Marillion Album Poll: Seasons End (1989)

Tracklisting:

1. The King Of Sunset Town (8:01)
2. Easter (5:57)
3. The Uninvited Guest (3:50)
4. Seasons End (8:08)
5. Holloway Girl (4:27)
6. Berlin (7:43)
7. After Me (3:19)
8. Hooks In You (2:54)
9. The Space... (6:14)

Personnel:

Steve Hogarth - vocals
Steve Rothery - guitars
Mark Kelly - keyboards
Pete Trewavas - bass
Ian Mosley - drums
Phil Todd - saxophone on Berlin
Jean-Pierre Rasle - pipes on Easter

1989 marked a difficult year for the band Marillion. Well, maybe difficult isn't the correct word. After all, they had weathered the storm of separating from their frontman/singer Fish... the question was, could the band survive without him? More importantly, would Marillion's fans accept the new singer, whoever the band selected?

The selection of Steve Hogarth might have been a little startling to some people. Fish had been very theatric in his own ways; Hogarth seemed content to let the music speak for itself, and he was just the mouthpiece for that music. Needless to say, the combination of Hogarth with the remaining members of Marillion was as natural as eggs with ham, and the fans welcomed Hogarth with open arms.

Seasons End, the first outing with Hogarth as lead vocalist, showed that not only could Marillion survive without the specter of Fish, but they could also thrive. If anything, Hogarth's vocal style helped to draw people's attention to the music - and how beautiful it had been all along. (This isn't meant as a slam against Fish; if you've read any of the previous reviews, you'll know I liked his style of singing as well.)

The 1997 re-issue of this album, like all of Marillion's releases to that point, includes a bonus disc of material - which we'll get to soon enough. For now, let's focus on the album proper - and what an album it was! Radio might not have been looking at Marillion in terms of airplay anymore, but the band proved that no less than four of these tracks could easily have been the next "Kayleigh". Why Marillion never reached that level of fame with this release, I don't know.

Look at the opening track "The King Of Sunset Town," and try to convince me that this song doesn't have vocal and musical hooks that would have won over the toughest audience. (In a sense, the song did, since Marillion fans are some of the most passionate towards any group - and I do mean that as a compliment.) Try and convince me that "Hooks In You" isn't as powerful a song as anything any radio-friendly band was doing at that time. Try and convince me that "Easter" isn't both a beautiful, touching number and a track that can evoke strong imagery. In fact, don'ttry - fact is, you won't be able to convince me.

What is unique about Seasons End is that the disc is immediately approachable; unlike some of Marillion's earlier albums, you don't necessarily have to listen to it four times to appreciate the inner beauty of the material. (Again, that's not meant as a slam - just what I've noticed from my experience listening to Marillion's works.) In fact, albums with Hogarth as the singer have proven to be more accessible than works with Fish, in general.

The only "complaint" I would have is a minor one - why wasn't "The Bell In The Sea" included on the original album? It's another beautiful song that shows off the power of Hogarth's vocals paired with the solid musical skills of the band.

Oh, sure, some people might question including three versions of a song like "The Uninvited Guest" (the original, the 12-inch version, and the demo) - but as long as it's this strong of a song, who cares? It is interesting, though, that only about half of Seasons End is featured on "The Mushroom Farm Demos" - compared to other Marillion re-releases which feature usually the entire album.

While Seasons End might not have lit the charts up for Marillion like some of their earlier works, this disc proves to be a high-water mark for the band creatively. Hogarth proved to be a perfect fit with the band, making the transition from Fish to Hogarth practically seamless. Marillion hadn't lost their creative and musical purity - and they are to be commended for a wonderful release. It might not be their best-known album, but Seasons End ranks as one of Marillion's best.

[Article taken from Daily Vault]

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Seasons End remains, for me, a very satisfying album from Marillion. Almost all of the music was already written before Hogarth’s arrival. One does wonder what Fish would have brought to this album. I think Marillion needed to get a bit out of the shadows for awhile and Seasons End has a positive musical energy shown throughout. It shows the band working in opulent beauty more than the sort of brooding, dark soundscapes they had previous worked in. In fact, they won’t head down that shadowy musical terrain again until 1994’s Brave. I love this album and, although I wouldn’t call it an out and out ‘masterpiece’, it certainly is a solid effort from a band trying to find their musical footing again after Fish’s departure. What do you guys think?

 

I was very nervous about Season's End. I was distraught when Fish left the band because, at the time, I assumed he was the sole creative driving force. Add to that, the fact they'd picked a "poncey" indie singer as replacement (I was gutted when they didn't go for 2Am's Dave Lloyd, who'd played a show with them. Their When Seconds Count was/is fabulous), I had very low expectations.

In fact, I bought Fish' Vigil album first (thoroughly enjoyed it, as it happens) and didn't get Season's End until it was given to me as a present, six months or more after its release. My goodness, I was bowled over. I was totally wrong about Fish being the sole driving force, just one of many, and I was even wronger about H being a "poncey" indie man. he had a lovely voice & his melody lines were gorgeous. I even bought the How We Live album (brilliant!) on the strength of how great he was.

