Marillion: Happiness Is The Road

ShawnRaven

I know there's a good few Prog fans floating around here, so i'll bring this one up.

Anyone get their hands on the new one yet? Got it today and i have to say, it's a lot better than i was expecting after the letdown of Somewhere Else. Which wasn't so much a bad album, it just lacked that specific something that i couldn't put my finger on.

This bad boy is a 2 cd set, subtitled Essence, and The Hard Shoulder. It's very much in the same vein musically as Marbles, and while it tries to, it doesn't quite make the standard set in 2004 for it.

Anyway, just wondering if anyone else has listened to it or even has any interest?

PattheMetaller

Getting it this week. Local record shop hadn't it today due to the holiday; looking forward to it. It got a good review in Classic Rock magazine.

I must admit to having basically forgot about Marillion when Fish left, I didn't buy the Hogarth era material for a good few years after he joined. There is some fantastic material post Fish, and I think its criminal they are not appreciated by a bigger audience.

Grid.

Have it ordered from their site, hoping its a good one!!

ShawnRaven

They shot themselves in the foot regarding their pre-orders though.

For those not clued in, because the band aren't on a major label, they do pre-orders where the fans pre order up to 12-18 months in advance, usually resulting in a 2 cd for those who preorder, name in credits, special packaging etc, while the standard retail is a 1 cd.

This time around however, the band leaked both CD's themselves, under the premise that their previous albums had been leaked anyway due to promo copies. Which is fair enough NIN, Prince etc have done that.

However the fan backlash arose when those who preordered 12-18 months in advance, are now hearing the album later than those who didn't pre-order, or worse, those who didn't order at all.

They tend to pioneer a fair few things, but this idea was an over ambicious project that fell flat on it's face. Wonder how Lucy Jordache is going to be able to explain this one?!

PattheMetaller

I eventually got the 2cd set. A masterpiece of music imho.

Excellent band that deserve major success

ShawnRaven

PattheMetaller wrote: »

I eventually got the 2cd set. A masterpiece of music imho.

Excellent band that deserve major success

No Dublin date on the tour again.
I'm guessing the gig in support of Marbles wasn't as successful as it appeared to be.

PattheMetaller

ShawnRaven wrote: »

No Dublin date on the tour again.
I'm guessing the gig in support of Marbles wasn't as successful as it appeared to be.

Aye, disappointing. Not the only band that forgot Ireland though.:mad:

ShawnRaven

PattheMetaller wrote: »

Aye, disappointing. Not the only band that forgot Ireland though.:mad:

I tend to let Marillion off due to their tight budget though but two tours in a row is disheartening.

Really sound guys too, got to meet Pete and Steve R at the Vicar St gig, and then H about a year later when he did his solo show in Whelans.

lee_arama

That the Vicar St gig in 2000? or was it 2001?

The state of me at that one I'll tell ya... Literally crawled out the door...

ShawnRaven

lee_arama wrote: »

That the Vicar St gig in 2000? or was it 2001?

The state of me at that one I'll tell ya... Literally crawled out the door...

Nah it was 2004 in support of Marbles, the 2001 gig you're talking about was in support of Anaroknaphobia. Missed that gig due to being out of the country at the time

poundhound

Ive seen Marillion 4 times, Wembley Arena 1993, Hamersmith Apollo 1994, Vicar St 2001 and Vicar St 2004. They are an incredible live act but the poor attendances at their Dublin shows has obviously resulted in them omitting Ireland on the last 2 tours.Shame really, especially when you consider McFly recently sold out the RDS.

ShawnRaven

poundhound wrote: »

Ive seen Marillion 4 times, Wembley Arena 1993, Hamersmith Apollo 1994, Vicar St 2001 and Vicar St 2004. They are an incredible live act but the poor attendances at their Dublin shows has obviously resulted in them omitting Ireland on the last 2 tours.Shame really, especially when you consider McFly recently sold out the RDS.

That's what angers me about Dublin, and Ireland in general is that the majority of it's musical taste is up it's hole (sorry but McFly selling out the RDS nearly four years after their height of popularity is unjustifyable, there can't be that many kids can there?!). Between that and the lack of proper Venue's.

Without going off topic too much, but this is also the reason we're never likely to see Rush play over here.

Back on topic, What were they touring for in 1993? Six Of One, Half A Dozen Of The Other? Because i heard the HiE tour was meant to be one of their best. I'd have loved to have been in attendance for a show on that particular tour.

Bobalicious93

ShawnRaven wrote: »

Without going off topic too much, but this is also the reason we're never likely to see Rush play over here.

The one band I would kill to see live.

ShawnRaven

Cue's GalwayRush with his list of the amount of times he's seen them!

poundhound

The 1993 show was a one off "Anniversary" show.There were strong rumours that Fish was going to play as special guest but it didnt happen. Actually, my apologies, the show was in Sept 1992.But Wembley Arena was packed, how times have changed.

ShawnRaven

poundhound wrote: »

The 1993 show was a one off "Anniversary" show.There were strong rumours that Fish was going to play as special guest but it didnt happen. Actually, my apologies, the show was in Sept 1992.But Wembley Arena was packed, how times have changed.

Pretty sure the audio of that show is available to FRC members too... could be wrong though.