FAR SKIES DEEP TIME

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!!