3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
musical, emotional, very very good..., December 24, 1998
This review is from: Strange Engine (Audio CD)
Most die-hard Marillion fans' least favorite Marillion records are This Strange Engine and Holidays in Eden. After having owned most of what is domstically available by Marillion, the only two I presently own are the two must-haves, This Strange Engine and Holidays in Eden. "Estonia" and "This Strange Engine" are easily the two best tracks, but moreso because of how incredible they are, not because the rest of the album is lacking. I'll also admit that at first I had a hard time getting past how much "One Fine Day" musically reminded me of Aerosmith's "Dream On" but after a few listens, I was very much over it. I don't know what pressings Amazon.com sells, but some domestic copies come with 2 unlisted bonus tracks, the Positive Light remix of "Estonia" and the acoustic version of "80 days." If you can find a TSE with those two extra tracks, they make the album even better, but either way, this comes highly recommended...
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful, November 2, 2005
This review is from: Strange Engine (Audio CD)
This Strange Engine is quite simply one of the most beautiful albums I've ever heard. I understand that Marillion is one of the most highly regarded bands in the progressive/art rock genre, and that their back catalogue contains some truly exceptional albums, but This Strange Engine is in a class all its own and remains my favorite Marillion album.
This is an album that may not fall into the traditional progressive mold, in that aside from the title track there is not much in the way of showy instrumental passages or lengthy epics. Instead the band opts for a sound that appeals more to emotion and a sense of beauty. Much of this appeal comes from the performance of vocalist Steve Hogarth.
When original vocalist Fish left the band, it marked a turning point for Marillion's sound. Fish's fey, almost otherworldly delivery was replaced by Steve Hogarth's more earnest and (to my ears) emotional style. I know that many purists greatly prefer the Fish era albums, and that is quite understandable, as they are truly works of art, but I tend to enjoy the Hogarth albums more. They just seem to resonate more and connect with me on a more emotional level.
This Strange Engine is, so far, the best of those albums. All of the songs are excellent, but Man of a Thousand Faces, Estonia, and An Accidental Man are truly exceptional. This album is emotional, powerful, and beautiful, and I highly recommend it.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Buy it for the title track alone!, March 14, 2000
This review is from: Strange Engine (Audio CD)
This album is a bit awkward. It starts off with a great song, man of 1000 faces. This song is easily one of the three best on this albums. I don't really know what they're doing on Accidental man, Memory of water or Hope for the future though. These songs all sound a bit uninspired. BUT! The title track is EASILY the best thing they ever recorded. Especially the last 6 minutes of the song are pure emotion, and if you don't own this record, you're sure to be missing something in your life.
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