Independent Album of the Year...The Underfall Yard

Jason Warburg, editor of The Daily Vault (one of the oldest and most well-established review sites on the web) has just announced that The Underfall Yard is his independent album of the year.

Jason's eloquent review of The Underfall Yard is here .

Re-issue news

Stocks have been running low of the Gathering Speed and The Difference Machine CD's and rather than re-order a fresh supply of the existing jewel-case CD's, we've decided to give them a makeover.

Gathering Speed will shortly be re-issued as a digipack with an 8 page poster booklet featuring previously unseen artwork and including, for the first time, the lyrics. The album has also been remastered by Rob Aubrey. The Difference Machine will be re-issued in January as a digipack, again with previously unreleased artwork.

The Difference Machine re-issue will also feature an additional track called Hope You Made It*. This song was part of the concept for the album and was recorded during The Difference Machine sessions. However, its inclusion took the album to around the 60 minute mark and we were looking for a tighter track-listing so decided to leave it off the original album.

Finally, we were looking to re-issue a re-mastered version of our first album, Goodbye to the Age of Steam, as an iTunes-only release in 2010. However, Rob Aubrey has kindly agreed to completely re-mix the original album from the master tapes so the re-issue will be of the highest possible quality. I'm not sure yet whether we'll do a limited pressing of Age of Steam or just go with the download-only version; we'll have a think about that in the next few weeks.

Anyway, the smell of mulled-wine is luring us to the kitchen, so we would just like to take this opportunity to wish all of the readers of this blog a very Merry Christmas and to thank you for your support.

Andy, David and Greg 

* If anyone has the original version of the album and is keen to have the unreleased track without having to buy the CD again, please e-mail us at bigbigtrain@hotmail.co.uk and, when the album is re-issued, we will send you a link to a free downloadable version of the song in CD quality.

USA Progressive Music Poll

We've been nominated for the top prog album of the year on USA Progressive Music, so if anyone wants to vote for us (or, indeed, any of the other albums on the list) please check the shortlist out. I doubt we'll get very far because the album has been released so late in the year and therefore will have had less reach than the others, but it would be good to pick up a few votes.

The Underfall Yard Podcast

I am very pleased to announce that David 'Wilf' Elliott's latest radio show in The European Perspective series is devoted entirely to Big Big Train and The Underfall Yard.

The European Perspective is an unmissable progressive rock show which is broadcast every week on The Dividing Line website. The show can be streamed or downloaded from The Dividing Line (the last four episodes are hosted on the site so The Underfall Yard episode will be online there for the next month.)

However, David Elliott has also kindly made available a permanent link to the show here.

The podcast is in four parts:

• A section on our influences featuring a track from 10 of the albums which have most influenced BBT
• An interview with me and Andy about the history of the band featuring some of our older tunes
• An interview with David about his background in music, including his solo career, his time in the Genesis machine, working with Martin Orford and joining Big Big Train. Some songs from David's solo album Wild River and from The Old Road are featured during the interview.
• A playthrough of the entire Underfall Yard album with commentary from me and Andy

Here are the specific details about the show from the Dividing Line website:

Duration: 282:48 minutes  - Filetype: mp3 - Bitrate: 160 KBPS - Frequency: 44100 HZ

'This week the European Perspective is given over entirely to a celebration of this uniquely English band. Starting with a look at some of the music from the albums that the band themselves say "made Big Big Train", we then talk to Greg and Andy about the evolution and future for Big Big Train, and then to David Longdon, their new vocalist. Finally The Underfall Yard gets an airing, in its entirety, with a commentary from Messrs. Spawton and Poole.

◦Genesis - Dancing with The Moonlit Knight from Selling England By The Pound, 1973

◦Prefab Sprout - Jordan: The Comeback from Jordan: The Comeback, 1998

◦Premiata Forneria Marconi - Appena Un Po' from Per Un Amico, 1972

◦XTC - The Ballad Of Peter Pumpkinhead from Nonsuch, 1992

◦Mew - Am I Wry? No from Frengers, 2003

◦Sigur Ros - Hoppipolla from Takk..., 2005

◦Anthony Phillips - The Geese And The Ghost fromThe Geese And The Ghost, 1977

◦Van Der Graaf Generator - Scorched Earth from Godbluff, 1975

◦Elbow - The Bones Of You from The Seldom Seen Kid, 2008

◦Steve Hackett - Jacuzzi from Defector, 1980

Interview with Greg Spawton and Andy Poole of Big Big Train, featuring the following:

