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Marillion: Marbles on the Road (DVD)

If you agree with me that Marbles was Marillion's finest album in years, you owe it yourself to check out Marbles on the Road. Captured live over two nights in front of a packed London Astoria, Marillion perform a good portion of the Marbles album in addition to old favorites such as "The Uninvited Guest" and "Cover My Eyes". The soft focus camerawork is generally very good. At times, the video suffers from over saturation, particularly during show opener "The Invisible Man". Indeed, the first shot of Mark Kelly's bald head swathed in deep blue lights may mislead one into thinking he/she is watching a performance of The Blue Man Group! Bonus material includes a 15 minute featurette on the making of Marbles and promo videos for "You're Gone" and "Don't Hurt Yourself".

Marbles on the Road has finally been issued domestically, but if you really want to do it up right, order the two DVD version from the band's website. For a few extra dollars, you get two more hours of material, including another hour of performances from the Astoria gigs. Fans of earlier albums like Anoraknophobia, Afraid of Sunlight and Brave are going to find this section essential. Heartfelt renditions of "The Great Escape", "Estonia" and "King" are all here with a gorgeous take of "Easter" being the icing on the cake. There's also a nice slice of the Marillion Weekend 2003 concert, including embryonic versions of "Angelina", "Neverland" and "Ocean Cloud" with different lyrics.

Marbles is a major opus that brought back a lot of fans who were divided over the direction taken on albums like Marillion.com and Radiation. Marbles on the Road is a wonderful document of that triumphant "comeback" and positive proof of the special rapport Marillion share with their fans. It's also comforting to know that the band still has so much great music left in them. Thumbs up for Marbles on the Road and two big thumbs up for the extended edition.

Marbles on the Road Contents

  1. The Invisible Man
  2. Marbles I
  3. You're Gone
  4. Angelina
  5. Marbles II
  6. Don't Hurt Yourself
  7. Fantastic Place
  8. Marbles III
  9. The Damage
  10. Marbles IV
  11. Neverland
  12. Bridge
  13. Living with the Big Lie
  14. The Party
  15. Between You and Me
  16. The Uninvited Guest
  17. Cover My Eyes
Bonus Features
  1. Marbles Album EPK
  2. You're Gone Video
  3. Don't Hurt Yourself Video
Lost Marbles DVD2 (extended version)

The Rest of the Show

  1. This is the 21st Century
  2. Quartz
  3. Estonia
  4. Afraid of Sunlight
  5. The Great Escape
  6. King
  7. Easter
Marillion Weekend 2003
  1. Angelina
  2. Neverland
  3. Don't Hurt Yourself
  4. Ocean Cloud
Bonus Features
  1. You're Gone Alternative Video
  2. Don't Hurt Yourself Extended Video

Added: June 20th 2005
Reviewer: Steve Pettengill
Score:
Related Link: Official Marillion Home Page
Hits: 4835
Language: english

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Marillion: Marbles on the Road (DVD)
Posted by Ken Pierce, SoT Staff Writer on 2005-06-20 19:21:01
My Score:

Marillion is one of those bands that always seem to use their time in the most effective manner. They do this by recording a lot, and touring in their native UK almost non-stop but one thing that always has stood out for me was the release of product from the band. It is almost every few months that we see something happening in the Marillion camp whether it be a CD or DVD or Book. Last year the group returned to the States to support the new CD Marbles. I went with some hesitation as it had been awhile since I liked "new" Marillion material yet I have to admit that I was blown away by the album (which was presented in its entirety as it seemed). The release of the DVD Marbles On The Road is perfect for any Marillion fan who either attended or missed it somehow and still wants to get part of the picture. Either of those fans would enjoy this piece in their collection. A wonderful mix of Progressive Rock, Marbles is clearly Marillion's best effort in some years and not a second of the experience is lost in this concert film.

Recorded at London's Astoria theater this video is a worthy purchase as a momento of this tour. It features the entire performance which is a plus (as sometimes we find an incomplete concert when they release this stuff). There are also a couple of extra videos included, but I think the band would have been best served by adding a full interview to the piece. Especially since they have not been in the USA for some 7 years, it might have been interesting to hear their take on their continued allegiance in the States and abroad after all this time.




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