FAR SKIES DEEP TIME

It's a little unfair to describe this recording as an EP, really - clocking in at over forty minutes it's as long as most albums were back in the day of vinyl, and there's a consistency to the sound that makes it more than just a collection of songs.

This is the first collection of new material that Big Big Train have released since the critically accliamed The Underfall Yard last year. Far Skies Deep Time also represents the first fruits of the writing collaboration between Gregory Spawton and the bands' singer, David Longdon, who came into the band at a relatively late stage in the development of the songs on the last album and therefore didn't contribute to the compositions. This new partnership has borne some quite superb work on this EP, and bodes well for future Big Big Train releases.

The first track is a cover version - in fact, the first time BBT have ever covered someone else's work - a re-working of the Anthony Phillips song, 'Master of Time'. The composition appeared in a demo form on the re-release of The Geese And The Ghost last year, and the BBT version is a fully 'rocked up' re-working, and sets the scene for the rest of the EP very nicely.

'Fat Billy Shouts Mine' was originally intended for The Underfall Yard, but didn't make the cut - however, it's clear this wasn't for reasons of quality control. The only solo Spawton composition, the song tells the tale of a goalkeeper, William "Fatty" Foulke, who played for Sheffield United and England football teams (that's soccer for US readers) around the turn of the twentieth century, but as is so often the case ended his days in poverty. The legend - purely apocryphal - is that he died keeping goal in a sideshow on a beach, and the song tells the story of how heaven turns out to be something of a disappointment for Billy when he gets there. There's a superb guest guitar part from Jon Barry on this track, and equally excellent synth solos from ex-IQ keyboard man, Martin Orford, possibly his last performances before retirement.

Two shorter songs follow, both based around the theme of ending relationships. British Racing Green is an exquisite slice of English pop-rock, as reminscent of Prefab Sprout or 10CC as much as of Genesis or Yes. Brambling is a sprightlier number, though thematically no less emotional - the idea that the dissolution of first love makes one stronger, and that the process is important if the protagonist is to love again.

A word here about the players on the album. In addition to the core of Spawton, Longdon and bassist/producer Andy Poole, Nick D'Virgilio once again drums on this album, and his trademark feel has become a big part of the band's sound. In addition Dave Gregory - ex-XTC - now plays most of the lead guitar on Big Big Train's music, and his contribution is stunning throughout Far Skies Deep Time, as indeed it was on The Underfall Yard. David Longdon, an accomplshed multi-instrumentalist, also adds masses of colour to the music on the EP, numbering flute, banjo, accordian and vibraphone among the instruments he plays here.

The final track, The Wide Open Sea, is the real masterpies on Far Skies....a sprawling epic track based around the later life of Jacques Brel, but also incorporating a ghost story. It's a piece of music which works from the first listen, but repeats just bring greater and greater depth to the whole thing, and if possible I think that BBT have outdone even the masterpiece that is the title track from The Underfall Yard. This band can write the epics as well as superb shorter songs. The performances here are all incredible - Spawton builds the piece with his exemplary background guitar, Gregory gives us some electric 12-string work which will make Steve Howe weep, and again we have Longdon's additional colour from those 'odd' instruments as well as a vocal performance which blows everything else away.

If this is a stop-gap, then the next album, English Electric, promises to be something very special indeed. An absolutely dyed-in-the-wool five-star collection.

After the big success of the Underfall Yard, Big Big Train wanted to deliver a new gem as a gift for their fans. Here is a new EP (total 41 minutes?) with previously unreleased songs and one cover from an old Anthony Phillips song (of course this revisited version is far better than the original!). Dont want to describe the album entirely but few words must be spent for the final suite "Te Wide Open Sea". This song reminds me in some parts Marillion (Hogart era) and is absolutely one of the best songs produced by BBT (probably even better than The Undefall Yard track), Lyrics and music are absolutely great and give more than 17 minutes of outstanding atmosphere. Lets enjoy this new work then, looking forward to the new Album expected in 2011 (English Electric) !

