Customer Reviews

Seasons End

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

For many longtime fans, the departure of vocalist Fish (Derek W. Dick) and the introduction of current vocalist Steve Hogarth in 1989 marked the end of Marillion as they knew it. In many ways, they were right. Unfortunately, too many of them believed that the end of Marillion as they knew it was also the end of Marillion. However, for those that have hung on for the ride to this day, we know it was not. Marillion have been able to advance and progress in such ways that we are amazed and delighted with each successive release. They have been able to combine their early Progressive Rock leanings with Rock and Roll, Hard Rock, Jazz, even Dub, while never abandoning the distinctive sound that makes them unmistakably Marillion. But, for as far as they have come, they needed to start somewhere; at the beginning.

Season's End is truly the beginning and end of eras. It marked Hogarth's first appearance with the band and yet, it still had the feeling of a Fish-era release. From the original logo appearing (for the last time), to the music (which was primarily written prior to Fish's departure), it was still concretely within the older sound. However, Hogarth (along with co-lyricist John Helmer) brought something new to the table.

Never being one that was entrenched deeply in the Fish camp, I have always considered many of Hogarth's (and often enough, Helmer's) lyrics to be sheer brilliance, and many of the band's finest appear on Season's End. "Easter" is without a doubt a classic, with it's soft acoustic base that leads into a triumphant extended solo and Hogarth's passionate, beautiful lyrics, it's enough to make a person cry.

"The Uninvited Guest" recalls some of the earlier Marillion, "Incommunicado" specifically, as its a little more upbeat, a little more goofy, but no less poingant.

The title track is still one of my all-time favorite Marillion tracks. Being an environmentally conscious person, I understand what is happening to our world, and Marillion does too. They later on went in another direction on this issue with their bitingly sarcastic "Under the Sun" from Radiation in 1998.

"The Space..." ends the album. The feeling on this one is truly as the lyrics represent it: a dark world, a car, a life spinning out of control. Here again does the band as a whole figure out how to effectively blend words and music to create such a solid and convincing image.

Season's End is still high on my list of all-time favorite Marillion releases. It has a little of the old and a little of the new that allowed for many of the fans to stay on board. Unfortunately, a lot of them left when the band went the way of something bordering commercialization (for only one album) with Holiday's In Eden in 1991. But, this should be a wake up call for those new and old to the band: they are still here and they are still amazing. If you aren't convinced, pick up at least one album, maybe Anoraknophobia in 2001, This Strange Engine in 1997, or this one, they are all fine examples as to why Marillion really is one of the greatest bands in the world.

I remember picking up this CD before knowing that Fish had been replaced (Marillion info in the states was hard to come by back then...). "Who the heck is that singing?!?!" was my first reaction, but after I got past the shock I realized that most of the songs on this CD are very good indeed.

"King of Sunset Town" is a nice opener - nothing terribly overwhelming, but a promising start. I like the long intro...

"Easter" is a Marillion classic - Hogarth's voice suits the music style perfectly. Rothery plays beautiful 12-string guitar, and Mark Kelly adds some delicate piano to top things off. The outro is vintage Marillion, with some great backing vocals adding to the richness of the song and its message.

"The Uninvited Guest" is a throwaway in my opinion, the lyrics are sort of silly and Hogarth shows (not for the last time) that he's sort of out of his element singing a rocker. A lesson that is unfortunately reinforced later in the CD.

"Season's End" is almost the mirror of "The Uninvited Guest" - everything that is wrong with Hogarth there is right with Hogarth here. This song and "The Space" showcases H's vocals best on this CD, and the chorus is just beautiful - great chord changes that make your hair stand on end. I LOOVVE the cool outro as well.

"Holloway Girl" falls into the "mediocre" pile. Nice bass bit by Pete to start things off, but the emotion that Marillion tries to pull of just doesn't work. And for a band that thrives on emotion in both its vocal delivery and its musical structure that's not a good thing. They tried to swing for the fences here, but didn't make contact.

"Berlin" gets a lot of bad press, but I think it's a great song. Really nice melody, and a chorus that just jumps up and punches you right in the heart. Another great outing for Hogart on the vox, and some classic Marillion delayed guitar from Rothery. I'm not terribly sold on the sax in the song, but I generally don't like horn sections in my rock music anyhow. Besides, the arpeggiated guitar behind the sax solo is amazing and is where my attention goes during the middle eight.

"After Me"... well, they could've left this one off, couldn't they have? Just sort of THERE. Marillion by numbers... and Hogarth gets a little too melodramatic for my tastes (which is something I've felt he does often).

