Best of Both Worlds

This 2 CD set was recorded between 1982 to 1995 and includes liner notes by Marillion. All of the tracks have been digitally remastered. In their initial incarnation, led by charismatic, flamboyant lead singer Fish, Marillion led the neo-Prog charge in early-1980s England. The Fish-fronted group made such a splash that when their vocalist departed after three albums, it seemed like Marillion's future was in serious doubt. Against all odds, the band not only continued on with a new singer (Steve Hogarth), but they actually became even more popular. Best of Both Worlds neatly divides these two phases of the group's career, giving equal time to both Fish and Hogarth. Fish's more theatrical, larger-than-life style was both more suited to Marillion's early, explicitly '70s-influenced work, and he clearly had a lot to do with pushing the band in that direction, as nods to Genesis and Pink Floyd abound on the epic tunes. As soon as the switch was made, though, the group started to slim down it's ambitions and move more towards a contemporary rock sound. While Hogarth's approach is less grandiose, his voice is just as powerful a tool, and suits the relatively toned-down framework of the second disc to a T. The Best of Both Worlds is a testament to the tenacity of the other Marillion members, who had both the courage of their convictions and the openness to change with the times. 29 total tracks. EMI. 2005.