Marillion
Market Square Heroes

Release Date: 1982 | Tracklist

“Market Square Heroes” is the debut EP of Marillion and was released in 1982. The line up on the album is Derek Dick “Fish”, Steve Rothery, Mark Kelly, Pete Trewavas and Mick Pointer. The EP had also the participation of the Marquee Club’s Parents Association Children’s Choir and Peter Cockburn.


Marillion is a British band, formed in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England, in 1979. They were formed as Silmarillion, after J.R.R. Tolkien’s book “The Silmarillion”. The band’s name was shortened to Marillion in 1981 to avoid potential copyright conflicts. They became associated to the neo-progressive style, with other compatriot groups, formed at the same time, such as Pendragon, IQ, Pallas, Galahad, Twelfth Night and Abel Ganz, among others. However, they became essentially known as the most successful band to emerge from U.K., in the 80’s, in the progressive rock scene, the group that invented the “New Wave of Progressive Rock”. With this EP, they help to create the neo-prog sub genre, although some consider that “A Trick Of The Tail” of Genesis, was the first neo-prog album in history. Anyway, what is really important and true is that Marillion was the band that developed and solidified this new progressive sub-genre. The sound of Marillion is very similar to Genesis ‘72 to ‘82 or thereabouts, with some Pink Floyd and Yes’ influences.

And now a bit of history. The born of Marillion and their peers wasn’t by accident and it was very important to the progressive music. The punk rock developed between 1974 and 1976 and reached its peak in 1976 with groups such as Ramones, in New York, and Sex Pistols and The Clash, in London. This movement was against the progressive rock, considering that it was elitist and unpopular. Some progressive rock bands began to simplify his music making a more commercial approach to the pop style like Genesis, while others pure and simply disappeared like Gentle Giant. For many progressive rock fans, at the time, it was a big betrayal and a tragedy. So, it was in this new and complex context that Marillion and the other mentioned groups arrived, formed and developed the neo-progressive rock sub-genre.

So, it was in this situation that appeared the EP “Market Square Heroes” which consists of three tracks, none of which appeared on any album until some years later, where all tracks are featured in the bonus disc of the 1997 remastered edition. The art cover of this mini-album was designed by Mark Wilkinson who created all Marillion artwork until 1988. He also created almost of Fish’s solo artwork, after he left Marillion to pursue his very prolific solo musical career.

About the tracks, “Market Square Heroes” is a very pleasant and simple rock song with a great melody. Despite be a bit commercial and be not very progressive, is a compelling track that immediately shows their superior song writing skills. This is an excellent song and a great starting point for a long and important musical career of the group. “Three Boats Down From The Candy” is the B side of the single and clearly shows the band’s progressive lines. Lyrically, it deals with a broken misinterpreted and desperate love. Musically, it’s a more intricate song than the previous one, where the band’s members display their individual technical skills, in contrast with the more accessible previous song. It’s the most melodic song on the EP and remains as a very good track. “Grendel” is the lengthiest track on the album. It’s an epic and complex track inspired by John Gardner’s book “Grendel”. This is an adaptation of the Anglo-Saxon poem “Beowulf” by Marillion. This track is, in my humble opinion, one of the best tracks ever made by the band, and it’s one of their most progressive too. It has a strong melody, easy for us as listener to emulate, simple yet wonderful composition where it has variety of tempo, nice keyboard and guitar playing, and last but not least, the powerful quality of the voice of Fish. This composition is frequently compared (mostly unfavourably), with “Supper’s Ready” of Genesis. Curiously, this EP was produced by David Hitchcock, who also had produced the Genesis’ studio album “Foxtrot”, with “Supper’s Ready” on it. Thus, this happy or unhappy coincidence, forced some comparisons between both pieces.


Conclusion: “Market Square Heroes” is an excellent debut work from a new progressive band that appeared in such difficult circumstances for this particular rock genre. With this EP Marillion were accused of being Genesis sound alike but they has been credited with giving a second life to the prog rock scene. Soon, “Market Square Heroes” became an important landmark to this kind of music. It managed to be a kind of a breath of fresh air in that particular music genre. And we all know very well, I mean the progressive lovers, how it was so desperately needed in those troubled and difficult times for prog, in general. All in all, this is a nice collector’s item, especially for Marillion’s fans particularly the fans of Fish era, and “Grendel” itself is worth it. It’s true that “Market Square Heroes” is still the sound of a developing Marillion, yet what they have created is certainly stronger than so many other first releases of so many other bands.


Music was my first love.
John Miles (Rebel)

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