◦Wind Distorted Pioneers from Goodbye To The Age Of Steam, 1994

◦The Shipping Forecast from English Boy Wonders (Remastered), 2008 (originally released 1997)

◦For Winter from Bard, 2002

◦High Tide, Last Stand from Gathering Speed, 2004

◦Summer's Lease from The Difference Machine, 2007

Interview with David Longdon of Big Big Train, featuring the following:

◦David Longdon - About Time from Wild River, 2004

◦Martin Orford - Ray Of Hope from The Old Road, 2008

◦David Longdon - In Essence from Wild River, 2004

◦David Longdon - Wild River from Wild River, 2004

◦Martin Orford - Endgame from The Old Road, 2008

◦David Longdon - This House from Wild River, 2004

◦David Longdon - On To The Headland from Wild River, 2004

The Underfall Yard, with commentary from Greg Spawton and Andy Poole:

◦Hope This Finds You (from The Difference Machine)

◦Evening Star

◦Master James of St. George

◦Victorian Brickwork

◦Last Train

◦Winchester Diver

◦The Underfall Yard'

All pre-orders are on their way

All pre-orders made up to 10th December are now on their way and, provided there are no postage problems, should arrive on or before release date. We will continue to post new orders within two days of purchase.

Generally speaking, long distance air-mail pre-orders were shipped first, then EEC and then finally UK (sent by first class post.) Orders requesting signed copies also went in the last batch today.

If you have any concerns about your order please e-mail us on bigbigtrain@hotmail.co.uk and we'll sort any issues out.

Permission for bottom lip to tremble, sir

The Band of the Coldstream Guards' new album, Heroes, featuring two of the intrepid Big Big Train brass players and heartily recommended by me in an earlier post, has now entered the upper reaches of the charts.

This article in the Daily Telegraph explores the attraction of the album to men of a certain age. Colour Sergeant David Desmond, who was responsible for the beautiful brass arrangements on The Underfall Yard, manages to find the perfect Black Adder quote for the article.

New interview online

There are quite a few interviews and articles due to be published about Big Big Train in the next few weeks (plus an in-depth podcast on the band - more news on this later.)

One of the first of the interviews is online now on the Caerllysi music site (Caerllysi are specialist dealers in progressive music.)

Just one week to go

The Underfall Yard will be released on 15th December. That means there is just one week to go to buy the album at the introductory price of just £8 (which includes worldwide shipping.) Pre-orders will ship to arrive on or just before the release date.

From the 15th December, the price will increase, although we'll try to keep the rise as low as we can as we know that money is tight at the moment.

Our secure online shop can be found at our homepage here. The first track on The Underfall Yard, Evening Star, can currently be heard on the music player on the homepage (replacing Winchester Diver) and the full free download of the 23 minute title track also remains available there for a limited time.

The Band of the Coldstream Guards

Two of the brass players from The Underfall Yard, Dave Desmond (trombone) and Nick Stones (french horn) are members of the Band of the Coldstream Guards* and feature on a new album called Heroes.  My copy has just arrived and it's already one of my favourite albums of the year, with the right mix of rousing tunes (eg Ron Goodwin's glorious 633 Squadron and Eric Coates' Dambusters) and adagio-style pieces (eg Nimrod, I Vow to Thee My Country).

Highly recommended.

* Our other brass players are: Jon Truscott - tuba (Central Band of the Royal Air Force) and Rich Evans - cornet (the Army Air Corps Band).

Classic Rock Track of the Day is...The Underfall Yard

Just to set the seal on what has been a Very Good Day for BBT, the title track of our new album has been chosen as track of the day on the Classic Rock website. 

Classic Rock Presents Prog

Last Train, one of the songs from The Underfall Yard is featured on the covermount CD of the new issue of Classic Rock Presents Prog which is out today.

Many thanks to Jim Green who also gave us a mention on the Classic Prog letters' page.

David was interviewed on Total Rock radio at lunchtime today and they also played Last Train and Master James. If I can find a listen again feature, I'll post a link.

Big Big Train on Total Rock Radio

Classic Rock Presents Prog Editor Jerry Ewing and writer Philip Wilding will be hosting a three hour prog show on Total Rock Radio tomorrow (Wednesday 25th November) from 12 noon.

David will be interviewed on the show at around 12.25.

Saw Mew

Saw Mew the other day. Decided it was time for Eleanor, my 15 year-old daughter, to experience the beer-stained environment of a student-union gig for the first time, so we headed off to the Bristol concert.

