Fish for the lyrics and energy.
Hogarth era is more diverse (34 years worth) and a larger body of work to choose from.
Fish's own work is pretty damn good overall. However his voice has absolutely gone.
Weltschmerz, his last studio album is a fine way to sign off and if you have ever had a family member succumb to dementia then this can break your heart:
https://youtu.be/-RwwU8Nvs1g
I was a Marillion obsessive during the Fish era, saw them 11 times in total including 3 nights on the spin at The Wembley Arena.
When Fish left, I cut ties.....I never listened to any Hogarth era stuff (ken?) and couldn't ID a Hogarth era Marillion song.
Oddly, I never got particularly into Fish's post-Marillion work, I have a few of his solo records (including the outlandishly, and not at all pretentiously, entitled "Vigil in a wilderness of mirrors") but never got into it in a major way.
Fish bade in Keith for years when he worked for the Forestry Commission. He got the name (Derek Dick is hardly rock god nomenclature) since he came hame to his digs barkit every night and his landlady said she’d never kent onybody spend so much time in the bath.
He’s still good pals with the impressive squad of proggers that still bide in Banffshire’s Finest Settlement. He brought Marillion back to play at the Longmore Hall just as they were breaking through. Top boy, although I dinna ken him.
Someone mentioned ’genre’. It’s a false construct. I spend my writing life fechting the genre police.
Prog lost my interest when Tales From Topographic Oceans jumped the shark.
Bass players? Andy Fraser, Jack Bruce, John Entwistle, Colin Hodgkinson, and the late Mikey Rae, although I am firmly of the belief that it is purely an accompanying instrument (fuuck off, Flea - buy a Telecaster).
I once ended up at the next table to Fish at a prawn-sandwich job at Easter Road.
He was a fine boy.
Got the craic with Pat Stanton and Lawrie Reilly that day as well (1-0 Dodds or Windass.....canna mind fa).
Peerie Willie Hunter!? Anyone!? He was peerie (small) I believe due to being diminutive in stature, as far as I know!