I've only discovered this band about three months ago and I've picked up four of their releases to date. My most recent acquisition is the "Far Skies Deep Time" EP and I have to say, what a marvellous collection of songs/progressive music and a fitting follow on from the magnificent "The Underfall Yard". Each composition is totally different from the others but they are all equally powerful in their excellent sound, production, melody and musical variation. The sheer quality of this body of work compels repeated plays.

The cd starts with a cover of Ant Phillips' "Master of Time" and Big Big Train do a fabulous job, moving easily from quiet melodic sounds of David Longdon's vocals and flute to the more urgent guitar work later in the song.

"Fat Billy Shouts Mine" is the second track and it is pure prog rock with guest Martin Orford, formally of IQ, showing just how good he is on keyboards.

The third track, "British Racing Green" again showcases David Longdon's powerful melancholic vocal talent and evokes memories of love gone wrong, which I'm sure we've all experienced some time in the past. Again there is some fine flute play, suitably accompanied by piano to finish off a short but very pleasing piece.

"Brambling" at the beginning, continues on with the softer side of Big Big Train's sound but it builds later and contains some fine guitar work that any accomplished practitioner would be proud of.

The fifth and last song is "The Wide Open Sea", a tiny taste of which we got on the album "The Difference Machine". This is progressive rock music at its best in every respect. It has obviously been put together with great care and attention to detail and finishes the cd with a decadent flourish.

Each listening reveals something new in this cd. It contains real music, composed and played by accomplished musicians and I can't recommend it highly enough.

Greg Spawton and his fellows offer entertaining songs here and now ... once again provided with a recognition value, when it comes to those prog dinosaurs like Genesis and Yes. Officially released as an EP the complete length even corresponds to a vinyl album. 'Far Skies Deep Time' is still only available if you join the band's mailing list, what I know. While perfectly linking to their predecessor masterpiece 'The Underfall Yard' it's worth it in any case. Well, spend comparatively few money and reach for high quality music ... it's just that simple. In order to point out a remarkable change - although they have invited some additional musicians (f.e. Martin Orford) for the recordings - wind instruments are reduced on David Longdon's flute this time.

The Master Of Stones, James of St. George by name, is replaced by the Master Of Time here, required to take them back through the years. A cover version, that's right. They offer a folksy intro with acoustic guitar which will probably let you reckon that this may go into a completely new direction - only for a short time though. Welcome to the known BBT realm now ... just imagine that Genesis never would have left their prog traces! You will find rather complex compositions with changing time signatures, twists and turns, lush instrumentation, wonderful melodies.

'She looks at me, we tore each other's hearts out' - nearly missing a prog substance as such British Racing Green is an ambivalent soundtrack for lovers, a charming ballad, melancholy pure. This is able to bring tears to my eyes, nice piano and flute interaction - but surely off the common BBT track, with other words - a new facet. The following Brambling holds a haunting jazzy interlude supported by some Mellotron impressions.

'The Sea Is My Blood' ... finally they enter The Wide Open Sea with much pathos ... and the legend begins ... an epic divided in eight sections. David Longdon picks up the accordion in between when it comes to Paris. Towards the end a Steve Howe reminiscent guitar solo is coming up. Again this is proving the BBT typical approach to offer an intricate song structure.

A new sign of life from this band which should not be ignored. David Longdon is fully integrated into the songwriting process here for the first time. It works - as you can expect from this band - in the aftermath of 'The Underfall Yard' at the latest. High quality stuff comprising short songs as well as epics. Well, if you only concentrate on Nick D'Virgilio's drum playing for example ... then at the latest you know that this is of value what you hear - 4.5 stars really.

There are no signs of BIG BIG TRAIN slowing down any time soon, in fact if anything they are gathering speed (haha). To have former XTC guitarist Dave Gregory and SPOCK'S BEARD drummer Nick D'Virgilo as permanent members doesn't hurt the already impressive trio of Spawton, Poole and Longdon.This band oozes class and intergrity.

"Master Of Time" is actually an Anthony Phillips cover and what a great song this is. A beat with vocals leads before a minute and we even get some banjo on this one that comes and goes. A calm with flute after 3 minutes then it picks up with prominant bass. Love the guitar 4 minutes in that goes on and on.Nice. "Fat Billy Shouts Mine" is a song that pushes all the right buttons for me. It opens with the sound of sea gulls before it kicks in with vocals around a minute. Nice chunky bass here and I find this song so moving for some reason. Martin Orford adds some keyboards on this one. We also get some accordion and the sound picks up before 3 minutes. I like the instrumental section late. Two fantastic tracks right there.

