Tag: Big Big Train

“Stone and Steel” News from Big Big Train

On By Bryan MoreyIn progressive rock2 Comments

For all the North American BBT fans (and fans of physical media), it seems we will not be getting a properly working Blu-ray of BBT’s Stone and Steel. The band decided not to make a second pressing, and they say that the first pressing may work on newer Blu-ray machines. They have also released it digitally via Vimeo. I would much rather prefer they make it available on iTunes, and I’m not in the mood to pay lots of money for a Blu-ray that may or may not work. Coupled with the rather annoying multiple tracklist versions of their latest album, Folklore, I’m a little peeved.

Check out this news posting on their website for more details. Check out this link for a technical briefing from BBT on whether or not the Blu-ray will work with your machine.

I also received this in my email inbox yesterday:

Hi everyone

The digital version of the complete “Stone & Steel” film is now available to purchase for streaming and download on Vimeo:
https://vimeo.com/ondemand/bigbigtrain/164537525

If you need to satisfy the palate as well as the ear and eye, Folklore Ale and Wassail Cider are available from The Merch Desk, along with other BBT merchandise:
http://themerchdesk.com/shop/index.php?route=product/category&path=87_115

Finally, a reminder that the band has been nominated in three categories for this year’s Progressive Music Awards: Band/Artist Of The Year, Album Of The Year, and Live Event. If you’d like to show your support for Big Big Train or any of the other nominees, you can vote at:
http://www.progmagazine.com/awards

Our official YouTube channel now contains three live performances from our gigs last year, amongst other goodies:
https://www.youtube.com/user/EngElecRecordings

Best wishes,
Andy, Danny, Dave, David, Greg, Nick, Rachel and Rikard

Big Big Train’s Folklore (Hi-Res Audio Version) – Review

On By Bryan MoreyIn progressive rock4 Comments

Big Big Train – Folklore – 2016 – High-Resolution Audio Version

Tracks: Folklore, Along the Ridgeway, Salisbury Giant, London Plane, Mudlarks, Lost Rivers of London, The Transit of Venus Across the Sun, Wassail, Winkie, Brooklands, Telling the Bees

artworkI wasn’t going to review this album. In all honesty, the others at Progarchy who reviewed it have done a much better job than I will. That, and I really didn’t like this album at first. I chalked my initial misgivings as simply, “you can’t win them all.” I figured I would have to accept that nothing else from 2016 would come close to Haken’s Affinity, which I’m still convinced that not much else will.

Admittedly, my first impression upon hearing the CD setlist of the album was, meh. I didn’t like the opening track, as parts of it were too poppy, and I don’t think Big Big Train writes compelling poppy songs. When I saw that “Wassail” was on this album, I was slightly disappointed, since that song grew to grate on me from 2015’s EP. Too much repetition in the chorus. Both “Folklore” and “Wassail” reminded me of “Make Some Noise,” another song that I find tolerable, but wish hadn’t ever been produced by this band. It just doesn’t fit with the rest of their songs. Overall, the track listing didn’t really work. The album didn’t flow, which seemed strange for this band.

My journey as a passenger on the Folklore train did not end there, however. I discovered that the band had another track listing, a definitive one, released as a vinyl record. I saw that it included “Lost Rivers of London” (one of my favorite BBT songs) and “Mudlarks,” another fantastic track. The band also chose to release this track listing as a high-resolution audio download. After annoying Brad for the lossless FLAC files of said hi-res download, I gave the album another shot. I’m glad I did.

Continue reading “Big Big Train’s Folklore (Hi-Res Audio Version) – Review” →

The Definitive Folklore @BigBigTrain

On By Time LordIn ProgarchyLeave a comment

Folklore!

Download it in hi-resolution audio with the definitive track list:

I make the case for the definitive version in my review.

Also, be sure to read the virtual liner notes.

Virtual Liner Notes: @BigBigTrain

On By Time LordIn Progarchy1 Comment

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Progarchy.com has conveniently organized for you all the essential Big Big Train virtual liner notes:

And The Merch Desk adds some comments about Folklore:

Continue reading “Virtual Liner Notes: @BigBigTrain” →

Getting Started with Big Big Train

On By bradbirzerIn progressive rock4 Comments
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The collection.

