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Also this month - Exclusive Interview with Pete Trewavas 

As I write this, some four days after “See it Like a Baby,” the first (download-only) single release from Marillion’s “Somewhere Else” became available for download, the song is making a pretty significant splash in the download charts.  Of course, if you’re reading this review, the final tabulations are old news already, but from where I sit today the standings look promising for a Top 10 showing.  Let’s see if I’m right.  By all estimations it’s a good, solid choice for a single – about as radio-friendly as Marillion can get – and if the chatter on the Net is any indication, it could be an indicator of good things to come for the band’s fourteenth studio album.

For the reader unfamiliar, Marillion is a band hailing from Aylesbury, England.  They’ve been around for a long time – eons on the music scene – releasing their first album in 1983.  In 1989 after worldwide success and notoriety, the original Marillion front man opted out and, shortly thereafter, Steve Hogarth entered the scene.  Since then, the band has had its successes and disappointments, but they have continued to forge ahead with one amazing album after another, to the tune of fourteen altogether (and still counting).  They have made a career out of doing things their own way – eschewing the lure of the three minute Top Ten radio money shot in favor of creating the very best music they possibly can for their fans.  Their following world-wide is small by rockstar standards, but I can tell you from personal experience… what the fans lack in numbers, they make up for in pure dedication.  Walk into the middle of a Marillion gig sometime and tell me who is singing louder, Steve on the stage or the collective on the floor.  The fans are like family and the band… they treat their family well!

As one of the admittedly small, but strident legion of Marillion fans, I have to admit that I came to the table on this one with a great deal of anticipation, but also a bit of trepidation.  The last album, “Marbles,” (2004) was such an amazing piece of work, I was afraid that even Marillion might not be able to evolve enough to top it.  A “Marbles II” wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing, but the fans have come to expect new and ever greater things from this band – as good as a “Marbles” sound-alike might be, it would still feel almost like a sell-out.  But I can honestly say now that my concerns were for naught…  “Somewhere Else” is yet another volume in the evolution of an amazingly complex, ridiculously talented and brutally honest band. This album stands on its own and breaks new ground.  It’s approachable and friendly enough to lure the Casual Listener, while complex and delicate enough to whet the appetite of the most insatiable fans.

“Somewhere Else” took a lot less time to evolve than some of the previous Marillion albums.  The result is a more reflexive, live-to-tape sound.  Less time in the studios resulted in fewer perfectionist post-production tweaks and a sound that is just a little bit edgier, just a touch grittier than what fans might be used to.  Think “Radiation” (1998).  Don’t mistake this as a criticism however – this isn’t sloppiness or a rush-job.  To the contrary, the slightly rough edges complement the music, creating a vibe that will imbed itself into the pleasure centers of your brain almost instantly.  You can try, but even after the first listen there are grooves that you just won’t be able to shake loose.  And the more you listen the worse (or better, depending on your way of looking at it) this album will suck you in.  Cry blaspheme if you will all you “Marbles” fans out there, but this one is so good, I’m almost ready to say ‘what Marbles?’.  Almost.

One of Marillion’s greatest strengths lies in Steve Hogarth’s amazing lyrical talents which have grown and evolved over time, increasingly poignant, thoughtful and analytical of himself and the rest of the world.   His voice is like a window to his soul – strong when it needs to be, but often tending toward the delicate and vulnerable.  Lyrically, “Somewhere Else” is darker than some of the previous albums as Hogarth makes somewhat dour observations of the world and then turns the focus inward with great introspection and vulnerability as he overcame great a great personal crisis during the writing of the album.  Musically, the band is at the top of their form with a cohesion that works amazingly well with the “live to tape” production style throughout.  The awesome combination of words, voice and sound resulted in a collection of songs that I think you’ll be hearing a lot about in the coming months.

The opening is a flourish of guitar and drums as “The Other Half” unfolds.  A short song by Marillion standards, this one takes the four minutes it is allotted and establishes right out of the gate that the listener has entered into new and uncharted Marillion territory. “The Other Half” is a complex arrangement, best enjoyed with headphones.  Lyrically it is as strong as anything else on “Somewhere Else,” with a killer bridge that is pure Hogarth – somehow intensely personal and almost anthemic at the same time (I am the other half/And you are what I’m for/I won’t lie to you or hurt you/I’m not like that anymore/I am with you all the time now/One soul, One mind One heart/the other half cannot be parted from the other half”). 

“See it Like a Baby,” the first single, is an invitation to rewind, devolve and forget everything that has come before so that in rebirth, you can see everything with new and clean vision – to see it like a baby.  A very “Marillion-like” song, if there is such a thing, this is probably the best of the ten to float first as a single.  It is radio friendly, pretty straightforward.  Steve Rothery’s guitar speaks throughout – nothing hugely complex, but enough to draw together the rest of the instrumentation.

