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Amazon.co.uk Review
As curtain-raising lyrics go, Steve Hogarth's initiatory assertion on Marbles that "The World's gone mad" really isn't very far from the truth. After all, this same shuddering sentiment must have been echoed by perturbed pop watchers up and down the land as Marillion's inexorably adult single "You're Gone" (included here in two versions) gatecrashed the teen-flavoured UK Top 10. The wind did howl and there were dark murmurings that the prog rock bogeyman had finally come for our children. Relax. Thirteen albums in and Marillion don't have designs on our youth.
Behind "Marbles" facade of generous dance beats and FX jiggery pokery lays the stubborn prog beast of old, albeit one that acknowledges the recent past more readily than when Fish was at the helm all those years ago. Thus, you could be forgiven for mistaking "Fantastic Place" to be the work of "Colour of Spring" era Talk Talk (Hogarth does a rather good Mark Hollis) while "Don't Hurt Yourself" borrows from the Manic Street Preachers' "If You Tolerate This" and adds the spiritual protest and folk strum of the Levellers (Hogarth can do a good Mark Chadwick as well). And to avoid any sense of disorientation, there's a reasonable, but never blatant, nod in the direction of Genesis. Old rambling tendencies remain--the pretty "Angelina" has a rather dreary and entirely superfluous two-minute intro--and try as they may Marillion will never be as vital or relevant as Radiohead. That said, committed fans (and there are many) will have their enduring faith in Marillion handsomely repaid by Marbles. --Kevin Maidment
**** Classic Rock
`One of their very best records'
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
23 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
What can I say. I used to be a huge fan of Marillion around the time ofSeasons End, Holidays in Eden and Brave. All three albums I thought weregreat records. I never thought they could surpass the greatness of Brave. They never seemed to catch the mainstream and I really can't understandwhy, and it didn't seem fair. Yet the whole campaign of Marbles andYou're Gone has proved that it's about the fans not the record companiesand entering the top 10 with the single You're Gone. I received my deluxe2 CD copy yesterday - and been looking forward it for ages. I have beenlistening to it none stop, and each play it gets better and better. To methere are some stand out tracks Fantastic Place, Don't Hurt Your Self andthe truly brilliant Neverland. Yet on another listen another track willstand out more. This is the beauty of this album; it's an album you haveto listen to from start to finish to really appreciate how good it reallyis. It's very rare for a group to produce an album that can be listenedto from start to finish without skipping the odd track. The likes of NMEand Q will probably slag this album off because there not from New York ornot the next big thing, but this album is worthy of five stars and standsup there with the great records we have had in the last few years.
Isaid they would never surpass Brave..........well they have with Marbles - anamazing record.
Isaid they would never surpass Brave..........well they have with Marbles - anamazing record.
43 of 44 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Starting with the epic and brooding Invisible Man this album gives no quarter. The band unlease the 12 minute epic using their trademark time changes on a track which has to be heard several times to get it. No one could accuse Marillion of 'selling out'! The rest of the album is a top notch mix of up beat emotional pop like the single You're Gone and Don't Hurt Yourself contrasting with the sublime Fantastic Place, surely the crown jewel in this sparkeling package. Other highlights (and we are talking 'stand out' in a sea of stand out tracks, includes Angelina and the closer, another 12 minutes epic, Neverland. Interspersed are the four Marbles tracks, very remenicent of Pink Floyd!
The only thing missing from this is the 18 minute cinematic master piece, Ocean Cloud. If you want this one you will have to buy the special 2 disk version from Marillion themselves!
The only thing missing from this is the 18 minute cinematic master piece, Ocean Cloud. If you want this one you will have to buy the special 2 disk version from Marillion themselves!
This has to be the best CD from the boys since 1994's Brave, and I think that it will be remembered longer as this CD only gets better with each listen. If you buy into Marillion today, you will still be putting this one on in 5 years time!
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I have followed Marillion for a long time but this is the most beautiful piece of work they have made. All the stuff through the Hogarth-era reaches maturity on Marbles. The Invisible Man is an amazing track but it does take a few listens to get it. You're Gone has some gorgeous Steve Rothery guitar e-bowing all over the place. Angelina is sublime. Don't Hurt Yourself is a wonderful upbeat track. Fantastic Place is an amazing emotional trip. Drilling Holes is really cool with some adrenalin guitar all over it and great echoey vocals. Neverland is a really powerful way to end the album. The 4 Marbles tracks are great little vignettes that show that Steve Hogarth was always a few sticks short of a bundle. He is a visionary genius with a fantastic voice and Marbles is Marillion's crowning achievement, although The Only Unforgivable Thing, Genie and Ocean Cloud make buying the 2CD version essential as these songs are simply glorious and cannot be missed out on.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Marillion - On a roll
While enjoying a number of the Fish-era Marillion releases (especially Misplaced Childhood and Clutching at straws) I do, on balance, prefer the Hogarth albums. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Mr. M. Holmes
Lost your marbles?
Not a lot to say as most Marillion fans will know of 'Marbles'.
If you are new to Marillion, unsure and don't want to waste your money then you can feel safe in purchasing... Read more
If you are new to Marillion, unsure and don't want to waste your money then you can feel safe in purchasing... Read more
Published 11 months ago by RodB
Old fans don't believe the hype
So, I'm a 40+ former Marillion fan, feeling a bit nostalgic, dig out some of their earliest work and really enjoy them. Read more
Published on 7 Aug 2009 by Toby le Rhone
one of their best
this album might take a few listens to like-fantastic place,don't hurt yourself and you're gone will be enjoyed straight off,but the rest will get under your skin over time. Read more
Published on 1 Feb 2009 by Lindsay Scott
Marillion Back On Form
I kind of lost interest in Marillion after being decidedly unimpressed with Strange Engine and Anoraknophobia following their brilliant opus Brave, an all time classic. Read more
Published on 27 Feb 2008 by Northern Warrior
varied, but really absorbing
I partly want to keep things like this to myself and tend to go 'off' artists when they become (again) mainstream. Read more
Published on 11 Sep 2007 by Martin Slater
Play Marbles!
I believe that Marillion are artists in the truest sense and push the boundaries of what they can acieve with every release. Read more
Published on 15 May 2007 by S. Hopkins
A truly mixed bag of marbles
First of all - this is a good album. But it's far from Marillion's best album, despite the fact it contains some of their greatest work. Read more
Published on 8 April 2007 by VanDusen
Genuinely outstanding.
This is almost undoubtedly their best ever album, and that is saying something. The fact that they managed to defy all of the critics over the years to release album after album... Read more
Published on 15 Jan 2007 by lerusty
Passing the test of time.
Like many other reviewers, I doubted that the highly addictive and truly excellent 'Brave' could be surpassed and after many listenings of 'Marbles' I'm still not sure whether or... Read more
Published on 29 Jun 2005 by "spindlefish"
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