Big Big Train Appreciation - Progressive Rock Music Forum

EE Part 2 arrived in post today.

Listening to it now...first track a 15min epic !

"Music was my first love and it will be my last" - John Miles "Music"

can't wait to hear the difference machine. I was blown away when I first heard these guys! how can music like this go unnoticed in the world?!

Originally posted by richardh

After about 5 listens I'm still not sure how good it is. The opening track is a gem but there seems to be a lot that is a bit ho hum. The end bit is genius but I'm not feeling as enchanted by it as others seem to be. Not bad though.

My view is something like this.

EE1 is a very good album but for me the material is not as strong as The Underfall Yard and certainly not as strong as the Far Skies Deep Time ep which I think is their best release. Incidentally even though it's classed as an ep it's longer than some full-length albums (approx 43 mins).

EE2 is a thing of beauty.

Played it 6 times now and I'm still picking up new things that bring joy to the heart.

Looks like they have a lot on the go for the next year or so which is great news!

Next comes English Electric Full Power - combining the 2 albums, with a different running order and 3 new tracks which will also be available as an EP.

Then comes Station Masters, a triple album of re-recordings of old material. Really pleased about that because there is some great stuff on earlier albums some of which (for me) never quite comes alive, and having the new contributors get their teeth into them, adding David Longdon's vocals, the violins and brass sections that have sprouted in recent times, and that extra touch of smoothness and maturity, will be superb.

Plus they are already recording their next studio album of new material which is slated for release in 2015.

(There - that's my 1st post....)

Just listened to EE2. Very beautiful. I don't think anything will touch EE1 at this point though.

No, he's on it.

Originally posted by Mr. Mustard

Just listened to EE2. Very beautiful. I don't think anything will touch EE1 at this point though.

EE1 is near unbeatable. It's a hard album to approach in that regard. I've listened all the way through four times, and am in agreement that EE1 edges it (and probably everything else) but I still think EE2 is brilliant.

I am listening EE2 for the fourth time now. I would rate EE1 5 stars and I think I would give EE2 4.5 stars (may become 5, it's still growing on me). And the sum is even more than the separated parts.

Originally posted by Steven in Atlanta

Did I read correctly that guitarist Dave Gregory is not on EE2?

The line-up list on PA is incomplete. Both Dave Gregory and Danny Manners should be included.

After my 6th listen I can safely say this is just as good as EE1. The highlight for me is 'East Coast Racer,' but the crazy part is everything else is just as good. I definitely appreciate the piano work and the reprises of 'Summoned By Bells' and 'Hedgerow,' which were my favorite two tracks from the last album.

Amazingly I heard Hedgerow played on Radio 2 yesterday! World domination next!