LISTEN TO EASTER BY MARILLION AND HAVE A HAPPY EASTER

Now this one should keep all of my 10 UK readers happy (laugh), well maybe make that 100, actually i have been doing a bit better lately with getting readers from the mother country, for the first two years of having this website i just couldn't get the poms interested, but things are looking up. The UK has always been a stronghold for producing some of the greatest progressive rock bands, a better strike rate than the United States. MARILLION has been around since 1978, just think, that's two years before JOHN BONHAM of LED ZEPPELIN died and the same year VAN HALEN recorded their debut album. The band have never struck commercial gold in the United States, but over three decades after forming continues to have a loyal cult following across the UK, Ireland and various western european countries, especially in France and Holland. Along the way MARILLION lost original singer FISH, a very conceptual and eccentric lyricist, who quit (or was fired) after the release of the 1987 album CLUTCHING AT STRAWS. The best of the early albums with FISH singing is definitely the debut SCRIPT FOR A JESTERS TEAR, the title track being one of the best PETER GABRIEL copycat jobs in the history of progressive rock. Many rock critics over the years derided the band and in particular FISH as being early GENESIS plageurists but that takes nothing away from the inventiveness and panache of their 1983 album. The other 80`s album of note was the UK charttopper MISPLACED CHILDHOOD, which produced two big UK hits, KAYLEIGH and LAVENDER. Following Fish's departure in late 1988, the rest of MARILLION recruited STEVE HOGARTH, who had cut his teeth in the music trade as a co-singer and keyboardist in THE EUROPEANS, and unlike FISH who only sung in the band, he offered MARILLION an additional instrumental option. Since the first HOGARTH album SEASONS END was released in 1989, MARILLION has released 12 albums, and although it sticks to safe territory and is marginally workmanlike, SEASONS END remains the most charming and radio friendly post FISH album. Seeing that it's Good Friday tomorrow and Easter on Sunday, i thought i would pick on the song EASTER off SEASONS END to feature as the video clip. This performance comes from a 1990 gig in Leicester, deep in the heart of England, the perfect setting for a very english band. The swirling keyboard dynamics of this song and guitarist Steve Rothery's solo are awesome, in essence it's a folk love song which to see performed live would give most people goose bumps. Happy Easter to all.