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

[The Letter M]

As far as audio live albums, A Stone's Throw From The Line was their first, and features about 2hr5m of music, mostly from EE and TUY.
Their next one, Merchants Of Light is about 11 minutes longer and features 9 songs from Folklore and Grimspound, and is their longest live release to date. It has a great setlist that covers a fair amount of material between 2009-2017.
I'll agree that Empire looks and sounds great, but it is mostly music from Grand Tour, and the show is only 1hr38m long, significantly shorter than their previous two.

Honestly, I'd say just grab all 3 in the order they were released, especially if you haven't gotten around to listening to Grand Tour yet.

As a reminder, tomorrow will be Bandcamp Friday so all purchases will directly go to artists as Bandcamp won't take any profits from sales, so if you're thinking of supporting BBT through Bandcamp, tomorrow would be a good time to do it!

-Marc.

[Kram]

To early in my discovery to list my top 10 songs, but certainly East Coast Racer & Victorian Brickwork stand out.  But so so many other great songs (Judas Unrepentant, Keeper of Abby's, Hedgerow, TUY, Swan Hunter, Fat Billy Shouts Mine, Kingmaker, Master James of St. George) I could go on and on, but don't think I'm ready to name a proper top 10 yet.

Live album question - I rarely have time to sit and watch a live BD nowadays, but I do have time to listen to music while working, driving etc..  What's the best live album to get as far as just the audio is concerned?

I'd say Empire has the best audio of their live albums. But it doesn't include a few essential tracks, like Victorian Brickwork and A Mead Hall In Winter. That being said, I think all of their live albums sound phenomenal.

OK, thanks guys for the recommendations.  I'll probably pick them all up as Marc suggests in order of their release.  Makes the most sense especially since I'm loving this band right now!

[Kram]

To early in my discovery to list my top 10 songs, but certainly East Coast Racer & Victorian Brickwork stand out.  But so so many other great songs (Judas Unrepentant, Keeper of Abby's, Hedgerow, TUY, Swan Hunter, Fat Billy Shouts Mine, Kingmaker, Master James of St. George) I could go on and on, but don't think I'm ready to name a proper top 10 yet.

Live album question - I rarely have time to sit and watch a live BD nowadays, but I do have time to listen to music while working, driving etc..  What's the best live album to get as far as just the audio is concerned?

Glad you mentioned Fat Billy. That’s definitely a favorite that doesn’t seem to get a lot of attention.

Empire is the band’s best sounding/looking live release. It is a bit heavy on material from Grand Tour, so you might want to get that one before you watch it. But I definitely recommend Empire as a concert film that everyone should own. As Fritz said though, there are some songs exclusive to the other two live films that make them worth getting. (Victorian Brickwork, Kingmaker, etc.).

Yes, love Fat Billy.  Love the keyboard solos and guitar solo at the end.  Really cool tune!

[Orbert]

My wife is off today, which means I have full control over the tunes today.  (We both work from home, but our workstations are next to each other, so tunes must be agreed upon, or we alternate who gets to pick.)  So today was the day to download English Electric Full Power.  I did so.

I do try to support brick and mortar stores, but since no one around here has any Big Big Train, I bit the bullet and went to Amazon to order Welcome to the Planet.  They have it listed as available Feb 4.  Tomorrow?  It's out already!  So screw them, I went back to Bandcamp and downloaded Welcome to the Planet, for a fraction of the price.  I prefer physical media, but I guess I'll get over it.

I loaded up both albums, and have been listening to them all day on repeat.  Pretty amazing stuff.

[HOF]

My wife is off today, which means I have full control over the tunes today.  (We both work from home, but our workstations are next to each other, so tunes must be agreed upon, or we alternate who gets to pick.)  So today was the day to download English Electric Full Power.  I did so.

I do try to support brick and mortar stores, but since no one around here has any Big Big Train, I bit the bullet and went to Amazon to order Welcome to the Planet.  They have it listed as available Feb 4.  Tomorrow?  It's out already!  So screw them, I went back to Bandcamp and downloaded Welcome to the Planet, for a fraction of the price.  I prefer physical media, but I guess I'll get over it.

