“More highlights than a hairdressers shop – more arousing than a brothel – more defined than Buckingham Palace” say Silhobbit.com

This album took two and a half years to make. Mark Kelly said that all of the band could spend “as much time as they wanted”.

Ian Mosely was allowed to experiment with drum sticks and given as much freedom as he wanted. It is a little known fact that if the band wanted to try something they could take their time with this album, no matter what.

But how good is it?

Whatever they wanted they could do !
This album is Marillion’s masterpiece and if you ask the band they will all agree that “Marbles is the best thing we’ve done ever on a musical level.”

Marillion have sustained their popularity because they are very good at moving forward with each album, whereas other bands stick to a stale formula often carrying a duff musician or two. Not Marillion, any deadwood went a long time ago! With each album they evolve – pushing and exploring forward.

They ask questions and they are “not afraid to boldly go where no musician has gone before” , if you like infinitive-splitting clichés. In Marillion no-one is held back. If Steve Hogarth wants to play polo, the others will hold his stick whilst he mounts his horse. This is what Marillion has always been about - rain or shine.

Silhobbit.com choosed not to review this album after only a few listens, because with Marillion their best work takes some getting into. When ‘Afraid of Sunlight’ was released Silhobbit (fanzine) ashamedly made the mistake of giving it a poor review after only a few listens…..how wrong was that! ‘Afraid of Sunlight’ is dark and moody and delightful once you’ve given it time. But that was many years ago…

On the first few listens I knew that this was a special album. There is no expense spared here. The booklet, the fact it is a double album, and even the higher quality jiffy bag that dropped onto my doormat – No Expense Spared! Really!

The previous studio album had been a song-based album – this time they’ve gone for moods, soundscapes, feelings and passions. A delightful blend of ‘works of art’ that deserves your attention.

With the previous album ‘Anoraknophobia’ you could play the cd and hear it whilst doing whatever you do – with this album you must listen to it rather than hear it!

I’m not willing to review track-by-track because that is what other websites will do and that is so 90’s. But there are so many highlights and individual bits of creativity that you just gotta find out for yourselves.

From the opening track 'The Invisible Man' to the finely polished 'Neverland' - Marillion take us on a journey and once you've ridden with Marillion you won't want to get off.

To really do this new double album justice Silhobbit.com advise that you invite around a few friends and dim the lights and use drugs to enhance really focus on the music and be guided along the path and walk on the journey that is Marillion’s Marbles and Marillion’s Masterpiece!

The track 'Drilling Holes' is made for tripping to with its pseudo-psychedelic-psydbarratness.

Excellent trippy keyboards from Mark Kelly and Hogarth shows a versatility rarely matched.

Charlie O'Mara's Top Five Double Things

"For Centuries the best things have come in pairs. Thousands of years ago Noah took two of every living thing into his ark and if he hadn't of done that we wouldn't have pandas and ducks. If you've ever enjoyed a 'Double-Ender' you won't want to go back to just one.