Exclusive Audioholics Interview with British Rock Band - page 2
Audioholics: Is there any intention to break the US market again? Why is there such little presence in the United States?
[Lucy Jordache] We never broke it first time round! (laughs) Because the USA is a very hard market to break and the band has been trying to do it with limited success during the past 25 years. It's too late to throw good money after bad. Instead we are more than content with the fantastic cult following we have and our fans in the USA have stayed loyal for many years and bring new people to our shows and introduce new people to our music. Word of mouth is worth 100 times more to us than a press ad. Our Street Teams in the USA are continuously working hard to get the word out for us.
Comments from Steve Hogarth in our phone interview about 2 disc set availability of Marbles
According to H world-wide distributors say retailers were reserved about selling double albums because of the associated price hike involved, since they don't sell as well as single CD's. However the double CD as well as their entire catalog is available direct from www.marillion.com .
Audioholics: Are you coming to Florida? Please come!
[Lucy Jordache] We couldn't fit Florida into this tour schedule but we'll put it on the list for consideration next time we tour. Sorry to all the fans in Florida!
(We asked Steve if the band will consider coming during their next tour. Steve H says the band would be open but they don't have enough information on where to play. We told Steve H that we will be on the look-out for the perfect venue and we are turning this to our Audioholics readership for suggestions and support in one of our Forum Threads.)
2005 Tour Dates & Locations for the Latest Marillion Performances
Audioholics: Any releases in multi-channel surround (IE. DD/DTS, DVD-A/SACD) planned?
[Steve Rothery] We're talking about a multi-channel version of Marbles . Emi have been discussing the possibility of Misplaced Childhood being remixed in surround as well.
Audioholics: Why so much compression in most of the recordings, especially ones claiming 24bit?
Editor's Note on Compression and Digital Clipping in Recordings
Please refer to the following articles for references regarding these issues. We see much of this happening these days with Rock/Pop music and would like to see more awareness in the recording studio to appease us audiophiles that demand higher quality recordings of the artists we admire.
[Steve Rothery] Compression is used at three stages in the production of an album. 1) When recording to tame any wild transients and get a good signal to noise ratio to tape/hard disk; 2) When mixing both on the individual track and quite often on the stereo bus; and 3) When mastering. Mastering engineers seem to want their tracks to sound as loud on the radio as everything else with the result that, whatever the dynamic range a track started with, it's often squeezed almost beyond recognition by the time the final master is produced. My own personal preference is for more dynamic range. I was surprised when Simon Hayworth who mastered Marbles - and who is one of the top UK mastering engineers - compressed the track "The Damage" when mastering as I really didn't think it needed it - I was outvoted. The joys of a democracy!
Comments from Steve Hogarth in our phone interview about compression in recordings
Steve H indicated to us that the "louder is better"
mentality is almost always the driving force that governs this. From a
marketing standpoint, if your recording plays lower in level than your
competitors this is considered undesirable. After all of the EQ'ing and
compression is done, dynamic range is often further compromised in the
recording with a tool called a Finalizer (high end digital compressor)
which is used to max the output levels for more perceived clarity.
Closing comments from Steve DellaSala
As a steadfast follower and loyal fan of Marillion since the birthing days of, Script for a Jesters Tears their albums continue to inspire me by knowing that there are some meaningful and talented musicians who can be found among the midst of bubblegum radio. You see, my older brothers grew up with ELP, Genesis, Yes, King Crimson… but I found my musical identity in bands and musicians such as Peter Gabriel (when he went solo), Pendragon, Porcupine Tree, Rush, and the rebirth of bands such as King Crimson and Yes. But it was with Marillion that I found my true love for music. I remember vividly the day I discovered Fish left the band. It happened after I purchased, opened and then listened to Season's End . During the first song titled, "The King of Sunset Town" I remember being in utter shock and disarray when I heard the vocals from someone other than Fish. For a brief moment I thought I had lost my personal band; a band that belonged to my album/CD collection and not my brothers or anyone else who I knew at the time. With a tear in my eye I decided to continue listening to the album to at least hear the music, not knowing what was in store for me. It only took until the second song, "Easter" for me to realize that I didn't lose my favorite band, but instead, I'd found a unique band with passion, fire, and an imaginative singer with a distinct and talented voice.
With this new singer and new sound it seemed that Marillion was no longer a band that somewhat echoed early Genesis stylistic music but instead, they were now able to stand on their own and be their own. From that point on I eagerly awaited every release from the band with Steve H on vocals to see what new musical treat was in store for me that I could listen to over and over again, each time with the same passion as the first time I'd heard it. One after another I listened to how Marillion was maturing into their own. I have found my favorite CDs from Marillion to be Brave and Strange Engine and all of their others to be equal and close seconds, for the band has yet to put out music that isn't considered "epic" to me. It was a distinct honor and privilege for me to have an opportunity to interview Steve H and to learn more about Marillion on a personal level. There were only two times that I was able to see the band live. One was in the very early "Fish Days" when they opened for Rush at Madison Square Garden. The second time was during the US tour which was funded by the fans. I contributed to the cause and was therefore invited to the band appreciation pre-show in Philadelphia during the Strange Engine CD. During that pre-show event, I had the treat of listening to the band rehearse as well as play obscure songs requested by the fans. Steve H singing Fish-era tunes was a treat. The climax of the evening was during the closing song of the show when they played the title track, Strange Engine . I have never, ever heard a singer sing with such energy and passion and I felt privileged to have witnessed that evening. I remember being exhausted at the end of the closing song and couldn't imagine how Steve H was able to pull it off as he did.
Listening to Steve talk during our interview has rekindled my love of the band enough for me to go back through my entire collection of Marillion CDs as I temporarily turn off my Satellite Radio. In fact, I've even set aside 75-minutes of seclusion from the family and the outside world so I can listen to Brave uninterrupted in its entirety and re-live the life of a person who has struggled to the point of ending their own life but later decided to be "made again." For this interview has reminded me that I too have been "made again" into a new and improved Marillion Fan. Thank you Marillion for continuing to be true to yourselves and your music and allowing us as your fans to be a part of your lives by experiencing what you feel and say through your songs.
Closing comments from Gene DellaSala
All I can say is wow! Speaking with Steve H and interviewing the band really opened my eyes to them as real world, down-to-earth people that share many of the ideals we all cherish. All this while putting forth their best abilities to convey these ideals in the wonderful music they write and perform. I consider Marillion to be one of the best modern progressive rocks bands. They are a treasure in a world where two chord rock and so called reality TV shows are the norm. It's nice to know the dumbing down of what our society considers to be "entertainment & art" hasn't influenced the integrity of this band or their music. I am in full agreement with my brother that Strange Engine and Brave are the ultimate expression of their passion and the fundamental core of who they are as a band. However I believe the best way to get a taste of who they are is to audition their Six of One, Half Dozen of the Other CD which highlights their most mainstream music from the pre- and post-Fish era. If music with substance is your forte, you owe it to yourself to check these guys out. If you prefer bubblegum, simply turn the radio on or tune in to MTV. In the meantime, I hear the voice of command calling me to Strange Engine .
Many thanks to Steve H and Marillion for taking time out of their busy schedules to conduct this interview. We hope someday the financial means will present themselves for the band to do a full blown tour of the USA, and more importantly, Tampa Florida so we can enjoy the Marillion experience live.
Audioholics Recommended Marillion Music Starter List (available for online purchase)
