Introduction: 2012's Sounds That Can’t Be Made was the seventeenth Marillion album, the thirteenth with Steve Hogarth. A CD and DVD version of the album is available in luxurious hard slipcase form, featuring a book containing the names of pre-ordering fans.
The album had a difficult conception, with the band reportedly nearly splitting when a writing session in Portugal coincided with a period of serious illness for Steve Hogarth's partner and son, meaning the vocalist was unable to contribute. After some time off from writing, they recommenced at Peter Gabriel's Real World studios where the writing was unforced, and the songs started to flow. However, the delay to recording eventually resulting in the band compiling the later additions while on their US tour for the album – hardly ideal.
Introduction:
Steve Hogarth's note in the Sounds That Can't Be Made booklet:
"This is a song for the people - especially the children - of Gaza. It was written after many conversations with ordinary Palestinians living in the refugee camps of Gaza and the West Bank. I spoke also to Israelis, to N.G.O workers, to a diplomat unofficially working in Jerusalem, and took their perspectives into account whilst writing the lyric.
"It is not my/our intention to smear the Jewish faith or people - we know many Jews are deeply critical of the current situation - and nothing here is intended to show sympathy for acts of violence, whatever the motivation, but simply to ponder upon where desperation inevitably leads.
'Aurora borealis'
Also known as the Northern Lights, the aurora borealis is a meteorological condition with spectacular visual components, usually green, blue or red associated with high Arctic latitudes caused solar winds interacting with the Earth's magnetosphere.
A similar phenomena occurs in Antarctic latitudes.
'Saturn 5'
The Saturn V rocket was a three-stage liquid-fuelled launch rocket used by NASA for the Apollo Program and also for launching Skylab, the first US space station.
The band have been friends with Rick Armstrong, son of the first man on the moon for many years, with Rick playing guitar during Swap the Band in 2011 and appearing on Pete Trewavas's Edison's Children project, so this is an image with particular resonance and associations for h.
With special thanks to Andy Wright and Annick Gauthier for their assistance with the explanations for this song.
'I heard Joni Mitchell singin' her poems of isolation'
Joni Mitchell is a critically-lauded Canadian singer-songwriter. She rose to prominence during the 1970s and was primarily known for her use of open tunings, embracing of jazz and her intimate, often confessional lyrics. She is frequently called the most influential singer-songwriter ever. Steve Rothery, Mark Kelly and Steve Hogarth are
all known to be fans, as was Fish, who evoked Joni's album The Hissing Of Summer Lawns in Lavender.
'Some are quite happy in the cage'A call back to an image h has used on Cage (Ice Cream Genius) and These Chains.
