Marillion Album Poll: Holidays in Eden (1991)

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Mirror Image, Jul 13, 2018.

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  1. Mirror Image

    Mirror Image 200 Years Of Anton Bruckner Thread Starter

    Location:
    United States
    [​IMG]

    Tracklisting:

    1. Splintering Heart (6:53)
    2. Cover My Eyes (Pain and Heaven) (3:53)
    3. The Party (5:36)
    4. No One Can (4:41)
    5. Holidays in Eden (5:37)
    6. Dry Land (4:43)
    7. Waiting To Happen (5:01)
    8. - 10. This Town (3:18) / The Rakes Progress (1:54) / 100 Nights (6:41)

    Personnel:

    Steve Hogarth - vocals
    Steve Rothery - guitars
    Mark Kelly - keyboards
    Pete Trewavas - bass
    Ian Mosley - drums

    With Steve Hogarth having eased his way into the band on the 1989 album 'Season's End', 1991's 'Holidays In Eden' consolidated his position and signalled Marillion's further severing of the umbilical with former frontman Fish.

    Produced by Christopher Neil, 'Holidays In Eden' is one of the band's most commercial offerings but still wrapped up in their signature prog-rock styling - notably spearheaded by Steve Rothery's chiming guitar figures. The band were pressured by EMI who wanted an album with at least three singles, whilst Neil was well-known for his pop craftsmanship through his work with Celine Dion and Sheena Easton.

    Hogarth proved himself a powerful and sensitive singer, no more so than on his older song 'Dry Land' (written with Colin Woore when he was in How We Live). He also brought fresh input into the band's songwriting process. With lyricist John Helmer on board, the band cranked out intelligent AOR which although alienating some of the older fanbase touched territory that - with the right promotion - could have won them a whole new audience.​

    In the post-Fish Marillion canon, the album now stands slightly apart from what was to follow. After the prog-rock epic 'Brave' and its successor 'Afraid Of Sunlight' EMI dropped the band and Hogarth and co. adopted a less accessible, less commercial stance - evidently buoyed up by Radiohead citing the band as an influence. Latterly they ply their trade via an active website with many exclusive internet-only releases, and they astounded the industry by gleaning 13,000 advance orders via the Net for their self-produced "Anoraknophobia" CD which is arguably their most accessible since "Holidays”.

    [Article taken from Get Ready To Rock]

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Hogarth’s second outing with Marillion. Honestly, I like this album more now then I did when I first heard about 20 years ago. Back then, I found this album to be radio-friendly, mass market twaddle of the first order. As time has gone by, I’ve really come around to it. In fact, I think it’s quite brilliant in some parts (most notably the ending trilogy: This Town/The Rakes Progress/100 Nights). I even dig the more pop-oriented pieces like Cover My Eyes (Pain and Heaven) and Dry Land. I wouldn’t say it’s entirely successful overall, but I don’t think it’s a weak album. The opener Splintering Heart is hair-raising. So what do you guys think? A success or a giant commercial flop?
     
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  2. Kiss73

    Kiss73 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Scotland
    Seasons End was stunning in my opinion. A real quality album and a superb introduction to Hogarth.

    So Holidays in Eden for me sits as the weaker relative to Seasons End in some respects, as it was still really great, but not perfect. When the songwriting is good - No One Can, The Party, Dry Land, Waiting To Happen - it excels. I love that it ventures into pop territory...no shame at all in that when it's of such quality.

    The 2 tracks that mark the album down for me is the title track itself - Holiday In Eden and This Town/The Rakes Progress/100 Nights - two tracks I can happily skip.

    And of course the song A Collection - which didn't make it onto the album - is simply brilliant

    This is a great album and one to recommend for those looking for a more accessible Marillion, however as with Marillion, it is live that this band really flourish and I would recommend the Holidays In Eden Live set as being better than the album itself (or wait to see what pops out on the future deluxe set)
     
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  3. NorthNY Mark

    NorthNY Mark Forum Resident

    Location:
    Canton, NY, USA
    I voted "Pretty good, but far from a favorite." If such an option were available, I would have chosen "Some very good moments, but disappointing overall." I agree that the opener, "Splintering Heart," is pretty impressive. The pop ballads are not bad for what they are (and I too like them better now than I did at the time the album was released). In general, though, I find the production so cold, mechanical, and sterile that it saps most of the joy from what otherwise are reasonably well-crafted songs. Added to that (or perhaps part of it), H uses a lot of the thin, straining techniques that I find annoying, and Rothery's Edge-like rhythm guitar (what the reviewer refers to as the "chiming guitar figures') felt extraordinarily cliched even at the time. It all sounded like they were trying their hardest to imitate the sound of Mike and the Mechanics (wasn't it the same producer?), which I found nearly unlistenable. I think the only album of theirs I might enjoy less is the arguably somewhat similar Anoraknophobia.
     
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  4. Mirror Image

    Mirror Image 200 Years Of Anton Bruckner Thread Starter

    Location:
    United States
    I certainly can relate to what you’re saying, but I still love Eden despite it’s apparent warts.
     
