ENGLISH ELECTRIC: FULL POWER

I am rating myself at a level 1 entering this review. I have an indication that I have heard a few of the tracks. I have never heard it all straight through, however. And it's a big one, comprising Parts one and two of English Electric which had been released previously as 2 separate albums. Along with 4 additional tracks from an EP called "Make Some Noise". The tracks are mixed together, presumably to make sense within the concept of the album. This is possibly? even likely? the longest album on the list at 2 hrs. and 16 minutes worth of music over 19 tracks. According to Wikipedia the concept is as follows:

Each song on the album tells a different story, many of them centering around characters living and working in England, with reference to the country's industrial past and processes which have changed its landscape. Full lyrics as well as descriptions of the stories behind the songs are included in the 96-page booklet of EEFLP. Additionally, Greg Spawton and David Longdon discussed the meanings of the tracks on the two initially released "parts'' of English Electric in blogs leading up to the releases of those albums.

As far as Big Big Train goes, I don't think I have ever heard a song of theirs that I don't like, so it should be a good 2+ hours.

So let's take a deep, deep dive with Big Big Train.

Disc 1:

Track 1 - Make Some Noise

We begin with great a cappella harmonies, followed by a distorted guitar riff backed by the band. This song is very catchy! There is a Tull-style flute part played by the late-great David Longdon, who was also the lead singer and a multi-instrumentalist. (He tragically died in November of 2021 after a traumatic fall in his home the previous morning.) For a relatively short song there is a lot going on here! This is a great crowd participation song. Some parts remind me of the Beatles (Sgt. Pepper era) others are straight boogie-woogie. The vocal harmonies and playing are spectacular throughout. Outstanding track!

Track 2 - The First Rebreather

There is an ascending guitar pattern as this song begins which will be quickly joined by lead vocals. Longdon's voice reminds me of Peter Gabriel here. There are some odd meters happening in different parts of the verses. The riff is vaguely somewhere between Kashmir (Led Zep) and Rhiannon (Fleetwood Mac). Things get quiet just before the 3 minute mark. Everything this band does is high-quality. The production is impeccable. There is a nicely phrased guitar solo at around 5 minutes in played by Dave Gregory. At about 6:30 a synth part comes to the forefront (Credited to band founder Greg Spawnton, who is primarily the bassist, but this is a band full of multi- instrumentalists). Wonderful track, even if not as exciting as the opener.

Track 3 - Uncle Jack

We begin with banjo (Longdon) and the band comes in with a light-hearted rhythm behind it, before the vocals join in. The harmonies are impeccable as guitar and banjo lines weave their way through the song. Flute returns in the instrumental break. This is a very enjoyable track, although a bit on the short side.

Track 4 - Swan Hunter

This one begins as a piano ballad with Longdon singing, before being joined by the rest of the band. The harmonies in this one remind me of CS&N on Our House. There are occasional odd metered measures breaking up the overall 4-4 at a moderately slow tempo. There are some lovely brass arrangements in the instrumental section that are joined by more orchestration. The electric 12-string parts remind me of Genesis in The Cinema Show. Longdon hits some glorious falsetto high notes at around 4:10. This song is so well arranged, that open-minded fans of classical music would certainly appreciate, if not outright enjoy, this song. Absolutely BEAUTIFUL!

Track 5 - Seen Better Days

This one fades in very slowly with synth sounds, before the bass begins a rhythmic pattern. There is some fantastic piano playing. There is a great drum groove from the amazing Nick D'Virgilio developing underneath. Longdon's voice so often reminds me of Peter Gabriel, that I am surprised that Ray Wilson got the gig over him in the 90s (they were the 2 finalists in the auditions to replace Phil Collins on lead vocals in Genesis). The harmonies at 2:58 are spine-tingling! The underlying rhythm reminds me of Genesis' In the Cage. Things lay-back a little and various instruments take the lead. Fabulous mellotron takes over at the 6 minute mark. There are some nice synth lines following that as the song winds down. Piano takes over during the last few seconds as it leads us to?

Track 6 - Edgelands

A very short track at only 1:26, the piano leads the way. It is primarily a piano solo that brings us to?

