Marillion has been on the scene for over 20 years, but I only first heard of them in the late 1990's. Throughout the 90's I was becoming a big fan of a group called Dream Theater, and occasionally I would see this name "Marillion" pop up when reading various sites, or interviews. My problem, was I kept forgetting to really look into them, I kept hearing about how good they were, but couldn't attest to it myself. Then one day I picked up their 1999 release, Marillion.com, some very good music on there. They quickly faded from my radar again. Most recently, they have popped up again with the release of this live DVD Marbles on the Road. It seemed like a good time to reacquaint myself with their music. So I got ahold of the disk, slipped it into my player, and gave it a view. These are my thoughts.
The show starts with the title card followed by the band taking to the stage. Coming into this fresh was a unique experience, it was not what I am used to listening in the progressive genre. This was a first time I'd ever heard these songs, but I doubt it will be the last. When it comes to progressive, I must admit that my experience is generally limited to those in the heavier area of the genre, where solos are a large part of the experience. This was more Pink Floyd than Dream Theater. There is a nice mix between the pioneering acts of the 70's and the heavier acts of today.
The music is incredibly smooth, there is a wonderful flow to it. For the 100 plus minute runtime of the show we are presented with some great music. I know that the band has gone through some personnel changes over the years, but this lineup sounds great in this live environment. the mix is perfect, blending guitar, bass, keyboards, drums, and vocals in a smooth mix. The sound has a great flow to it, very organic. Each of the instruments fills their own space combining to create a soundscape that is as epic in scope as it is personal in nature.
The show was filmed at the Astoria in London using a network of 15 cameras, and the end result looks very good. It is not the best I have seen on disk, but it looks like they did a good job at creating a balance between lighting for the live audience and for the DVD footage. I was a little worried at first as the blue lights seemed to be blasting out the subjects, and the early footage exhibited a lot of blocky pixelation, but it cleared up soon enough. The cuts between angles and band members suited the songs, never lingering more than it had too, but never jumping out of context.
Audio. There are 2 tracks available, a 5.1 Dolby Digital track and a PCM Stereo track. I listened using the PCM track. It sounds great, nothing to complain about there.
Video. It is presented in a ratio of 1.85:1. It looks very good, except for the first few minutes, where there is that blockiness. Outside of that opening, it looks very good.
Extras.
-There is a 12 minute promo video featuring band interviews about the making of the album.
-Two music videos, "You're Gone" and "Don't Hurt Yourself."
Bottomline. This is a very good disk, whether you're a longtime fan or someone just being introduced to the band there is something for all. Great music, good production. Very Impressive.
Recommended.
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