This Strange Engine

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This Strange Engine - Wikipedia

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This Strange Engine

Studio album by

Marillion

Released

9 April 1997 (Japan)
21 April 1997 (UK)

Recorded

August–November 1996

Studio

The Racket Club, Buckinghamshire, England

Length

56:06

Marillion chronology

The Best of Both Worlds
(1997)

This Strange Engine
(1997)

Radiation
(1998)

Singles from This Strange Engine

"Man of a Thousand Faces"
Released: 2 June 1997 (UK)
"Eighty Days"
Released: 13 October 1997 (UK)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[1]

This Strange Engine is the ninth studio album by the British neo-prog band Marillion, released in April 1997 by the Castle Communications imprint Raw Power. It was the first of the three recordings that Marillion made under contract with Castle, after being dropped by EMI Records in 1995 and before eventually going independent in 2000. The album was recorded at The Racket Club in Buckinghamshire, England, between August and November 1996 and was produced by the band themselves.

Background

Without promotional efforts of a major record label, This Strange Engine continued the decline in mainstream success for Marillion, reaching only number 27 in the UK Albums Chart and staying there for three weeks.^[2] It sold significantly better in the Netherlands, home of one of the band's most loyal audiences, peaking at number 10 on the charts.^[3] Two singles from the album were released: "Man of a Thousand Faces" and "Eighty Days". For the first time in the band's history, no song cracked the UK Top 40; the first single reached number 98 and the second one failed to chart at all.

The fourth track, "Estonia", was written after singer Steve Hogarth met Paul Barney, the only British survivor of the sinking of the cruise ferry Estonia in the Baltic Sea on 28 September 1994, which killed 852 people. This is the only song of Marillion to feature a balalaika.

The title track is a tribute by Steve Hogarth to his father, a marine engineer and an officer. The senior Hogarth sacrificed his life at sea for a job in a coal mine so that he could be close to his family.

On European editions, following the last track, at approximately 29:35, there is a hidden track of Hogarth giggling uncontrollably, recorded on his return to the studio after a night on the town.^[4]

A remix of the album, Tales from the Engine Room, conducted by the electronic music project Positive Light, was first released as a limited edition January 1998 on Racket Records, and in June 1998 it was released worldwide by Eagle Records.

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Steve Hogarth and John Helmer, except where noted; all music is composed by Marillion

No.	Title	Lyrics	Length
1.	"Man of a Thousand Faces"		7:33
2.	"One Fine Day"		5:31
3.	"80 Days"	Hogarth	5:00
4.	"Estonia"	Hogarth	7:56
5.	"Memory of Water"		3:01
6.	"An Accidental Man"		6:12
7.	"Hope for the Future"		5:10
8.	"This Strange Engine"	Hogarth	15:34
Total length:			56:06

Japan Pony Canyon edition bonus tracks
No.	Title	Lyrics	Length
9.	"Beautiful" (unplugged version)	Hogarth	4:49
10.	"Made Again" (unplugged version)	Helmer	5:12
Total length:			66:07

USA Velvel second pressing bonus tracks^[5]
No.	Title	Lyrics	Length
9.	"Estonia" (The Positive Light Mix)	Hogarth	11:49
10.	"80 Days" (Acoustic Version)	Hogarth	5:39
Total length:			70:49

Personnel

Marillion

Steve Hogarth – vocals, backing vocals, additional keyboards and percussion
Steve Rothery – guitar
Pete Trewavas – bass, backing vocals
Mark Kelly – keyboards, backing vocals
Ian Mosley – drums, percussion

Additional musicians

Charlton & Newbottle School Choir – choir (on "Man of a Thousand Faces")
Tim Perkins – balalaika (on "Estonia")
Phil Todd – saxophone (on "This Strange Engine")
Paul Savage – trumpet (on "Hope for the Future")

Technical personnel

Stewart Every – engineer
Dave Meegan – mixing engineer
Andrew Gent – artwork
Hugh Gilmour – art direction, design

Charts

1997 chart performance for *This Strange Engine*
Chart (1997)	Peak position
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)^[3]	10
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)^[6]	38
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)^[7]	48
Scottish Albums (OCC)^[8]	35
UK Albums (OCC)^[2]	27
UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC)^[9]	1

2024 chart performance for *This Strange Engine*
Chart (2024)	Peak position
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)^[10]	14
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)^[11]	54

References

^ Franck, John. Marillion: This Strange Engine > Review at AllMusic. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
^ ^a ^b "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
^ ^a ^b "Dutchcharts.nl – Marillion – This Strange Engine" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
^ Collins, Jon (2003). Separated Out Marillion History 1979-2002. Helter Skelter. p. 145.
^ "This Strange Engine". Marillion Discography. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
^ "Marillion: This Strange Engine" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Marillion – This Strange Engine" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
^ "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Marillion – This Strange Engine" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 29 November 2024.
^ "Swisscharts.com – Marillion – This Strange Engine". Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 December 2024.

v t e Marillion
Steve Rothery Mark Kelly Pete Trewavas Ian Mosley Steve 'h' Hogarth Mick Pointer Brian Jelliman Doug 'Rastus' Irvine Fish Diz Minnett Andy Ward John 'Martyr' Marter Jonathan Mover
Studio albums	Script for a Jester's Tear Fugazi Misplaced Childhood Clutching at Straws Seasons End Holidays in Eden Brave Afraid of Sunlight This Strange Engine Radiation marillion.com Anoraknophobia Marbles Somewhere Else Happiness Is the Road Less Is More Sounds That Can't Be Made Fuck Everyone and Run (F E A R) An Hour Before It's Dark
Compilations	Brief Encounter B'Sides Themselves A Singles Collection The Best of Both Worlds The Best of Marillion The Singles '82–88' With Friends from the Orchestra
Live albums	Real to Reel The Thieving Magpie Made Again Unplugged at the Walls Front Row Club Issue 1 Anorak in the UK Early Stages Live from Loreley Recital of the Script
Remix albums	Tales from the Engine Room
Singles	"Market Square Heroes" "He Knows You Know" "Garden Party" "Punch and Judy" "Assassing" "Kayleigh" "Lavender" "Heart of Lothian" "Lady Nina" "Welcome to the Garden Party" "Incommunicado" "Sugar Mice" "Warm Wet Circles" "Freaks (Live)" "Hooks in You" "The Uninvited Guest" "Easter" "Cover My Eyes (Pain and Heaven)" "Man of a Thousand Faces" "You're Gone" "Don't Hurt Yourself" "The Damage" (live) "Thankyou Whoever You Are"/"Most Toys" "Carol of the Bells"
Related articles	Marillion discography Brave (film) John Helmer Mark Wilkinson Crowdfunding Fan-funded music

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