deluxe version of TSE, Radiation, .com, and Anoraknophobia, with all the b-sides and alternate tracks and what not, at a reasonable price, I'd buy those.  I know they already did a remix of Radiation (it's better!) but they didn't really make that a deluxe version; I don't recall there being any bonus material on there.

[HOF]

Yeah, Radiation was just the album with the remix and the original mix on separate discs, no bonus content. Not sure I’d buy it again just for bonus content, but depends what all they dig up probably.

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

dang, Afraid of Sunlight rules!!

love the title track and the vibe and the moodiness of this a lot. thanks for the rec

[HOF]

dang, Afraid of Sunlight rules!!

love the title track and the vibe and the moodiness of this a lot. thanks for the rec

 

[ytserush]

Been on a Marillion kick lately. I posted in this thread not too long ago that I was in the middle of "discovering" Marillion.  I still probably have only really dug into maybe a third of their discography.  Since I first posted about it, I discovered Fugazi which is such an amazing album.  And in the last couple of days, I think the Clutching at Straws album finally clicked (the album as a whole).  Holy crap, Sugar Mice is such an amazing song.  Kind of pisses me off that I've been so depressed the last couple of days since I've been listening to that song so much haha.  But it's worth it.

That said, I'm not only getting into the Fish era stuff, I love the Hogarth stuff too.  I know a lot of people here were recommending Brave, and I listened to that one over and over to the point where I think that album clicked.  As a whole that album is top tier Marillion for me.  I also have been listening a lot to Holidays in Eden, even bought that on vinyl on a whim, and really like that whole album.  Also, I really dig An Hour Before It's Dark. 

All in all, I'm pretty familiar with Fugazi, Misplaced Childhood, Clutching at Straws, Season's End, Holiday's In Eden, Brave, and An Hour Before it's Dark.  I still have the rest of the discography to get into.  Instead of sampling it all I've been digging deep into an album at a time.  As far as Fish solo stuff, I've gotten into his first album.  The song Vigil is amazeballs.

Enjoy the journey. Much to discover.

[ytserush]

Got my Deluxe Editions of Misplaced and Clutching from the band last week. Even had 2 prints hand signed by the 4, sans Fish, which is pretty cool.

I gave up on the H era after the Happiness albums. They just became more and more boring to me. Seasons End is easily my favorite H album. Much to Stads dismay, I also love This Strange Engine.

FWIW, I would say each album since Happiness has been a big improvement over that one and Somewhere Else. It may just not be your think, but I think they’ve really hit their stride with these last 3 albums and sort of have their sound nailed down after searching around for something new after Marbles.

I think so too. But I dig Somewhere Else and Happiness in more subtle ways as well.

[ytserush]

I just haven’t been able to get into the post-Marbles material at all. It just seems to meander and wander through unconnected ideas. Everything just feels like it’s drifting aimlessly. There are wonderful and majestic “bits” to it. I’ve been through the last two albums several times and each time I find myself getting really bored and then suddenly going, “oooo! Ok I like that bit.” And then it just aimlessly drifts into something else.

It’s like listening to your grandfather tell stories where he can’t remember the whole thing. He remembers some of the exciting stuff but then a blank look crosses his face when he realizes he has no idea what happened after that. That’s what the most recent material feels like.

Yeah, that’s definitely become the style more or less for the longer songs, but it’s something I enjoy personally. There are still more concise songs though that aren’t like that. And I think An Hour Before It’s Dark generally has less of that than FEAR did. The second side of AHBID is really strong in my opinion.

I think the meandering is is kind of the point though it can see how some wouldn't dig it.

[HOF]

Got my Deluxe Editions of Misplaced and Clutching from the band last week. Even had 2 prints hand signed by the 4, sans Fish, which is pretty cool.

I gave up on the H era after the Happiness albums. They just became more and more boring to me. Seasons End is easily my favorite H album. Much to Stads dismay, I also love This Strange Engine.

FWIW, I would say each album since Happiness has been a big improvement over that one and Somewhere Else. It may just not be your think, but I think they’ve really hit their stride with these last 3 albums and sort of have their sound nailed down after searching around for something new after Marbles.

I think so too. But I dig Somewhere Else and Happiness in more subtle ways as well.

I enjoy them each well enough, and there are tracks on each that are among my favorites by Marillion. But I also think those three discs could have easily been paired down to two solid or maybe even one really strong disc.

[ytserush]

Though, for anyone that cares, on the deluxe version of AHBID, there is an instrumental version of the album and it's OUTSTANDING.  Mood music to be sure, but it's awesome to put that on for an hour and let it wash over you.

Absolutely! Think I still prefer the regular album but I'll be in the mood to pull that out once in a while and it's always nice to hear.

[ytserush]

BTW, the next Deluxe Edition to be released will be This Strange Engine. It’s been remixed by Mike Hunter and they band were doing interviews for the documentary a couple weeks ago, so I imagine this might be out next year sometime. It’s not one of my favorites, but I’m interested to see if it will benefit from some sprucing up.

Listening to Man of a Thousand Faces this morning (one of 3 legitimately great tracks on the album), and I think that track could sound much more massive if done right.

