I’m usually all about remastering, but something sounds off about this. Somehow it hurts the song to my ears.Originally Posted by Firth
I’m usually all about remastering, but something sounds off about this. Somehow it hurts the song to my ears.
It is a YouTube or compressed audio at 320 kbs.
That's a pretty awesome video!
I am afraid that I have no idea. But while you are waiting to find out why not re-investigate 'Winchester Diver'? Greg regards it as the best lyric he has ever written.Greetings, Passenger! In your travels, have you heard tell of any long-range plans to reschedule those US Big Big Train shows? Watching the possibility of those original dissolve before my eyes was among the first blows COVID-19 struck in my life. I had tickets for both and was so psyched for them!
I share an interest in history with Greg, but I had never heard the extraordinary story behind this song until I heard it from Greg. The'Winchester Diver' is William Walker who, over a period of five years, shored up the foundations of Winchester Cathedral. He worked in the dark & in deep water to complete this mammoth undertaking. Walker died during the outbreak of Spanish Flu in 1918.
The last verse of the lyric captures the whole story so evocatively - & what a final line! There is actually something Larkinesque about that stanza.
I had been listening to the music of Big Big Train for about eighteen months when I read an interview with Greg in Prog magazine. In this he referred to the town where he grew up - which is the town where I grew up. I investigated further & discovered that we went to the same school. And then the penny dropped! I remembered living a few houses away from Nigel & Greg Spawton when I was in my teens. Nigel loved Genesis & Greg was his younger brother & soon also found himself loving Genesis! I managed to get in touch with Greg who confirmed that these two Gregs were in fact one Greg! We've been in touch ever since.
That’s a very cool connection indeed. I’ve met Greg a few times at gigs, BBT and others and he comes across as an erudite and self-deprecating man, who just happens to have written some of modern progs most emotional music. Long may they continue, and there certainly seems no visible end to those creative energies with this band.
Thanks for that great story, BBTPassenger! I will indeed check out the song again. BTW, I assume you're a member of the Passengers "club" - would you say that joining is worthwhile for someone who lives in the US, where we obviously don't have (m)any chances to see the band perform live? The organization very kindly gave a free, 3-month membership to all the ticketholders for those shows, and I'm sorry to say I stupidly neglected to use it! Obviously it's a way to support the band, but I'm wondering how much benefit, aside from that, there is in joining.
Jed, The Passengers Club is more about archival material being made available to download (demos, rarities, live etc), and stories and background information to the songs and albums. I would say it is well worth joining if you are a fan, as you get access to everything that has been put out there already in the club, and it refreshes with additional content frequently. It is all digital data, but is a nice to have for those who love the band.
Not a passenger, but a patron, Jed - but this gives me access to all the material that is made available through the club. Sunlight Caller describes what's on offer very well.
I still have links with the school where we were both educated & a couple of years ago Greg gave a lengthy interview to its magazine. I managed to get 'Meadowland' played in the headmaster's office - & Greg subsequently told me that he was familiar with that office having in earlier years found himself there on a number of occasions to discuss the length of his hair!
We went to very similar schools, albeit mine was in Essex, though I was at Uni in Birmingham, so I feel an affinity for the area. I reminder that article from your school magazine, it was shared on Facebook and was a very interesting read. We have had a few famous musicians go through our alumni, and the one this page has most affinity with is Guthrie Govan, although he is a fair bit younger than I am.
I culled a nice CD of great music during that free period but didn't sign up to continue.
New video for the final track on the second disc - Brew And Burgh, a newly composed song written by BBT founder and bassist Greg Spawton specifically as a companion piece for this re-issue of the album.
The film for Brew and Burgh was made by Swedish animator, Love Andreas Gson Fagerstedt.
Wonderful song and video
I’ve really been enjoying the song and video!
My copy of this arrived today. The remix/remaster sounds very good, although I'm not A/B'ing it so... About 2/3 through the first disk. I really like this album!
^It is very open, very airy. I like this mix quite a bit. Lots of space between instruments.
I want to dynamite your mind with love tonight.
I can never get more than halfway through the title song without being interrupted! Driving me crazy!
Still waiting on my copy from Amazon. They're saying it might be June 3 before I get mine. I still have my CD from 2009, so I'm not sweating it yet.
^No problems using the American retailer for the band. Arrived on time.
I want to dynamite your mind with love tonight.
Same here. That would be: https://thebandwagonusa.com/
The new mix is strong. As others have mentioned, lots of space and a very clear definition of each instrument.
I like the way the new mix gives a new perspective on things. Occasionally, a guitar, keyboard or backing vocal line will be louder than in the original mix, giving the impression that you're hearing a new part when it was always there in the first place. Not to mention the two instances where an actual new part was added.
If I had one minor point of criticism, it would be that in the most intense, epic sections of music, the new mix is very much "in your face". It's as if Rob Aubrey deliberately went for the "wow" factor with bass pedals and washes of mellotron all very loud in the mix.
For this reason alone, the original mix is not made obsolete. Its main appeal over this new mix is that it's not trying too hard to impress.
Bump: just received my copy from Amazon, ordered on March 30th. Talk about a slow boat from England. Still at work, so haven't opened yet.
Was it Birmingham City University (formally UCE)? I studied at the music conservatory at UCE in fall '93. Loved it! Lived in Cambrian Hall on Brindley Drive and frequented The Flapper and Firkin pub (not sure of that is still there?). Great times indeed.....Brum!
No I was at the University of Birmingham, the old red brick one in Edgbaston, but a decade ahead of you. I was there 79-82. I had a great time there and retain very fond memories of the city.
I think we used to go to Tesco in Edgbaston...or something else there.
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