Track 7 - Summoned by Bells

The piano continues and vocals and drums join in. A violin joins with a countermelody on the second verse. Once again, the quality of arrangement really stands out here. There are little instrumental and vocal parts that bring that extra dimension to the sound. Things pick up at 3:20 and briefly become more intense. There is a vocal feature at 4 minutes with various instruments backing. A sitar joins in the mix as we proceed. Things get even more intense starting around 6 minutes. There is a lot happening here, but every bit of it feels like it belongs. The rhythm changes at around 7 minutes. Mellow horns take turns playing lines against the backdrop of sound created by the band. There is a great guitar solo as the song fades out.

Track 8 - Upton Heath

Fingerstyle acoustic starts this off with a subtle drum beat not far behind. Longdon starts singing not long after. There are folky instruments filling in between the verses. Once again, the vocal harmonies are as smooth as butter. Longdon's high notes that conclude the phrase, "Up on Upton Heath," each time he sings it are just impeccable. The harmony vocals and flute as the song reaches the final verse are amazing. I am probably going to wear out the word beautiful in this review, but I can't think of a better one.

Track 9 - A Boy In Darkness

After a few brief chords, Longdon begins singing. This one could almost be from a Broadway musical. The band kicks in big at around 1:40. But things come back down to a polished, highly orchestrated, bluesy sound, before it happens again. Longdon's vocals are just amazing! Hammond organ takes over at 3:10, as a guitar builds behind and the band comes in with a bang for some glorious "progginess" (my spell checked doesn't like that word, but I do), with fiddle playing over the top. Fantastic guitar line at 3:40. At around 4 minutes we're really groovin'. This instrumental break is fantastic. At around 5:20 violin and vocals come in, gradually joined by the rest of the band. This is probably my favorite track so far, on an already strong album. The part that starts at 6:40 when the mellotron kicks in is nothing short of incredible. London's note at 7:12 gave me chills. The drumming is amazing and it literally ends with an explosion. I am running out of adjectives to describe the greatness of this track. It should stand as a classic of 21st century prog.

Track 10 - Hedgerow

We begin with electric 12-string playing a Beatlesque part in 6-4. The time changes at around 1 minute in and smooth harmonies take over. We have another cycle of the 2 sections. I am picking up some Spock's Beard similarities, but it may be due to D'Virgilio's drumming (having been the SB drummer, as well). There is an instrumental section in 6-8 that includes a violin solo. I like the harmonized guitar parts at around 6 minutes. The chord progression in the following section with some piccolo trumpet fanfares also give me Beatle vibes?Dear Prudence meets Penny Lane. There is the sound of a distant dog barking as the track, and the first disc comes to a close.

Disc 2:

Track 11 - Judas Unrepentant

I have heard the live version of this, and I know it is considered one of the favorite BBT songs among fans. The intro reminds me slightly of Madness' House of Fun, but more prog. Smoother parts connect the verses. The choruses are more expansive in scope. There is a bridge at 3:00 that changes things up. Following that is an instrumental break in 6-8 with a piano foundation and various instruments on top. There is a glorious crescendo at 5 minutes in with amazing harmonies. The ska-type beat returns briefly following that, before returning to the 6-8. There is more whimsical playing leading up to the big finish.

Track 12 - Worked Out

A light, airy guitar pattern starts this one out. This is a moderately-slow easy going song to begin with. Things start building as we approach 2 minutes, but it eases back off for the second verse. The chorus of "We're working men, we follow the sea," is quite catchy. The flute solo that follows is very good as well?more shades of Tull as the next part of the instrumental section develops. The chorus returns afterward. Next comes a guitar solo. There are some nice Wakeman-style synth flourishes starting at 6:30. Also, one Simon Godfrey is credited on backing vocals on this song!

Track 13 - Winchester From St. Giles' Hill

We begin with piano & flute, before drums, guitar & bass take over, followed by harmony vocals. We are at a slow peaceful tempo. Mellotron strings join in with choir-like backing vocals. There is a nice jazzy feel to this, very relaxed. There is Hammond organ in the mix as we proceed. We return to piano & flute as we reach the instrumental break. There is a lovely crescendo as we begin the guitar break at around 5:10. Longdon's vocals return afterward with minimal accompaniment that begins to build up with layers of sound being added one by one. Beautiful song.