I loaded up both albums, and have been listening to them all day on repeat.  Pretty amazing stuff.

Bandcamp is probably one of the best places in terms of supporting the band anyway, so that’s probably for the best! If you decide you still want a physical copy of the new album, the official US shop for BBT is Bandwagon USA. Rita, who runs that site, does a good job.

https://thebandwagonusa.com/collections/big-big-train/products/big-big-train-welcome-to-the-planet-cd-pre-order-only

[Orbert]

Cool, I'll try to remember that.

[ProfessorPeart]

Okay, the ripping Rikard solo I was talking about from the trailer for King's Place was from Victorian Brickwork. Watching Act One now and he just tore it up.

[Metro]

I've owned English Electric 1 & 2 for years, but never paid much attention to them until recently. I gave them both a listen after David's passing, and there's some really awesome music here. David has a wonderful voice, and I'm sad I didn't appreciate it more when he was alive.

Today's Bandcamp Friday, so I decided to pick up:

Welcome to the Planet
Common Ground
Grand Tour
The Second Brightest Star
Grimspound
Folklore
The Underfall Yard
and Summer's Lease

Currently listening to the newest album.

[HOF]

I've owned English Electric 1 & 2 for years, but never paid much attention to them until recently. I gave them both a listen after David's passing, and there's some really awesome music here. David has a wonderful voice, and I'm sad I didn't appreciate it more when he was alive.

Today's Bandcamp Friday, so I decided to pick up:

Welcome to the Planet
Common Ground
Grand Tour
The Second Brightest Star
Grimspound
Folklore
The Underfall Yard
and Summer's Lease

Currently listening to the newest album.

Glad you gave them another listen! Thankfully, David and the band made the most of the time they had and there’s lots of music for you to explore and enjoy.

[The Letter M]

I've owned English Electric 1 & 2 for years, but never paid much attention to them until recently. I gave them both a listen after David's passing, and there's some really awesome music here. David has a wonderful voice, and I'm sad I didn't appreciate it more when he was alive.

Today's Bandcamp Friday, so I decided to pick up:

Welcome to the Planet
Common Ground
Grand Tour
The Second Brightest Star
Grimspound
Folklore
The Underfall Yard
and Summer's Lease

Currently listening to the newest album.

That's a good haul! Hours of music to discovery, a lifetime of musical enjoyment! Hope they all strike your fancy in the same way that EE1 and EE2 have done, if not more so!

Glad you gave them another listen! Thankfully, David and the band made the most of the time they had and there’s lots of music for you to explore and enjoy.

Seriously, it's amazing just how much music they put out between 2009-2022: nine full studio albums, a few EPs, a few singles, 3 live albums, a compilation, an online members-only service that offers exclusive digital content (audio/video/blogs), and a very gracious and polite fanbase that welcomes any and all new fans with open arms. In the slightly-under-a-decade that I've been a fan of them, I can comfortably say that they've risen to a Top 5 artist/band of all time for me, possibly placing 3rd behind my mainstays, Rush and Dream Theater.

-Marc.

[ProfessorPeart]

Alright, got my 2nd Bandcamp haul today.

Far Skies Deep Time
From Stone And Steel
Snowfalls
Merchants Of Light
Expecting Snow / Wind Distorted Pioneers / London Song 2020 / Don't Forget The Telescope (from Summer's Lease)

I decided I did not need to buy the whole Summer's Lease album so I just grabbed what I was missing. Needed to save a few bucks after the BBT splurge.

There are still CD's out there for Stone's Throw so I will pursue that first before buying from Bandcamp.

EDIT: Just finished loading all of my BBT into my iTunes library. 128 tracks, 17 hours 43 minutes. I got a lot to listen to.

[Zydar]

I'm listening to The Second Brightest Star now for the first time. What a lovely title track.

[Fritzinger]

I'm listening to The Second Brightest Star now for the first time. What a lovely title track.

I agree. This song is what David Longdon was about. Beautiful melody, great arrangement. Amazing vocal performance.

[The Letter M]

I'm listening to The Second Brightest Star now for the first time. What a lovely title track.

