Originally founded by songwriter Gregory Spawton in 1990, English progressive rock band Big Big Train have continued to endure more than three decades later. Following a number of line-up changes over the course of their first five albums, their breakthrough came with the recruitment of lead vocalist David Longdon and drummer Nick D’Virgilio (Spock’s Beard, Tears For Fears). While it’s difficult to parse out all the band’s influences, I can certainly detect echoes of classic ‘70s-era progressive rock acts with a pastoral edge like Genesis and Jethro Tull in their sound.
Big Big Train’s sixth studio album and the first to feature Longdon’s vocals, The Underfall Yard, received critical acclaim in progressive music circles immediately following its release in December 2009. Over the next decade, they went on to win four Progressive Music Awards and played a number of sold-out principally in the UK.
In August 2014, this latest lineup of the band (now also featuring former XTC guitarist Dave Gregory) gathered at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios to rehearse for an upcoming series of concerts in Summer 2015 at London’s Kings Place venue–their first live performances in nearly two decades. These rehearsals were recorded and filmed for a now out-of-print 2016 Blu-Ray release entitled Stone & Steel, which served as my introduction to Big Big Train.
Stone & Steel was also notable in that it represented the band’s first foray into the realm of immersive audio. Big Big Train is an unusually large ensemble, perhaps too big for a traditional two-channel stereo mix to contain. In addition to the core group of Spawton, D’Virgilio, Longdon, and Gregory, Stone & Steel additionally featured Danny Manners on keyboard, Rachel Hall on violin and cello, Rikard Sjöblom on guitar, and a five-piece brass section. Sjöblom, Hall, and D’Virgilio also contributed harmony vocals.
All the ingredients for thrilling multichannel experience were there, and the band’s longtime live sound engineer Rob Aubrey (with input from ‘surround sound consultant’ Neil Palfreyman) didn’t disappoint with his 5.1 take on the performance. The 5.1 surround sound mix of Stone & Steel placed the listener in the middle of the band, with elements such as harmony vocals, keyboards, and brass isolated in the rear speakers. Since its original release in 2016, the Stone & Steel Blu-Ray has become something of a collector’s item and continues to command large sums on second-hand sites like eBay and Discogs.
In collaboration with English Electric Records, we’re proud to announce that Stone & Steel–along with Big Big Train’s next two live albums, 2018’s Reflectors of Light and 2020’s Empire–is now available as a hi-res digital download in the IAA shop! The ‘standard’ edition contains the surround audio only as 48-khz/24-bit FLAC files, while the ‘deluxe’ edition contains MKV files with the high-definition concert film synched to a lossless DTS-HD 5.1 soundtrack. These live sets capture the 2009-2019 lineup of the band at the height of their powers, effortlessly performing fan-favorite tracks like “Victorian Brickwork,” “Wassail,” and “East Coast Racer.”
Stone & Steel kicks off with “The First Rebreather,” as Sjöblom’s guitar in the front left speaker battles with Manners’ keys in the rear. David Longdon’s vocals are almost completely isolated in the center speaker, while harmonies from Hall, Sjöblom, and D’Virgilio cascade across the back soundstage. The centerpiece of the show is undoubtedly the nearly 20-minute epic “The Underfall Yard,” though “Victorian Brickwork” is also a highlight.
2018’s Reflectors of Light, recorded at London’s Cadogan Hall in October 2017, saw the band expertly perform songs from their Grimspound (2017), Folklore (2016), and two English Electric (2012/13) studio albums. The concert begins with the “Folklore Overture,” spotlighting the brass section in the rear speakers before the group launches into “Folklore.” “A Mead Hall in Winter” is another showcase for the brass, while Sjöblom’s stunning solo at the end of “London Plane” protrudes from the center speaker.
Empire (2020) captures the group's fantastic live performance at the Hackney Empire in November 2019. Nick D'Virgilio’s drum kit throughout “Alive” fills up all the five channels, with the huge drum fills crashing all around the listener. David Longdon’s echo-drenched voice during the breakdown of “Brave Captain'' emanates from directly behind the listener to very fun effect. The ending of “Hedgerow” is a true immersive showcase, with violinist Rachel Hall singing lead from the front left speaker as different harmonies emerge from all around.
Big Big Train had originally planned to perform in the United States for the first time in 2020, but their plans were ultimately hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic. In November 2021, fans were shocked to learn of the unexpected passing of David Longdon after a tragic accident at his home in Nottingham; Empire represents David’s last ever performance with Big Big Train. The band would ultimately elect to continue on, with Italian singer/songwriter Alberto Bravin (formerly with Italian prog legends PFM) brought in as Big Big Train’s new lead vocalist. Their first studio album with Bravin, The Likes of Us, arrived via InsideOut Music in March 2024.
Though nearly every DVD or Blu-Ray concert video out there includes a 5.1 surround mix, immersive audio enthusiasts are often disappointed to find that these recordings make minimal use of the additional space. It’s been my experience that most immersive concerts are mixed to approximate a “spectator” perspective, with the rear channels utilized primarily for “back-of-the-hall” ambience.
Fortunately, these Big Big Train releases are not like that at all. Instead, the listener is placed directly on-stage with the band wrapping around them. The distribution of the musicians throughout the five speakers varies per song, but elements such as backing vocals, violin, mellotron, and keyboards consistently appear partially or completely isolated in the rear speakers for a fully-immersive listening experience. If you missed the original Blu-Ray editions (which, according to the band’s management, are highly unlikely to ever come back in-print), don’t hesitate to check these live albums out!
Purchase Stone & Steel, Reflectors of Light, and Empire in the IAA Shop!
