I couldn't get into Big Big Train..(Opinion Piece)

souio wrote: ... I also found that there weren't very many memorable melodies, either.

This sums up my experience with the band. Musically I enjoy them very much. I just feel the vocals are sung in this style where each word is sung with this kind of prolonged grandeur that becomes very wearisome and leaves little room for vocal melody.

Essential one afaic

I think you'll find, Tom, that for everyone who enjoys BBT for their vintage flavours, lush qualities and pleasing harmonies, someone else might find them bland and wishy-washy and too comfy like an old rug to cuddle up in.

Not my personal opinion, mind you, but I could completely understand if someone were to find their music just those things.

English Electric Full Power is undeniably one of the best albums that I own Some of the songs are just beautiful: Swan Hunter, Edgelands - Summoned By Bells - Upton Heath, Curator Of Butterflies being my favourites.

I know it's kind of a compilation, but it doesn't feel like that to me, as I didn't get the two separate EE albums, just waited for the double album.  Previous to that, I had The Underfall Yard and although I liked it, it didn't make me rush out to buy anything else, including EE1 and EE2 (obviously!)

Now I really must get Folklore....

When I was a kid, I got into small small trains!

The vocals pre Filkins are a real shame - nice playing but I find them pretty hard to listen to.

Filkins is ok and he has grown on me a fair bit but Longdon's a real star with a great range and tone. His contribution to the song-writing has been enormous too.

Sean Filkins is an excellent vocalist, and his BBT albums and solo work is outstanding.  However, I think that David Longdon has emerged as the face of BBT, and he brings a level of emotion that is unsurpassed.  I think the new albums are just stellar, and they are making outstanding music.  I would call their music very mature, intelligent, and sophisticated.  I think they are more organic of a band that rely on subtleties with excellent song writing and compositions.  Big Big Train has become a favorite of mine, and I hope they keep this momentum going.


Edited by javajeff - July 04 2016 at 15:32

Progmind wrote: BrufordFreak wrote: I got into BBT with 2008's The Difference Machine--which I immediately and continue to absolutely adore--it remains my favorite BBT album. (Then vocalist Sean Filkins is not as bombastic as current vocalist.) Then went back into their catalog and purchased Gathering Speed (cool concept, two great songs) and "Reaching for John Dowland" from English Boy Wonders is absolutely stunning. Then Underfall Yard  came out.      Amazing sound production and compositional skill. The vocal arrangements of newcomer David Longdon are stunning--to this day. I just found myself having trouble connecting with the subject matter: How is it that these little-known English 'heroes' can possibly generate the kind of emotion Dave & Co were displaying in the songs--especially in the singing??      The next albums--which I continue to buy and attend to--have maintained a pretty high standard of sound and compositional display but, again, they sometimes leave me cold--feeling left out of the emotion that these guys (purport) to feel toward their chosen subject matter. Perhaps being English would help more.      Still, I rate English Electric, Part I as my 'Best Album of the Year 2012'--and "Winchester from St. Giles' Hill" as my favorite song of that year.      Their artwork is amazing. I wish they would do more videos to help people to connect to their songs. Agree with BrufordFreak in everything!!, I prefer Big Big Train with Sean Filkins as vocalist, my fav album it´s The Different Machine followed by Gathering Speed

Sean is truly a very good vocalist. More power and better range than Longdon while having a similar sound. Gathering Speed is one of my favorite albums from any artist period. I think the band's textures and arrangements are finer in the Longdon era, with more memorable tracks. The Wide Open Sea is arguably my favorite song of all time. Then tracks like Kingmaker, Summoned by Bells, East Coast Racer, The Underfall Yard, and Judas Unrepentant are wonderful.

Regarding OP's post, I have never gotten then sense of them creating prog for the sake of prog at all. And I also have never considered them a Genesis copycat or Genesis "evolved" as I've heard many say. I think people say that mostly because of the vocal similarities.

I got into BBT with 2008's The Difference Machine--which I immediately and continue to absolutely adore--it remains my favorite BBT album. (Then vocalist Sean Filkins is not as bombastic as current vocalist.) Then went back into their catalog and purchased Gathering Speed (cool concept, two great songs) and "Reaching for John Dowland" from English Boy Wonders is absolutely stunning. Then Underfall Yard  came out.

Gathering speed is my favorite from them, still it's just ok.