"British Racing Green" is mellow with vocals and this is my least favourite tune on here. "Brambling" builds quickly then it settles with vocals.Organ a minute in with guitar. Mellotron 3 minutes in and flute late. "The Wide Open Sea" is the almost 18 minute closer. Atmosphere early on then reserved vocals join in after a minute. I like the mood on this one. Accordion after 5 minutes.This stays fairly laid back even with the tempo shifts. I like the guitar and more intense sound 15 minutes in.The final minute is filled with atmosphere as faint sea gull sounds end it.

A solid 4 stars and 41 minutes is just right.

UK band BIG-BIG TRAIN has six full-length albums to their name since they started out, the latest of them "The Underfall Yard" from 2009. 2010 saw the band celebrating their 20th anniversary, and while no new full-length album appeared, the band decided to release the next best thing, the album-length EP "Far Skies Deep Time", to celebrate the occasion.

"Far Skies Deep Time" is a delightful creation that should cater quite nicely for those with an interest in symphonic art rock. The emphasis on strong melodies and distinct moods is of a kind that should appeal to fans of the vintage variety as well as those with a soft spot for Neo-prog, and when sold as a low-price EP this should prove to be excellent value for money for all concerned.

8/10

It's very rewarding to see how the Big Big Train had a remarkable evolution in recent years. His early albums were lacking in quality or attractive but from Gathering Speed ​​things improved for them, culminating in an unprecedented masterpiece, entitled The Underfall Yard, which is probably my favorite album of the past decade. It would be difficult forthem to continue on top after a bombastic album as such, but just listen to this fantastic EP released last year to get an idea that they can still surprise us.

Yes, it's an EP, but I'll consider it as an album - it's light years away from the horrible band's debut EP! Far Skies Deep Time follows the musicality of the previous album, but with some differences. First, the brass instruments are no longer here (which is a pity), but the multifaceted figure of David Longdon is revealed here with force. Besides singing (which he does very well, and in my opinion the best singer in the band ever had and one of the best nowadays) he plays banjo, mandolin, flute (which is actually part of the album and the climate is not as a stranger element in The Underfall Yard), accordion, vibraphone and more. He is really the key figure here, but make no mistake - the other members play their roles beautifully! In addition we have invited weight: Jonathan Barry (guitar), Danny Manners (double bass), Tony Muller (piano) and Martin Orford (keyboards).

What about music? Well, they will not let you down if you're a fan of the band and / or enjoy a modern sound with a clear retro influence, I promise. My favorite songs here is the epic The Wide Open Sea and the jazzy British Racing Green.

4 stars. Certainly his next album will not disappoint!

*This is a review of the 2011 release of Far Skies Deep Time with "Kingmaker" replacing "Master of Time" as the first track.

With each successive album they release, Big Big Train reinforces what they know how to do: make coherent, succinct collections of music. They continue to do this with the offspring of 2009's The Underfall Yard, the EP Far Skies Deep Time. While it may not be as consistent or reach the same heights as its big brother, the album holds its own ground in their catalogue and is perfect for fans who want a little more Big Big Train before English Electric releases later this year.

Far Skies Deep Time is a shorter album than most in this era, coming in at 43 minutes, and containing five songs. The opener and closer are longer more developed songs, with the three in between being shorter and simpler. Like Big Big Train is known for, the songs are in perfect order and the flow from one to the next is masterfully done. Even as an EP, Far Skies Deep Time is a more complete musical package than many full albums released in the last few years.

I do suggest that you buy this version of the album, because the opener, "Kingmaker" is one of the strongest songs by the band I've ever heard. It is wonderfully composed, has one of the most enticing guitar melodies I've ever heard, and has excellent singing. The next three songs are done well, but don't provide the same rush as the first song. If nothing else, they all tell nice stories, and have enough interesting music to hold your attention until the finale.

