I've given it several spins now in a couple different settings. It all sounds really nice, and it's definitely an enjoyable presentation of these three works (plus the live performance is excellent as well).
My deeper thoughts are that I don't love how the orchestra interacts with East Coast Racer as much as I hoped. There's almost too much going on in places, and it feels like some of the parts suffer from it. The impact of the brass band in particular feels muted. There also isn't as much room for the track to breath and crescendo at the end. They REALLY have to amp it up at the end to get the same impact heading into "and into history..." as on the original. Which is kind of cool in it's own way, but it doesn't flow as effortlessly as the original. Having the additional live ending on a studio recording is cool, but also not especially different than just having the live versions themselves which are great. I'm glad to have it, but I don't think I will ever prefer it to the original (but give it time I guess). It feels a lot like the re-recorded Victorian Brickwork. Just can't really compete with the perfection of the originals.
The interlude into Brooklands is really nice, and Brooklands itself really does take on a whole new dimension. When I first heard the preview track of this a few months back, I wasn't too keen on the drum sound, and it does still seem a little bombastic in places, but I've found myself really enjoying this new version nonetheless. I never felt there was anything wrong with the original Brooklands (always a favorite from Follklore), and I certainly didn't think it was outshone by the other two as Greg suggests it might have been, but I do think this version is exciting and dynamic and the strings play better with it than on ECR. That may be in part because there is no brass for them to detract from. The instrumental passages really soar here. I'd definitely say Brooklands is the highlight of this release.
Voyager is almost identical to the Grand Tour version, except that they added Rachel's violin run from the Empire performance right at the end (Greg mentioned they actually just dropped in the audio from the live concert since she had already left the band by the time they put this together). I think that's a fine little flourish and it's good to have something to distinguish this version from the original, but it does cover up the little organ bit that hits before the band comes in, which was always one of my favorite parts of the song. In all though, I would say this package does a good job of presenting these three pieces as a coherent grouping of songs. It's a good listen for sure.
Atlantic Cable is one of the few Greg-penned epics that I don't love so much. It does have it's moments (the middle instrumental section is tremendous), but I feel like the track meanders too much before the verses start, and then I don't really love the verses themselves. All that said, the live performance is great. Alberto actually sounds a lot like David on the verses, and I kind of had to do a double take when I first heard them. In places I feel like his performance doesn't quite match the power of David's, but I suspect some of that is just due to it not really being his song. It's tough to perform other people's songs as well as something that is your own work. I'm really looking forward to new BBT music with Alberto to get a better sense of how he gels with the band.
Topic: Big Big Train v. "The Likes Of Us" OUT NOW; European Tour Sept/Oct 2024! (Read 109490 times)