Progressive Rock was dead by 1990. It was a nerd genre that defined my musical palette from ‘83 to ‘93 and it’s pomp and seriousness lead to its self-destructive in these last 2 decades. The 1989 release of Season’s End by Marillion tries really hard to save the genre. It’s a forgotten masterpiece of music that really sounds awful. I want to encourage you to hear it, but I’m afraid of what you’ll think of me. Let me explain.
The guitar and synth sounds are the finest 80’s cheese. The singer tries to sound like Michael Bolton but I fear his leather pants are too tight and his voice strains in unpleasant ways. But! But, the bass and drums are unbelievably tight. The music is so interesting. The lyrics are fatal – covering topics like global warming and abusive women’s prisons. And, the mix is even more fatal…in a glorious high-tech 80’s kinda way.
You will want to cringe but if you give yourself over to it, it’s quite a ride. This was the first album with a new singer. Can established bands really swap out the singer? Well, we see-hear the remaining members struggling with this question, but they work really hard at it, and in the end come up feeling pretty good about the result. The album cover reminds me of the music. It tries really hard but WTF?
Here are some highlights:
the last half of “Easter”. The guitar solo and orchestration around it are stunning. When the group drops down into a 5/4 celebration groove – it’s goose-bump inducing.
the title track it about global warming. You just might buy a hybrid afterwards – and this was in 1989.
Feeling righteous and need a soundtrack? songs like Uninvited Guest and “King of Sunset Town” will have you punching the air with pleasurable indignation. The bass and drums stabs are off-beat, skillful, and memorable.
The final track, “The Space…” with its haunting synth-strings is what synth-strings were made for.
Please listen to the whole album on headphones because a) the depth of the mix should be listened to loud to be appreciated, and b) you don’t want people to hear you listening to this pompous 80’s event. If they do hear it, tell them you were listtening to it for historical reasons: it’s 20 years old, and it’s the last great progressive rock album.
