Seasons End - Intro

Introduction: Seasons End was the fifth Marillion studio album and features the debut of former Europeans/ How We Live man Steve Hogarth on vocals. With many fans viewing Fish as irreplaceable, Hogarth had a difficult job ahead of him. So, how does Hogarth compare?

The King of Sunset Town

Introduction: Steve Hogarth wrote on marillion.com "The King of Sunset Town had already taken shape within a couple of hours of our first meeting (Jan 24 '89) in Pete T's garage in Aylesbury. In Brighton we just spent time arranging it. I rewrote the lyrics later in the year after the Tiananmen Square murders on the 4th of June. What started out as a mythical idea was overtaken by events and Deng Xiaoping became main contender for King... He even rhymes..."

Easter

Introduction: From the liner notes of Six Of One Steve Hogarth said: "It was February '89. I had been with the band for about three weeks. We were at the Music Farm, near Brighton, Sussex. I had this red plastic bucket full of cassettes and tambourines. In the evenings, we would listen to any half-formed musical ideas we had written during the days. If we were stuck for inspiration, Mark would ask me if there was anything in the bucket... I'd written this song about a year before, in early '88, but never got beyond chorus 2 until the band got hold of it...

"The song originated as a How We Live song.

The Uninvited Guest

Introduction: From Steve Hogarth's liner notes of Six Of One: "This song was written within a couple of hours of receiving the lyrics from John Helmer. We loved the lyric as soon as we set eyes on it - I was reminded of John Cooper-Clarke by the style and the rhythm... (we considered asking J.C.C. to narrate the lyrics on the 12 inch in his own inimitable Manchester drawl, but in the end, we didn't have time to do it.) We already had a musical idea written which suited the lyric perfectly... I added 'You can fly to the other side of the world... talk about old times' (We needed more words). So what's a fifteen stone first footer..? I'm not telling you. But you could ask a Scotsman."

Seasons End

Introduction: Steve Hogarth wrote on Marillion.com: "Words by John [Helmer]. A nostalgic lament about cold English winters and their loss to global warming. Once you've got your own children you start to think about what kind of a world we're leaving them with... and which of your dearest memories might be impossibilities in the future."

Holloway Girl

Introduction: Steve Hogarth wrote: "Years ago when I was part of The Europeans we sometimes rehearsed around the corner from Holloway Women's Prison. I think prisons are fascinating places, like all alternative societies, and I used to stare up at the walls and watch the gate police. Years later I saw a documentary on TV. A camera crew had been allowed to film inside. A lot of tough girls for sure, but among them, there were women who should have been in mental hospitals - not prison. Victims of an 'underfunded' society which would lock up the desperate rather than tend to their troubled minds."

In which I become the Missing Link between the Female Kidnapper of a Mormon Missionary and Marillion.

Note: This piece was originally posted to my Facebook page, which is why it refers to this website as though you're not currently reading it. I've not changed this from the original post, so it's not in the same style as the rest of the Explanations.

OK, this is weird. It's sort of funny, but it's sort of not. It's definitely weird.

As far as I'm aware, I don't associate with many criminally-inclined people, but if I were planning to, I could pretty much guarantee that they wouldn't be the female kidnapper/rapist of a Mormon missionary.

Berlin

Introduction: From a Kerrang! article, edition 257, Sept 23 1989: Pre-Season Friendlies by Mick Wall: "I didn't tell him anything about recording Misplaced..., or anything that happened to us in Berlin," says Rothery, anticipating the next question. "I just said there was a piece of music we'd written that, from my point of view, had been inspired by Berlin. The place has such a strong atmosphere, and I thought it might be nice to do something structured around that. John seemed quite intrigued by that and he went away and wrote the initial draft of the Berlin lyric."

Hooks In You

Introduction: From Steve Hogarth's liner notes on Six of One:" February '89. The Music Farm. The days were spent jamming in the studio and drinking fresh coffee in the lounge next door. On one such afternoon I was wrestling with the cafetiere plunger when I heard that guitar riff coming through the wall. I was perusing a fax from the ever-creative John Helmer and there was this line 'when the fear gets a hook in you...' The song unfolded in my head, right there and then and, in about an hour, we had the basic structure nailed. We all wondered whether it was too 'straight ahead' but always liked its attitude... You have to listen to it loud, really... "

The Space

Introduction: Steve Hogarth wrote on Marillion.com "Feeling fragile. I once saw an Amsterdam tram rip the side off a parked car which had been left too near the tramlines. It did so without slowing down. In terms of mass, the competition was so one-sided, like a ball-bearing and a feather, that I often wonder whether the tram driver noticed it happen. The damage was massive, inevitable, and casual. It's an enduring memory. I have occasionally been the tram. And I have often been the car."

This information was originally sent to us by Jacco Kuipers. According to Tim Glasswell's excellent Europeans/How We Live site, the 'Everybody in the whole of the world...' end section of The Space came from the chorus of an unrecorded How We Live song called Wrap Me in the Flag. Subsequently, it has come to light that the end section originated in a Europeans' song entitled So Far Away and thus the song is bears additional songwriting credits for Colin Woore, Ferg Harper and Geoff Dugmore.

After Me

Introduction: Steve Hogarth wrote on Marillion.com "A song about the deliberate and stubborn pursuit of innocence, long after innocence is lost. Also the pain and futility of a restless spirit. A love song."

The Bell In The Sea

Introduction: Steve Hogarth wrote on Marillion.com: "Legend has it that many years ago, a ship was transporting a huge church bell from the foundry where it was struck, to the Abbey at Whitby. In bad weather the ship was wrecked and the bell tore itself free to lie on the sea-bed. On stormy nights, the bell rolls on the sea floor and tolls under the water to mourn the passing of sailors. In Whitby there are those who say they have heard her ghostly moaning." Thanks to J. M. ten Napel for sending that to us.

The Release

Introduction: Steve Hogarth wrote on Marillion.com "The power to burn away life's mundane frustrations. You know, it gets so hard when everything you are is everything you don't want to be..."

According to Tim Glasswell's excellent Europeans/How We Live site, some of the lyrics originated in a How We Live song called At the End of the Day. The song was never recorded but was used as an occasional encore during HWL's 1986 UK tour.