If any self-respecting Marillion fans could have looked into a crystal ball back in the mid-'80s (at the the band's pinnacle) to see where the band's path was headed, most would likely have been shocked and amazed to see how it all turned out.
If the Fish-led incarnation steered the band down an often dramatic path of intricate, ambitious material, Marillion's new boy, Steve Hogarth, slowly beat it out of them -- but not necessarily in a bad way.
Released in 1997, This Strange Engine features the Mach II Marillion lineup in all its commercial glory.
The longwinded compositions of previous works are all but forgotten, save for "This Strange Engine," the album's sole proggy track, replete with Pink Floyd-style sax solos.
Instead, they've been replaced by the quasi-Journey strains of "One Fine Day" and the uber-commercial "80 Days." The latter features perhaps one of the finest Hogarth-led choruses in recent history.
As always, This Strange Engine is a production marvel.
Ian Mosley's tight drum sounds intertwine effortlessly with Steven Rothery's guitar leads.
Not a bad record, but not a great one either.
If one word can sum up this release, it would be: ordinary.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Man of a Thousand FacesJohn Helmer, Steve Hogarth, Mark Kelly, Ian Mosley, Steve Rothery, Pete Trewavas | Marillion | Play | 07:33 | 17 MB | 52 MB |
| 2 | One Fine DayJohn Helmer, Steve Hogarth, Mark Kelly, Ian Mosley, Steve Rothery, Pete Trewavas | Marillion | Play | 05:31 | 12 MB | 33 MB |
| 3 | 80 DaysSteve Hogarth, Mark Kelly, Ian Mosley, Steve Rothery, Pete Trewavas | Marillion | Play | 05:00 | 11 MB | 35 MB |
| 4 | EstoniaSteve Hogarth, Mark Kelly, Ian Mosley, Steve Rothery, Pete Trewavas | Marillion | Play | 07:56 | 18 MB | 47 MB |
| 5 | Memory of WaterJohn Helmer, Steve Hogarth, Mark Kelly, Ian Mosley, Steve Rothery, Pete Trewavas | Marillion | Play | 03:01 | 6 MB | 15 MB |
| 6 | An Accidental ManJohn Helmer, Steve Hogarth, Mark Kelly, Ian Mosley, Steve Rothery, Pete Trewavas | Marillion | Play | 06:12 | 14 MB | 40 MB |
| 7 | Hope for the FutureJohn Helmer, Steve Hogarth, Mark Kelly, Ian Mosley, Steve Rothery, Pete Trewavas | Marillion | Play | 05:10 | 11 MB | 32 MB |
| 8 | This Strange EngineSteve Hogarth, Mark Kelly, Ian Mosley, Steve Rothery | Marillion | Play | 30:24 | 69 MB | 97 MB |
| 9 | EstoniaSteve Hogarth, Mark Kelly, Ian Mosley, Steve Rothery, Pete Trewavas | Marillion | Play | 07:56 | 18 MB | 47 MB |
| 10 | 80 DaysSteve Hogarth, Mark Kelly, Ian Mosley, Steve Rothery, Pete Trewavas | Marillion | Play | 05:00 | 11 MB | 35 MB |
| 83 mins | 191 MB | |||||
| 83 mins | 437 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pete | Vocals (Background) |
| 2 | Charlton & Newbottle School Choir | Choir/Chorus, Vocals (Background) |
| 3 | Stuart Every | Engineer |
| 4 | Hugh Gilmour | Art Direction, Cover Art Concept, Design |
| 5 | John Helmer | Composer |
| 6 | Steve Hogarth | Composer, Keyboards, Percussion, Vocals, Voices |
| 7 | Michael Hunter | Mixing Assistant |
| 8 | Mark Kelly | Composer, Keyboards, Vocals (Background) |
| 9 | Rey Lear | Arranger, Choir Arrangement |
| 10 | Marillion | Arranger, Primary Artist, Producer |
| 11 | Dave Meegan | Mixing |
| 12 | Ian Mosley | Composer, Drums, Percussion |
| 13 | Tim Perkins | Balalaika |
| 14 | Steve Rothery | Composer, Guitar, Vocals (Background) |
| 15 | Paula Savage | Trumpet |
| 16 | Steve H. | Keyboards, Percussion |
| 17 | Philip Todd | Saxophone |
| 18 | Pete Trewavas | Bass, Composer |
| 19 | Andrea Wright | Mixing Assistant |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |