Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Marillion
Label: EMI Records
Release: 1995
Length: 51:25
Rating: 4.5/5
By the time “Afraid Of Sunlight” came out, Marillion were standing at the end of an era. Their label at the time, EMI, predictably (once again) failed to appreciate the artistic quality of the preceding masterpiece “Brave” (1994). Even though it was one of the best prog rock achievements of the nineties, with the band pouring every bit of their potential into it, the album was a relative commercial flop. So it’s not in the least surprising that “Afraid Of Sunlight” was the last studio album this cult British art rock band released on the aforementioned label giant.
Although most of the lyrics on “Afraid Of Sunlight” share a common theme of self-destruction that overblown, sudden fame can bring, the album isn’t a concept record. The individual songs deal with the tragic fates of famous people from the worlds of entertainment and sport; in this case a footballer, a water speed record holder, a boxer, a rock’n’roll singer and the ‘king of pop’. Any attentive listener who knows their way around the gossip columns will have no trouble figuring out who the lyrics are about. After the dark and deep concept that marked “Brave”, Marillion dressed up in far more colorful atmospheric hues on this one, making it a thoroughly layered piece of work that never loses its remarkable emotional depth, not even for a second. At times the album is almost ‘party-ish’ in an American way, but on the other side it’s very well balanced by plenty of melancholic moments.
Despite the far-from-rosy situation the band was in at the time, wanting to go their own way and get as far away from EMI as possible but still not knowing where the future would take them, they never ran short of fresh ideas. After the “Brave” tour wrapped, Steve Hogarth, or Mr. ‘H’ (as he’s known among the band’s followers), was completely drained, both energetically and emotionally, so he needed a proper outlet to let it all out. That, with a little help from his friend and occasional lyricist John Helmer, fed into the successful creative and lyrical backbone of “Afraid of Sunlight”
You could say the first two tracks on the album carry a satirical undertone. The opener “Gazpacho”, whose lyrics tell the story of a once-famous boxer who fell from grace (gazpacho is also a Spanish national dish, a kind of tomato soup), is, as it should be, an excellent, super dynamic and energetic mid-tempo intro. Symphonic-acoustic arrangements are nicely laid out in the background around the central melody, which is delicately built up by Rothery’s subtle guitar phrases and Trewavas’s galloping bass lines. Mosley’s drum fills here are extremely dynamic and carried out with incredible softness. ‘H’ pours an above-average amount of emotional charge into this classic through his singing, which holds true for the rest of the tracks on this album too. By his own account, the main inspiration for the lyrics to “Gazpacho” was Scorsese’s Raging Bull, starring Robert De Niro.
The still entertaining, wittily sounding experiment “Cannibal Surf Babe” is cooked up following a psychedelic rock recipe, with layered vocal harmonies in the background and a sudden succession of electronic samples on Kelly’s synthesizer. Such an unusual stylistic swerve into psychedelic rock’n’roll waters isn’t all that strange once you know the lyrics are inspired by the botched, self-destructive career of former Beach Boys singer Brian Wilson, and with it the consequences of abusing (psychedelic) substances.
This is followed by an admirable contrast in the hit single “Beautiful”, one of the loveliest ballads in the band’s history, which in terms of emotional intensity can stand shoulder to shoulder with evergreens like “Easter” and “No One Can”. The utopian lyrics are about how everything in the world could be different and better if people placed more importance on inner rather than outer substance/beauty. H’s singing once again becomes a treasure trove of stunning emotional richness here, especially during the hypnotic chorus, while in the background he’s accompanied by Kelly’s rustling Hammond organ and Rothery’s trademark guitar subtlety, with which he has conjured up unforgettable atmospheric magic so many times in the band’s history.
“Afraid Of Sunrise” is steeped in a mysterious and almost serene ambience, the product of a pastoral melody on acoustic guitar and subtle symphonic textures in the background, through which mischievous bass lines echo. Of course Marillion wouldn’t be Marillion if they didn’t build this kind of enigmatic atmosphere all the way to the end. The classic “Out of This World” is dedicated to the memory of Donald Campbell, the late land and water speed record holder. In 1967 Campbell tried to improve his own water speed record in the special craft Bluebird K7, but misjudged the danger and was killed in the attempt. An interesting tidbit: his body wasn’t brought to the surface until 2001, thanks mostly to diver Bill Smith, who was inspired to take on the job by listening to “Out of This World”. Steve Hogarth and Steve Rothery, the band’s two most recognizable and important faces, were both present when the unfortunate record holder’s body was recovered. As you’d expect from a song telling of such a tragic event, it’s laced with incredible melancholy, for which H’s vocals are tailor-made. And of course the almost traditional ‘weeping’ Rothery slide guitar solo can’t be missing.
The title track, another composition of serene ambience but with plenty of lively transitions leading to an energetic chorus, is inspired by the life stories of self-destructive, prematurely departed film actors like James Dean. “Beyond You” is inspired and structured by the ‘wall of sound’ technique, the trademark of the once-celebrated American producer Phil Spector, who in recent years, after the vile murder of actress Lana Clarkson, has become nothing but despised and notorious. Once again Marillion managed to create an atmospherically rich composition, with enchanting multi-harmonies on guitar and keyboards and H’s unmistakable vocal pathos.
The closing classic “King”, perhaps even the most complex piece on the whole album, is still one of the band followers’ most beloved evergreens today. Its popularity was surely boosted at least a little by the fact that the lyrics refer to the late (though of course very much alive when the album came out) king of pop Michael Jackson, and also to ‘his predecessor’ Elvis Presley. But it could just as well refer to any of today’s musical stars, male or female, who fill the front pages of the tabloid press with scandals while their creative path slides ever further downhill. Kelly’s effects on the mini-Moog and extra synth seasoning sound like they were pulled from somewhere in the seventies, while Rothery lets off steam with a spirited guitar solo. H’s piano arrangements and melancholic singing keep things nicely grounded and harmonious throughout. You could easily call this the triumphant peak of the whole album.
The masterpiece “Afraid Of Sunlight” is one of the best albums in the history of ‘Britain’s best-kept musical secret’. Marillion once again managed to create something fresh, without flirting with their mighty past, while keeping and even improving all of their previous songwriting and lyrical qualities. Even though what followed were more or less nothing but excellent and comparable studio efforts, the prog rock innovators somehow failed to top its quality and sonic-emotional breadth until the release of “Marbles” (2004).
Line-up
Steve Hogarth – vocals, keyboards, percussion
Steve Rothery – guitar
Mark Kelly – keyboards
Pete Trewavas – bass guitar
Ian Mosley – drums
Production
Marillion, Dave Meegan
Track List
1. Gazpacho (7:28)
2. Cannibal surf babe (5:46)
3. Beautiful (5:13)
4. Afraid of sunrise (5:02)
5. Out of this world (7:55)
6. Afraid of sunlight (6:50)
7. Beyond you (6:11)
8. King (7:04)