I cannot wait for this one! Top Tier Hogarth Marillion album for sure. I hope they don't mess too much with Hogarh's vocals they are PERFECT on this album. I'd also love to hear demos from this one.

[ytserush]

Yeah, Radiation was just the album with the remix and the original mix on separate discs, no bonus content. Not sure I’d buy it again just for bonus content, but depends what all they dig up probably.

I LOVE the original mix. I realize they didn't have a lot of funding to put into it, but I love the lo-fi atmosphere they managed to create. And I think the songs are good too. The remix takes a lot of that atmosphere away.

[ronnibran]

Going from suggestions here, I listened to both Afraid of Sunlight and Marbles.  Both great albums.  Of the two I gravitated towards Marbles a bit more, so I've been immersing myself in that album.  I like it more with each listen. 

I think the reason I never got into Marillion before was probably because most of it is so mellow.  Nothing wrong with that, I just normally listen to more "rockin" stuff.  I needed to be in the right mindset when I did my recent re-introduction to them. 

[HOF]

Going from suggestions here, I listened to both Afraid of Sunlight and Marbles.  Both great albums.  Of the two I gravitated towards Marbles a bit more, so I've been immersing myself in that album.  I like it more with each listen. 

I think the reason I never got into Marillion before was probably because most of it is so mellow.  Nothing wrong with that, I just normally listen to more "rockin" stuff.  I needed to be in the right mindset when I did my recent re-introduction to them.

Yeah, they are definitely a mood/atmosphere type of band. Usually melodic over rocking.

[The Letter M]

Going from suggestions here, I listened to both Afraid of Sunlight and Marbles.  Both great albums.  Of the two I gravitated towards Marbles a bit more, so I've been immersing myself in that album.  I like it more with each listen. 

I think the reason I never got into Marillion before was probably because most of it is so mellow.  Nothing wrong with that, I just normally listen to more "rockin" stuff.  I needed to be in the right mindset when I did my recent re-introduction to them.

Yeah, they are definitely a mood/atmosphere type of band. Usually melodic over rocking.

That's been my problem with really getting connected to Marillion. I love their music on paper, and enjoy listening to them when I do, but I don't listen to them very much, and like others, Marbles (the 2CD version) is my favorite of theirs. Just enough variety and power throughout with some great performances from the whole band. Actually, I've really loved everything they've done from Marbles onward, and I feel like they've been on a plateau ever since, with slight variances here and there (not counting Less Is More and With Friends From The Orchestra, as they're basically cover-compilations).

-Marc.

[HOF]

It’s not as though there are no rocky Marillion songs. But they tend to favor mid tempos and more emotional crescendoes. I do like when they pick it up a bit, but those are not usually my favorite tracks. Generally the deeper, more significant songs are slower burns.

[ytserush]

It’s not as though there are no rocky Marillion songs. But they tend to favor mid tempos and more emotional crescendoes. I do like when they pick it up a bit, but those are not usually my favorite tracks. Generally the deeper, more significant songs are slower burns.

Fish has noted that too. He always hoped the band would "rock" out a bit more. They can do that, but I'm not sure it's there signature these days.

[red barchetta]

I was a huge Marillion in the 80's.  They must have been in my top 3 bands and I saw them twice in concert.  Anything they releised on vinyls, I was buying.  When Fish left, I lost totally interest for the new Marillion.

Lately, I went back to listen to their stuff with Fish and got really hooked again, something I had to feel for so many years and I started to listen to all they did with Fish but also with Hogarth and read anything about them including a lot of Fish interviews.

So what I simply want is to know them totally, know what Marillion is since Hogarth and also Fish's solo career.  And so far I have listened to the first 3 albums they made with Hogarth.

The first one, Seasons end is very good.  Steve Rothery said in an interview recently that he was not nervous or anxious about that album because when Fish left he had pretty much all the music written.

The second one, Holidays in Eden has not captivate me.  It's much less progressive and sounds more pop.  I will have a few more listens but it does nothing to me so far.

The third one, Brave is good.  The band sounds like Marillion and I like some tracks but I will give it a few more spins to see if I can enjoy it more.

As I am watching a lot of stuffs too, I realise that Fish doesn't have a great voice nowadays but he was already losing it by the end of the 90s.  But no matter how he performs, I still like it.

[HOF]

Really cool interview with Dave Meegan on the Between You And Me podcast this week:

https://shows.acast.com/5f57907317370644246453f1/episodes/657f20b31585de0012391081?

One of the interesting nuggets that I didn't know is that Meegan has autism/Aspergers, which appears to have served him well in his line of work. I also didn't realize the EMI were pushing Marillion to return more to their prog roots for Brave to recapture their original audience.

[Stadler]

Really cool interview with Dave Meegan on the Between You And Me podcast this week:

https://shows.acast.com/5f57907317370644246453f1/episodes/657f20b31585de0012391081?

One of the interesting nuggets that I didn't know is that Meegan has autism/Aspergers, which appears to have served him well in his line of work. I also didn't realize the EMI were pushing Marillion to return more to their prog roots for Brave to recapture their original audience.

I REALLY wish they'd work with him again.