Big Big Train - Discography (1992-2013)

Big Big Train was formed in 1990 by Andy Poole and Greg Spawton.
In 1991, Andy and Greg were joined by Ian Cooper (keyboards), Steve Hughes (drums) and Canadian vocalist Martin Read. A demo cassette tape of the band’s first songs was released in October 1991 and was followed by Big Big Train’s first live performances. The demo tape ‘From the River to the Sea’ was re-recorded and released as a self-financed demo CD in May 1992, following which BBT played some higher profile gigs in England.
In January 1993, a second demo tape, ‘The Infant Hercules’ was released and the band then spent the next six months writing the music for its first album,‘Goodbye to the Age of Steam’. This was recorded in a two week period in July 1993. Soon afterwards, BBT signed to the progressive rock label GEP where they became label mates of IQ.
‘Goodbye to the Age of Steam’ was a big leap forward for the band and the response to the album was very positive, culminating in a licensing deal in Japan where the CD was re-issued in 1995, with a bonus track.
Ian Cooper left the band in early 1995 and live performances were put on hold while a replacement was sought and a new album was written.
Recording of BBT's second album commenced in July of 1995 (with Greg filling in on keyboards) and continued, sporadically, until completion 18 months later. During the sessions, a new keyboard player, Tony Müller was recruited. Some of the songs from the new album were debuted at the band’s only show from this period at the Astoria, London. ‘English Boy Wonders’ was finally released in autumn 1997, although in an incomplete state as the band had run out of money to finish the album.
Steve Hughes left Big Big Train in September 1998 and went on to join The Enid. He was replaced by Pete Hibbit. After disappointing sales of English Boy Wonders, they were dropped by their record label, GEP.
Big Big Train re-grouped, built their own studio and decided to carry on as an independent band.
In February 2002, the third BBT album, ‘Bard’ was released. At the same time, Steve Hughes rejoined BBT.
A new vocalist, Sean Filkins was recruited to replace original vocalist Martin Read and a fourth album, ‘Gathering Speed’, was released in March 2004. Gathering Speed was a concept album which told the story of a fighter pilot in the summer of 1940. It marked a significant change in direction for Big Big Train with the band exploring classic prog-rock territory with the addition of post-rock influences.
The Difference Machine album was released in September 2007 and featured guest performances from Pete Trewavas and Nick D’Virgilio.
In 2008, Big Big Train re-released English Boy Wonders (an updated and completed 'director's cut' version of the album which was partly re-recorded by BBT and fully re-mixed by Rob Aubrey).
In February 2009, Sean Filkins and Steve Hughes left Big Big Train and were replaced by Nick D’Virgilio and David Longdon.
David Longdon was signed to Rondor Music and recorded for Epic records in the 1990’s with his band The Gifthorse. In the final days of The Gifthorse, Longdon was invited to audition as a potential replacement for Phil Collins as lead singer in Genesis. He worked with Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford and producer Nick Davis from May to November 1996 on recordings that would become the Calling All Stations album. Genesis also worked with Stiltskin vocalist Ray Wilson at the same time and eventually he was preferred over Longdon. Nick D’Virgilio, also played drums on Calling All Stations.
Longdon’s first solo CD Wild River (2004) featured many musicians collectively known as The Magic Club. In 2008 Martin Orford (IQ) invited Longdon to sing on his swan-song album The Old Road which was also recorded by Rob Aubrey and once again featured Nick D’Virgilio. Shortly afterwards, Longdon joined Big Big Train in time to commence work on The Underfall Yard which was released on December 15th 2009. Guest appearances on The Underfall Yard include Dave Gregory (XTC), Francis Dunnery (It Bites) and Jem Godfrey (Frost*). Big Big Train were also joined on the album by a brass band led by Dave Desmond of the Coldstream Guards band.
A 41 minute EP (Far Skies Deep Time) was released in October 2010 as a companion CD to The Underfall Yard. The EP consists of a cover version of Anthony Phillips' Master of Time, an unreleased song from The Underfall Yard sessions (Fat Billy Shouts Mine) and three new songs including the 17 minute epic The Wide Open Sea which is about Jacques Brel.
Big Big Train's first album, Goodbye to the Age of Steam was re-issued in a remixed version with bonus tracks and new artwork in April 2011.
The band completed a new arrangement and recording of a song called Kingmaker in June 2011. This track originally appeared on the 1992 demo album, The Infant Hercules. The new recording replaced Master of Time on the import release of Far Skies Deep Time by the Russian label MALS. Kingmaker also features on the download version of the EP.
Dave Gregory completed the current BBT line-up by joining the band in 2011.
A new double album called English Electric has been recorded and will be released in two parts in September 2012 and March 2013.
Another album entitled Station Masters is also due for release in 2013. Station Masters will be a 2CD retrospective and will include new recordings of tracks from all of the band's releases.