Both sides of the album flow wonderfully with plenty of light and shade and ending with an epic (the title track & The Space... respectively). Not a weak moment and still a high watermark in their catalogue.

 

I voted masterpiece. For me, it's an excellent transition album, managing to retain the prog elements of their earlier incarnation (though they were admittedly beginning to shed that with Clutching At Straws), but embracing a slightly more accessible mainstream approach that allowed them to (at least initially) assert their new identity with Hogarth. It's a very solid and consistent set of songs.

 

I voted solid effort.

I really like this album but if the second half of the album matched the quality of the first 4 songs (IMHO) then I'd put it in the masterpiece category.

 

Masterpiece! Great album. The guitar solo on Easter is just incredible.
I had no idea that Fish had left the band. I went to a record store in a mall and saw on the board the new releases for that week included "Seasons End" - I did this almost every week. Bought the CD took it back to my apartment / dorm and was shocked when I didn't hear Fish. Went through a few more songs waiting to hear Fish, but no go. So I listed to it a few times on Headphones and loved it after that. It was just the initial shock of no knowing Fish had left the band.

 

Sure, Rothery’s solo in Easter is brilliant, but I also loved his solo in the title track.

 

The Space is one of my top 5 Marillion tracks. Love it !

 

For me, "Easter" is easily the best song on Season's End, but "Hooks In You"...

 

hooks in you is really the only weak track on the album IMO.

 

Marillion's weakest moments are generally when they're "trying for the single". They got lucky in 1985 with Kayleigh, but never again - any subsequent attempt to recapture a bit of chart success for EMI always lead to something forced, lumpen, unconvincing. "Hooks in You" is just another example of that - it's naff, and the song I always skip on this album.

Having said that, I think "Seasons End" is a really strong album, and I think it confounded a lot of people (expecting a post-Fish car crash) at the time. OK, it didn't make them megastars, but it held ground when they needed it to. "The Space' is a great end track, and contains the dynamics & atmospherics of Marillion at their best. "Easter" is worth it for the guitar solo alone. I've got a lot of respect for this album and how they forged on whilst Fish went about shooting his own solo career in the head.

 

Solid effort from me. They proved they could survive without Fish. The associated tour, while not an arena filler like Clutching... showed Hogarth’s stage presence and monster vocals off perfectly. There are Hogarth albums that get a top rating from me, but this isn’t one of them. The Space still goes down a storm when played live.

 

I largely agree with this since Marillion were never a band that were radio-friendly nor truly cared anything about it. Don’t get me started on Fish’s solo career. I think his problem has been the lack of a group of inventive and characteristic musicians in his band(s). He had that with Marillion, but never achieved their instrumental prowess on his own.

 

I often wonder what had happened had Fish stayed with them. I can’t imagine Seasons End without Hogarth. I can’t picture any of these pieces with Fish’s vocals.

 

I chose to give this album a solid effort vote as I do think that Hooks In You and The Uninvited Guest aren’t that interesting. The title track, Berlin, Easter, King Of Sunset Town, and The Space... are all top-notch Marillion, IMHO.

 

I voted A Solid Effort. I have never got above that rating for the Hogarth version of Marillion. I can “hear” the Fish versions of a lot of these tracks in my head. Less whimsy and pathos and more grunt. Easter - I concede - is made for Hogarth and he really shines on that track. I will also agree that from Seasons End on, the band was allowed to put their musical chops more to the front of the show especially Rothery but that was what I liked in the Fish era band. In that period it seemed a contest between vocal and band. Not any more. I don’t think you can compare Hooks In You to Kayleigh or even Incommudicado. It’s just weaker esp lyrically. Glad Marillion 2.0 was a success. This was one of their high points IMHO.

 

I really enjoy the first two Fish albums but I've struggled since.

Frustratingly though, there's usually a strong track or two on each of the subsequent releases that I've heard (not heard anything from Rain Gods or Fellini Days).

 

Tracks 6, 8 and 9 are my least favorite (probably sacrilege for some of you). This knocks my vote down to solid effort.

 

While I'll admit there were times that I hoped Fish would find his "Rothery" I've enjoyed Fish's entire solo career quite a bit (with the exception of the years 1993 to 1995 --what the hell happened to Fish and Marillion during those years? A least Enchant released their stunning debut anyway.) Fish's seemed to move in a different direction since the split and one that was more forgiving on his voice and really moved away from the "Marillion sound" and , like Marillion, I think he's released some of his best work over the last two decades.

 

Voted masterpiece but this song really brings it down between that and solid.

 

See the Clutching At Straws biscuit tin demos.....

 

My favorite version of Easter these days is when Hogarth holds the mike out and lets us sing it. Nothing else needs to be done really.

 

Marillion 2.0 starts with a bang and doesnt let up. A gorgeous album.