I agree. This song is what David Longdon was about. Beautiful melody, great arrangement. Amazing vocal performance.

That is a great song, very underrated and underappreciated. The album is, and largely not talked about either, I think, because it was overshadowed by the likes of Folklore and Grimspound, especially since it mostly a "companion album" to those two. It kind of feels like an album of leftovers given the number of instrumentals and the amount of mellow, low-tempo pieces on it, it feels a bit different than the two albums that came before.

I was actually listening to The Second Brightest Star the album last night, and it really fit the mood I was in - a bit somber and conetmplative - which led me to believe there is a BBT album and/or song for every mood.

-Marc.

[ProfessorPeart]

I truly felt David's loss for the first time tonight. Finishing up the King's Place show and, my god, his performance on East Coast Racer. Just perfection. From his voice to the way he owned the stage on that track. I felt like the one dude in the crowd who just stuck his fist high in the air while David just holds that long note.

That one just hit hard.

[Zydar]

Someone had uploaded the entire Merchants Of Light DVD on Youtube, so I watched it last night. Great performance, and a really good setlist (I only missed Hedgerow).

[HOF]

I truly felt David's loss for the first time tonight. Finishing up the King's Place show and, my god, his performance on East Coast Racer. Just perfection. From his voice to the way he owned the stage on that track. I felt like the one dude in the crowd who just stuck his fist high in the air while David just holds that long note.

That one just hit hard.

IMO East Coast Racer (on record or live) is David’s best vocal performance, and the “she flieeees” part is his signature moment. That was Greg’s song, but David’s performance brought it to life. It’s also the last song he performed live with the band as it closes the Empire concert.

[Orbert]

The opening track ("Alive") on Empire gets me.  He comes out and sings "It's good to be alive" and the first time I watched it was only days after I'd heard he died.

[HOF]

The opening track ("Alive") on Empire gets me.  He comes out and sings "It's good to be alive" and the first time I watched it was only days after I'd heard he died.

Yes, that one is going to always hit hard probably.

[Kram]

I truly felt David's loss for the first time tonight. Finishing up the King's Place show and, my god, his performance on East Coast Racer. Just perfection. From his voice to the way he owned the stage on that track. I felt like the one dude in the crowd who just stuck his fist high in the air while David just holds that long note.

That one just hit hard.

IMO East Coast Racer (on record or live) is David’s best vocal performance, and the “she flieeees” part is his signature moment. That was Greg’s song, but David’s performance brought it to life. It’s also the last song he performed live with the band as it closes the Empire concert.

Not only is it his best vocal performance, for me it's one of the best pieces of music I've ever heard in my life (52 years old).  Amazing track!!

[The Letter M]

So I've been taking a bit of a break from the Common Ground/Welcome To The Planet songs over the last couple days to revisit the early-Longdon material, and I came up with a playlist that combines TUY and FSDT into a 1:54:14 playlist. It's semi-tentative, as I might still move a couple things around, but listening to it in order over the last couple of days, I think it might be the final order for this "Full Power" version of these two albums:

01. Prelude To The Underfall Yard (2020)
02. The Underfall Yard (2020)
03. Evening Star (2021 Remix/Remaster)
04. Master James Of St. George (2021 Remix/Remaster)
05. Brambling (2017 Remaster)
06. Kingmaker (Live At Real World Studios, from Summer's Lease)
07. Songs From The Shoreline: i. Victorian Brickwork, ii. Fat Billy Shouts Mine (2020 Version)
08. British Racing Green (2017 Remaster)
09. Master Of Time (2017 Remaster)
10. Last Train (2021 Remix/Remaster)
11. Winchester Diver (2021 Remix/Remaster)
12. The Wide Open Sea (2017 Remaster)

This all started when I was listening to the WTTP Bonus Track (from the Belle Antique released Japanese version), titled "Endnotes Overture", which is a brass piece that was seemingly written for Common Ground as an album opener, but was dropped due to it reprising themes heard at the end of the album in "Endnotes" being deemed too similar to what they did on Grand Tour (opening and closing the album with reprised themes). So I guess the band shelved the overture but used it as a bonus track for the Japanese release (rather than have Rikard write another piano piece like he did for GT and CG).

