Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Marillion
Label: EMI Records
Released: 1989
Length: 13:07
Rating: 4/5
Of all the classics on Marillion’s fifth album “Seasons End” (1989), “The Uninvited Guest” is the one that, through its lyrics, says it best about what was going through the head of Steve Hogarth, then the freshly minted singer, as he arrived in this legendary progressive rock band.
The second single off that studio masterpiece is a pop rock-tinged creation where a calm groove and a punchy rhythm trade places in perfect sync, backed by mighty Rothery guitar riffs and Hogarth’s dramatic, confident vocal delivery. Through the sarcastic lyrics, the charismatic singer slips into the role of the “uninvited guest” beautifully and proves himself a completely worthy successor to the famous Fish. Rothery once again serves up a witty, trademark guitar solo and carries this solid tune home to its finish.
Like most of the lyrics on “Seasons End”, this one was written by Hogarth’s friend John Helmer, whom EMI had named lead lyricist after Fish’s departure. According to him, the main inspiration for the words of “The Uninvited Guest” was the AIDS crisis, which, after the liberal seventies, set off a sudden wave of distrust toward ‘strangers’ in the mid-eighties, at the table as much as in bed, further fueled by the rise of conservatism. “The Uninvited Guest” also came with a promo video that boasts a pretty witty, allegorical story, with Mr. H walking uninvited into a mysterious, seemingly abandoned house while the rest of the band watch him like a panel of stern judges.
It’s quite possible the idea for that scenario came from a dream of his, the logical product of worrying about how the band members, and above all their fans, would take to him. After H’s arrival, which brought a sonic break with neo-prog, the Marillion audience had split into two camps: those who couldn’t come to terms with Fish’s exit and the new direction, and those who welcomed the new singer with interest and excitement, the one who led their favorites toward still-undiscovered musical horizons.
The B-side of the 12-inch vinyl, or the bonus track on the CD release, features “The Bell In The Sea”, an interesting piece with a strong ambient streak, whose rhythm already makes it a kind of forerunner of their later pop rock experiments. It’s joined by the 12-inch version of “The Uninvited Guest”, which sounds even more pop rock but falls a little short of the ‘definitive’ version of this classic in ambient expression.
Mr. H may have shown up at Marillion as an uninvited guest, but in less than a year he’d become a warmly welcomed local right in the middle of this legendary art rock collective. Soon after, he established himself as an equal creative leader, composer and lyricist, and successfully steered the art rock standard-bearers into a whole new creative era.
Lineup
Steve Hogarth – vocals
Steve Rothery – guitar
Mark Kelly – keyboards
Pete Trewavas – bass guitar
Ian Mosley – drums
Production
Marillion and Nick Davis
Tracklist
1. The Uninvited Guest (12″ version)
2. The Uninvited Guest (7″ version)
3. The Bell in the Sea