I've often wondered what it would be like to have seen Genesis in '71 or '72, as they delivered their extraordinary shows to committed audiences that were small enough to ensure you could get close to the action, and yet also big enough to feel that you were part of something that had genuine significance.

I think I understand what it would have been like now.

As for Ellie, she turned to me at the end and said that it was, quite simply, the best night of her life.

Jem is back

It seems that our good friend Jem Godfrey has returned to blogging. Jem's blog was a major influence on the development of this one. It's great to have him back.

Big Big Train on The Rogues' Gallery

A number of songs from the new album will be played on Frans Keylard's The Rogues' Gallery  show on The Dividing Line. The show will be broadcast at 3am GMT this Friday. It's then made available as a downloadable podcast in good quality audio. I think Frans will also be playing the new Transatlantic album on the same show.

Update: The Podcast is online now.

The Train now arriving...

The Underfall Yard will be released on 15th December. From today until the release date, the album can be pre-ordered here for an introductory price of just £8, which includes worldwide shipping. It will not be available from any other source before the 15th December. Pre-orders will be shipped so that the CD arrives on, or slightly before, the release date.

The Underfall Yard is the first Big Big Train album to feature our new singer David Longdon. Across the 60 minutes of the album there are also powerful performances from Nick D’Virgilio, Francis Dunnery, Jem Godfrey and Dave Gregory.

We have made all 23 minutes of the title track available for free download in high quality audio here.*  Even if you don't want to buy any Big Big Train music at the moment, please download the track and listen to what we think is a significant contribution to progressive music.

If you are new to Big Big Train, you can read about us here. If you want to buy a CD but are not sure which one(s) to splash out on, a beginner's guide to our CD's is here. Our shop, where you can buy CD's securely, is here. On the shop page, there is a music player where another song from The Underfall yard can be heard.

The Underfall Yard is a collection of songs which tell stories, some old and some new. The listener will travel through the tunnels made by the great Victorian engineers in England’s chalkhills, will hear the mournful laments of coastal villages lost to the sea on storm-filled nights, will meet the grand architect of castles, and hear the tale of the man who saved a great cathedral from collapse by diving under its flooded foundations.

We hope you enjoy our new music.

Greg Spawton

* Update - I've had a number of e-mails asking who plays what on the download track. The credits (and lyrics) can be found on the site, but I'll put them on here as well for ease of reference:

The Underfall Yard by Big Big Train

Performed by:

Nick D'Virgilio Drums

Dave Desmond Trombone

Francis Dunnery Guitar solo, guitar

Rich Evans Cornet

Jon Foyle Cello

Jem Godfrey Synthesizer solos

Dave Gregory Guitar solos, guitars, electric sitar

David Longdon Vocals, flute, glockenspiel

Andy Poole Bass, keyboards

Greg Spawton Guitars, keyboards, bass

Nick Stones French horn

Jon Truscott Tuba

To answer some of the specific questions I've had, Francis Dunnery's main parts are at 4.37 to 6.25, Jem Godfrey's at 6.26 to 7.20 and 19.18 to 20.10, and Dave Gregory's at 13.10 to 14.45 and 21.10 to 22.15. Dave Gregory also plays electric sitar in a number of places in the song.

Prog is back (official)

Very interesting article just published on the BBC website.

Sheriff of Wimborne

At the risk of turning this blog into Hello magazine, I am going to mention that I just bumped into Keith Allen in Wimborne. Only two nights ago, me and the kids watched him get blown up in the last episode of Robin Hood.

I remember him being a very edgy character in the Comic Strip series, but he seemed like a nice bloke.

I can't help thinking, though, that my girlfriend would have much rather we'd bumped into Guy of Wimborne (Richard Armitage - also photographed above) rather than the Sheriff.

Spitfire overhead

A couple of weeks ago we had a short display from the Vulcan; yesterday we had a Spitfire appear low overhead. I frantically summoned my 13 year old son who is going through an Airfix phase at the moment (that morning he'd bought himself a P51D Mustang to build) and we had the pleasure of a few moments together looking up at the sky, hands shading our eyes, whilst the Spitfire threw us a few of its shapes, did a quick victory roll and then headed off to the east (to the Goodwood Revival I assume?)

Mixing

Just a quick update from the studio, where we are now well into the mixing stage.