Anyways, I wanted to hear more brass stuff, and then I remembered about the "Prelude To The Underfall Yard" and so I started making up a playlist using the 2021 re-release of TUY and the 2017 remaster of FSDT to include all the songs on both, especially since the band combined "Victorian Brickwork" and "Fat Billy Shouts Mine" on the "Songs From The Shoreline" duo. Granted, not all of the songs on FSDT were written at the time of TUY (some were written as far back as Bard), they were all recorded and re-written/arranged by the band at that time, so it felt right to include them all in this compilation.

Maybe in a few weeks, I'll get around to making a compiled playlist of the songs from CG and WTTP, but that might be a bit trickier to figure out.

-Marc.

[HOF]

So I've been taking a bit of a break from the Common Ground/Welcome To The Planet songs over the last couple days to revisit the early-Longdon material, and I came up with a playlist that combines TUY and FSDT into a 1:54:14 playlist. It's semi-tentative, as I might still move a couple things around, but listening to it in order over the last couple of days, I think it might be the final order for this "Full Power" version of these two albums:

01. Prelude To The Underfall Yard (2020)
02. The Underfall Yard (2020)
03. Evening Star (2021 Remix/Remaster)
04. Master James Of St. George (2021 Remix/Remaster)
05. Brambling (2017 Remaster)
06. Kingmaker (Live At Real World Studios, from Summer's Lease)
07. Songs From The Shoreline: i. Victorian Brickwork, ii. Fat Billy Shouts Mine (2020 Version)
08. British Racing Green (2017 Remaster)
09. Master Of Time (2017 Remaster)
10. Last Train (2021 Remix/Remaster)
11. Winchester Diver (2021 Remix/Remaster)
12. The Wide Open Sea (2017 Remaster)

So my main issue with this is that it includes the 2020 re-recorded version of Victorian Brickwork, which suffers from the sole fact that the original recording was perfection. There’s nothing bad about it, you just can’t top perfection. :-)

The other thing is that Evening Star is already a prelude to The Underfall Yard of sorts (or more of an overture maybe). Kind of odd for it to follow TUY, but I do like the idea of opening with TUY.

When I’ve attempted to merge these two releases, I’ve always wanted to combine Victorian Brickwork, Fat Billy, and The Wide Open Sea into one suite. Not sure I ever came up with an order I was totally happy with for combining both albums.

[The Letter M]

So I've been taking a bit of a break from the Common Ground/Welcome To The Planet songs over the last couple days to revisit the early-Longdon material, and I came up with a playlist that combines TUY and FSDT into a 1:54:14 playlist. It's semi-tentative, as I might still move a couple things around, but listening to it in order over the last couple of days, I think it might be the final order for this "Full Power" version of these two albums:

01. Prelude To The Underfall Yard (2020)
02. The Underfall Yard (2020)
03. Evening Star (2021 Remix/Remaster)
04. Master James Of St. George (2021 Remix/Remaster)
05. Brambling (2017 Remaster)
06. Kingmaker (Live At Real World Studios, from Summer's Lease)
07. Songs From The Shoreline: i. Victorian Brickwork, ii. Fat Billy Shouts Mine (2020 Version)
08. British Racing Green (2017 Remaster)
09. Master Of Time (2017 Remaster)
10. Last Train (2021 Remix/Remaster)
11. Winchester Diver (2021 Remix/Remaster)
12. The Wide Open Sea (2017 Remaster)

So my main issue with this is that it includes the 2020 re-recorded version of Victorian Brickwork, which suffers from the sole fact that the original recording was perfection. There’s nothing bad about it, you just can’t top perfection. :-)

The other thing is that Evening Star is already a prelude to The Underfall Yard of sorts (or more of an overture maybe). Kind of odd for it to follow TUY, but I do like the idea of opening with TUY.

When I’ve attempted to merge these two releases, I’ve always wanted to combine Victorian Brickwork, Fat Billy, and The Wide Open Sea into one suite. Not sure I ever came up with an order I was totally happy with for combining both albums.

