It is amazing to reflect on how long this English progressive rock band has been around. They were formed in 1990, but I almost consider the current band a different entity. Bass player Greg Spawton is the lone member who is still around from the first half of their careers, with most current key members joining in 2009 or later.
For those past ten-or-so years, the newest incarnation of the band has produced a number of albums taking inspiration from quintessentially English things from the not too distant past – steam trains, the countryside, early scientific discoveries, and rivers & meeting places of old. This is reflected in album titles such as English Electric, Folklore and Stone And Steel.
In 2019, the band has been looking more outward. Having spent a lot of time focusing on England and their own recent history, they seek outward on Grand Tour as they broaden the lyrical landscape into the European world to experience a wider circle of art and science.
Musically they haven’t deviated too far from their usual path and are still easily recognisable as Big Big Train. Their arrangements are ambitious, as is the storytelling. Three songs contain so much that they have been arranged into suites and movements – such as Roman Stone, which is about nothing less than the rise and fall of the Roman Empire.
An orchestra adds suitable touches of flair to several of the songs. Not in a loud or bombastic manner – this is not that type of album – but instead of volume they add dynamics and colour. The choir, however, offer up a bit of bombast. They are used more sparingly but to greater effect when they do show up.
The CD comes in a rather extensive “book” package, not just with full lyrics and info but with a dedicated and quite detailed write-up on each song. They are keen to explain what they are writing about, and it’s all very interesting to take this in while listening to the album.
Thanks to these extensive liner notes, we learn that Alive is about beginnings – the beginning of a day, the beginning of a journey, and just having a strong ‘carpe diem’ spirit.
The Florentine centres around Leonardo DaVinci, while Pantheon takes inspiration directly from the famous building of the same name.
Ariel is the album’s longest track at 14:28, boasting an 8-part suite. It is a fantasy-based song cycle based around the character Ariel from Shakespeare’s story the Tempest, where the imaginary realm meets people and events from reality.
Voyager is another album epic at 14:07. This 7-part suite stretches wide in its arrangements, and is about mankind’s ability to fashion tools and machines that can extend the reach of our species, such as rockets going to the stars and beyond. The ultimate exploration.
After all the travels, one must return home. That is exactly what BBT do on the final track Homesong which sees them celebrate the joy of getting back to familiar places, mind suitably broadened by travels, and appreciating your home all the more for it.
Grand Tour offers a lot. QUITE a lot! It is definitely an album where repeated listens will reward the listener, and is even necessary to be able to take in everything that is on offer. As this is a full CD of music that may be easier said than done, and even though I have spun it quite a bit it feels like I have only managed to graze its surface. It has been enjoyable travelling on the Big Big Train, though, and I have a feeling I will be booking many more travels on the Grand Tour in the coming years.
Facebook Comments