In the band 'Marillion', we know more 'Steve Rothery', 'Fish' or 'Steve Hogarth' and the keyboardist 'Mark Kelly' who joined the band in 1981 and who has always had a prominent place in the music of 'Marillion' is less often cited. Apart from a few participations in various projects including in 'The Source' of 'Ayreon', he had never started a solo project. It's done now with this first album 'Mark Kelly's Marathon' and the other artists who accompany him are not necessarily very well known in the progressive world with the singer 'Oliver M Smith', the guitarist guitariste 'John Cordy', bassist and guitarist 'Conal Kelly' who is none other than Mark's nephew, guitarist 'Pete “woody” Wood', drummer 'Henry Rogers' who distinguished himself in progressive rock bands including 'Edison’s Children' or 'Mostly Autumn', 'Guy Vickers' who wrote the lyrics for the album and we can note the appearance on 'Puppets' of 'Steve Rothery' with his characteristic sounds of guitar.
'Mark Kelly's Marathon' has 2 long developments cut into several parts and it is with the first, 'Amelia', which tells the story of the aviator 'Amelia Earhart' who disappeared in the Pacific while attempting a world tour, that the album begin : after the atmospheric introduction 'Shoreline', 'Whistling at the Sea' unfolds a peaceful melody supported by the soft voice of 'Oliver M Smith' and the beautiful piano accompaniment of 'Mark Kelly' which gains momentum in the middle of the title to end on a magnificent guitar solo by 'John Cordy', then '13 Bones' continues in this quiet atmosphere with Mark's piano rocking us with lines melodic which can recall the most beautiful songs of Elton John ', the keyboards solo being remarkable. Then follows the ballad 'When I Fell' which lulls us with a heady new melody with influences from the seventies and it is the 'Bee Gees' that come to mind, then 'This Time' is a very light popant mid-tempo in the lineage of the songs of the 'Beatles' and 'Puppets', of more than 7 minutes, is still a beautiful ballad that would not have denied 'Elton John' but with in addition, magnificent instrumental passages in which 'Steve Rothery' to the guitar and 'Mark Kelly' on the keyboards hit each other nicely. And it is with the second suite 'Twenty Fifty One' that the album ends in an epic atmosphere alternating progressive rock and atmospheric which makes it the flagship composition of the album and it is undoubtedly the closest title of 'Marillion' in which we are embarked from the first to the last note by letting ourselves go according to the melodic lines.
In summary, this first album signed 'Mark Kelly' is a very pleasant journey in a calm and relaxing progressive rock showing all the talent of this keyboardist who has been associated with 'Marillion' for 40 years and if you appreciate formations like 'Mostly Autumn', 'Mystery' or 'Millenium', you will undoubtedly be seduced by 'Mark Kelly's Marathon'... | |
