The Underfall Yard's "Victorian Brickwork"

[the illusionist]

An exquisite track from Big Big Train. Masterfully written and hauntingly beautiful, this track continues to move me on every listen.
Masterpiece is thrown around these pages a lot, but I really think this track is a masterpiece. From beginning to end, it fits together
like a well oiled machine. The trumpet/french horn section at around eight and a half minutes in still sends chills through me and at
times may even bring on a tear. I am a fairly recent follower of this wonderful band and have picked up most of their extensive catalog.
This one track remains my ultimate favorite and believe me with these guys there is plenty to choose from.
Every note and verse for those wonderful twelve and half minutes is joy every time I hear it.

[Staun]

No, you are correct. Too many albums to keep up with.

[undergroundrailroad]

I've just started getting to know The Underfall Yard after falling head-over-heels for English Electric Full Power. The Underfall Yard strikes me as English Electric Part 0. The different bass playing styles of Spawton (lyrical and fluid) versus Poole (incisive and growling) are the only strong stylistic division. The lyrical themes and imagery are right in sync. I'm tempted to just lump The Underfall Yard onto the front of English Electric and call them one big 3-CD set.

I think English Electric Full Power as a whole should be considered one of the greatest rock albums ever, showing up with Revolver and London Calling and all of those on Rolling Stone lists. In any other era, if a band had made a two record set (really this is more like 3 1/2 records) that had such consistent and inspired songwriting, exquisite arranging and stunning audiophile production, we'd call it hands-down a masterpiece. Add to that a relentless string of defining performances by a truly great singer. The degree with which it hangs together as a unit is a superhuman creative achievement.

Even "Make Some Noise" distinguishes itself as an archetypal rock anthem that after initial misgivings I find irresistible. I wish it could have an opportunity to take over the airwaves like it most certainly would have any time between 1970 and 1990. And then the way it segues into The First Rebreather is awe-inspiring...

Thanks for offering this opportunity to gush slightly off-topic. I look forward to The Underfall Yard's inevitable blooming for me. I love it already after about 4 listens and I think you're right that Victorian Brickwork in particular stands out.

[bill g]

I sure like this song. The horn section at the end is great, although repeated more than it should, for my personal taste. But I love the album-and love the English Electric albums even a bit more-Winchester From St Giles Hill is a favorite for me, such an emotional instrumental section in the middle, with the piano and flute. One of the more moving pieces of music of the 20th century to me.

[harbinger58]

I find The Underfall Yard to be one of the most compelling albums in newer prog and Victorian Brickwork is the capstone to this treat. Whenever I have a conversation with a non-progger who hasn't heard anything in newer prog, I almost always give this piece as one of the best examples. It's the gift that keeps giving.....truly a remarkable effort.

[Animal]

I think English Electric Full Power as a whole should be considered one of the greatest rock albums ever, showing up with Revolver and London Calling and all of those on Rolling Stone lists. In any other era, if a band had made a two record set (really this is more like 3 1/2 records) that had such consistent and inspired songwriting, exquisite arranging and stunning audiophile production, we'd call it hands-down a masterpiece. Add to that a relentless string of defining performances by a truly great singer. The degree with which it hangs together as a unit is a superhuman creative achievement.
.

This is so true, imho. Maybe not the most challenging, but the level of craftsmanship is amazing.

[PeterG]

Would someone please link something representative and relevant to the discussion.

[LeFrog]

The different bass playing styles of Spawton (lyrical and fluid) versus Poole (incisive and growling) are the only strong stylistic division.

Both Poole and Spawton are credited on bass on The Underfall Yard, and it's never been made clear who played on which tracks. I can't really hear the strong stylistic division you mention, and I believe Spawton actually played a substantial portion of the bass parts on the album. Poole seems to act mostly as a producer now, and has completely stopped playing bass for the band after that album.

[Gerhard]

Would someone please link something representative and relevant to the discussion.

