Disco de Marillion: “Tales from the Engine Room”

This album is a rarity among the Marillion collection. To begin with it's not an album of new material in the strict sense of the word, that is, material put together by the band. It consists of six Marillion songs from the "This Strange Engine" album, remixed by Marc Mitchell and Mark Daghorn as dance tracks (most, not all of them).

If you are a hardcore (mostly a Fish-era only) Marillion fan, I asure you that you will have a hard time digesting the sole idea of listening to Marillion dance remixes. But if you come into this album with an open mind, never minding who's music is behind it, you'll end up realizing it's a very good production that fits in nicely with the electronica movement of the mid-to-late nineties.

In particular, I enjoyed the version of "Estonia" and "Face 1004."

I personally happen to adore this cd. It was given to me via a die hard Marillion fan (so am I) for Christmas because they wanted to hear it without buying it. (Thanks, Gary!) Needless to say, I really fell in love with it. It is not necessarily for true Marillion fans or fans of Techno music. It nicely combines the two with the vocals of Hogarth and interesting mixes based upon Marillion's music from 'Strange Engine', which happens to be an acoustic cd. It is not necessary for you to be familiar with Marillion and Strange Engine before buying this. Might I recommend though, that if you buy this cd and like it you will not necessarily like the music of Marillion. It is altered enough that an individual who likes one type of music may not care for the other. I happen to be a fan of Progressive music and Electronica both, so this one appeals to me. Either way, I hope you enjoy it or can sell it to a friend and get your money back!

Positive Light has managed to do the impossible: the reworking of songs by one of England's best progressive rock bands. An inevitability, given the Americanization of the band's sound in recent years. "Tales" might be dissed as just a remix album by some, but the transformation of "The Memory Of Water" and the elegiac "Estonia" are nothing short of stunning. It may be dismissed by the close-minded fans of the band, but it may be one of the best albums with a Marillion logo on it since "Clutching At Straws"

Don't be fooled by this bad disco remix of some great Marillion Songs. Let the Positive Light come up with their own songs to mess around with! If you like Marillion, you will be agast at what they've done..

In the sleeve notes, Steve H. says that would never do this. All intelligent music lovers must be thankful he did. Between them, Marillion and Positive Light have created something very special. Listen to the remixed "Estonia" in a darkened room, and realise how fortunate that you are alive to cry. The album is not just another dance remix; its an interpretation into a more ambient musical genre