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And so, the debate continues……
***
It's like a soap opera. Has Marillion abandoned the prog
genre, or haven't they? I mean, "Radiation", "marillion.com",
and "Anoraknophonia" had a few prog moments on them but they
we're really slightly above average, album based rock recordings.
Then comes along "Marbles" with it's conceptual approach and
"Ocean Cloud" which was one of the coolest things Marillion
has done in recent memory, progressively, and otherwise. ***
Now just to frame all this up before I get into the review,
I'm surely a Prog-Head. However, I like lots of other music.
It doesn't have to be 20 minutes long, or have mellotron in
it for me to like it. What I will say, is that overall, the
music has to capture my attention. Some bands do it from the
Prog Perspective with Moogs and Trons and longer, involved
songs and melodies. Some bands do it with their musicianship.
Others do it with their songwriting. And yet, others do it
with being so different from the mainstream it's revolutionary.
***
Marillion has done none of the above. ***
Zilch, nada.***
In fact "on their latest release "Somewhere Else", I
am so bored I can actually say I think I've seen my fingernails
grow in the 55 minutes it took to listen to this recording.
***
The first track on the disc, "The Other Half" is probably
one of the best moments of the album. Rothery nails a killer
solo with a melody that makes you imagine him playing it on
top of some mountain somewhere just wailing. However, after
that tune, hold on to your seatbelts cuz the "pop single"
train's leaving and Marillion's the engineer. ***
"See it like a Baby" is what's been touted as the single
for this record and you've surely all gotten all the emails
about how cool it is and how much we should call our radio
stations and request it or what the hell ever. 4-1/2 minutes
of sheer snoring, not a melody that sticks with you and absolutely
nothing that makes you hum along. After all, isn't that what
a "single" is supposed to DO, huh Marillion? ***
And from there are very few redeeming moments that would
make me want to listen to this again. "Most Toys" in it's
under three minutes time is just sheer embarrassment, musically
and lyrically. The album's title track "Somewhere Else" builds
to a great crescendo of music but where's the MELODY at?***
Lack of melody is something that plagues this album extensively.
Someone call Steve Hogarth and tell him to stop the loose,
and crackly vocal approach he's taken as of late and tell
him to write and sing a fucking melody. There's hardly any
time changes, very few solos, and basically not much of the
character that most of us have come to love Marillion for.
It's a stew with substandard ingredients and no seasoning.
***
I can't go on. The whole thing pains me too much. Everytime
it seems like Marillion is going to get back on their game
and start writing really solid, melodic and just over all
killer albums again they release one that just makes my loins
ache with sheer disappointment. ***
The band claims to have written and recorded 20 songs
in the sessions for "Somewhere Else", and the remaining songs
will be released next year in 2008 as their 15th album. I
can say, I have reservations about letting myself get excited.***
It's unbelievably boring and not at all what I thought
they were capable of. In fact, are they? Almost 30 years in
and Ian Mosely doesn't seem to wanna do a drum fill any more.***
I give up.
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