02-10-2016, 15:17
My goodness â Marillionâs new release F E A R is quite something to get oneâs head around; and once you begin to do that, it reveals itself as a gem, albeit a many faceted bauble with some very sharp edges. The album is divided into three movements âEl Doradoâ, âThe Leaversâ and âThe New Kingsâ, which are separated by an interlude/interleading track. The website for lyrics, etc., http://www.marillion.com/lyric.htm
![[Image: 220px-Marillion_-_****_Everyone_and_Run.jpg]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/ec/Marillion_-_****_Everyone_and_Run.jpg/220px-Marillion_-_****_Everyone_and_Run.jpg)
Band members:
Steve Hogarth (H) â vocals, keyboards
Mark Kelly â keyboards, backing vocals
Ian Mosley â drums, backing vocals
Steve Rothery â guitars, backing vocals
Pete Trewavas â bass guitar, backing vocals, guitars
It was never intended to be a comfortable, feel-good release, and it most certainly is none of the above! Itâs excellent music though, and while the content requires of you that you think, that doesnât detract from the flow and composition. Itâs a protest album - a no-holds-barred political excursion and examination of the present state of the planet, brutal in it its intensity, yet oddly gentle â theyâre saying what they want to say, what they feel is important, in no uncertain terms, and the fascinating thing is that itâs all the more powerful because of their maturity - in music and in general. (Steve Rothery in particular, is an amazing guitarist, but theyâre all highly accomplished and have been playing together for a long time ⦠it shows.)
Theyâre not brash, not screaming, not forcefully and angrily thumping their message at you despite the albumâs title which is an acronym of F*** Everyone and Run and is also the title of a song in the âThe New Kingsâ movement. Itâs the least gratuitous use of the eff word Iâve ever heard in song and is not offensive IMHO (itâs almost tasteful, in fact!), not that they are at all perturbed about that eventuality. Hogarth seems to have developed his voice a bit more and he quietly âkeensâ this in falsetto which makes you listen harder than if something were just to be shoved in your face. People who donât raise their voices in order to make a point know this very effective little secret!
Hereâs Hâs comment on the album title which I just found - âThis title is adopted not in anger or with any intention to shock. It is adopted and sung (in the song "New Kingsâ) tenderly, in sadness and resignation inspired by an England, and a world, which increasingly functions on an âEvery man for himselfâ philosophy. I wonât bore you with examples, theyâre all over the newspapers every day. Thereâs a sense of foreboding that permeates much of this record. I have a feeling that weâre approaching some kind of sea-change in the world â an irreversible political, financial, humanitarian and environmental storm. I hope that Iâm wrong. I hope that my FEAR of what âseemsâ to be approaching is just that, and not FEAR of what âisâ actually about to happen.â
I have to hear the whole album a couple more times in order to properly absorb it, but my feeling is that itâs going to make a splash in certain circles and will be recognised as something of a tour de force for this exceptionally hard working band.
May as well go with that title track â¦.
[video=youtube;Xiwtl-ljUI0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xiwtl-ljUI0[/video]
![[Image: 220px-Marillion_-_****_Everyone_and_Run.jpg]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/ec/Marillion_-_****_Everyone_and_Run.jpg/220px-Marillion_-_****_Everyone_and_Run.jpg)
Band members:
Steve Hogarth (H) â vocals, keyboards
Mark Kelly â keyboards, backing vocals
Ian Mosley â drums, backing vocals
Steve Rothery â guitars, backing vocals
Pete Trewavas â bass guitar, backing vocals, guitars
It was never intended to be a comfortable, feel-good release, and it most certainly is none of the above! Itâs excellent music though, and while the content requires of you that you think, that doesnât detract from the flow and composition. Itâs a protest album - a no-holds-barred political excursion and examination of the present state of the planet, brutal in it its intensity, yet oddly gentle â theyâre saying what they want to say, what they feel is important, in no uncertain terms, and the fascinating thing is that itâs all the more powerful because of their maturity - in music and in general. (Steve Rothery in particular, is an amazing guitarist, but theyâre all highly accomplished and have been playing together for a long time ⦠it shows.)
Theyâre not brash, not screaming, not forcefully and angrily thumping their message at you despite the albumâs title which is an acronym of F*** Everyone and Run and is also the title of a song in the âThe New Kingsâ movement. Itâs the least gratuitous use of the eff word Iâve ever heard in song and is not offensive IMHO (itâs almost tasteful, in fact!), not that they are at all perturbed about that eventuality. Hogarth seems to have developed his voice a bit more and he quietly âkeensâ this in falsetto which makes you listen harder than if something were just to be shoved in your face. People who donât raise their voices in order to make a point know this very effective little secret!
Hereâs Hâs comment on the album title which I just found - âThis title is adopted not in anger or with any intention to shock. It is adopted and sung (in the song "New Kingsâ) tenderly, in sadness and resignation inspired by an England, and a world, which increasingly functions on an âEvery man for himselfâ philosophy. I wonât bore you with examples, theyâre all over the newspapers every day. Thereâs a sense of foreboding that permeates much of this record. I have a feeling that weâre approaching some kind of sea-change in the world â an irreversible political, financial, humanitarian and environmental storm. I hope that Iâm wrong. I hope that my FEAR of what âseemsâ to be approaching is just that, and not FEAR of what âisâ actually about to happen.â
I have to hear the whole album a couple more times in order to properly absorb it, but my feeling is that itâs going to make a splash in certain circles and will be recognised as something of a tour de force for this exceptionally hard working band.
May as well go with that title track â¦.
[video=youtube;Xiwtl-ljUI0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xiwtl-ljUI0[/video]
"The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that it has never tried to contact us." ~ Bill Watterson