Marillion - Post-Fish

I'd suggest the opposite.

OP comes from Fish years so he's already accustomed to conceptual Marillion.

So, I'd say: first Brave (check out the awesome Marillion Weekend Live version too), until fully digested. Than Marbles, 2CD version, until fully digested.
Other than those two, I don't see albums worthwhile as wholes but good songs here and there, starting from the majestic Season's End.
So I'd rather suggest an exploration on Spotify to get an idea.

 

Just saw Marillion at Fairports Cropredy just yesterday. Great show as always!

My top 5 post-Fish picks are:
Happiness Is The Road-Volume 1
FEAR
Afraid Of Sunlight
Seasons End
Sounds That Can't Be Made

But they are all great.

 

I wasn't really factoring in the lyrics or themes at all, just pointing out the H-era albums that I find the most...immediate on a musical level. I'm just here for the sounds and guitar noodling.

 

The sad truth is, Fish needed Marillion just as much as Marillion needed Fish.

 

Um...which of two are still thriving?

 

Neither, surely?

 

I think Marillion has done just fine without Fish. There are some exceptional albums they've released that are better than the first four, in my opinion. And I like a lot of the first four, for the record. And some of Fish's studio releases as well. And I've seen all combinations of them live.

 

I was at exactly the same gig and came away thinking that the not-Fish singer was a charisma-free zone with a passable voice and a good line in dreadful banter, and that the band plodded aimlessly for the entire thing, apart from the bass player, who actually seemed to be putting in a bit of effort.

 

If you are looking at it from an artistic point of view that might be a valid opinion, albeit not mine. If you look at ticket sales and the scope of their touring Marillion definitely doesn't need Fish. They know exactly in which territories to tour and which venues to pick. They have sustained their career over a prolonged period of time, kept the music interesting for themselves and their fans. Their saving grace of course has been both the internet and the setting up of the Marillion Weekends. Both things have created a direct link between band and fans that is very strong.

 

Inventing crowd-funding?
Bi-annual festivals in three countries?


All due respect to Fish, but Marillion are doing quite fine.

 

Agree that something was more aloof with h at Cropredy but the band was magnificent

 

Inventing crowd-funding is not a measure of success. Of course, having a dedicated fan base counts for something, and I have no idea how much money they're making. On the other hand, I was in a party of four who saw them at Cropredy last weekend and of that quartet I thought that they were only 'okay' ... and I was the one who enjoyed their set most!

They may be doing better than Fish, but neither of them is really setting the world alight. (Which is no comment on their artistic value by the way.)

 

No disagreement that either are setting the world alight...just responding to the "fact" that Marillion needs Fish as much as he needs them. They are clearly two separate artists and it's a moot and stale issue.

 

Absolutely. My wife was furious that they didn't play 'Kayleigh' and I pointed out that Hogarth's been the vocalist for over twenty years; it's kind of his band now and that clock doesn't turn backwards.

 

Both of their most recent albums are masterpieces in my opinion.



How many career musicians thrive these days anyway?

 

The IMO favourites:

Season's End - Really Good - Still has the Fish era vibe present, the painful departure album
Holidays in Eden - Really Good - First album with Fish era (and Genesis) influences wiped out, the first pure "New Marillion" album with commercial focus on MTV at that time "cover my eyes" video etc.
Brave - Really Good
Radiation - Really Good, very different than Brave

Marbles (2CD) - Hands down best H era Marillion, very well written and layered music, takes a few listens to open up. I have it in rotation in the car at the moment, if I had to select only one H era Marillion album it would be Marbles.

Marillion post Fish have had an exceptional career as many here have concluded, most bands don't make it past their debut album, let alone the second one if the singer departs upon or after its release. It has been a 20 year journey for the band and us old fans that decided to stick with the band post Fish + all new ones, I'm glad it continues.

 

Brave is the best post Fish Marillion album, imo

 

It's been the best of both worlds over the last 20 years. I think FEAR and A Feast Of Consequences are among the best in either cannon.

 

I'm just starting to journey through the Marillion catalogue and own titles from both the H and Fish eras. Looks like eventually I'll own the whole bloody works as there is something about this band that I find compelling. I came to them through FEAR but I don't think that makes me a Hogarth acolyte - I almost prefer to consider the two eras as being the work of two separate entities rather than drawing comparisons between them.

Was listening to the "all the-Marbles" 2 cd version again last night - it really is quite a piece of work and continues to open up for me. Every listen reveals things I hadn't heard or noticed previously and I like that a lot. They're a rare sort of band at this stage.

D.D.

 

Marbles is exceptional even for that stage. Personally I find it the best work they made after Brave.
Funny thing about that album, the single CD tracklist works worse than the "extended" version to me. Those extra songs, fillers are not; and the sequence benefits from them.

 

The 2015 Weekend live video I have shows one of the most charismatic singers I have ever seen. Not sure whether he had a bad day at your gig, but...

It does show that the record company was wrong to drop them. The fact that Marillion could retain, or even increase (look at the chart positions of their last studio album) their success despite being dropped by a major label, does say something.

Ding dong, we have a winner. Think of it: how many bands are there who can afford to set up an entire "concert weekend", visited almost exclusively by dedicated fans (and those are big crowds!), despite being ignored / discriminated against by mainstream media since the early 90s? Marillion are a truly unique band in that regard.

 

Looking back at the Fish years, it’s no wonder why it ended so badly. Fish was becoming more and more volatile. Marillion had much success with Fish given that they had two singles from Misplaced Childhood break into the, dare I say, ‘mainstream’. But something had to give after awhile and I just don’t think Fish could have sustained his relationship with the band and the cracks were already beginning to show during the Misplaced Childhood tour. Someone mentioned that Fish needed Marillion and Marillion needed Fish. Ummm....no. That’s certainly not the case at all. Although, Marillion lost the support of a major label and were dropped, I think they still had tremendous success as there were still people who followed the band from the very beginning until now. This band has some of the most loyal fans I’ve ever seen and, in this regard, they remind of the fanbase of Rush. Dedicated, always on the lookout for the latest album/single/etc., and passionate about the music, these fans are exactly why Marillion are still around as there’s no way they could have sustained themselves financially without them. I still view Marillion as one of the ultimate ‘underground’ groups in that they exist on the fringes of popularity, but are still popular enough to raise many a eyebrow from the naysayers and disbelievers.

 

I like Brave and some of Marbles and Afraid Of Sunlight.

 

All excellent albums, IMHO. For me, Brave and Afraid of Sunlight are some of the best work they’ve done.

 

Ranked:

Afraid of Sunlight
Season's End
Marbles
Sounds That Can't Be Made
Marillion.com
Brave

These are all fantastic and highly recommended.

Anaraknophobia
Holidays In Eden
This Strange Engine

are quite good and recommended, but have some slow spots for me.

I enjoy bits of Radiation, Happiness Is the Road, and Somewhere Else, but these are weaker to me.

I flat out did not like F Everyone and Run. Just not enough hooks although they play well as an ensemble.

H's solo album is every bit as good as the best Marillion albums and is essential.