The final song on the album, "From the Wide Open Sea" is a very well done, 17 minute song. While it is more compartmentalized than and not quite as exciting as its cousin "The Underfall Yard," it is an excellent song and a great conclusion to the album. Again, like the band is known for, "From the Wide Open Sea" takes an old story and puts a spin on it to turn it into a musical adventure. This one in particular tells the tale of Jacques Brel, a Belgian musician who spent most of the end of his life on the sea upon learning of his terminal illness. The lyrics, and in particular, the singing by David Longdon, are in great form, and it's a pleasure to experience both.

Longdon deserves a special mention, as his inclusion to the band a few years ago seems to have been the best thing they could have done. Not only does he bring his excellent voice to their music, but he adds more and more eclecticism the longer he's been with them. He again adds many flute portions and contributes, to my knowledge, the first accordion solo on a prog song, both of which color the music in a unique way.

My only less than stellar comment about the album is that the three middle songs don't have the same quality as the two they are bookended by, whereas on The Underfall Yard all of the songs were excellent, and not just the two longer ones. They certainly don't bring the album down, and have enough to offer that I'm glad they were included.

Small qualm aside, Far Skies Deep Time is a great album, even for an EP, and if you're a fan who can't wait for the next Big Big Train release, this will make the waiting so much more enjoyable. If you're new to the band, check out The Underfall Yard, and if you want more in a similar style, take a look here.

Reached for the far skies, grasped only the clouds.

Stretching from the generic spectrum of Crossover Prog with songs like "Master of Time", to the beautifully cohesive epic of "The Wide Open Sea", Far Skies Deep Time comes off as a mixed bag in both power and consistency.

"Fat Billy Shouts Mine"," Brambling", and "The Wide Open Sea" are the real high points of Big Big Train's most recent EP release, giving the album a majority of quality Crossover..

"Fat Billy Shouts Mine" reveals an abundance of Big Big Train's sound: providing symphonic mellotron layers, a great keyboard-led bridge, then wrapped together with some rock passages. "Brambling" is a song the revises The Difference Machine's sound. Having some similarities to Yes, they achieve a fluid song with some expert drums driving the song. The mellotron takes it's place in this song too, this time accommodating Longdon with his really great vocals. They match the band so well, a reflection of their musical direction. "The Wide Open Sea" is the 17 minute epic that really makes this album wonderful. Big Big Train takes you with them on their journey of a man's connection with the ocean that stands before him. The song has a building tension that breaks into the band's ethereal state of mind or becomes nimble, creating an eclectic anatomy for this beautiful creature.

Master of Time and British Racing Green are the remaining songs, exerting predictability and never really rewarding the listener. "Master of Time" comes of a bit cliche, but doesn't have terrible execution. "British Racing Green" is painfully stagnant, never changing the song's theme, constantly being a painfully barren song. Though, while both are the definite weak points, and never do the rest of the album justice, i can imagine them having some praise from others.

Far Skies Deep Time is a definite step down from the masterpieces of The Difference Machine and The Underfall Yard, but is a good output from the band.

3.5/5 Stars.

Oh, I love this EP!! I´m not exactly Big Big Train´s biggest fan, even though I liked their previous The Underfall Yard very much. It´s just that I found that CD to be a little too dense for my actual tastes and I dont´really know their discography all that well, and I have not a good idea of what they are all about yet. Anyway, I was quite surprised by the opening track, their version of a song called Master Of Time. I had never heard the original one but, boy, does BBT play it good!! It sounds like the good days of classic Genesis: melodic, yet complex, with very tasteful arrangements and a heartfelt delivering. I was hooked at the first listening. That tune alone is worth the price of the CD. Of course the remaining tracks are not that easy and familiar, but again I found them to be very good and did enjoy the record a lot. It seems they found the master´s winning formula lost to most prog acts nowadays: a good balance between the simple and the intricated together with a good melody line.

Those guys definitly are terrific musicians and they have the right influences. If you love classic symphonic prog rock of the 70´s you must get to know BBT. And more important: they know how to write excellent tunes in that vein with much personality and a style of their own. It´s really refreshing to find a band that sounds so familiar and yet had something so up to date and unique. By the way, hardcore proggers will love the 17 minute epic Wide Open Sea for its many twists and turns, coupled with fine mellotron waves.

