The Marillion Poll

[Moonloop]

Me, well it's just gotta be with the big guy 

[Peter]

Me, well it's just gotta be with the big guy 

100% Ack.

[Mark Jan]

I prefer the Fish-era, but the Hogarth-era is also good. The Fish-era resulted in four masterpieces and of the Hogarth-era not every album is good, but Brave and Marbles are masterpieces as well!

[The Voyager]

 Â  Modern Marillion goes from bad to worse.  

[Appelmoes??]

I never took the time to get into Marillion. Sorry!! Don't beat the crap out of me...

(Read the Silmarillion though... )

[gelert]

100% Ack.

And, according to the poll, so far it is.....


Anybody got a "swap for an Aggy"...?

[CygnusX1]

Ach c'mon you lot, modern Marillion ain't so bad.  Brave is a terrific album, and even some of the more recent stuff is pretty good.  Interior Lulu from the .com album is a real masterpiece in my view, one of the best from either eras.

[The Voyager]

  In a varying degree, "Season's End", "Holidays In Eden" and "Brave" are the choices of the whole Hogarth-era. 

[Moonloop]

Ach c'mon you lot, modern Marillion ain't so bad.  Brave is a terrific album, and even some of the more recent stuff is pretty good.  Interior Lulu from the .com album is a real masterpiece in my view, one of the best from either eras.

True, they're not too bad. The problem is that "not too bad" has followed on from 4 classic, top drawer, must-have albums  . When they release albums like "Radiation" you can't help but hold your head in your hands and despair 

IMHO only, naturally 

[Moonloop]

I never took the time to get into Marillion. Sorry!! Don't beat the crap out of me...

Ok.

(You really should though. Try "Clutching at Straws", if that doesn't press your buttons then no need to go any further with them  )

[CygnusX1]

True, they're not too bad. The problem is that "not too bad" has followed on from 4 classic, top drawer, must-have albums  . When they release albums like "Radiation" you can't help but hold your head in your hands and despair 

IMHO only, naturally 

I'm probably going to incur a lot of wrath here, but I loved Fugazi when I first bought it about 5-6 years ago.  Have to say though it's wearing a bit thin with me now and I personally wouldn't put it in the must-have category any more.  I still love Script, but I'd have to say I think Season's End is maybe their best achievement (the crummy Hooks in You aside).

[Moonloop]

Yeah......I take your point and had I bought "Fugazi" (or any of the other Fish era ones) recently then I may well agree. However, from a personal point of view, I bought each one as it was released and so "grew up" with them so to speak and that's probably why I retain the fondness for them which I do (we're talking, what, over 20 years ago  )

If I were to be 100% honest then I'd probably admit that those albums may sound a little dated but nostalgia always kicks in and I end up defending them 

(must play "Grendel" when I get home  )

[CygnusX1]

The dated aspect doesn't really bother me.  After all I think Seasons End probably fits into the "product of its time" category now too.  I probably just overplayed Fugazi a bit - needs to stay on the shelf for a few years methinks.  Anyway, This Strange Engine IMHO is the worst Marillion album - 'One Fine Day', 'Hope for the Future', the fake trumpet solo on '80 Days', and the 'epic' but ultimately ponderous title track. Yuck!

[The Voyager]

  As for the worst Marillion effort, I think that "Radiation" is another suitable candidate.

[Moonloop]

  As for the worst Marillion effort, I think that "Radiation" is another suitable candidate.

"Radiation" is one of the worst albums EVER 

[Peter]

Hey folks, please! This should not turn out to be some sort of Marillion-bashing place or whatever. After all, the guys surely have put a lot of hard work into their albums (like every other artist, too), and whether you like them or not is personal taste, right.

[The Voyager]

   Alas, a number of previous albums can leave a bad taste in the mouth.  

[gelert]

Point well made, and taken Peter...

And they're a shining example of what can be achieved by an internet-led "cottage industry"....so much so, that Sound-On-Sound magazine did a article on Marylion, as a suggested template for a "model modern company"...

However, I simply don't like the newer stuff...it does nothing for me, from "This Strange Engine" onwards...

BUT, I can HIGHLY RECOMMEND the remastered two-CD set of "Fugazzi"...often to be found playing chez-moi...the 24-bit 're'-production is STAGGERINGLY good...and how did they get that bass-end from the original analogue tape, without triggering new sound modules....?

Try the Marillion website...http://www.marillion.com/discog/fugazi/index.html

@ £8-50 + VAT + P&P, it's a steal...

[The Voyager]

" Fish will be celebrating the 20-th anniversary of Misplaced Childhood with a special Return To Childhood tour. Artwork will be designed by Mark Wilkinson"...                                               Source:  http://www.the-company.com/

[Moonloop]

Hey folks, please! This should not turn out to be some sort of Marillion-bashing place or whatever. After all, the guys surely have put a lot of hard work into their albums (like every other artist, too), and whether you like them or not is personal taste, right.

Right... 

[Deenfan]

I like all from Misplaced childhood and up until today. Seasons end the absolute favourite. Seeing as how much they have changed over the years, one shouldn't expect to like it all. Like Rush, for example. Almost all people I know have their own favourite periods. Mine started with Moving pictures and ended with Counterparts.
With Marillion, I'm lucky, I guess. When they changed their style, beginning with ...engine, I didn't fall off. I might have, but lucky for me, and by some twist of fate I guess, they changed into a style I also like.
Radiation has four really good songs, some ok tracks that are ruined for me by noise, and a few moments that do me no good. I agree it is a low point.
The Fish vs. Hogarth thing is a "battle" that's unavoidable, but still shouldn't be fought. Both are so unique that they can't be compared to anyone, much less to each other. Which of them really makes you feel?
Personally, I'm prone to like "good singers". Fish wasn't often heralded as a solid live singer, but he did the job in the studio, and most importantly, he got this HUGE x-factor, in addition to a really nice voice, and tons of passion. But for some reason, when I hear a singer that delivers a stellar performance, it moves me even more. Out of tune singing or obvious and cheap workarounds always leaves me a little cold, at the very best disturbs my enjoyment. (There are several explanations why a singer is out of tune on a stage, so that in itself is not enough to judge him by.)

Among my favourite singers are Steve Perry, Geoff Tate, John West, H, Bob Catley, Tony Mills... All people that normally deliver the goods. Still, I would prefer Fish if H didn't also have the x-factor, big time. I admire the way he's established himself as frontman of Marillion. It couldn't have been an easy job, taking over after the great scotsman. Many fans have given him great reception. Still, he's taken some shit through the years, too. I don't think that should be necessary. Do these people think that Marillion 2005 would sound like in the old days, if only Fish stayed? Look at what Queensrÿche came to with every single original bandmember intact. ("Hear in the now frontier") And there are others, I'm sure you have examples.

I want to thank both Marillion and Fish for all the music they create for me and anyone else interested. Right now, I'm listening to "Field of crows". A very enjoyable album that is a wee bit closer to "This strange engine" than "Fugazi" in style...

[Moonloop]

The Fish vs. Hogarth thing is a "battle" that's unavoidable, but still shouldn't be fought.

The poll is meant to be a bit 'tongue-in-cheek' and I assume/hope it's taken that way by everyone 

[Constable Hogweed]

Fish era - Clutching At Straws
H Era - Seasons End

[The Voyager]

Totally agree.

[Deenfan]

Yes, in fact, that is exactly how I feel. A good period, eh?