В прогрессивной «битве за Британию» у коллектива Big Big Train на текущий момент одна из наиболее выигрышных позиций. Однако путь к покорению внушительных творческих высот для этих англичан выдался долгим и отнюдь непростым. Учредили формацию три музыканта - басист Энди Пул, гитарист Грег Споутон и клавишник Иен Купер. Случилось сие в далеком 1990 году, и за прошедший с той поры хронологический отрезок ребята проявили себя наилучшим образом. Первые программы команды не выбивались за рамки устоявшихся неопроговых стандартов, но композиторский зуд вкупе с общим профессиональным ростом в итоге взяли свое. Перелом наметился к 1997 г., когда BBT вдохновенно трудились над альбомом «English Boy Wonders». Спустя пять лет парни издали лонгплей «Bard», удачно соединивший арт-находки семидесятых с приемами, свойственными новому времени. Воодушевленные восторженными откликами публики, отцы-основатели Big Big Train продолжили активно «ковать железо». И результат не заставил себя ждать.
«Gathering Speed» - историко-эпический экскурс в начальную фазу Второй мировой войны. Рассказ о летчике, принимавшем участие в крупнейшем авиационном сражении над территорией Туманного Альбиона. Впрочем, сюжетная линия для наших героев - штука второстепенная. Ведь не смысловыми перипетиями ценны подобные проекты, а тем глубочайшим эмоциональным зарядом, что скрыт под фабульной оболочкой.
Задавшись целью вывести на передний план повествования чувственные мотивы, экипаж Big Big Train, доукомплектованный певцом Шоном Филкинсом, бэк-вокалисткой Лаурой Мёрч и ударником Стивом Хьюзом, максимально успешно выполнил требуемое. В развернутых полотнах периодически мелькают тени великих Genesis. Правда, ни о каком копировании речь не идет. BBT - заочные ученики гениальных первопроходцев жанра, воспринявшие от старших тягу к драматизации и мелодичности. Отсюда обилие трогательно-хрупких эпизодов (пример - «Fighter Command») с необыкновенно красивым инструментально-тематическим развитием (воздушные пряди синтезаторов, волшебные акустические партии гитары, тонкий меллотроновый флер, протяжные электрические соло на фоне клавишных оркестровок…). Да и голосовой тембр фронтмена Филкинса отчасти напоминает ветеранистого мистера Коллинза (еще одна «галочка» в пользу преемственности традиций). Со вкусом выстроенные аранжировки отличаются крайней деликатностью при полном отсутствии агрессивных эпизодов, что по-своему удивительно: все же в основе - военные события, пусть и преломленные художественно. Но, быть может, в том и заключается главная прелесть «Gathering Speed». Яркие душевные переживания персонажа на поверку оказываются гораздо выразительнее страшной реальности.
И, возводя защитный ментальный экран, оберегая внутренний мир пилота «Спитфайра» от зловещих посягательств извне, авторы, сами того не ведая, вместо натуралистического трагедийного концепта детально прорисовывают настоящую притчу с псевдодокументальным подтекстом. Как следствие, комплексная звуковая мозаика собирает урожай хвалебных отзывов в специализированной прессе + удостаивается номинации на звание лучшего прог-альбома 2004 года.(Last.fm)

- Andy Poole / bass, keyboards
- Greg Spawton / guitars, keyboards, bass
- David Longdon / vocals, flute, glockenspiel
- Nick D'Virgilio / drums