"Hooks in you" is just 80's rock rubbish. Everything that was wrong with "The Uninvited Guest" is doubled here... Hogarth just can't rock out. This also begins a disturbing thread in Marillion's history - the desperation of Marillion to deliver singles that will get airplay. This ain't what Marillion does best.

"The Space" serves as a great comeback and the near KO that "Hook In you" almost brings. GREAT keys from Kelly, and some of the most subtle and understated (and I mean that in a good way) guitar that Rothery's delivered as a member of the band. Marillion saves the best for last on this CD, and the fantastic outro leaves you wanting more.

I understand that some of the songs on this CD were born when Fish was still in the band, and some of his stylings are apparent. "Seasons End" sort of straddles the line between Marillion Past and Marillion Future, and - despite a few missteps - delivers what for the most part is a very solid album.

That said, this also marks the CD where Marillion changed from a "great band" to just a "very good band", and they've never quite reclaimed that level after Fish departed. As is apparent with their efforts after the break, Fish and Marillion needed each other...

For post-Fish Marillion, I'd say this is a good place to start. I'd also pick up "Radiation" (GREAT guitar work, even though I know I'm in the minority) and "Anoraknophobia" (the "new" Marillion really hits stride here with some great songs).

Marillion fans must have been freaked out when the band brought in Steve Hogarth to replace the idiosyncratic Fish. It seemed that the band was toast when Fish took off, taking his uniquely expressive voice and his amazing poetic faculty with him.

But Hogarth's first outing with the band collectively removed most fans' apprehensions. Although Hogarth lacked Fish's poetic abilities, he suited the band perfectly with his fine vocal abilities and remarkable emotional expression. The music is the classic neo-progressive stuff that the band does so well, and the band retains its ability to touch the listener in myriad ways. Hogarth-Marillion's lyrical subjects are less personal than Fish's, and tackle social issues (like "Easter," which implores for peace in Ireland, or the title track, which explores environmental spoliation in a pretty way), but they are emotionally intuitive nonetheless. The album is perfect if one disregards the retch-inducingly bad "Hooks In You," which just plain sucks (fortunately it's less than three minutes long). Rothery's solos are as elegant and emotive as ever, and Kelly's keyboards add an important layer of beauty to the songs.

There's song highlights aplenty. If you make a CDR without "Hooks In You," you get one of Marillion's best albums, from either era.

Ok, I confess: I'm a big Marillion fan of the Fish era. And I still remember the big disapointment I felt when I heard the first album this band recorded without their former singer. Too popish, nothing at all reminded the great progressive band of the 80's. While Fish released about the same time a fantastic solo album, Marillion did this... I sold the record few months after I bought it. And thought Marillion had had it.

But time passes and I did pick up one or two Steve H singing Marillion albums and I must admit they were good (the live Made Again is really superb). This led me back to Seasons End, some 12 years latter. I still think you can't really say it is the same band or that they were palying the same style! But it does sound good, at least the first five tracks and the closing number, Space (though I think it is far better covered in Made Again). If you don't try to match it with Marillion's earlier stuff, then it's allight. Steve H is really a great singer and the band does some nice pleasant passages. The title track is superb (the only one that really matches their old stuff), Easter is beautiful, The Uninvited Guest is good (although very different in style), but there are also some tracks (Berlin and Hooks On You come to mind) that Marillion fans would love to forget they were ever recorded!

All in all I must say that nowadays I like the album. I still think Fish did much better work than Marillion in his post break up career, but they're still good, even when they're playing mainstream pop, which is much of this particular case.

