Album of the Day

Marillion proved that there was still life in progressive rock after the genre's 1970s heyday. The British band embraced musical ambition and instrumental virtuosity, and their magnum opus, MISPLACED CHILDHOOD, defied record label expectations to become Marillion's biggest seller. The concept album (according to frontman Fish, inspired by an epic acid trip) about lost love and innocence, followed by eventual redemption, reached No.1 on the U.K. chart thanks to a pair of hit singles: the guitar-led “Kayleigh” and the piano-led “Lavender” (released 40 years ago today). Intricate and passionate as well as accessible, MISPLACED CHILDHOOD is one of Marillion's finest and an essential neo-prog album.