13 April, 2004
Review: Marbles (Marillion, 2004)
Okay; having dealt with the lavish presentation, does the music match it?
In general, I'd say 'Marbles' is the most consistently satisfying Marillion album of recent years, with fewer (if any) weak tracks than it's predecessors. Yet the converse also applies: while the low points aren't so low, the high points possibly aren't so high. I'm listening to the album for the seventh or eighth time whilst writing this and the music is still growing on me, so perhaps it's too early to say. Right now, I doubt I'd play either of the CDs specifically to hear one particular track, but I am highly likely to play the whole album without skipping tracks, which has to be a recommendation!
I'm pleased to say Marillion have put any stereotypical 'prog' history behind them, and this is very much the band of 'Marillion.com' and 'Anoraknophobia' rather than 'Script For A Jester's Tear' and 'Misplaced Childhood' (which are tremendous too, but Marillion rightfully moved on). However, if length matters, three songs on 'Marbles' exceed ten minutes, and the longest, 'Ocean Cloud' is a high point which should appeal to fans of 'This Strange Engine's title track. Incidentally, it's odd that throughout the post-1988 period, some of the best Marillion songs have been about near-death in water, including 'Estonia', 'Out Of This World', and now 'Ocean Cloud', my favourite track of the album.
Well before the release, I read somewhere that there'd be a similarity to 'Brave', but having heard it now, I think that was empty speculation, maybe wishful thinking, and I don't see the comparison.
Overall, this is a downbeat album. If you want driving, bouncy rock, look elsewhere. Several tracks have the laid-back feel of a late-night jazz bar, and there's a poignancy to even the slightly 'rockier' songs. There's little of the upbeat energy of, say, 'Hooks In You' or 'Deserve', nor the aggressive anthems of the Fish era - there'll be limited opportunities to clap, dance or sing along with this material in concert unless the arrangements are to be substantially changed for the tour. 'The Damage' might be the sole exception, and at 4:35 mins, would have been my choice for release as the single.
'You're Gone' is the single (2, 3), and has a programmed drum track that might improve its commercial appeal, but the general tone and h's delivery are introspective and downbeat (again). Existing fans, knowing what to expect, will probably like it, but I'm unconvinced that this adequately reaches out to the teen-led market of the pop charts. At 6:25 mins, it feels over-long, which is the last thing needed for a single.
Perhaps I'm misunderstanding the marketing strategy. If the intention is to present existing fans with something they'll like, as a 'thank you' for buying multiple copies anyway, this is a reasonable choice. Let's face it: if the band asked the Freaks to buy three mins of silence, a silent remix and the same again on DVD, they would.
Despite my apparent negativity, I do quite like the song. All I question is its value in grabbing new fans - a full-on marketing push might get the single (any single) into the pop charts, but once there, what will 'You're Gone' achieve?
The first track, 'The Invisible Man' begins well, with a synth sound suggesting a rolling marble, but when h starts to sing, the first impression isn't good. For some reason, he sounds out of tune. If an indifferent or hostile listener only gave Marillion 90-100 seconds in which to impress, this opening would do the band few favours. It's not until the three-minute mark that the true beauty of the music emerges, and it's an excellent song.
In a few other quieter moments, h's voice is surprisingly disappointing, displaying a tendency to mumble indistinctly (especially at the start of 'Fantastic Place'). If it's a deliberate effect, it's overused.
I'm not going to review each song in depth, but one observation to close:
'Drilling Holes': Marillion does 'Sgt. Pepper'. There's a distinct feel of 'Day In The Life', both in the arrangement and lyrics. It would be possible to over-analyse and see several direct lyrical references to the Beatles song, but the repeated 'one of those days' in the final verse is fairly compelling, even if the others are coincidental.
Posted by Ministry at 19:19
| 748 words
