Yup, I've decided to do it. My favourite prog rock band of all time is Genesis, but Marillion come a very close second, and in terms of their sound changing I feel they stayed truer to their original vision than Genesis did. Despite history repeating itself with Fish leaving, the band did not fall apart and in fact went on to record what I consider to be some of their finest work. They did change their style though, but I believe always remained true to their core sound and never betrayed their principles in the way Genesis did in the latter eighties and on.
This is a band I literally lived through: I got into them after hearing their debut single, bought their debut album and never really ever looked back. In this thread I'll be talking about my impression of the band as the years went on, what they meant to me, and why I think Fish leaving was not the end of everything, and why, shock-horror, I still bought and enjoyed his albums. I'll also be reviewing every Marillion album and possibly single (though probably not all of them) as well as all Fish's solo output and if I can get the time the other side projects like Transatlantic, Edison's Children and the H Band. Maybe.
So if you're a fan of Marillion, or you think you might be, then read on and see what you think. I will probably not include YouTubes, as much of Marillion's music is known already and I have reviewed some of their albums in my journal (plug, plug!) so you can always get the skinny on them there. I'd rather let my words do the talking, a feat which has never been a problem for ol' motormouth here, than bombard you with dozens of videos which, let's be honest, hardly anyone is likely to even click let alone listen to.
So that's the intro done. Now to check out the albums. I'm glad to say that I know these albums so well that I won't even have to play them, in most cases: they're all playing already in my head, and have been for years. Marillion for me emcompassed the very zenith of the progressive rock revival of the early eighties, and I honestly don't think without them there even would have been a revival. Pallas? IQ? Yeah, good bands but Marillion led the charge, and without their distinct imagery, style and lyricism, prog rock may have remained rooted in the seventies, where it had more or less languished until they burst onto the scene.
Feel free to comment, but please don't throw in comments about "prog rock sux" or anything. This is an appreciation thread. Debate certainly. Disagree if you feel you have to. But please bring with you two things when you cross the threshold into this thread: an open mind and a willingness to put your points across in a fair and reasoned way.
Now, what did I find at the end of my rainbow? Glad you asked...