A friend I knew for a short while, one of those rare women who like Marillion, once told me that she didn't think there were any good releases after Fish left. While her opinion is shared by many, and I think that there were a couple more "good" releases still to come from the band ("Holidays in Eden" and "Brave"), I agree with an earlier review that "Seasons End" was the last GREAT Marillion release. I, like most existing Marillion fans in 1989, was skeptical about the band's direction without Mr. Dick. He was so much more than a singer, he was representative of everything Marillion songs were. At that time, it was impossible to think of the band without thinking of Fish. However, for one release, there was a different Marillion that was just as good without Fish, and it was magic. I cannot say enough about this release. From the corkscrew synthesizer opening, drawing you in with classic Marillion eerie sounds in the background (which, in the Fish days, would have been representative of his personal nightmares), to the crashing drum hit at the end of the CD, every song is a winner. "The King Of Sunset Town", a song that had its musical beginnings back in the "Clutching With Straws" demos (check out that Bonus CD), is such classic Marillion sound that it was a shock to hear a voice other than Fish's. However, Steve Hogarth was so psyched about the opportunity to join this group, he (with help from John Helmer) was lyrically inspired. His varied vocal delivery matched the strength of the music in each song, (music that the band had, for the most part, written before Fish's departure), and his lyrics were as passionate as Fish's, but more topical. As such, you had the combination of the classic Marillion sound...you can imagine Fish singing with these songs...with an inspired singer looking to convey a message, and it rocked to high Heaven. "Sunset Town" alternates between its gradual (with Pete Trewavas' bass building momentum) and powerful entry (with Ian Mosley's killer drum work), bulding a story (of Tianamen Square), and a poigniant, inspiring ending. "Easter", introducing acoustic guitar and distant history (1916 Northern Ireland) into the group's songs for the first time, is the perfect pairing of Hogarth's vision and Marillion's music...Mark Kelly's synth solo, emulating a pennywhistle behind a field of flowing chords, is so perfect, and the lead in to Steve Rothery's guitar solo, while Kelly's line continues, makes me cry every time I hear it...yet Hogarth matches the music perfectly, ending the song on a inspiring note...God, what a song! "The Uninvited Guest" is a rocker in the vein of "Incommunicado", but with the guitar as the driving sound...and perfectly displays Hogarth's grasp of third person lyrics and wittiness. The title track is a moving environmental song, the music matching the seriousness of the lyrics, and ending with an introspective, long fade out. "Holloway Girl" is another inspiring song (notice a pattern?) about a woman (junkie? hooker? framed?) imprisoned, with Trewavas' bass recreating the monotony of her days, until Rothery and Mosley make us root for her in Hogarth's stuggle to find herself again and be released. "Berlin" must have been inspired by Fish when the guys wrote the music, it is so classically Marillion, and yet Hogarth takes it and adds such sad human personal poigniancy to another political song, this one about the Berlin Wall...truly, this song is one of the greatest Marillion songs ever! At the end of the song, after the blazing power of the crescendo and the amazing Rothery guitar, Kelly and Hogarth bring you back to the sad loneliness of the girl's world like a cloak being drawn over a window at sunset...brilliant! "After Me", another acoustically opened song, is another of Hogarth's third person songs, with a classic Kelly keyboard bridge that leads to another inspiring ending with Mosley and Rothery trading rolls. "Hooks In You", another rocker ala "Incommunicado" (again, though, guitar based), is playful like Fish never was. However, it all ended with the introspective "The Space", which ties all of the feelings and subjects in this release together and ties us all to each other. We end the album informed, inspired, saddened, and, untimately, wiser and more human.There would never be another Marillion release that would remotely approach this. The power of the music was relative to the Fish years (and pushed by longtime engineer Nick Davis' production assisance and incisive engineering), and Hogarth's lyrics had his talent for observation (which he retained) made so much more powerful by his almost naive innocense at the time of his joining the band. I remember seeing them in concert in June 1990 in San Diego...one of the greatest concerts I have ever seen. It was Hogarth's environmental speech after playing "Season's End" that caused me to join Greenpeace. Yet, for all the strength of the new songs and relief that Marillion would not fall apart without Fish, you could tell that Hogarth (and, in some ways, the band) were parting company with songs off previous releases, almost as if they belonged too much to Fish (which, in many ways, they did). This desire to find a new identity would diminish the instrumental power of their music, as EMI pushed them for more mainstream material and Hogarth took the reins as leader, and Marillion would never find its way back to the special place it occupied when it made this release."Season's End" is my favorite Marillion album, taking the power of the music from the Fish era and infusing it with lyrics that, while not as personal and poetic as Fish's, were in some ways stronger specifically because they WERE universal. Fish's Marillion may have been more immediate because of the despain in Fish's delivery, but "Season's End" used the Marillion musical power to bring you the world in a different light. It is truly a milestone in progressive rock.Jana, I sincerely hope that you will read this someday, and hear the power of this music, and be moved by it like I have been for almost fourteen years. I miss you, and I will never hear "Berlin" again without thinking of you, milady.

Well, who could guess?

After Fish left the boat, more than half the soul of Marillions was gone. The band seemed doomed.

But comes Steve Hogarth and they release the stupendous SEASONS END, an album that has it all: rockers, acustic guitars, elaborated instrumental passages, good singing, good lyrics. A good album from star to finish. And, so, Marillion's existence was not in check anymore, and the band is still alive today.

This was Steve Hogarth's (h) first album as Marillion's frontman, and all the fears that us fans had quickly disappeared upon hearing this CD.

It is, without a doubt, quite different from where Marillion was with Fish as lead singer and lyric writer, but it is nonetheless a fantastic collection of music. Including acoustic touches to their songs (Easter, After me), which was something rare for them at that time, and straight rockers (Hooks in you), the lads proved their musicianship and their willingness to explore. h's lyrics, while not as poetic as Fish's best, are by all means very intelligent and musical in themselves. His collaborations with John Helmer are also great. This is definetely one of Marillion's best!

