HAPPINESS IS THE ROAD: ESSENCE 4/27/2004 " and full-length versions of

" and full-length versions of songs such as "Flashlight

"] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

If a listener is at all open to music created in the moment

fat line in the sand

Jon Landau

HAPPINESS IS THE ROAD: ESSENCE 4/27/2004 " and full-length versions ofThe band that ushered in the British neo prog wave in the 1980s, Marillion has proved itself to be a true survivor. Still going strong in 2008, the band is as ambitious as ever, releasing their latest batch of tunes, HAPPINESS IS THE ROAD, as two separate volumes. Where its sister album, THE HARD SHOULDER, is a more visceral, rocking effort, the first volume, ESSENCE, is a lush, atmospheric affair, somewhat reminiscent of latter day (post Roger