Search - Marillion :: Radiation

Terrific 'forgotten' and underrated Marillion album

Matthew Van Horn | 01/24/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Yes, Marillion's RADIATION seems to be an aberration--it certainly has it's differences from Marillion albums that preceded it and followed it--and I wish and hope Marillion would make more like this one. I bought this upon release nearly ten years ago, brought it to my bedroom and played it with my girlfriend listening. Did the songs jump out and grab me? No. I thought the opener UNDER THE SUN was uneven with a laborious beat. Now I enjoy the song with its quirky lyrics and apocalyptic imagery. The melodic "These Chains" is a nice contrast to UNDER THE SUN and is one of the more accessible tracks. NOW SHE'LL NEVER know is quiet and demands you listen closely, not casually. BORN TO RUN is Marillion's version of blues, and it works well--just remember, they are not trying to be Led Zeppelin, nor do they pretend to be bluesmasters. Steve H and Co. are playing their interpretation of blues--and I like it. By the time you get to CATHEDRAL WALL, the stark, slap-in-the-face opening will wake you up if you have drifted off and lost your attention (assuming this is your first listen, because in subsequent listens, this album WILL GROW ON YOU). "Cathedral Wall" is a strange song, with strange loud and soft, night and day changes. It is a dark, cinematic picture for the mind, packed into 5 minutes. A FEW WORDS FOR THE DEAD will test your patience, but to those who wait, the song builds until with trademark Marillion explosion, the song opens up into one of the most satisfying, cathartic climaxes composed by the group. The last two tracks are really just add-ons: they are remixes of earlier tunes from the band. And they are not bad at all. To hear the band perform live this and any song from RADIATION is a treat because it seems to be the forgotten Marillion album. It was not overwelmingly received with positive reviews by fans, but I suspect that just as I did, when I remembered the album and gave it another chance, the songs, and then the album as a whole, grew on me until it is in my top 5 Marillion."

Marillion - A Step Down From Their Previous Three Albums

Steven Sly | Kalamazoo, MI United States | 09/19/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"For many fans this album is where the train started to leave the tracks. Coming from any other band this would probably be considered a very good album, but Marillion had already set the bar so high for themselves that "Radiation" is somewhat of a disappointment especially compared to the band's previous 3 disks. I really like the first 4 songs on this one. "Costa Del Slough" is a cool rocker. "Under The Sun" is another rocker that deals with the depletion of the ozone layer. "The Answering Machine" is commercial, but catchy as hell. "Three Minute Boy" is the best song on the album and stacks up with the band's best. The album goes down hill from there though. The material is not bad, but there is not much here that grabs me either. "Born To Run" is Marillion's attempt at doing blues. It works to an extent, but his is not really one of the band's strengths. "A Few Words For The Dead" is the longest track on the album clocking in at 10 minutes. It ends the album on a high note, and I really like the lyrics, but the music does not really stack up to some of the band's past epics. Overall I think this is one of the band's weakest albums, although Marillion has never done what I would consider a bad album, and it is still worth owning for about half of it. I give it 3.5 stars."

Underrated Classic

Sampson Simpson | Canada | 02/03/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Radiation (stylized as Radiat10n, their 10th studio album) is another controversial Marillion album. Much like This Strange Engine, it alienated old fans, and Radiat10n confused even the staunchest of Steve Hogarth followers. It is unlike any previous album, but still rooted in the progressive experimentation that Marillion are known for.



Starting off with a cacophony of orchestra noise, a campy distorted melody follows. Hogarth is warning us of global warming, a topic he visited 9 years earlier on "Seasons End". "Under The Sun" follows this intro, with lyrics such as "It used to rain, dreary and grey, most every day but not anymore!" Looking at the bright side of global warming from the British point of view! (For those conspiracy theorists who think global warming is a new hoax designed to milk you of tax dollars, you may be interested to learn that Marillion have been warning us of the dangers of warming since the 80's.) A haunting keyboard melody underscores this aggresive sparse tune.



This is followed by the pounding of "The Answering Machine", a classic that is often performed unplugged these days. It is around this time that you may notice that this album is mixed very loudly and distorted. I love the mix as it really showcases that Marillion can be aggressive and heavy at times, but the band have expressed interest in remixing one day.



"Three Minute Boy" inspired by Liam Gallagher follows, another great song and this one in a slower tempo. Hogarth sings his butt off in this song.



The very quiet "Now She'll Never Know" is next. It is a very simple song, simple because Pete Trewavas is playing guitar this time. "In the after-silence fighting leaves behind..." sings Hogarth, a song about the finality of a painful breakup. To me this is a classic, and Hogarth sings it in his most haunting of voices.



Sampled strings introduce the single "These Chains", very Beatles-y in melody and arrangement. Another classic.



The next track is the very Floydian "Born To Run", about the "people of the north". Never has Steve Rothery sounded so Gilmour. Yet another classic. This is a another slow one, Ian Mosely keeping the barely detectable beat like the pro he is. It is Rothery who shines on this one, one of the best examples of what he can do with just the sound of a guitar and his fingers, not a lot of notes.



Suddenly the gothic keyboard crashes of "Cathedral Walls" hits. Hogarth, his voice reduced to an echo, whimpers the lyrics. The choruses are powerful and multitracked. This is by far the heaviest moment on the album, paradoxically punctuated by quieter breaks.



The final song on the main part of the album is the epic "A Few Words For The Dead". This 10-minute-plus epic is very minimalist, but changes to a barrage of vocal melodies by the time your trip is done. It is only an easy track to swallow but is worth the effort.



Then, the bonus tracks. North America got two exclusives whereas Japan just got two from the unplugged CD Live At The Walls. Our two bonus tracks contain the awesome remix of "Memory Of Water". Those who know "Memory Of Water" from the original Strange Engine version recall that it was once a brief string quartet song. No longer. Now expanded to 8 minutes, it now boasts some awesome Rothery riffing and relentless trance-like beats. This is the track that I use to introduce new people to Marillion, and it never fails. It is a mind-blowing experience. To hear the band play it live is unreal, as Mosely can actually play those beats live. The second bonus track is a more ambient remix of "Estonia" which is largely forgettable.



Before I finish, if you like this album I must recommend the following companion pieces:



1. Live At The Walls. A double live unlpugged CD recorded in a restaraunt during the mixing of Radiation. It features live versions of tracks like "Now She'll Never Know". Also includes their brilliant cover of "Fake Plastic Trees" which was a B-side to "These Chains".



2. Fallout: The Making of Radiation. A 2 CD compilation of song sketches and finished ideas, before they got more aggressive and distorted on the album. If you don't like the mix of the album, you might prefer this.



3. One of Marillion's Front Row Club live CDs from the 1998 tour. I know there are several to choose from (issues 1, 16, 19, and 24). If you want to hear live versions of these songs including the rarely performed "A Few Words For The Dead", this is the place to get them in great soundboard mixes.



4. marillion dot com (the album). While I prefer Radiation by leaps and bounds, dot com contains leftovers from these sessions such as "Interior Lulu" and "Tumble Down The Years", but mixed more conservatively.



With Radiation plus these companion pieces, you will get a perfect picture of this brilliant band during one of their most misunderstood eras.



5 stars. If I had to pick a favourite of the Hogarth era, this one is behind only Marbles for me!"