I'm not saying there's no way to improve the album, and I will be buying it for the bonus tracks anyway. I might even end up enjoying the remix, who knows?
I just find it tiring that we are constantly being told that the albums we like are not definitive and have been modified. I'm not just talking about BBT here. There used to be a time when albums were the result of the circumstances in which they were recorded. The band and sound engineer gave it their best and that was what you got. Now people are constantly going back and changing things, claiming the new version is truer to their original intention, which is often debatable years after the fact. They have every right to tamper with their back catalogue at will, but as a fan I find it disturbing.
I find it way less tiring when it’s a band like BBT. TUY was their first with the expanded lineup and would have not had a large record company funded budget, and so it is understandable that they might find interesting ways to enhance it a decade on. The addition of extra material is a bonus and something to look forward to.
I find it very tiring when one of the leading lights tries to sell their catalogue for the fifth time over, and to the same dwindling market. I’ve been very guilty of indulging them in many instances, but I still find it tiring! Having said that, not every rock star is a millionaire, some have made poor life choices, and they are entitled to try and make a living whichever way they see fit.
And here it is:
https://bigbigtrain.bandcamp.com/tra...zuRHxCm2xREbdk
Comment from FB BBT thread:
Oh! My! God!!!!! Massive! Majestic! Beautiful!!! Powerful!!! Masterpiece!! This re-issue deffo promises to be something truly truly special!!! Properly chuffed!!! <3 Well done Big Big Train!!!!
For all its qualities, the BBT Facebook group does not tolerate criticism.
Although I consider myself a fan, the more contrasted viewpoints on this forum make discussions about the band more interesting.
I may get in trouble for saying this, but the BBT group is dominantly British and I have attributed its civility as cultural characteristic. A Frog on the other hand would naturally be more contrarian, from a society whose roots go way back in The culture of liberty. Take the influence of France (and the Scottish enlightenment) on Thomas Jefferson and Ben Franklin, and the British order of Hamilton, Washington and Adams, and you get us, a hybrid of contrarianism and order.
Interesting POV. I have no problem complying to the unwritten rules of the FB group, but sometimes I would just like to be able to say that I don't fully embrace something the band has done. The few times I have politely tried to do so, it has either been suggested that I was disrespectful to the band or not trying hard enough to appreciate their music.
In fact, this was already released back in 2017, compiling all the tracks that were on the previous UK and Russian versions. Except Kingmaker appears as a different, remixed version with extra keyboard parts by Andy Tillison, meaning that a completist needs this version even if he already owns the previous two. Welcome to the world of BBT!
Not just a Genesis fanboy.
Yeah, BBT are not what I'd call original either. Some of the more enthusiastic fans (like on the FB group) hype the band to unrealistic levels (to put it politely), IMO.
BBT has some charming qualities though, and have made some lovely music I think. My brother and cousin, who usually have no time for most things "prog related", both liked their song "Uncle Jack" for example. And "Winchester from St. Giles' Hill".
Sounds unlikely, certainly doesn't show up on a search from the UK. I know the band used Vimeo to deliver video content.
Edit: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/bigbigtra...ace1/236598453
It's called "Reflectors of Light".
https://www.bigbigtrain.com/reflecto...-amazon-prime/
It doesn't appear to be available in the US anymore although it was a few months ago.
No. Bad diagnosis, doctor.
While it's true that I only kept The Underfall Yard from the handful of BBT-records I got in a binge a few years back, and it's certainly also the case that I'm not instantly taken by this specific concept of "genre-interpretation" (unless it's done exceptionally well), I quite like this particular record and would indeed want to hear a less flat mix and that authentic brass involved.
"Improvisation is not an excuse for musical laziness" - Fred Frith
"[...] things that we never dreamed of doing in Crimson or in any band that I've been in," - Tony Levin speaking of SGM
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