Marillion: Separated Out: The Complete History 1979-2002 [Paperback]

Jon Collins (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2003

With Script for a Jester’s Tear in 1983 and chart hits "Punch and Judy" and "Kayleigh," Marillion ushered in a post-punk progressive rock renaissance. Drawing on interviews with all band members, past and present, and featuring 150 rare photos and featuring cover artwork by the artist behind Marillion 15 album covers, this is the definitive book on one of the most enduring modern progressive rock bands, who enjoy a hardcore underground following in the U.S.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jon Collins is the acclaimed writer of the Marillion biography 'Separated Out'.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Helter Skelter Publishing; 1ST edition (April 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1900924498
• ISBN-13: 978-1900924498
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,514,382 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very enjoyable book but just a few complaints..., May 19, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Marillion: Separated Out: The Complete History 1979-2002 (Paperback)

For any Marillion fan, this is the best book out there as it covers every era up to the present. There are interviews with evryone past and present and the book is a very easy read (though be forwarned American readers there's a lot of British slang in there) and was pretty accurate with a nice dsicography in back as well.
My only complaints are that when it comes to each album the descriptions of the songs are at times unintentionally hilarious. The author goes WAY overboard with his emotions in describing songs. Here is the most ridiculous in describing the song "Warm Wet Circles": "...Steve Rothery breaks into an aching solo, full of pathos and longing...Ian Mosely's snare cracks and we feel the first bullet smashing into John Lennon on the steps of the Dakota Building". What? I feel a drum, I don't know about you. This goes beyond insanity. I mean, I laughed out loud at this and many others. The author clearly has no distance from the subject and Marillion can do no wrong.
I am a lifetime fan and let me say they've put out their fair share of [stuff] ("Radiat10n" and [local website] are prime examples). To his credit, he does have the fan perspective and some negative views are offered at times but not many.
If not for cringing at the reviews of the songs, I'd say this was a total pleasure. As is, it's a great book.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great information, a fan's labor of love, December 16, 2005

By 

Rhett Redelings "R-Three music | r3music.com" (Kentfield, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Marillion: Separated Out: The Complete History 1979-2002 (Paperback)

Would you stop breathing the air if you didn't like it? Of course not, because the air around you is all there is to breathe. This is, so far as I know, the only Marillion biography out there, authorized or otherwise. So if you're a Marillion fan or find yourself wondering "whatever happened to them?" or "why did Fish leave the band?" or even "I sure loved that Kayleigh song...", then this is the book to buy.

It's chock full of detailed information about the history of the band and you really get a sense of just how hard it must be to generate the kind of success the did, in so short a time. It explains why Fish left (in as much as anything can) and conveys a strong sense of what it might have been like to be close to the band around that time. There is somewhat less detail when it comes to the Hogarth years, which is odd considering that Steve Hogarth (the singer who replaced Fish for those of you who checked out in the '80's) has been with the band longer than Fish ever was.

All in all though, it's very satisfying and informative for the- I almost said "Casual Marillion fan", but we Marillion fans are hardly casual. Either you get Marillion or you don't. Like the reviewer before me, I consider myself a "lifer" in the Marillion camp and am hardly objective. But I live in the United States and have missed out on a lot of detail over the years. Marillion's following is passionate, but smallish and it doesn't always make sense for the band to tour the U.S. So this book, flaws and all, serves as kind of a crash course for those of us who miss out on the little things.

Flaws? There are times in this book, where it's painfully clear that the author too closely identifies with the band and it hurts the narrative. He rushes past things that make him uncomfortable. The most obvious example is how he handles Steve Hogarth's appeal for their female fans. It's an important point that while Fish was the driving force behind the band early on and his lyrics were a kind of high art, he appealed largely to men. His macho presence and biker-like, hard drinkin', hard livin' attitude combined with the bitterness toward women in his early lyrics helped attract a largely male audience. Steve Hogarth is more conventionally hansome, his persona is one of gentler of spirit and he sings songs of hope. Where Fish's work was a study in darkness, Steve Hogarth seems equally comfortable in both the light and the dark. Unfortunately, the way the author handles this is to stop the narrative flow and interject {paraphrased} "It should be noted that the women find Steve Hogarth to be quite the horn. Yes, well, that's covered, let's move on." It's an important point but the author is too embarrassed to pursue it and one wonders what other stones he left unturned.

It's not a terrible book, but it's not exactly a good book either. It is, however, the only account of one of the most unusual, creative and constantly surprising bands in music today. Marillion are a phenomenon. Not every album is genius and not every song on their best albums works. But they constantly challenge not only the expectations of their fans and critics, but their own expectations as well. In a world where the Beatles still manage to inspire 2 or 3 new biographies each holiday season, Marillion deserves better than they get and if this were a world that rewarded talent and hard work over marketing glitz, I believe they'd be near the top. However, until the world gets a clue, fan projects like this one are like the air. Good or not so good, we will continue to breathe.

Jon Collins did a huge thing here. As a fan, I both envy his access to the band and respect his effort. As fans go, he's top notch. As writers go, he shows promise. He does an excellent job conveying the mood and feel of the band's early days. His research is good and he'd pretty good about saying when there isn't enough evidence to draw a tidy conclusion about one thing or another. I hope if he reads this, he'll understand what I'm trying to say and that his next effort, if there is one, may be stronger for it.