Rob has completed initial mixes of Master James, Winchester Diver and Last Train. This evening we aim to finish the first mix of The Underfall Yard. We've got tomorrow off to do some listening to the initial mixes and then we have three more days next week for mixing Victorian Brickwork and Evening Star (plus any snagging.)

The Underfall Yard has proven to be quite a beast to tame - we're using 142 tracks, which is 100 more than the meaning of life.

An autumn of epic tracks

No sooner do Porcupine Tree announce a 55 minute epic on their new album (reviewed here by King Crimson biographer Sid Smith), then Transatlantic go longer with the announcement of a 77 minute track on their forthcoming release.

Our own little contribution to an autumn of epic songs comes in at just over 22 minutes.

However, despite the relatively piffling length of our tune and the undoubted pedigree of our fellow prog bands, I'm confident that our song will make some waves.

There is not long to wait now before it gets a hearing. Whilst The Underfall Yard CD is due on 15th December, all 22 minutes of the title track will be available as a free download from 30th September as a taster for the album.

More news soon.

Vulcan overhead

You may have noticed from my endless twittering yesterday that I was on the beach enjoying the Bournemouth Air Festival. I am pleased to say that the Vulcan made just as deep an impression on my 13 year-old son as it did on me when I was a child back in the 70's. It's the combination of thunderous noise, the extraordinary beauty of the design and the vast size that does the trick.

Today, I've been sitting in my back garden and I can hear that the Vulcan is back. It's about 3 miles away, above the seafront but is still filling the sky with thunder.

In the early 1990's, they used to have an airshow at Hurn airport, just up the road from me, and I remember a visit from the Vulcan back then. It did some aerobatics a few hundred feet above my house. Every window shook in its frame.

Almost as loud today and yesterday was the Typhoon. What a class act that is. It appeared seemingly out of nowhere, rearing up above the pier. After a ten minute display, it made an awesome exit - vertically upwards at speed, where it disappeared into a bank of cloud.

Dave Gregory with Big Big Train

Dave Gregory: not lazy at all (photo from Guitargonauts)

I am pleased to announce another very special guest joining Big Big Train on The Underfall Yard. Dave Gregory is the guitarist and keyboard player for one of my favourite bands, the glorious XTC. His astounding discography includes appearances with Peter Gabriel and Porcupine Tree.

Dave's guitar, sitar and mellotron playing has become a major feature of The Underfall Yard and I can't wait for you to hear the performances that he's turned in for Big Big Train. They are, quite frankly, brilliant.

If we do decide to return to live performance in the next couple of years, I very much hope that Dave will be joining us.

More news on The Underfall Yard soon.

Jem Godfrey and Francis Dunnery with Big Big Train

Jem Godfrey has these kind words to say on the Frost* forum:

'Happy to say, I've just contributed a couple of keyboard solos to the excellent sounding new album by Big Big Train. The track is called The Underfall Yard which is also the title track and is nipping at the toes of 23+ minutes long. I got a chance to really cut loose in a way I don't think I've done before, I used pretty much every controller available on the V-Synth using a sound I programmed especially and I'm really pleased with the end results. It's not often I get to have a good old thrash in 11/8! The track also features a rather immense solo from that Cumbrian scamp Francis Dunnery, so although we never met, we do end up sharing a song together which is rather nice.

BBT's new singer is a bit of a revelation too and the whole thing is shaping up to be, IMO, their best work to date. I can't wait to hear the whole thing. BBT have a wonderful Englishness about them and they do things very much their own way which I deeply admire. They're prog's best kept secret and now I can count myself as a contributor to their history. I'm dead proud of that.'

Having had the opportunity to hear Jem's and Francis' performances at close hand, I am pleased to report that they are, indeed, immense and add a huge amount to The Underfall Yard.

More news on another very special guest at the weekend

Rough mix of The Underfall Yard

Before we go into Aubitt for mixing, we like to put a rough mix of the album together as a final check.

I've just had a listen to Andy's mix and it's proven to be illuminating. It's all sounding rather splendid (although I would say that, wouldn't I) but it shows we have a few parts to replace or improve including some cello, some dodgy guitar playing that's been there since the original demo and one or two other bits and bobs.

The most interesting thing for me is that the track order, which has been set in stone for some time, has turned out to be wrong. The album starts with an instrumental track and I always intended this would be followed by Victorian Brickwork, one of the two epic songs on the CD. However, Victorian Brickwork has a gentle start and it just feels like the album drags a bit before it gets going. So I'm moving Master James of St. George up the order to track number two.

Hopefully, that will sort the pacing out.