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

..at first. Genesis was likely my gateway drug into prog, and so since these guys apparently had a similar style, I thought, "why not?". So I decided to listen to The Underfall Yard's title track as I was in the mood for a good prog epic. Only problem was, it didn't feel like it was a band trying to make their own music, I found it was a band trying to make prog for the sake of being prog. A lot of the jams felt like mindless noodling and the sections of the song didn't have much of a flow to them, I found. I also found that there weren't very many memorable melodies, either.

I tried a couple of other songs from the same album (since that was the album where they apparently 'got good') and found the same thing. Odd time signatures placed just for the sake of being there, trying too hard to imitate the 70s, etc. Then I read reviews for English Electric Part 1 and it mentioned how Uncle Jack was a bit different, so I decided to listen to it. It was actually a really decent and fairly unique song even with the inspiration present! In fact, it was stuck in my head all day two days after listening to it!

I listened to it again the other day, then once it was over I forgot to choose another song and it automatically played Wassail from their EP and I really, really enjoyed that as well! Finally I decided to digitally buy the Wassail EP and realized something about these guys.. to me, when they try to be Genesis or symphonic, their textures are nice, but they can be pretty bland.

..But I think they just might be one of the best Prog-Folk bands I've ever heard. If they stuck to more folk-style, they might be one of my favourite bands (Granted, I haven't heard English Electric part 2 or Folklore yet, so who knows what I can expect!)


Edited by souio - July 02 2016 at 14:04

Edited by jude111 - July 03 2016 at 01:59

To be the best prog folk band, they'd have to get past Strawbs, Horslips and Gryphon (and Tull for a very short period of their long career), but they are exceptional.

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

I don't have any BBT with Filkins, but I have Filkins highly rated solo album from a few years back.  I honestly figured he was an instrumentalist trying his hand at vocals, because I found his vocals to be truly weak.....

infocat wrote: I don't have any BBT with Filkins, but I have Filkins highly rated solo album from a few years back.  I honestly figured he was an instrumentalist trying his hand at vocals, because I found his vocals to be truly weak.....

I have two words for you: Powder Monkey

For me Big Big Train is what Genesis could have been if they hadn't dedicated to making commercial music.  If you don't like them there are plenty of other prog artists out there making great music.  Move in and don't dwell on it.

model trains rule..  Just think over what today's video game generation is missing out on...

For those that 'can't get into' BBT, I feel sorry for you. Has your soul been sold to the Devil ??

Edited by Tom Ozric - July 18 2016 at 04:25

I heard the Underfall Yard and both English Electric a few times and it's entertaining for a while but I always get bored after 20 minutes or so. There are so many bands out there that I find much more interesting, I don't even worry about that.