Contemporary critics of Marillion labelled them as clones of Peter Gabriel-era Genesis, based largely upon their extended songs, a prominent and Mellotron-influenced keyboard sound, distinctive other-worldly album artwork and the deeply fantastic and/or romantic lyrics of their Scottish frontman Fish. Initially a cult band appealing mainly to lovers of progressive rock, with the somewhat softer sound of Misplaced Childhood they came to the attention a much wider audience after the success of the single Kayleigh. With two continuous "suites" of music, one covering either side of the original LP, this album actually bears a much closer relation to The Wall-era Pink Floyd; like it, the music, although tuneful and expertly played, serves mainly as an emotional framework for a vehemently personal set of lyrics. Sometimes, as on the opening "Pseudo Silk Kimono", the lyrics are pretentious and empty; elsewhere, as on "Blind Curve", they are searching and punchy. Fish refined his vision to a peak on Marillion's next album Clutching At Straws, an often masterful examination of self-deception and self-loathing, before leaving the band for a solo career. --James Swift
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