I will say the original version of "Victorian Brickwork" is great, I do enjoy the "live feel" that the 2020 version has, especially where it doesn't fade out from the fast section before the trumpet solo, where I like the more natural decrescendo of the music rather than a studio fade-out that the original has.

The only reason I put "Evening Star" after "The Underfall Yard" was to give the feel of the original album playing on repeat. If you played it on repeat on CD or in a digital playlist, it would just loop back to "Evening Star", so it kind of gives that illusion. As for the rest of my playlist, it just sort of fell in place, and some songs felt right being next to each other as they were on their original albums (following "Fat Billy Shouts Mine" with "British Racing Green", or "Winchester Diver" following "Last Train").

-Marc.

[utopiarun]

EE Full Power is one of my favorite albums ever. David was an incredible singer.

I don’t mean to be disrespectful and a bit ghoulish, but has the cause of David’s passing been elaborated on besides an “accident”? I know it’s none of my beeswax but was it an automobile accident or home or something else? I have tried to look on line but all I see was accident. Just kind of strange in my opinion.

[HOF]

EE Full Power is one of my favorite albums ever. David was an incredible singer.

I don’t mean to be disrespectful and a bit ghoulish, but has the cause of David’s passing been elaborated on besides an “accident”? I know it’s none of my beeswax but was it an automobile accident or home or something else? I have tried to look on line but all I see was accident. Just kind of strange in my opinion.

His partner Sarah Ewing shared some details in this Facebook post.

https://progarchy.com/2021/11/24/sarah-ewing-%E2%99%A5-david-longdon/comment-page-1/

Sarah Ewing’s Nov 23 FB post:
“I almost wish we were butterflies and lived but three Summer days. Three such days with you, I could fill with more delight than 50 common years could ever contain”~ John Keats

I am not sure where to begin or what to write. Or even if I should write at all. But the out-pouring of grief has been profound and deeply moving. So I wanted to say something.

To put pay to the rumours, speculation, inaccurate reporting and perhaps to help some of you with your own questions and sense of loss, I can tell you that David had a traumatic fall at our cottage during the early hours of Friday morning. I am not going to share everything which took place. Those intimate details are just for band members, David’s beautiful girls, his Mum and me. But I will tell you that David left this life being held in my arms on Saturday 20th November. I told him how much I loved him, that he was safe and that it was time to take the next step on his great adventure. To be with him during his very last moments is the greatest tragedy and greatest privilege of my life.

I waited all my life for David. He filled up my heart. He was inspirational, thoughtful, kind, generous, gentle, loving and funny. Goodness me, was he funny. We would laugh and laugh every day. He was the best of all men.

He leaves an enormous legacy behind. Not only in terms of his creative output but also the many lives he has touched, the friends he has made and the strong unshakeable brotherhood he shared with Danny, Dave G, Rikard, NDV and of course his dearest Greg.

I know David will always be right by my side. But if I ever feel I need that extra connection, I can always reach for the music. And so can you. Because even though he told us that we will find him in the hedgerow, let me tell you a secret : it’s not true. He’s in the music. That is where you will find him.

Good bye my beautiful boy – until we meet again one day.

X

[HOF]

The audio of David and Carly’s live performance of Welcome to the Planet is now available on Spotify, Amazon Music, etc.

https://open.spotify.com/track/2QkqnQhAfhytggnqrwjZbJ?fbclid=IwAR2d5VIDDWdCcYPah0lsEIMjgHZ1ZW1cWnpCMAUidekREYmZRc0N8B5QABI

[The Letter M]

https://youtu.be/0GyHVQtX66s

The band have shared an interview with Carly Bryant. Haven't seen it yet, so I'll come back here with my thoughts afterwards.

-Marc.

[Kram]

EE Full Power is one of my favorite albums ever. David was an incredible singer.

Agree 100%.  I picked up just the audio of A Stone's Throw from the Line from their Bandcamp Friday.  What an amazing performance, David was such a great singer!  The set-list is awesome too - basically TUY and EE tracks.  I wish I would have been able to see a show like this in person.

[The Letter M]

EE Full Power is one of my favorite albums ever. David was an incredible singer.

