Monday, April 9, 2007

Marillion Somewhere Else released

Somewhere Else

Marillion


Released: April 9, 2007


Peak: -- US, 24 UK, -- CN, -- AU


Sales (in millions): --


Genre: neo-progressive rock


Tracks:

Song Title [time] (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to singles charts.

  1. The Other Half [4:23]
  2. See It Like a Baby [4:32] (3/6/07, 45 UK)
  3. Thank You, Whoever You Are [4:51] (6/11/07, 15 UK)
  4. Most Toys [2:47]
  5. Somewhere Else [7:51]
  6. Voice from the Past [6:21]
  7. No Such Thing [3:58]
  8. The Wound [7:18]
  9. The Last Century for Man [5:51]
  10. Faith [4:11]

All songs written by Hogarth/Rothery/Kelly/Trewavas/Mosley.


Total Running Time: 52:03


The Players:

  • Steve Hogarth (vocals, percussion)
  • Steve Rothery (guitar)
  • Pete Trewavas (bass)
  • Mark Kelly (keyboards)
  • Ian Mosley (drums)

Rating:

2.867 out of 5.00 (average of 17 ratings)


Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Album:

“With Somewhere Else Marillion have played to their strengths and cut one of their very best records. With their innate sense of drama and pomp tempered by a winning melancholy, Marillion have produced a set of rich and vivid soundscapes. Somewhere Else is a genuinely remarkable testament to Marillion’s enduring creativity and crystal vision and Pete Trewavas, Ian Mosley, Mark Kelly, Steve Rothery, and Steve Hogarth have yet again proved that they are slaves to no-one, instead being prophets calling proudly in an uncaring musical wilderness.” AZ

“This album sees the band give their music more space to breathe without it feeling sparse.” VR “Excellent guitar rock, the occasional subtle drum computer, the nice string arrangements in the backgrounds, and the lovely live sound of the instruments – suddenly all the pieces come together and the puzzle's complete: this is Marillion's sound for the future!” TM

“Maybe the most surprising element of this album is its production; producer Mike Hunter seems to have managed to give the band a fresh and modern sound, which is quite the opposite of the dark and warm sound that Dave Meegan achieved on Marbles…People have compared it to the ‘live’ sound of the band and it sounds indeed far more dynamic than any of the other recordings…The songs included here have this really psychedelic yet modern feel to them.” TM

“As with a lot of Marillion albums, the first listen failed to make an instant connection…THIS IS A GOOD SIGN THOUGH. Holidays in Eden made a great first impression (it’s very commercial) but has failed to stand the test of time as a true Marillion classic. Brave, on the other hand, took ages…but…is unstoppable once it’s got you. This album could be the same.” BD

Lead single See It Like a Baby finds Marillion “innocently crooning through the verses and crying out the choruses.” VR It “has chart potential as does Most Toys,” VR which is “really the only track on the album that shows any sort of ferocity or rock vibe.” VR It is “quite good apart from the fact that it seems to have no beginning. It starts in the middle (the first word is BUT) and so it appears to be a song based on a chorus. It would perhaps have been a better choice for the single than ‘See It Like a Baby’, if it had an intro and first verse.” BD

“That said, the rest of the album has some great tracks” BD with some “unusual and almost experimental sounds…such as the ‘underwater’ vocal” BD on the “darkly soulful and sleepy” VR No Such Thing. The song is “carried by Rothery’s straight and direct riff complemented by an almost sine-wave keyboard sound which lifts the listener into a dreamy and relaxed state.” BD

Thank You, Whoever You Are “is notable [for] the chorus…and the piano melody…[and] the guitar solo in the middle.” VR It was released as the album’s second single.

The title track “is an instant new era Marillion classic, combining elements of the epic ‘Ocean Cloud’ and the airy ‘Neverland’ tracks, but dipped in a sauce of ‘This Is the 21st Century’ electronics” (Mulder).

The Wound harks back to previous albums with its opening guitar riff sounding a little like the riff in ‘Season’s End’; while the opening vocal conjours up memories of ‘Accidental Man’ in it’s approach but not in its content. It’s a great fusion which makes for a great track.” BD

The last track on the album is quiet and understated Faith.” VR The song “was written a while ago and fans have been waiting for it to be put onto an album. It’s found its place here.” BD “Vocal and acoustic guitar only. Contemplative. Beautiful and reassuring. A couple of minutes in and the track swells with the usual drums, rhythm and echo on the vocal, every piece of this song is delicate and perfectly crafted.” VR “It’s a touch of genius…[that] ends the album on a great note, and really gives the listener something to think about.” BD

“Each and every song is not what they at first might appear to be.” TM “There are plenty of lovely long tracks that you can get lost in.” VR “They aren’t lengthy... they aren’t overly complex... yet they aren’t exactly radio friendly either... Yet on first listen it might appear that Marillion have gone in a…modern rock direction with Somewhere Else, but in a while the listener will discover that this is just trademark Marillion with all those classic elements.” TM


Notes: A limited edition of the CD included a DVD with three live performances of songs from the album.

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First posted 3/14/2008; last updated 3/6/2022.

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