Nathaniel Webb

I wrote this essay while researching my book Marillion in the 1980s, and Dutch Progressive Rock Pages was kind enough to publish it as an article. I dig deep into the surviving demo tapes made by British neo-prog band Marillion in 1980, prior to singer and bassist Doug Irvine's departure.

Derided as seventies throwbacks upon their arrival and misremembered by the wider population as one-hit wonders, Marillion rode the 1980s as one of the most successful bands in Britain.

Delivering the musical and conceptual density of early progressive rock with the caustic energy of punk, the Aylesbury heroes both spearheaded the neo-prog revival and produced its crown jewel in their number one album Misplaced Childhood, with its Top 5 singles "Kayleigh" and "Lavender." Musically, their influence reaches from prog legends Dream Theater and Steven Wilson to household names like Radiohead and Muse. The 1980s encapsulated Marillion's birth, commercial apex, and near-implosion.

This book combines meticulous history with careful musical analysis to chronicle their most turbulent decade from their first gig, through the dizzying success and destructive decadence of their time with frontman Fish, to his bitter departure and replacement by Steve Hogarth. It turns an experienced critical eye not only on their five albums of the decade—from the seminal Script For a Jester's Tear to Hogarth's debut Seasons End—but a lineup that remains as active as ever. The book also discusses demos, singles, and Fish's solo debut to dissect a band which critics still love to hate, even as today's music industry stands upon their shoulders as pioneers of self-promotion and internet crowdfunding.