Big Big Train v. "The Likes Of Us" OUT NOW; European Tour Sept/Oct 2024!

[HOF]

Nothing important to add, but I’m doing a re-listen of their catalog to prep for Saturdays show and Winchester From St. Giles Hill might be their most underrated song. Don’t think they’ve played this or Worked Out yet from EE, but I’d love to see them both make live appearances.

That middle section on Winchester where the string keys and piano pick up with the flute - absolutely gorgeous. Top tier BBT moment for sure.

[Metro]

I ordered the vinyl from Bandwagon and it’s set to arrive today. Looking forward to it

[Kram]

Nothing important to add, but I’m doing a re-listen of their catalog to prep for Saturdays show and Winchester From St. Giles Hill might be their most underrated song. Don’t think they’ve played this or Worked Out yet from EE, but I’d love to see them both make live appearances.

I've been binging on their catalog lately as well.  What a band!  Can't wait till Friday.  I've been good not listening to the singles (listened to Oblivion once), so it should be a fresh listening experience for me..

[King Postwhore]

Tuesday for me!!

[ProfessorPeart]

The new album, Wassail and my 3LP Underfall Yard are all out for delivery. Should have them this morning.

[HOF]

I got my tour patron package yesterday, and my copy if The Likes of Us is also out for delivery today! Initially it was saying Saturday delivery, so this is a nice surprise.

The tour book is really nice (though I'll probably never wear the shirt!). Waiting for the album then I'll probably dig more into the content while spinning it.

[The Letter M]

Got my mediabook in the mail this morning from LaserCD! My Japanese edition should be arriving tomorrow from CDJapan as well!

-Marc.

[HOF]

Just got mine as well! Working from home today so should be able to give it a spin this afternoon.

[Dr. DTVT]

I’m really geeked for the shows Saturday and Sunday.  I don’t think it will happen, but I’d love it if they played some pre-London material.  There are a few songs from that era that deserve a live version.

[The Letter M]

I’m really geeked for the shows Saturday and Sunday.  I don’t think it will happen, but I’d love it if they played some pre-London material.  There are a few songs from that era that deserve a live version.

I believe they've only ever played two songs they released before Longdon joined with The Underfall Yard - "Summer's Lease" and "Wind Distorted Pioneers", and the latter was only live-in-studio from their Stone And Steel video.

I've been wondering if they'd ever venture to do any music from their first five albums with Alberto, and I think I might have asked that in the BBT FB Forum, and perhaps there was a hint that they've looked into it, so I wouldn't be surprised if they pulled out a deep-cut from their first five albums. They've got over 30 years of material to pull from and while I love what they've done in the latter half of their career since 2009, it'd be neat to see them pay homage to their earliest days.

-Marc.

[HOF]

They mentioned wanting to pull out “older” material on tour a few times, but I can never tell how old they are talking.

[The Letter M]

They mentioned wanting to pull out “older” material on tour a few times, but I can never tell how old they are talking.

Yeah, that'd be like Rush during their R30 tour pulling out music from the late 80s and calling it "old" and not their 70s stuff that people consider their "old stuff". 

-Marc.

[HOF]

They mentioned wanting to pull out “older” material on tour a few times, but I can never tell how old they are talking.

Yeah, that'd be like Rush during their R30 tour pulling out music from the late 80s and calling it "old" and not their 70s stuff that people consider their "old stuff". 

-Marc.

Well now, I’m reading through that your program now, and on page 20 they ask everyone in the band what songs they’d like to introduce into the set, and Alberto answers “I can’t wait to play the new songs of course, and also some songs from the pre-David era.”

[HOF]

So on two listens, I’ve got a sense that the strongest material was on the songs that we’d heard already, which I guess might be slightly disappointing, but Oblivion somehow seems a little more exciting than just on YouTube. The highlights for me are definitely Love is the Light and Last Eleven. But the longer songs may just need some more digestion. The overture is pretty well done too though. Was a little worried how that might come off. Need to start hunting for the nuggets buried in it as I give it more spins.

[Nick]

I saw Love is The Light last year and thought it was amazing live hearing it for that first time. Hearing it now on album... just an exception piece.

[ProfessorPeart]

On my first listen now. Beneath The Masts and Miramare (on this one now) are already owning me. Great songs. Enjoyed the opening 2 as well. Skates On is okay.

[The Letter M]

So on two listens, I’ve got a sense that the strongest material was on the songs that we’d heard already, which I guess might be slightly disappointing, but Oblivion somehow seems a little more exciting than just on YouTube. The highlights for me are definitely Love is the Light and Last Eleven. But the longer songs may just need some more digestion. The overture is pretty well done too though. Was a little worried how that might come off. Need to start hunting for the nuggets buried in it as I give it more spins.

