Ralphy's C.D. Reviews

Review date 15-10-1999: Marillion - C.D. Marillion.com

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As you can see on Ralphy's Music Reviews Main Page this is the first time in the history of this website that I reviewed a second CD of an artist. Besides that we have another premiere since it's also the first album that I review before it's actual release date which will be next monday, 18 October. I got this CD copy of "Marillion.com" through 2 friends, who are (like me) old hardcore fans of this tremendous group. Through the grapevine they got hold of a promo CD and thanks to modern techniques a copy of that found it's way to me. I've listened to the album for about 3 weeks now, which is maybe a week longer than I usually take to write a review, but it's always hard to find an objective opinion inside yourself, if you are a long-time admirer of the band in question.

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First I have to make a retraction. In my review of their previous album "Radiation" I stated that lead vocalist Steve Hogarth was the writer of all lyrics of Marillion nowadays. I found that not to be true, because since the departure of Fish they also often make use of guest lyricist John Helmer. On "Marillion.com" he was/is responsible for the words of opening song "A legacy", "Tumble down the years" and "Built-in-bastard-radar". This last lyric accurately describes the sentiment often felt by the 'good guys', when women say they wanna be treated respectfully and nice by fellows, but in reality they seem to really go for the B-A-S-T-A-R-D-S, who put them down. These lyrics and the rock sound make "Built-in bastard reader" one of the highlights of this album. Another is "Interior Lulu". More than 15 minutes long, it feels a lot like some of the songs from Marillion's amazing debut album "Script for a jester's tear" with its intricate focus-shifting words and sounds. The closer of the album "House" is the opposite of that. The simple, jazzy feel of the song seems to convey its lyrics about how a house can exude the (negative) emotions of its occupants. On "House" they use (smooth) muffled trumpet sounds and also on the likely first single "Deserve" (there is talk about a double A-side with "Rich") horns are being used. "Deserve" has a striking catchiness to it, more than "Rich", but I don't predict a huge single success, because the music is too complicated for today's (only dance) charts. Another song I like to mention is "Go!", which starts soft, almost sensual, but somehow gets very compelling at the endline 'Wide awake on the edge of the world". All in all Marillion again supplied good work. I don't know if I would call the CD a masterpiece, but it has some superb moments and sounds. I rate the album with a 7.5 .

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