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  5. Instant Dharma

    Instant Dharma Dude/man

    Location:
    CoCoCo, Ca
    Not recomended. Starts great and ends great but the less said about the middle the better.

    Dry Land and the Party are decent tracks.
     
  6. Mirror Image

    Mirror Image 200 Years Of Anton Bruckner Thread Starter

    Location:
    United States
    The solo from Rothery in Dry Land is just gorgeous. So simple and exquisite.

    A great live performance of Dry Land:

     
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  7. PTgraphics

    PTgraphics Senior Member

    Bought the import when it was released. USA release came later. USA release included A Collection which is a really good tune. Splintering Heart is a great opener. Cover My Eyes is really good and that one opens the USA release.
     
    Last edited: Jul 14, 2018
  8. Mirror Image

    Mirror Image 200 Years Of Anton Bruckner Thread Starter

    Location:
    United States
    So do you like the album?
     
  9. PTgraphics

    PTgraphics Senior Member

    Yes I like it. I know it's a little too much 'pop' oriented for many but it's a good album, just a bit different. "No One Can" & "Waiting To Happen" are other stand-out tracks for me. I have a soft spot for "The Party" also.
     
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  10. carlwm

    carlwm Forum Resident

    Location:
    wales
    This is a lovely album. The tunes are gorgeous throughout and the playing and singing are brilliant also.

    It's a pop album, for sure, but there's nothing throwaway about it at all.

    Top tier Marillion!
     
  11. Sevoflurane

    Sevoflurane Forum Resident

    To this day, I prefer the “Moles Club” version of Splintering Heart (Rothery using a Roland guitar synth for possibly the last time on a Marillion track, and Mosley drumming like a beast) which as well as being included on the two disc remaster of the album was the opening track on the Xmas tour gig I went to at Nottingham Rock City. I have never liked No One Can, Cover My Eyes or Dry Land, though Waiting to Happen, The Party and This Town are monster tracks IMHO.

    Before anyone accuses me of not being a fan at all, i’ve seen them live 12 times, am an avid Fish and H era fan, and have Marillion in my top three bands along with Rush and Pink Floyd.

    I have a US import version of this album with How Can It Hurt on it, which is a great track.

    Pretty good, but far from a favourite from me. Now, let’s talk about Brave...
     
  12. ytserush

    ytserush Forum Resident

    Location:
    Northeast US
    I'm not sure I like this album as much as I did when it came out. It's still pretty good but they kept raising the bar from This Strange Engine onward.

    The tracks I like have gotten better with age and the ones I'm not into (This Town, Dry Land...) seem to have slipped even further down the ladder.

    Never liked the album cover or the logo either.

    The live show was where it was at though....
     
  13. Eleventh Earl of Mar

    Eleventh Earl of Mar Somehow got them all this far.

    Location:
    New York
    My problem where this one sits goes with how bad of an introduction record it is - if you played this to someone who hasn't heard Marillion, they'd think it's kind of bad.

    For me, it's generally okay. I really like the pop songs. Still remember being 17 and singing PAINNNNNNNNNNN HEAVENNNNNNNNNNNNN while on acid...
     
  14. Barnabas Collins

    Barnabas Collins Senior Member

    Location:
    NH
    I have a soft spot for HiE. I was surprised at how poppy it was when I first plopped it on the turntable. (that sounded weird). I didn't want to like it at the time but I played it to death. I actually thought that it might turn the band's fortunes around in the US as most of the tunes are very radio friendly but it was never meant to be. In hindsight, I'm glad Marillion didn't pursue this particular direction but they really were great at coming up with the catchy tunes. Maybe if they had still been on Capitol Records, it might have done better. But I.R.S. never did much of anything for Marillion as I recall.
     
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  15. I like it, but it does suffer from some production style as mentioned. I bought the Canadian version while up North when it came out, before the US IRS one came out. It is a Canadian made version of the UK EMI issue. It is a pretty good album. I just can't see how EMI expected a lot of singles from it. It maybe more pop like, but it is pretty "out there" for UK pop to sell. Most prior Marillion albums didn't have a Kayleigh single on them. It is like Rush trying to sell singles, when they really sell a lot of albums.
     
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  16. Mirror Image

    Mirror Image 200 Years Of Anton Bruckner Thread Starter

    Location:
    United States
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  17. Mirror Image

    Mirror Image 200 Years Of Anton Bruckner Thread Starter

    Location:
    United States
    Actually, since we’re beating dead horses here, they started raising the bar with Brave and declined after This Strange Engine. For me, it wasn’t until Anoraknophobia that my ears really perked up again, although I do like Marillion.com much more now then I did when it came out.
     
  18. ytserush

    ytserush Forum Resident

    Location:
    Northeast US

    The weird part about this period is that it just seemed like EMI gave up on the album after a short period in the States. Six of One (With Sympathy and I will Walk On Water) came out fairly soon after in 1992.

    I always thought that was a strange time for a compilation but maybe they wanted to buy time to switch gears.
     
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