Marillion - Say Cheese! Christmas With Marillion (Fan club CD)
	Released: 2003 Label: -- Cat. No.: Webfree 06 Total Time: 34:46
	Reviewed by: Stephanie Sollow, December 2003 Each year for the past several years, Marillion have sent to their fan club subscribers a holiday CD, and 2003 is no exception – this year it's Say Cheese! – Christmas With Marillion. Fan club CDs are strange to review, since they aren't generally available to those outside the fan club, and that's the case here. But, if you're a Marillion fan not already part of the club, it's one more reason to join. No, that's not an advertisement to join – just a fact. Though that doesn't mean you will find gems here that you can't live without … however, there is a sneak preview of the upcoming album Marbles to be heard here – "Neverland," which was recorded live at the Marillion Weekend in March 2003. If your favorite Marillion tracks are "Seasons End" and "Easter," then "Neverland" will likely be your favorite from Marbles - it's construct is very similar. Hmm… have to mention "Beautiful," too, though to a lesser degree. And yes, there is that iconic Rothery solo to be heard here, too. I'm quite excited to hear the new album, as this is classic Marillion. This good live, it's bound to be killer in its full studio glory. I haven't been this excited since I heard the band play "Estonia" live long before I heard the studio album. Hogarth sounds inspired and passionate… I've kinda missed that about the band… glad to hear it is back. The other highlight for me is the drunken (likely they were) rendition of "12 Days Of Christmas"… quite funny, actually, when you twig on to the fact that these gifts are the traditional gifts. And the band do a very good job in their rendering of "Seasons End," -- no they do a very, very good job here -- recorded live last December at the Union Chapel, paired with a sparse and stately "Gabriel's Message" (good marks here, too). Both appear on the Christmas In The Chapel DVD. The goofy, brassy 60s-sounding, Laugh-In-recalling "Marillion's Christmas Message" opens the CD – the message is holiday greetings from the lads --, leading to an "oompa-pa-pa" version of "Stop The Calvary" (maybe all versions are this way…) full of brass and Hogarth in a particularly cheerful mood. The piece also features vocals from Ian Mosley. "I'm The Urban Spaceman" is a so-so demo version that one can also find on the rare Cage EP ("Cage" being a song from h's debut solo Ice Cream Genius). Again, Hogarth seems in very good spirits and the piece does become a little catchy after a few listens. Then we get a serious middle section with "Seasons End," "Gabriel's Message," and "Neverland," and Hogarth singing an a cappella version of "Stille Nacht" along with the audience of the "Aachen Christmas Goose" from 1999. And things finish up with "12 Days…" No rating for the CD (though it would get around a 4), but if you are interested in getting a copy yourself: if you join the club by December 31, 2003, they'll send you copy with your subscription … after that date, it'd be "as available." More about Say Cheese! Christmas With Marillion (Fan club CD): Track Listing: Marillion's Christmas Message / Stop The Cavalry / I'm The Urban Spaceman / Seasons End / Gabriel's Message / Neverland / Stille Nacht / The 12 Days of Christmas Musicians: Steve Hogarth – vocals Mark Kelly – keyboards Ian Mosley – drums and vocals Pete Trewavas – bass Steve Rothery – guitar The Racket Club Family Singers: Carl Glover, h, Lucy Jordache, Mark, Ian, Erik Nielsen, Colin Price, and Pete Contact: Website: www.marillion.com Note: will open new browser window Discography Script For A Jester's Tear (1983) Fugazi (1984) Reel to Real (1984) Misplaced Childhood (1985) Brief Encounter(ep 1985) Clutching At Straws (1987/99) The Thieving Magpie (1988) B-Sides Themselves (1988) Season's End (1989) Holidays In Eden (1991) A Singles Collection (1992) Live at the Borderline (1992)* Live in Caracas (1993)* Live in Glasgow (1993)* Brave (1994) The Making Of Brave (1995)* Afraid Of Sunlight (1995) Made Again (1996) Kayleigh (1996) Dutch comp Essential Collection (1996) UK comp; same as above Best of Both Worlds (1997) This Strange Engine (1997) Rochester (1998)* Piston Broke (1998)* Tales From The Engine Room (1998) Radiation (1998) Christmas 1998: The Web Christmas** Kayliegh: The Essential Collection (1998) UK comp.; diff. from above Unplugged At The Walls (1999)* Marillion.com (1999) Zodiac (1999)* Christmas 1999: marillion.christmas (1999) marillion.co.uk (or bonus disk) (2000)*** The Singles: '82 - '88 (box set) (2000) Christmas 2000: A Piss-Up In A Brewery** ReFracted! (2001)* Anoraknophobia (2001) Another DAT At The Office (2001)* Christmas 2001: A Verry Barry Christmas (2001)** Fallout (2002)* Christmas 2002: Santa And His Elvis (2002)** Anorak In The UK Live (2002)* Brave Live 2002 (2002)* Caught In The Net (2002)* AWOL (2002)*** The Best of Marillion (2003) View From The Balcony (2003)*** Christmas 2003: Say Cheese! Christmas With Marillion (2003) Curtain Call (2004) (3CD Box)* Crash Course (2004)*** Marbles (2004) Brave Live 2002 (2002) (DVD) Shot In The Dark (2002) (DVD / Video) A Piss-up In A Brewery (2002) (DVD) The EMI Singles Collection (2003) (DVD) Christmas In The Chapel (2003) (DVD) Before First Light (2003) (DVD) Marbles On The Road (2005) (DVD) * Racket Records releases  ** exclusive fanclub discs
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