Marillion is a great band for neo-prog fans, especially those who want some emotion in their songs. However, this album, following their masterful Afraid of Sunlight, is not their best. The best track is Man of 1,000 Faces, which ends with an amazing and triumphant mix of vocals in instrumentals. The title track is also strong, but the rest of the songs are only so-so.
Interesting to read others' reviews of this because it is my first (very pleasant!) taster of Marillion. I had once heard a song of theirs in the late 70s or early 80s and didn't like it, nor the singer. This was much more pleasant to my ears - beautiful music and good vocalist. I'll be following the recommendations on here to seek out some new material!
Marillion are an incredibly difficult band...their 80's past lies firmly in noodly prog-rock that has it's moments. The close of the 80's brought about new singer Steve Hogarth and a decidely modern direction. The problem is that the band can be truly great...moving in a way that few rock bands can be. But they can also be tiresome and overreaching. This album represents a little of both, some songs are stunning (Estonia, Memory of Water, bits and pieces of This Strange Engine) and some are extremely pedestrian. For the emusic fan I would highly recommend Afraid of Sunlight (a completely misunderstood classic, and worth spending a lot of time with to appreciate), most of Brave, and for the rest of their albums it might be tedious but it's well worth taking the time to sift through song samples to find some truly life-enriching music (esp. pieces of Marbles, Season's End and .com). Avoid Radiation.
This album features only 2 tracks worth listening to : "Memory of Water" and "Estonia" . The others are mediocere at best. There are better albums on their web site.
Not for prog purists this, more like very well crafted pop/rock music with only a slight venture into proginess at the end with the title track. I love this album but it ain't for every body.
MArillion went from strength to strength and became steadily more interesting under Hogarth's influence for me (and that came from a Fish-era fan). A rebound to form post-Radiation, Hope For The Future notwithstanding. The title track sits amongst their best ever, the elegiac Estonia is set up for my funeral, and the poppier 80 Days and One Fine Day have superb choruses. Worth having, but just the tip of the iceberg for this most wonderful of acts. I'd direct listeners to their website for further info.
Although it's not Marillion's best Hogarth-era CD, "This Strange Engine" is still nonetheless a good album. "Man Of A Thousand Faces" is one of the best side one / track ones ever, and the sweeping title track draws things to a dramatic close. Not everything in between is great, though--"Accidental Man" never really goes anywhere and "Hope For The Future" is just plain awful. Still, with tracks like "Estonia" and "Memory Of Water," there's plenty of material on this album to enjoy. And if you do enjoy it, check out the band's official website and discover a new way of life!