Track 14 - The Lovers

Pastoral flute and clean electric guitar start us off here, joined by Longdon's vocals. Luscious harmonies join in. The beat becomes steady and the guitars heavier at around 1:45. This is another moderately slow song, so far. As soon as I typed that, the tempo increased as we begin a fusion-style instrumental break. The guitar solo sounds as though it was recorded in reverse. It alternates with electric piano solos that sound straight-up. Choir-level vocals join in at 4:20. There is another verse and a short quiet tag at the end. Great track.

Track 15 - Leopards

A whimsical 3-4 tempo on acoustic guitar brings us in with some strings backing the vocals. The compositional level of the music on this album is astounding. This is pure art. I like the panning of the backing vocals opposite of the lead vocals. This is a relatively short track but it's simply perfect.

Track 16 - Keeper of Abbeys

This one begins with a late 80's Steve Winwood vibe, but quickly transitions to a quicker tempo. This one is kind of breezy until around the 2 minute mark when things sound more serious. There is a guitar break starting around 3:10. A bit of keyboard and sitar follow that. Next we have violin. We go into cut time and the sitar is featured again. We then switch to a half time feel with choir vocals and lead guitar as the song ends.

Track 17 - The Permanent Way

We start with a slow tempo featuring piano, flute & strings. Vocals join around 1:25, then a subtle drum beat fades in, joined by bass. There is a spoken word part between verses. Glorious organ and harmony vocals join in. This album is so beautiful! The tempo increases just before the four minute mark, with an organ solo. There are lots of well-done dynamic changes. The arrangements are immaculate. Most of the instruments drop out except piano at around 5:15. The spoken word part returns, followed by a crescendo and guitar solo. Then things come back down, and create a dreamy atmosphere as the song reaches its conclusion.

Track 18 - East Coast Racer

This is the big epic of the album at nearly 16 minutes. It begins quietly at first, but things soon change. The guitar & rhythm section begins with a quick staccato pattern that sets up the first verse. The next part becomes quite legato by contrast. At around 2:40 there are some cool guitar lines with a steadier tempo underneath. The tempos and feels of the song change rapidly, but in a way that doesn't feel herky-jerky ? it works. Mellotron & piano take over around 5:40. Then the rhythm section creates a proggy groove for an electric piano solo. Longdon's voice emerges from the solo so smoothly, it sounds like an instrument at first. This band handles tempo and meter changes so smoothly, it's sometimes hard to tell that they've happened. The next instrumental break is beautifully orchestrated. An exhilarating crescendo happens at around the 11 minute mark. Then, however there is a decrescendo and things quiet back down peacefully. By 12:45 it's so quiet, it's almost inaudible. Then we begin another slow crescendo. Then all instruments fade out except some beautiful piano playing to conclude this amazing epic.

Track 19 - Curator of Butterflies

Piano starts this one off, joined by vocals. The bass & drums start providing subtle rhythms. Longdon proves once again that he was one of the greatest singers of the early 21st century. What a tragic loss. His vocals on this are simply magnificent. There is an interesting meter change at around 5 minutes. The way he sings and sustains the word free at 6:37 is simply masterful. There is a nice melodic guitar solo that follows, eventually joined by mellotron backing. Things quiet down at around 8:10 and solo piano closes out this amazing album.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:

What Spawnton, Longdon and company have achieved here is nothing short of a masterpiece. When I saw that this is 2 hours and 16 minutes of music I was a bit intimidated. But, not one second of that music is wasted.It took a few sessions due to my schedule to listen to it all, but if I had the time to listen uninterrupted, I would not be disappointed. I believe that people who consider themselves more of a classical music fan would even enjoy this. It transcends musical genres and is simply incredible music. These songs may have been initially on 3 separate releases, but they belong together in this format. If you are a prog fan but haven't checked out Big Big Train, you are really missing out. I can't give this anything but 5 out of 5 stars. It's amazing.