NO ESCAPING THE MARILLION EPICS POLL

It's got to be "Grendel" of course.

5 years ago, Geir, I'd probably have agreed with you (and 'live' it was definitely astounding), although Script gives it a run for it's money.

But post-Fish Marillion really are a very good band. I am toying with one of 'Out of This World (although I tend to think of this and 'Afraid Of Sunlight' and 'Afraid of Sunrise' as one long piece as they were really about the same thing),'Interior Lulu', 'This is the 21st Century','The Invisible Man', 'Grendel' or 'Script' and having major difficulties deciding.

OK - I know I'll be by myself here but it's got to be The Invisible Man. Musically it's fantastic laying down bass and guitar riffs that owe something (a lot?)to post rock, building to a tense crescendo and sung with real emotion.

although Script gives it a run for it's money.

It does, but "Grendel" remains the ultimate winner.

I like post-Fish Marillion too, but haven't quote gotten the grips. Even in their epics, they sound a bit too much like a "usual" rock band at times and I prefer the more "nostalgic" approach of the likes of Spock's Beard and The Flower Kings more.

"This Is The 21st Century" is great though. Even though I see "This Strange Engine" as their best post-Fish moment. First and foremost because it sounds a bit like a 70s prog rock piece would sound.

xpost

I wouldn't mention Spock's Beard or the Flower Kings in the same breath as Marillion (although Pete Trewavas would definitley disagree, certainly with Spock's Beard) Both bands are just 80's prog by numbers.

For the nostalgic approach I'd pick IQ every time (or maybe the sadly probably no longer with us Citizen Cain - knowing your liking for Gabriel period Genesis if you haven't hear Citizen Cain's 'Somewhere But Yesterday' you really should.)

Re - This Strange Engine. I agree but I'm not sure it is cohesive enough. It sounds too much like tacked together disparate musical ideas that weren't developed. I like it, but I just feel it could have been better.

It sounds too much like tacked together disparate musical ideas that weren't developed.

Isn't that what people who dislike prog say about all prog epics?

Yes, but I don't dislike prog! Something like Supper's Ready has (at least) the reiteration of the musical theme at beginning and end, which book ends the more musically unconnected middle pieces. This gives it some semblance of structure, which This Strange Engine lacks.

As I said I like This Strange Engine - there are parts of it that are some of the best music Marillion has ever produced, but it just doesn't hang together well.

grendel is so bad.

but that song 'neverland' is really fucking good. either that or 'ocean cloud' but neverland beats it out. that album (marbles) is sadly overlooked because of the band's past.

"Grendel" is pretty terrible, I agree. Generally, the stuff with the original drummer sounds like a youth-club band that's been dropped into a big recording studio. I like the music they did/do with H singing better, but somehow none of it ever seems to stick in my mind for some reason. ABSTAIN.

Spock's Beard and Flower Kings, neither are as good as Marillion, I agree, and also agree that IQ are way, war better than either (actually I like IQ better than Marillion as well). Spock's beard let down by extreme sappiness/MOR-ness, tendency for wholesale thievery from '70's progressive songs in their early days at least. Also, wretched lyrics even by progrock standards. FKs tend to go on & on & on & on & on & on (etc) also roine stolt's voice is pretty horrible (though he's pretty good on the 1st Transatlantic album for some reason) IQ otoh are great generally - better tunes, better instr. breaks, more focus less reliance on cliche hammond/tron/minimoog tropes too. I'm surprised you don't prop them more often Geir, I thought they'd be right up yr street!

Ah jesus, I liked a lot of crap in my youth but my love for this lot still mystifies me. What did I see in it? Even at the age of 14 I should've seen through it. Amateurish, derivative, slight Chris de Burgh influence - in a word, inexcusable. I owned a Marillion headband too.

My past love for Marillion mystifies me too. I can only put it down to the fact that my sister went out with the original drummer (responsible for them sounding like a youth-club band that's been dropped into a big recording studio?) and dragged me along to see them about a dozen times. I did briefly love the first two albums but haven't listened to them since 1984 and can't imagine I ever will again. Based on 23 year old memories, I will vote for "Forgotten Sons"as "Grendel" was always great live but on vinyl was a total snooze fest.

"Grendel" 4 Life, bitchez.

I'm surprised you don't prop them more often Geir, I thought they'd be right up yr street!

Partly because they sound too "modern". I don't want progressive rock to sound like anything else than it did in the 70s. In fact I dislike the term "prog" or "progressive" and prefer to call it "symphonic". I want my symphonic rock of today to sound exactly like it did in the 70s, with as much analog synths, mellotrons etc. as possible, direct and very obvious influences from Genesis and Yes, and preferrably no synth sounds that couldn't have been made in 1976 on the then existing analog synths at all. And also preferrably way fewer heavy rock influences than what you will way too often find in today's prog.

This is exactly why I love Spock's Beard and The Flower Kings. They don't try to do something "new". They stay safely within the good, old 70s sound and 70s style that worked and doesn't need to be changed. For the same reason, I prefer 80s Marillion and always will. Particularly the "Script For a Jester's Tear" album, which sounds a lot like old Genesis.

And I really like Rune Stolt's voice because he sounds less like a hard rock singer than most of today's prog singers tend to do. For instance, I have never been able to accept that guy in Arena. The band is great at times, but his voice is way too much heavy metal for my taste.

oh shit. dude at work just handed me copies Gendel and fugazi to listen to.

"Emerald Lies" is the best track on either of those.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

For me it will ALWAYS be "Script For a Jester's Tear".

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

woah what year did the song "fugazi" come out?

1984 i think

it was on the album of the same name

http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/7569/o9058qk3.jpg

9 votes overall. Guess I'll not post those Flower Kings and Spock's Beard epics threads then ;)

Garn.