Since I began listening to it a few weeks ago for review, I have picked up a few nuggets:
-"Light left in the day" is referenced in the lyrics to "Skates On"
-"Skates On" is referenced in the lyrics to "Bookmarks"
-Part of the opening movement in "Beneath The Masts" shares the vocal Melody heard in "Last Eleven" (which I picked up on first listen since I've heard "Last Eleven" quite a few times since it dropped in 2022).

I still can't discern if any of the melodies in "Light Left In The Day" occur anywhere across the album as it sounds very much like an Overture after the opening lyrics. I'm sure some more astute listeners can pick it up though if there are!

Edit - Greg has shared a lengthy interview!
https://www.bigbigtrain.com/yes-this-is-for-the-likes-of-us/

-Marc.

[HOF]

So on two listens, I’ve got a sense that the strongest material was on the songs that we’d heard already, which I guess might be slightly disappointing, but Oblivion somehow seems a little more exciting than just on YouTube. The highlights for me are definitely Love is the Light and Last Eleven. But the longer songs may just need some more digestion. The overture is pretty well done too though. Was a little worried how that might come off. Need to start hunting for the nuggets buried in it as I give it more spins.

Since I began listening to it a few weeks ago for review, I have picked up a few nuggets:
-"Light left in the day" is referenced in the lyrics to "Skates On"
-"Skates On" is referenced in the lyrics to "Bookmarks"
-Part of the opening movement in "Beneath The Masts" shares the vocal Melody heard in "Last Eleven" (which I picked up on first listen since I've heard "Last Eleven" quite a few times since it dropped in 2022).

I still can't discern if any of the melodies in "Light Left In The Day" occur anywhere across the album as it sounds very much like an Overture after the opening lyrics. I'm sure some more astute listeners can pick it up though if there are!

Edit - Greg has shared a lengthy interview!
https://www.bigbigtrain.com/yes-this-is-for-the-likes-of-us/

-Marc.

It's definitely an overture. They've mentioned in interviews that Alberto proposed that they needed an overture to Greg after the rest of the album was finished, and Greg said "ok, if you do it." I'm curious how they put it together, as it does sound like some new recordings, but maybe they were able to assemble different things from the recording sessions in Trieste.

[HOF]

Mirimare is really growing on me with each listen. I think that's the stronger of the two epics here, though Beneath the Masts has also grown on me a bit with repeated listens.

Will say, I'm not a big fan of the slow build up at the start of the album version of Mirimare. I kind of prefer the edit, which just chunks the first 1:25 or so (I went ahead and downloaded from Bandcamp just for this, and so the artwork would show up on my computer, LOL).

Similarly, I kind of feel like the slow intro to Beneath the Masts could have been a separate segue track, and it makes for a more cohesive song if it just starts at the 4:05 mark. That opening theme (which appears in Last Eleven) is never revisited in Beneath the Masts.

Both of those intros feel like "throat clearing," like they had to pitter around for a little bit before they figured out where the song should start.

[nick_z]

Obviously I don't have as deep a knowledge of BBT's music as the fans on this thread, but I have to say, one listen in, this album is LOVELY. Enjoying it a ton. So many beautiful, beautiful moments and melodies.

Bravin appears to have been an excellent choice. Vocals are excellent and he does bring a distinct personality to the table, imo.

And the whole thing sounds wonderful, as usual.

[Zydar]

'Bookmarks' reads like an homage/tribute to David Longdon to me in the lyrics.

"Then late in the night came a storm
And the brightest star fell
And everything is gone now"

and

"One day we rode out side by side for the last time
Nobody there knew we'd not ride together again"

Or maybe I'm reading too much into it.

[HOF]

'Bookmarks' reads like an homage/tribute to David Longdon to me in the lyrics.

"Then late in the night came a storm
And the brightest star fell
And everything is gone now"

and

"One day we rode out side by side for the last time
Nobody there knew we'd not ride together again"

Or maybe I'm reading too much into it.

The first quote you listed (it comes second in the song) definitely is a reference to David (Greg has mentioned there is one in the song).

The second quote (about riding for the last time) is a reference to his gang of childhood friends. The idea behind the song is that he had this group that did everything together, until one day when no one realized it they sort of had their last ride together and then that was it - they drifted apart for various reason.

The song goes on to mention new friends/hopes, “a new home for our words, for our songs” which I think is a reference to the band, and then to David’s passing when “the brightest star fell.”

But the song ends with a reference to some of Greg’s old childhood friends coming around him during that difficult time (which he mentioned in an interview really did happen).

It’s a really lovely sentiment. I struggle a bit with the vocal melody on the first part (sort of morose), but when I got to that “brightest star fell” part I had one of those goosebump moments.

[The Letter M]

So on two listens, I’ve got a sense that the strongest material was on the songs that we’d heard already, which I guess might be slightly disappointing, but Oblivion somehow seems a little more exciting than just on YouTube. The highlights for me are definitely Love is the Light and Last Eleven. But the longer songs may just need some more digestion. The overture is pretty well done too though. Was a little worried how that might come off. Need to start hunting for the nuggets buried in it as I give it more spins.