Agree 100%.  I picked up just the audio of A Stone's Throw from the Line from their Bandcamp Friday.  What an amazing performance, David was such a great singer!  The set-list is awesome too - basically TUY and EE tracks.  I wish I would have been able to see a show like this in person.

A Stone's Throw From The Line is audio only anyway, taken from the three shows of the King's Place concerts, which are available as Vimeo downloads, so no video representation is available in physical format. Likewise, Merchants Of Light is the audio release of Reflectors Of Light, which was a BD that came out *after* MOL. Empire was their first release to feature both audio and video in one package, released at the same time. I'm hoping they do the same with the Loreley 2018 concert as well. The Empire package is quite well done, one of my favorites from the band and I'd love to see the Loreley concert receive the same treatment.

And while it wasn't a live concert per se, the live-in-studio BD, Stone And Steel (recorded in 2014, IIRC), had a digital-only audio release through Bandcamp titled From Stone And Steel, which features a lot of the same songs they would go on to play at King's Place the following year in 2015. As it stands, those are the only 4 live releases from the band so far, with the Loreley show to be the fifth, and so, every setlist of theirs since David joined will have had a live release of some sort.

As a die-hard fan, I am thankful that the band is able to share all of this material from their shows over the last 8 years.

-Marc.

[Kram]

EE Full Power is one of my favorite albums ever. David was an incredible singer.

Agree 100%.  I picked up just the audio of A Stone's Throw from the Line from their Bandcamp Friday.  What an amazing performance, David was such a great singer!  The set-list is awesome too - basically TUY and EE tracks.  I wish I would have been able to see a show like this in person.

A Stone's Throw From The Line is audio only anyway, taken from the three shows of the King's Place concerts, which are available as Vimeo downloads, so no video representation is available in physical format.

OK, thanks for the additional info.  I know I had seen a live clip of Victorian Brickwork on YouTube from one of the Kings Place shows, so just assumed there was a BD.

[The Letter M]

EE Full Power is one of my favorite albums ever. David was an incredible singer.

Agree 100%.  I picked up just the audio of A Stone's Throw from the Line from their Bandcamp Friday.  What an amazing performance, David was such a great singer!  The set-list is awesome too - basically TUY and EE tracks.  I wish I would have been able to see a show like this in person.

A Stone's Throw From The Line is audio only anyway, taken from the three shows of the King's Place concerts, which are available as Vimeo downloads, so no video representation is available in physical format.

OK, thanks for the additional info.  I know I had seen a live clip of Victorian Brickwork on YouTube from one of the Kings Place shows, so just assumed there was a BD.

Yeah, I was kind of bummed that the King's Place concert(s) were digital only for video as I would've love to have it on BD, but being that it was in the front half of David's time with the band, I think costs were an issue. They probably weren't sure they could turn a profit on it, but I gladly paid for the Vimeo download anyway.

-Marc.

[utopiarun]

@HOF thanks for the information, I didn't see that.

[The Letter M]

A STATEMENT FROM BIG BIG TRAIN MANAGER NICK SHILTON

As the promotional campaign for the Welcome To The Planet album approaches an end, we feel that the time is right to address the question of the future of Big Big Train following David Longdon’s death.
 
Several years ago David expressed the clear wish that if ever he were not around, he would want Big Big Train to continue. Of course none of us foresaw the tragic situation that happened in November last year.
 
After careful consideration, and with the active encouragement of David’s partner Sarah, we have decided to honour David’s wishes.

Big Big Train will therefore seek to continue as a band and will perform live and release new music in due course. More specific details of the band’s line-up and planned activities will follow in further announcements, including an opportunity for fans to celebrate David’s life and musical legacy.

Nick Shilton
Manager
Big Big Train

I figured this might be the case but it's good to know they will continue forward!

-Marc.

[Zydar]

Oh that's great, and good to know that it's what David would have wanted as well.

[DTA]

That's really good news. I've already seen it tossed around on their facebook page by some people, but I seriously hope they DO NOT have NDV jump in the lead vocal spot. I love everything Nick does, but I feel like his voice is very specific and works better as an accompaniment. Hopefully someone unknown who can capture the spirit of Longdon's voice jumps in.