Not sure what you're asking for, but if it's links to the music being discussed, here you go. You can listen to every note of every song on most of BBT's releases on Bandcamp.

http://bigbigtrain.bandcamp.com/albu...underfall-yard (includes Victorian Brickwork)
http://bigbigtrain.bandcamp.com/albu...ric-full-power

[Firth]

The posts in this thread are a great read. I too just discovered Underfall Yard, after being obsessed with Full Power. I listened to a BBT station on ITunes Radio and heard it for the first time, buying the CD immediately. Still amazing that in my musical life there are still incredible musical discoveries.

[Firth]

[undergroundrailroad]

Both Poole and Spawton are credited on bass on The Underfall Yard, and it's never been made clear who played on which tracks. I can't really hear the strong stylistic division you mention, and I believe Spawton actually played a substantial portion of the bass parts on the album. Poole seems to act mostly as a producer now, and has completely stopped playing bass for the band after that album.

If you listen at 2:30 in the Youtube of Victorian Brickwork posted on this thread, there's a Rickenbacher-y, Squire-y kind of playing that makes the arrangement sound overtly like Yes. In fact, when the harmony vocals come in, Starcastle comes to mind (this is not meant to be a criticism since it actually sounds pretty thrilling). That kind of bass playing and arranging seems to be absent from English Electric, replaced by a more mellifluous, melodic style of playing. I presume the punchy, Squire-like stuff is the Andy Poole factor, but I'm open to correction.

[ChrisXymphonia]

If you listen at 2:30 in the Youtube of Victorian Brickwork posted on this thread, there's a Rickenbacher-y, Squire-y kind of playing that makes the arrangement sound overtly like Yes. In fact, when the harmony vocals come in, Starcastle comes to mind (this is not meant to be a criticism since it actually sounds pretty thrilling). That kind of bass playing and arranging seems to be absent from English Electric, replaced by a more mellifluous, melodic style of playing. I presume the punchy, Squire-like stuff is the Andy Poole factor, but I'm open to correction.

Watch the Make Some Noise video, which was created to give us a view of how the band would operate live, and you will notice Greg Spawton is playing a Rickenbacker bass. I always associated Greg's playing as the more punchy kind of playing and Poole more the fluid one, this also based on their earlier work on which Poole played much more bass.

[undergroundrailroad]

One other thing that hasn't been mentioned is the contribution of Nick d'Virgilio. In all honesty, I was never a fan of his playing in Spock's Beard. Although he was clearly a formidable player, I found he could be bashy and arrogant-sounding in a distinctly 90s kind of way that rubbed me wrong at times.

But when it comes to Big Big Train, there's just a whole different attitude. The way the drums lift already powerful music to a higher level in songs like Judas Unrepentant and East Coast Racer totally made me reassess him. Although there's no end of technically adept, virtuosic drumming, it's never flashy or grandstanding. His well-thought out approach and tastefulness make it sound like a real band in a way that highly sculpted studio projects like this almost never do.

[ChrisXymphonia]

His well-thought out approach and tastefulness make it sound like a real band in a way that highly sculpted studio projects like this almost never do.

According to Greg Spawton he never gets the demos (NDV doesn't want to), listens to the guidetrack / demo in the studio once or twice and then does something like 2 to 4 takes and that's it, next song please. Most if not all of EE was recorded in a few days.

[deandob]

This band is definitely a cornerstone of modern prog, as good as although not as popular as Porcupine Tree/Steve Wilson.

Fine craftmenship and many classic tracks that never tire, including:
http://bigbigtrain.bandcamp.com/trac...t-rebreather-2
http://bigbigtrain.bandcamp.com/track/seen-better-days
http://bigbigtrain.bandcamp.com/trac...ned-by-bells-2
http://bigbigtrain.bandcamp.com/trac...-in-darkness-2
http://bigbigtrain.bandcamp.com/trac...-coast-racer-3
http://bigbigtrain.bandcamp.com/track/evening-star
http://bigbigtrain.bandcamp.com/track/winchester-diver
http://bigbigtrain.bandcamp.com/trac...underfall-yard

However I must say "Make Some Noise" is grating and out of character, not sure what they were trying to accomplish there (suitable for radio play in the '80s.....)

[Firth]

Absolutely true, NDV is the locomotive of this music. I love the guy.

[the illusionist]

Hey Firth..thanks for the link!!