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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An eccentric collection of gems, November 1, 2008
The Hard Shoulder is the second volume of Marillion's 15th album, Happiness is the Road. Essence, the first, is a smooth concept album, but this is a collection of mostly unrelated songs with subjects ranging from sweet ballads to bizarre outer space visitors to American/English culture shock.
It's very hard to pin this disc down, as a result. I think the best advice was supplied years ago with Brave: listen loud and with the lights off. Let the joyful jam of Thunder Fly wash over you and be taken on a trip from there through the strange mind of a British art rock band in a rare vein of creative form. The sound veers from infectious pop (Half the World) to eccentric prog rock (Marzipan) and features plenty of material that only Marillion could write. The climax, Real Tears for Sale, is a heartfelt classic rocker with great replay value.
This is a worthy companion to the magnum opus of Essence, and a brilliant collection in its own right.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Play it 'til you RESONATE!, November 2, 2008
RESONATE? What are you talking about, you ask? Well, I made the initial mistake of listening to "Happiness" by playing a couple tracks, here and there, in the car, at work, with no continuity. The result was a lukewarm appreciation...nonchalance. I was a bit disappointed....UNTIL: having the immense fortune of living close to a range of the Italian alps, how could I not be a cyclist??? On one of my 5 hour excursions, I MP3'd both CD's and hit the hills...and slowly, slowly after the second or third play, I started to RESONATE....a term that describes a state achieved when an outside force (wind, sound, light) causes a system to oscillate at a maximum ..it's in tune with it's natural vibrational frequency..think of a bridge swaying in the wind, the silky hum from a wine glass as you rub the rim..that kind of resonance. As humans, we have such a natural frequency..mechanical, emotional, whatever...it's that that instant (albeit ephemeral) that, for some reason, you feel that all is good around you..you are truly at peace, happy. And who the hell knows why??? "Happiness" brought me to that state..which made me realize that these CD's work when you play them continuously, non stop...before I knew it, I found myself on top of one of the peaks..I knew I had suffered but the music dulled the pain..I was resonating. "Happiness" works..it flows, it's gentle but poignant..It's a beautiful CD..period.
Why not 5 stars?? Well, all my fellow drummers would pose the same question..what's going on with Mosley?? Is this the same drummer on "Slainte", "Easter", "White Russian"???? Not much creativity anymore...at the long ending of the title track, for example, he could have done so much, much more. I agree that perhaps the songs require less, still..they could do with some percussive color. Just look as Katche when he drums. I want the old Ian back..desperately.
And Rothery...like Clapton, Santana, Johnson, he has a style recognizable from miles away. We need more classic Rothery. I miss those poignant, heart ripping, soaring solos..Easter, Great Escape..man, goosebumps just thinking about it.
Ok, I'm done...buy both CD's, devote some time to them and you'll understand.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Hard Shoulder, October 30, 2008
Volume 2 of Happiness Is The Road finds the band in more experimental territory and for me, is the more enjoyable of the two volumes (the other being "Essence").
The CD begins with the uptempo "Thunder Fly", which instantly grabs your attention with its catchiness. The band then shifts gears with the wonderful "The Man From The Planet Marzipan". There is some great playing on this track, from Rothery's other-worldly guitar and Trewavas' funky bass to Mosley's stuttering fills. An A+ for this one.
The band doesn't let up with the next track, "Asylum Satellite #1", as Mark Kelly's deep tones really carry it into one of the top songs they've written in a long time. "Older Than Me" is playful on the keys, while "Throw Me Out" is a fun listen with the horn and orchestration. "Half The World" is quite the pop song and "Whatever Is Wrong With You" is cleverly written and should be an immediate hit...however we all know it won't be.
The only dud here is "Especially True"- good music, however I'm trying to figure out the baseball lyrics. I guess there has to be at least one clunker on every album, right? "Real Tears For Sale" closes it out in fine classic Marillion fashion.
All in all, a fine set. Volume 2 is my preference and may have received 5 stars if it wasn't for "Especially True". Lots of new sounds for the band, however never fear, the bands' classic sound is still firmly intact.
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