As most of you already know, progarchy began almost four years ago as an unofficial Big Big Train-fan site.  We’re now getting to the point where our BBT offerings are looking a bit chaotic.

Here’s a helpful starting guide for those of you interested in getting to know BBT better.

Several years ago, I wrote a piece called “A Beginner’s Guide to Big Big Train.”  This is an addition to that.

Continue reading “Getting Started with Big Big Train” →

The Gatefold Vinyl Glory of Big Big Train: Folklore ★★★★★

On By Time LordIn Progarchy6 Comments

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In terms of perfectly integrated, fully coherent masterpieces, I thought BBT might have peaked with The Underfall Yard. The Far Skies and Wassail EPs, and the multiple versions of English Electric (with no definitive track order), all contained fantastic music, but evinced an unmistakable prog version of ADD, as BBT and their fans were fiendishly enabled by the latest technology to “build your own” concept album, with your own favorite track order: S, M, L, XL, XXL, Full Power, whatever.

But now with Folklore, we have a stunningly coherent concept album that has absolutely perfect flow. And here’s the best part: the perfect flow is found not on the CD version (because “London Plane” works best not coming after “Folklore” but after “Salisbury Giant”) but on the glorious vinyl gatefold edition that has the definitive order for the tracks.

Continue reading “The Gatefold Vinyl Glory of Big Big Train: Folklore ★★★★★” →

Without Compare: FOLKLORE by Big Big Train

On By bradbirzerIn progressive rock11 Comments

Big Big Train, FOLKLORE (Giant Electric Pea, 2016). 

The band: Greg Spawton; Andy Poole; Danny Manners; David Longdon; Dave Gregory; Rachel Hall; Nick D’Virgilio; and Rikard Sjöblom.  Engineered by Rob Aubrey.

Tracks: Folklore; London Plane; Along the Ridgeway; Salisbury Giant; The Transit of Venus Across the Sun; Wassail; Winkie; Brooklands; and Telling the Bees.

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By chance, the new issue of PROG arrived at the same time as FOLKLORE.  A glorious day.

The centerpiece of third-wave prog, Big Big Train, matters.  How they write music matters; how they write lyrics matters; how often they perform live matters; how they package their music matters; and how they market what they do matters.  They are a band that has evolved significantly over twenty-plus years of existence, a restless band that never quite settles on this or that, but rather keeps moving forward even as they never stop looking back.  In their art, they move forward; in their ideas, they move backward.  All to the good.

Continue reading “Without Compare: FOLKLORE by Big Big Train” →

Big Big Train’s FOLKLORE Arrives in Michigan

On By bradbirzerIn progressive rockLeave a comment

It’s not everyday that a Big Big Train album appears in my mailbox.  An immense thanks to Kathy Spawton and Greg Spawton for sending it, and to the band for signing it!

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Veronica Rose celebrates with SONGS FROM THE BIG CHAIR, BBT style.

Continue reading “Big Big Train’s FOLKLORE Arrives in Michigan” →

Flow & Balance: The Exquisite Beauty of Folklore

On By Dr NickIn progressive rock3 Comments

What are the ingredients of a truly great album?

Well there’s the songwriting, of course: that’s a given. Likewise the performances of the players. But what else?

The overall sound that a band produces is important, for sure – the choice of instruments and how they’ve been employed in service of the songs, and how well the different qualities of those instruments have been balanced. And let’s not overlook other aspects of the production: the overdubs, the mixing, the mastering and so forth. (I’m sure we can all think of good albums that have suffered from a lack of attention to the latter.)

I think there’s one other underrated ingredient, however. For want of a better word, I call it flow: the way in which the different tracks on the album fit together and contribute to the experience of listening to an album as a whole. Note that I’m not talking particularly of concept albums here (although flow is a highly desirable quality of these). An album can flow well even if there is no story or common themes to link its songs together.

Continue reading “Flow & Balance: The Exquisite Beauty of Folklore” →

Free Big Big Train Folklore Booklet Download

On By bradbirzerIn progressive rock1 Comment

The members of BBT have graciously made the CD/vinyl booklet available for free.

Link to BBT’s dropbox: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/zdn1hnnqmme9s26/AAAKvUmF4PfxSfkGIMQXmaIYa/Folklore%20album%20booklet.pdf?dl=0

Or, a direct down load here: Folklore album booklet

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