Since I began listening to it a few weeks ago for review, I have picked up a few nuggets:
-"Light left in the day" is referenced in the lyrics to "Skates On"
-"Skates On" is referenced in the lyrics to "Bookmarks"
-Part of the opening movement in "Beneath The Masts" shares the vocal Melody heard in "Last Eleven" (which I picked up on first listen since I've heard "Last Eleven" quite a few times since it dropped in 2022).

I still can't discern if any of the melodies in "Light Left In The Day" occur anywhere across the album as it sounds very much like an Overture after the opening lyrics. I'm sure some more astute listeners can pick it up though if there are!

Edit - Greg has shared a lengthy interview!
https://www.bigbigtrain.com/yes-this-is-for-the-likes-of-us/

-Marc.

It's definitely an overture. They've mentioned in interviews that Alberto proposed that they needed an overture to Greg after the rest of the album was finished, and Greg said "ok, if you do it." I'm curious how they put it together, as it does sound like some new recordings, but maybe they were able to assemble different things from the recording sessions in Trieste.

Yeah, after making that post, I read that lengthy interview with Greg and he brought that up. He says he might share what themes and motifs were used in the making of LLITD, which I still can't really tell where they come from as I haven't internalized many of the album's melodies yet, so I would love to see where those themes come from with time-stamps and all.

-Marc.

[HOF]

I can spot some from both Beneath the Masts and Miramare. But those are the two big epics so it's harder to internalize everything going on there.

[HOF]

Beneath the Masts is really the key to the album. It's such a big chunk of the run time. It has grown on me with each listen. Still not sure it's as coherent as I'd like a big epic to be, but it has a number of moments that really move me. I love how Greg's bass takes a lot of the melody on the second section. The instrumental jars at first, but is very cool ultimately. The ending is powerful. I think it's going to settle in nicely over time among tracks like Meadhall in Winter or The Underfall Yard, which I both think are a tier below Victorian Brickwork, East Coast Racer, London Plane, and The Wide Open Sea as their best epics.

[DTA]

The first NJ show may have been the best overall concert I’ve ever seen. I’m speechless.

[Dr. DTVT]

Absolutely amazing.  Can’t wait for tomorrow.

[King Postwhore]

I can't wait.

[Jamesman42]

I tried a few BBT songs a month or 2 ago. It was alright, but maybe I wasn't ready.

This new album is great, maybe even excellent with some more listens. Currently on listen #2. I get some Neal Morse vibes, but not completely, they are their own sound as well. Really cool proggy stuff.

[DTwwbwMP]

The first NJ show may have been the best overall concert I’ve ever seen. I’m speechless.

MY perspective is a bit different. While their performance was vey good and they sounded great, "I" was rather disappointed with the setlist. Other than the first 3 songs, for ME and what I like by BBT the rest of the set was rather boring. BUT AGAIN, that's just MY opinion on the songs selected to play. MANY good moments during the show though, for sure.

[Dr. DTVT]

Well, the set list tonight should be different.  What songs did you feel were missing?

[DTwwbwMP]

I'm seeing Haken tonight. Obviously songs are personal preferences, but I would have loved to see any of the following...Oblivion, Make Some Noise, Kingmaker, Judas Unrepentant, Master of Time, Alive, and many others.

[HOF]

I tried a few BBT songs a month or 2 ago. It was alright, but maybe I wasn't ready.

This new album is great, maybe even excellent with some more listens. Currently on listen #2. I get some Neal Morse vibes, but not completely, they are their own sound as well. Really cool proggy stuff.

 

Hope you continue on to the back catalog, because there is so much to explore. You’re not the first person to say they got some Neal Morse vibes from this one, and I hear that too a bit on the first track. But that’s really the only place, and in general they have a much different tone and personality as a band than Neal’s stuff has.

[utopiarun]

The show last night was incredible! Alberto is an incredible singer and of course NDV is amazing with his drumming, singing and even guitar playing. I loved the set list, they could have played the whole English Electric and i would have been happy so the songs I got from that album were very welcome. The violin and trumpet just bring something wonderful to their songs. They looked like they were having a great time and so happy for the support in the US. I would love to go tonight but can’t, wondering what they will play. 

[The Letter M]

If the set on setlist.fm is accurate, it looks like they played 5 songs that haven't been played yet (on the previous two shows so far). Between the two shows, I'm not sure which set I'd like more as there are great songs on both.

Either way, I would love to see all of these on an eventual live release. I'm sure they'll record one of their UK/EU shows later this year for a live album and video, but it'd be neat if they manage to get some of these US performances on YouTube, or release them on the Passengers Club.

-Marc.