As for the second CD, it includes a few demos from the songs in the album, but the real treasure are two b-sides, The bell in the sea and The release, both great tracks that could have made it to the album.

Replacing Fish (who left the band after the 1988 tour) was quite a hard task for Marillion, but amazingly, "Season's end" is not a disjunctive break with the band's past. The only obvious difference is in Steve's flexible, rough voice and in the lyrics, which are less self-centered than those of Fish and take care of social issues instead. Musically, Marillion played it fairly safe and wrote "Clutching at straws part II", since "Season's end" follows the same general tone as its predecessor: Atmospheric intros, guitars which sound like bells, pearling keyboard chords, long instrumental solos; but due to the straightforward rock numbers "The uninvited guest" and "Hooks in you", "Season's end" has more the feeling of rock & roll than any previous Marillion album. The relative sameness in the basic arrangements make the songs sound similar to each other, yet there are certainly individual touches -- a keyboard interlude or a catchy refrain, for example. It's pointless to pick winners, everything here is very satisfying and rock music doesn't get more melodic and emotional. Disc 2 comes up with the notably darker and more dramatic "The bell in the sea", the bright "The release", which is one of Marillion's few happy songs, and the "Mushroom Farm demos". Admittedly, the demo versions will be of interest for fans only. Together with Fish's solo debut "Vigil in a wilderness of mirrors", "Season's end" stands out as a better effort than many other art-rock albums of the late-'80s.

I actively bought new Marillion albums from 1985-1995 and was grateful to have something "proggy" to listen to during that time. I stopped however, when groups like Anglagard, Ozric Tentacles, and Porcupine Tree came to my attention. There was, and still is, something very attractive about the Marillion sound though: "sweet" melodies, fine ensemble work, pleasant vocals, and above all else, a gloominess that lends the music an emotional punch. Although the product of a different lineup, Seasons End (1989) has all of these elements and is a strong album.

The lineup includes new lead singer Steve Hogarth, Mark Kelly (synthesizers, keyboards), Steve Rothery (guitars), Peter Trewavas (bass guitar), and Ian Mosley (drums and percussion). Ian has an impressive prog resume and recorded with Trace amongst others in the 1970s. His playing with Trace is very impressive, although he seems to have scaled back his approach with Marillion. With respect to the departure of former singer Derek "Fish" Dick, who was admittedly the only distinctive singer in the whole neo-progressive genre, I feel that Steve Hogarth has a fine voice that may be better suited to the softer textures of their music. Overall, these guys are good players.

In terms of the tunes, which range in length from 2:54 to 8:08, I can hear aspects of 1978-1980 Genesis, British symphonic pop, and even American stadium rock. The sound is very accessible, and while the group is not known for blinding virtuosity, the compositions are sophisticated enough that the music holds my interest - indeed the music nicely blends the "proggier" aspects of early Marillion with the softer sound of later Marillion resulting in a more diverse listening experience. The one pop track (Hooks in You) is not totally satisfying. Overall, the tracks move along at a slow to mid-paced tempo, rhythms are mostly in 4/4, and layers of marshmallowy synthesizer textures are used to generate a symphonic fullness (there is not a lot in the way of the brisk Tony Banks influenced synth solos that turned up on earlier albums). The guitarist seems to favor a heavily chorused sound on his electric and the acoustic guitar is only used sparingly (Easter is a good example). There are some arena-rock solos on the electric guitar here and there but not too many. The band gravitates towards gloomy atmospheres and quieter passages - the sad title track is a good example. In fact, it is this sadness that sets this band apart and is why I like them.

This is the CD that was originally released in 1989 and does not feature any extra tracks (there is a remastered version out there). The liner notes feature lyrics, recording credits, and a few "arty" images. The album was produced by Nick Davis and the sound is muddy. The drums are loud.

All in all, Marillion is my favorite of the neo-progressive outfits that popped up in the 1980s. This is a very strong album that is recommended along with the fan favorite Misplaced Childhood (1985) and Clutching at Straws (1987) (the last with Fish).

This is the first album wihtout Fish and the first with Steve Hoggart.
At this period, I remember that this album deceived me a lot, but as time goes by, I have to learn to appreciate the new Marillion. After many albums done with Hoggart, I can say that this is a very good one. This album has it all, prog as in the good old days, beautiful ballads and rock songs. "Easter", "Seasons End", "After me" and "The Space" are truly great compositions. I don't have the remastered version at this moment, but I sure will soon. I am very pleased with this album.