Production is simply brilliant: you can hear everything. And the band haa the luck to find a very fine singer in the person of David Longdon, who not only has a good voice, but also knows how to give the songs the right emotional interpretation. As if that was not good enough the guy also plays several other instruments (among them a mean flute!)! I´m looking forward to hear their newst releases.

Conclusion: a must have to any prog collection. Highly recommended!!

I guess it was inevitable. I sort of had it coming. There was always something about BBT, whenever I approached their music. I have never cared for the name, though. It sounds like one of those pop wonders of the 80's and I can't help but twitch ever so much. But that is just the name and I have gotten past that now. Or something.

The music is, however, brilliant in many ways. I find that there is so much to love and cherish in their output, simply because of the high quality of music and for the genuine britishness found inside. I love all things british and stories of the emerging railways or of the sea or any other story from the past makes me a very happy camper. BBT:s music leads by way of The Kinks a direct line from the past into the future. Someone said that most times prog, these days, aren't really progressive. It is more a business of keeping the greatness from the past and keeping the ragged flag flying still. Maybe that is true. I for one do not really care. For me prog lies in everything from before and transforming it into something genuine and hopefully the band manages to hit a note never played before in that order.

This EP, which in length surpasses most other contemporary full length albums, is, for the record (!), one of those albums that manages to preserve the past and project it into something contemporary. It is british, it is progressive and it is marvellous. From the opener "Master of time", past the fantastic "British racing green" and head first into that gloriuos "The wide open sea", BBT is on top of their game. This is progressive music at it's finest. Sometimes leaning towards pop I get the feeling of (later) Genesis but the progressive movement of the chords and notes are ever so present.

This is a great album. I had it coming. Though I tried to duck the music hit me right in the face. I find it rather brilliant and think that everyone ought to listen, if nothing else, to the epic "The wide open sea". There it is. Divine. Beautiful. Brilliant.

A Few Great Tracks.

The best tracks here come at the end. Indeed, each track seems better than the one beforehand on this release, and at 41 minutes, I consider this to be a regular album, rather than the 'extended EP' it is formally labelled. The album begins with "Master of Time", a cover originally written by Genesis-founder Anthony Philips, which is very pleasant and fits the BBT sound very well. The next song, "Billy Shouts Mine", is like a few on the second (original) volume of English Electric (EE) a bit on the melancholy side, but the music is very good. British Racing Green is forgettable, but short and pleasant. The best tune are the last two. "Brambling" is an awesome track, and I am surprised it never surfaced on one of the live albums. It would have fit very well on EE. The closing track, though, is the one that makes this release a necessary addition to the BBT catalogue. "The Wide Open Sea" is excellent, beautiful 17-minute epic musical journey, up there with the best BBT epics, and better than anything on Folklore (for instance). It sounds like it should have been on The Underfall Yard, but perhaps they had too much material for that album, necessitating this release. It is so good. All taken together, this release contains both great and OK tracks, but the good ones more than compensate for the OK tracks. On balance, I give this 8.0 out of 10 on my 10-point scale, which just squeeks it in to the 4 PA star range.

What a great EP! While The Underfall Yard showed this band making music in the modern era that only sounded like the best Prog of the 70's they release another showcase of songs that could have been on that album. Dave Gregory returning to become a full time member and making his presence heard.

Kingmaker was my introduction to Big Big Train. The first time I heard it was on Radio Rock UK in 2015 I believe. My mind was blown away and I ended up buying their albums very quickly. Having been quite the obsessed fan I am of classic Genesis this track had me out of my mind. And it's still a top 3 favorite if not my favorite track to this day from this wonderful band.

The shorter in between tracks are really good but have that presence of tracks to not be included on an album. That B-side feel which is not a bad thing but just makes these tracks more obscure and welcome and makes them fit right in.

The Wide Open Sea is another attempt at an epic which Big Big Train was really good at and probably got better at In later years. It's far less accessible than the other tracks during this time period. It has a sore of feel of Wind and Wuthering and early Steve Hackett albums.

If you love The Underfall Yard this EP is a must. One of those rare finds that is both an EP and an essential!