 |
 |
|
| Marillion - marillion.com |
 Released: 1999 Label: Intact/Castle Cat. No.: RAWCD 144 Total Time: 62:25 | |
Reviewed by: Stephanie Sollow, January 2000 I have been a Marillion fan since Misplaced Childhood (of course), and with each release I have eagerly awaited the sonic adventures the band were going to take me on, whether it was Fish on vocals or Steve Hogarth. I've loved each and every album (to greater or lesser degrees) right on up to Radiation, which, while there were parts I liked, overall it disappointed me. So, it was with some trepidation that approached marillion.com. Had they further left the special for the mundane? Were they even closer to becoming just an ordinary rock band? Well…no; the shift seems to be back the other way. This album falls in between Radiation and This Strange Engine. Much of it is close (sometimes too close) to This Strange Engine. The highlight for me, however, is the least Marillion-like track, one that manages to capture the Marillion essence I found lacking on Radiation. That track is "House" which closes out the disk. While there are the subtle, understated vocals by Hogarth that he does so well, and atmospheric sonics by the band, it is the addition of a warm, high-toned and brassy trumpet that lifts this song into another realm. I'd have to call it mellow, non-sugary smooth jazz - or maybe even Marillion meets Miles Davis … though I actually thought more of Rick Braun (my personal favourite trumpeter, so that may have something to do with it). The overall feel to this album is the same as with "This Strange Engine" (the track). If you were to pick the elements of that track apart and develop them separately, you'd get this album. The ideas and themes here are different - actually more like succeeding chapters to that story. All of which presumes that you're familiar with that earlier disc, so I'll assume you're not. And though I won't go track by track, here a few sound bites to give you a sense of what to expect. Imagine if Hogarth sang a Tom Petty penned tune, enhanced by a touch of saxophone. That would be track two, "Deserve," though Hogarth himself penned it. "Go!" is a return to Marillion of Brave - quivering bass; sparse, shimmering guitar notes, keyboards both tinkling and washing. Beautiful., and comes very close to "House" in being my favourite track. "Turn the Beat Around"-- no, sorry, it's "Rich" that's next, but you might for a moment be thinking that Marillion have included a cover tune. "Rich" actually is more a Beatles-esque tune given a 90's sheen, but also a rather typical rock song. It's not bad and won't have die-hard fans cringing like they did over "Cannibal Surf Babe." "Enlightened" is trying for that same magic of "Estonia" - it even follows the same structural pattern: soft, delicate, intro building to the chorus. And maybe that's why I didn't like it on the first few listens, because, on the one hand, it comes close to "Estonia" but not quite, on the other, it comes too close to "Estonia." There is a good guitar solo by Rothery here. The "not quite" crops up where Hogarth's vocals don't soar with that smooth tone. Instead, there's a bit of roughness around the edges, and, of course, because there are different lyrics, there are different beats. Not that I want it sound like "Estonia"; I'd prefer if it sounded less like "Estonia." "Tumble Down The Years" sounds a bit like "80 Days" - if I recall correctly, many of the tracks here were written at the same time as the material from This Strange Engine, so perhaps it isn't so surprising. "Interior Lulu" has a strange arrangement - one part psychedelic 60's groove, one part 60's spy movie theme (James Bond came to mind…no - Austin Powers came to mind…a little more swank than Bond…modern Bond, at least). There's a sense of blue and green lights swirling about a wall, while ribbons of lights undulate like seaweed beneath the sea. Then it explodes for a few measures before settling again…this at times sounds a lot like "This Strange Engine" (there are even a few repeated lyrical phrases from that track). In fact, this track is like that in one other respect - being the longest, a concept album in the space of more than 15 minutes. There is so much here of the Marillion that I missed on Radiation, I find this becoming my favourite track - but a long way from being my favourite Marillion track. Overall, I like this more than Radiation, and recommend it to both Marillion fans and newbies alike, but hasn't yet reached the same appreciation level as their earlier material. More about marillion.com: Track Listing: A Legacy (6:16) / Deserve (4:23) / Go! (6:11) / Rich (5:42) / Enlightened (4:59) / Built-in Bastard Radar (4:52) / Tumble Down The Years (4:33) / Interior Lulu (15:14) / House (10:15) Sound Clips: www.marillion.com CDNow Musicians: Contact: Website: www.marillion.com Discography
| |
[Review Index] [Home] [Top]  © Copyright 1999, 2000 Progressive World |