Recorded at Hook End Manor in Oxfordshire and Westside Studios in London, it was the band's second album with vocalist Steve Hogarth and the first completely written without previous lead singer Fish.

There were things within that album that were not overtly commercial at all but we had taken a decision to work with a pop producer; Chris Neil (It was EMI's influence).

[9] It peaked at number 7 in the UK, spending 7 weeks in the charts,[7] and became Marillion's first studio album not to gain any sales certification.

[9] The American edition featured two new tracks, "A Collection" and "How Can It Hurt", which were the B-sides of the original "No One Can" and "Cover My Eyes (Pain and Heaven)" singles, respectively.

As part of a series of Marillion's first eight studio albums, EMI Records re-released Holidays in Eden on 23 February 1998 with 24-bit digital remastered sound and a second disc containing bonus tracks.

Holidays in Eden was Marillion's first album not to feature their original logo in any recognisable form, using the band name in a normal typeface instead.