In all honesty, I just cannot keep up with how many Marillion CDs are released each year at this stage! This must be the tenth (probably not, but you get the picture) and is another live concert release. A Sunday Night Above The Rain is a 2-CD set recorded on March 10th, 2013 at the band’s bi-annual Marillion Weekend at Center Parcs in Port Zelande, the Netherlands.

Indeed, it is an album that is a first for them as for the first time ever they performed all of the tracks from their critically-acclaimed recent studio album, Sounds That Can’t Be Made. So, together with those eight tracks we also get a personal selection of choice cuts - that include fan favorites such as ‘This Strange Engine,’ ‘The King of Sunset Town,’ and an original old-school fan classic, ‘Garden Party.’

The progressive rock band with a following that comes together to worship them on a regular basis from over 44 countries first bring us the lengthy ‘Gaza,’ a 17+ minute politically-opinionated track that allows Steve "H" Hogarth on vocals the platform to preach. Next up is ‘Waiting To Happen,’ which is backed by my favorite track from that last album, ‘Lucky Man.’

Fan-beloved ‘This Strange Machine’ is next, with their version of a love song, 'Pour My Love' along next for the live ride. The first disc rounds out with both ‘Neverland’ and then a track that can also be found on Songs That Can't Be Made: Special Edition, ‘Invisible Ink.’

Still making some rather relevant music, comparable with many contemporary artists out there today, Marillion (Hogarth – vocals, keyboards; Mark Kelly - keyboards, backing vocals; Ian Mosley - drums, backing vocals; the aforementioned Steve Rothery - guitars, backing vocals; and Pete Trewavas - bass guitar, backing vocals, guitars) next bring us the beautifully elegant 14 minute 'Montreal.' A cut that is lyrically to-what-I-can-imagine a canny perspective, an emotional assessment of that very same city and the people that reside there, it is backed by ‘Power,' a track that talks of Mushroom Clouds, thunder and lightning and things being ready to blow!

Sure I'm more of a Fish-led era fan, but these 15 years or so with “H” has been a good musical ride too. None more so than ‘Sounds That Can’t Be Made,’ which flows into the delightful ‘The King of Sunset Town.’ This live 2-CD is then brought to a close with a highly-emotional, soaring 'The Sky Above The Rain' and then finally, the one, the only, ‘Garden Party.’

Reviewed by: Russell A. Trunk

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