The first song to make me step back and say ‘whoa!’ is “Thank You, Whoever You Are.”  With a piano chord progression that still raises the hair on my neck, this is Hogarth at his most poignant.  Delicate and pretty, “Thank You,” is in direct contrast to “Most Toys” which follows.  The most rock-n-roll of the collection, this is a song that will make the fans crazy on the upcoming tour.  The band has already posted a live video performance of  “Most Toys” on their Myspace page (www.myspace.com/marillion).  It’s a fun, bitchy song reminiscent of “Deserve” from “Marillion.com” (1999) and it’s an adage that is hard to argue with – “He who dies with the most toys is still dead.”  Clocking in at about 2:50, this is one of the shortest (if not the shortest – there might be a photo finish with “Answering Machine,”) (“Radiation,” 1998) Marillion songs, but it packs a punch and translates very well live.

To my ears, the jewel of this album is the title track.  Situated right in the middle of the collection, “Somewhere Else,” is Steve Hogarth stripped bare lyrically and the rest of the band at their absolute creative best.  There is a Beatles-like vibe here, something that has crept into the music over the last several years.  I won’t give away the beauty and intensity of this song – more because I don’t think I can than I don’t want to – Pete Trewavas goes into some detail about it in our exclusive interview also in this issue.  I’ll leave the description up to him and the experience up to you.  But this is one of the best Marillion songs ever.  Leave it at that.

“A Voice from the Past” and “No Such Thing” expose more of Hogarth’s lyrical vulnerability and introspection.  “Somewhere Else” continues to ramp up the emotional power on these songs.  I think “Voice” is more of a departure from what you might expect from Marillion.  It is slow and deliberate, delicate and one of the more layered, production-type pieces on the disc.  It builds lyrically until it explodes, only to recompose, even more delicately for the close.  Hogarth was clearly hurting when he wrote this.  If you listen closely, you can almost feel it yourself.  THAT is the mark of an amazing writer.  “No Such Thing” is more straight ahead with a crystal-clear guitar melody and affected vocals that remind me in spots of another band Marillion is often compared to: “Radiohead.”

“The Wound” is another ‘whoa’ moment, a very close second to the title track.  If there is truly anything that can be considered ‘pure Marillion,’ this is it.  What an amazing song!  Everybody gives 125% musically, creating a soundscape that it’ll take many listens to fully get your mind around.  Rothery’s guitars alternately scream and whisper.  Mark Kelly’s hypnotic keyboard riff about 3:30 in is one of the most memorable moments on the album. Pete’s bass and pedals lay the groundwork and Ian of course, ties it all together with his mastery of everything percussive.  With the band’s signature change-ups, this song goes from one extreme to another at will, all the while Hogarth’s lyrics and delivery shine like the sun.  Wow!  Hit this one with the headphones too, to hear just how intense H can be as he shivers through the outtro.

“The Last Century for Man” is Marillion’s ‘wake the fuck up’ anthem.  (“If you’re not outraged/You haven’t been paying attention/If you are not outraged/You haven’t been listening!).  This is a song that attempts to raise awareness, but with true class and great form, H does this without coming off as though he is preaching.  Listen up U2 and every other band in the world with a conscience!  Take notes – pay attention!  Use “The Last Century for Man” as the standard by which all future songs about political and social issues are judged against.   This is the way it should be done, my friends.  Tell us what you think.  Be passionate.  Make us think.  AND THEN LEAVE US ALONE TO DECIDE FOR OURSELVES!  I’m so tired of being told what to think. It’s refreshing to hear things presented like this for a change.

“Somewhere Else” closes with an oldie of sorts.  “Faith” has been kicked around for a while.  A live version was featured as a B-side to one of the versions of  the single “You’re Gone” from “Marbles.” It is a sweet, beautiful song made even better by some last minute orchestral arrangements, the brainchild of producer Mike Hunter (who really should get an ovation for his work on this album – from helping out with arrangements to creating the live-to-tape sound … even to providing lyrical snippets to H’s arrangements).  When the band first announced the song lineup for this album, I was a little bit concerned that the fans might balk at getting an ‘old’ song on a new album, but from what I have seen leading up to “Somewhere Else,” the fans are very receptive to this – even to the point of outright excitement and anticipation at the prospect of hearing the studio version.  But Marillion fans are like that.  The trust and dedication is implicit – the fans know that if the band cares enough about a song, it’s going to be worthy, whether it’s brand new or has a few miles on it already.

So I have gushed for a good 1,800 words so far about how great “Somewhere Else” is.  Obviously I am a fan.  Obviously I am biased.  But this really is a great album.  It is very approachable and I definitely think it’s a great jumping-in point for anybody who has not had the pleasure of familiarizing themselves with this band.  Brilliant lyrics, expert musicianship and the most interesting of arrangements… it’s all there.  But don’t take my word for it, go out and grab a copy – listen for yourself.  As the band says on their website, find Marillion and “find a better way of life.”  For fans and newbies alike, you need to hear this album.  I can’t recommend it highly enough!