There's been a lot of water under the bridge since the Fish-led Marillion led the 'neo-progressive' movement in the early Eighties and went on to considerable chart success. Steve Hogarth has now been the frontman for 22 years, which has seen the band release thirteen albums, experience some highs and some lows, but manage to maintain and grow an absolutely fanatical fanbase. Musically, Marillion are in a very different place now to those Eighties prog days.

2009's 'Less Is More' album saw the band cherry pick some of the finest moments from the Hogarth-era back catalogue, strip them down, rearrange them and put them down in a largely acoustic format. The dedicated Marillion fanbase, affectionately known as the 'freaks', lapped it up and so the band toured the album with a series of stripped down, 'unplugged' gigs, culminating in a special show at London's atmospheric Cadogan Hall in December 2009. This album, and accompanying DVD, was recorded at that gig.

The first disc is the 'Less Is More' album performed in its entirety and in sequence, with material spanning the entire Hogarth era, from 'The Space' from Hogarth's first album 'Seasons End', through to 'Wrapped Up In Time' from 2008's 'Happiness Is The Road'. One new composition, the stark piano ballad 'It's Not Your Fault', described as an adult lullaby, also features. The band utilise a lot of different and unusual instruments, such as dulcimer, autoharp, glockenspiel and pipe organ, throughout the performance to give the tracks a whole new flavour musically. Steve Rothery still gets the chance to strap on the electric guitar for a few tasteful solos with a Dave Gilmour feel, such as on 'Quartz' and 'Wrapped Up In Time'.

Understandably, with the songs being rearranged to suit the acoustic vibe of the album, a few of the songs have been considerably shortened from their original versions. 'Interior Lulu' for example, originally clocked in at over fifteen minutes on the 'marillion.com' album, but here has been whittled down to a mere eight. Similarly, 'Quartz' and 'This Is The 21^st Century', two of the lengthier cuts from 2001's 'Anoraknophobia' have also been whittled down to size.

The appeal of this first disc to Marillion fans would make more sense in the context of the DVD, as at the end of the day they would already have these versions on the 'Less Is More' album anyway. The DVD is expertly filmed, using nine cameras, and is both intimate and detailed. The setting of the Cadogan Hall itself is picturesque, and there's even a rather large Christmas tree perched above the stage thrown in for good measure!

The second disc can only be described as 'More Of Less Is More' and will be of more interest to fans who have already purchased 'Less Is More'. Musically it follows the same blueprint, and once again the song choice spans the band's entire output, ranging from 1989 to 2008. It's a bit more of an upbeat affair with the likes of 'You're Gone', '80 Days' and 'Gazpacho' picking up the tempo and the energy. Ian Moseley's drums also feature more prominently on this set, giving the tracks an urgency that may be a bit lacking in the first set's more sedate vibe. The sweeping epic 'Estonia' and the dramatic 'Three Minute Boy', complete with a very fine Rothery guitar solo, provide a fitting climax to this two-hour Marillion spectacular. 'Live At Cadogan Hall' certainly shows Marillion in a different light. Part of the attraction of Marillion in their usual guise is the often challenging, experimental and sophisticated use of the instrumentation. With the acoustic nature of the album, the focus is strongest on Hogarth as the singer, with the lyrics commanding closer inspection, and the instrumentation taking a bit more of a back seat. He certainly does a good job under a brighter spotlight than usual.

Hardcore Marillion fans will undoubtedly love this set, and fully appreciate the different vibe the band have brought to a lot of familiar songs from their history. However as the DVD and the audio album are exactly the same recording, the choice is yours whether you want to see the action as well as hear it or not. They may not be the prettiest boys in the world these days, but personally I'd go for the DVD, which is extremely well shot, and worth every penny of the extra couple of quid.

http://www.marillion.com/