In the late 1980s, they decided to record some demos together. After a few months, the very first Big Big Train songs emerged and in 1990, Archshine ceased to exist, and Big Big Train was founded, initially consisting of the duo of Spawton (guitar) and Poole (bass). The following year saw the recruitment of Cooper (keyboards), Steve Hughes (drums), and Martin Read (vocals). [5] The album also includes a 2022 live version of Atlantic Cable (introducing Alberto Bravin on vocals) and a linking orchestral piece.

Band History – Revisiting the Age of Steam (2011)". Bigbigtrain.com. Archived from the original on 2 May 2014 . Retrieved 16 April 2016. Sold out gigs and new band members – third gig added". Bigbigtrain.com. 21 October 2014. Archived from the original on 5 November 2014 . Retrieved 16 April 2016. Wild River’, the first solo album from David Longdon has been re-mixed, re-mastered and expanded and will be released on 20th October. It is preceded by a single ‘Always’, which is available now.Wild River’ represented a transitional period for David, both artistically and emotionally. His father, Eric, had passed away in 1994, he had been through a divorce, and he’d auditioned to be the lead singer of Genesis following the departure of Phil Collins. However, after a protracted audition-cum-rehearsal process, he was immensely disappointed to lose out on the role. Which, with hindsight, was a blessing in disguise.

Big Big Train embarked on their first UK tour in October 2019. Scheduled dates for the band's first ever North American and European tours in 2020 were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. [4] History [ edit ] Early history [ edit ]On 3 September 2012, the band released their seventh studio album, the first part of a double album, entitled English Electric Part One. The second part, English Electric Part Two, was released in March 2013, and featured Danny Manners (keyboards, double bass), who was now an official member of the band. [16] These additional dates form part of the band’s The Journey Continues tour and are in addition to the band’s previously announced headlining appearance at the 2 Days + 1 Festival in Italy on 2 nd September 2023. At these performances the band will be promoting the forthcoming Ingenious Devices album, which will be released on 30 th June 2023.

Voyager features the entire original recording, along with some additional guitar and violin. It also has a new mix for this release. This has been a brilliant song since its release, and it has been played live, including on 2020's Empire live album. This song is particularly fun in the way it compares the exploration of our solar system with the Voyager spacecraft to the exploration of our own planet in centuries past. As all the songs on this release do, Voyager champions human ingenuity. I think the closing lyrics might also champion this band as we cherish its past and look forward to its future: Sometimes it can be hard to imagine that songs this good can be improved, but as the band has grown, their access to additional resources makes subtle improvements possible. The biggest difference is the inclusion of a 17-piece string section instead of the original string quartet used on East Coast Racer and Brooklands. These new sections were recorded at Abbey Road in 2018 when the strings were recorded for Grand Tour. Thus, the band has had Ingenious Devices in the works for at least five years.

Credits

The most interesting part for me is the addition of Atlantic Cable and an introduction to Alberto Bravin. It sounds like he will be a good fit for the band, a different kind of voice to David Longdon, but then Mr Longdon’s vocals changed markedly over the years as he grew into the role. I’m confident that the journey with Mr Bravin will be just as enjoyable. Big Big Train were the winners of the Breakthrough act award at the 2013 Progressive Music Awards. [17]

prog bands around in terms of membership, and this allows them to take music in new direction without ever A personal favourite BBT epic, East Coast Raceris a completely new studio version recorded by the line-up of the band as it was in 2019.Gregory Spawton proudly calls it “ the definitive studio version.” With Dave Gregory’s guitar solo on the closing section, previously featured only on live versions of the song, adding to the climactic closing passage, the finale and the “ Into history, into legend, she flies” lines are pure Prog heaven. Almost as iconic as Genesis doing the New Jerusalem in Supper’s Ready or the soaring middle section of Yes’ And You And I. In a word, goosebumps. The album closes with a live version of Atlantic Cable, recorded at the Friars Aylesbury show in September 2022. While this isn't part of the "mankind and machine" trilogy, it certainly fits in that vein, as the song is about the laying of the first telegram cable connecting North America with Europe: "the continents are joined together again with the thrill of the line." English boys wondering how to play our old songs". Bigbigtrain.blogspot.com. 5 February 2008 . Retrieved 16 April 2016. This is yet another great release from BBT, and I look forward to the next album with great interest indeed.one of the finest singers in the prog scene and here, he has been kept front and centre while the arrangements have Big Big Train announce surprise new album Welcome To The Planet". Loudersound.com. 21 October 2021 . Retrieved 21 October 2021. With this release, Big Big Train has dared to push the boundaries even further, and in so doing, have created an impressive evolution.