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Anyone like Big Big Train? I've been really enjoying The Underfall Yard (especially the title track). Welcome suggestions on where to go next with them. TUY supposed was something of a turning point for them - should I just go on from there or is their earlier stuff worth looking at? OneSizeFitsAll fucked around with this message at 22:12 on Oct 20, 2018 |
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Oct 18, 2018 09:28
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| # ¿ May 8, 2024 21:55 |
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I'd say Still Life. Though Pawn Hearts is a must-buy if you get into them.
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Jan 15, 2019 21:31
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XBenedict posted:Big announcements from BBT today, including a new album out in July, first single below, and a 2022 tour that will INCLUDE North America! Very excited for this. Have just checked and found out the July gig I had booked has been cancelled (didn't get a notification or anything) - apparently it may be rearranaged, but I've booked for next year's tour so at least have something in the diary for them. New album is equally exciting.
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May 13, 2021 12:07
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So devastated about David Longdon. Big Big Train really started going places artistically and commercially after he arrived, and their run of albums with him has given me a lot of pleasure over the last couple of years. The band must feel cursed - they were about to go on a tour of the US before Covid hit, then had two of their members leave during lockdown. They replaced them, only for their lead singer and one of their principal creative elements to die in what sounds like a freak accident, leading to them cancelling more tours next year (including one I had tickets for; who knows if the later one I was also planning on going to will also get cancelled. I wouldn't be surprised). They seem like such a nice bunch, their music's great and they just can't catch a break. And aside from his fantastic Gabriel-esque voice, cool flute playing and song writing skills, Longdon himself seemed liked such a lovely fellow. And now he's gone. 
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Dec 20, 2021 13:11
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Ooh, new Mars Volta. Been a bit out of the loop but excited to check it out this evening, along with the cut Frances the Mute song posted upthread. That album is phenomenal in my opinion. I'm cool with the long spacy bits - makes the other bits even better and more impactful in my opinion; plus I have fond memories of walking my dog through the countryside, accompanied by my music player, IEMs and "fruity cigarette", just listening through the whole album and generally living my best life. I finally checked out the new Big Big Train singer, Alberto Bravin, last night. For months after David Longdon died I was just too sad to listen to the band. I started to get over this a couple of months ago and spin their two newest albums a bit more in my car. I had tickets for two of their gigs this year, one cancelled and one postponed to September, and thinking about this got me to have a listen to who will be singing when I go. Got to say I dig him - a different voice from Longdon's, which is maybe better than trying to get an ersatz replacement. He seems to have a good blend of power and tenderness and I'm really looking forward to hearing him interpret the band's music. The snippers from the tour promo sound great. We're seeing them at the Waterside Theatre in Aylesbury - it will be the first gig of the tour and thus their first gig in several years. The atmosphere should be amazing, and now the band are occupying my mind again I'm incredibly excited for it. 
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Jul 8, 2022 12:11
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I am seeing Big Big Train in concert tomorrow (their first since before Covid). This excites and pleases me greatly.
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Sep 1, 2022 17:54
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egon_beeblebrox posted:I like Pink Floyd's new Animals remix. The synths are way up in the mix and it's nice. I'm torn between getting the Blu-ray version so I can hear this in 5.1 or the CD so I can listen to it in places other than my basement. Leaning towards the Blu but also considering both given how much I love the album.
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Sep 19, 2022 17:17
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Jedit posted:The Floyd's 5.1 releases have all sounded amazing. I don't like the cliche of "you haven't heard X until you've heard it in quad", but in the cases of Dark Side and WYWH it's basically true. So many layers spring out. Yeah on further reflection the Blu-ray is a must have for me.
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Sep 20, 2022 02:16
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Just put on Haken's Cockroach King and now expect, as ever, to in the next few days have fragments of it abruptly running through my window of consciousness, like the flying saucers in a Space Invaders game.
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Nov 9, 2022 00:59
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Booked a cabin for Cruise to the Edge for next year. Initially booked primarily for Big Big Train, Haken, Marillion, Steve Hacket and and Adrian Belew, with interest in others including the Flower Kings and Symphony X (though I've struggled to get into the one album of theirs I own). Now they've announced Riverside too! Very excited for this indeed.
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Jan 13, 2023 13:36
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Snow Cone Capone posted:which Symphony X album is the one you own? V: The New Mythology Suite I don't dislike it - just have had a couple of listens during dog walks and not sure if it's my cup of tea or not yet. Been a while so I'll definitely give it another spin soon.
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Jan 13, 2023 21:56
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I just come across Moon Safari and their album Lover's End. It's just on the right side of saccharine for me, and I've been really enjoying it. A nice, melodic contrast with some of the heavier prog I've been listening to recently like Haken and Opeth. Are their other albums comparable? And is there a good source to buy the CDs from in the UK, as they do not seem to be in print and I am a physical media-buying dinosaur.
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Jan 23, 2023 17:05
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I do like Systematic Chaos but prefer Black Clouds and Silver Linings, personally. I also rather like A Dramatic Turn of Events. Maybe I need to give them more playtime, but the self-titled and the two most recent ones are mainly a blur in my mind. Mainly a bunch of unmelodic riffage. I should like the Astonishing on paper, as I like musicals/high concept poo poo, and I also like heavy music. But it's... not that great, is it.
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May 5, 2023 11:11
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BigFactory posted:I don’t think that’s weird. Gunner’s Dream and Two Suns in the Sunset are both really good later PF songs. The album as a whole is inoffensive, when parts of the Wall are really dumb. But it’s got some great songs, obviously. Gunner's Dream and Fletcher Memorial Home are my highlights. I think it's an ok album - not close to one of their best but a bit unfairly maligned.
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Jul 1, 2023 19:15
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Had a blast at Big Big Train's gig at Cadogan Hall tonight. The new members have really bedded in and the band was on form. Really loved Maria Barbieri on guitar, who rocked, and Clare Lindley on violin, who played fantastically and had a lovely singing voice in some of the harmony sections. Alberto Bravin doesn't equal the sadly departed David Longdon as a singer, but Longdon was special in my opinion, and Bravin does a creditable job, though he has to replicate Longdon's flute parts on his keyboard. I saw them about a year ago, and he feels like he's gained in confidence, both in stage presence and audience interaction. It's great to see the band finding their feet again after Covid and some of the departures that resulted from that, as well as Longdon's tragic death. I didn't see 'em, but apparently spotted at the gig were Steve Hackett, as well as Pete Trewavas and Ian Mosely from Marillion. Prog demographic stuff (at least in the UK) that made us smile: Before going in, my wife and I were sitting outside a nearby bar indulging in some people watching, including spotting the people going to the gig; it wasn't hard, basically all the middle-aged white guys in t-shirts. I'm in my early 40s and my wife late 30s; with about 1 or 2 exceptions, we were the youngest people we could see. At the end of the main section there was a predictable (and deserved) standing ovation. When the band came back out again for the encore, Bravin remarked that we had all sat back down. One guy shouted out "we're old!". Rather tickled me. Also it's notable at prog gigs, compared to almost any other event, how the queue for the men's toilets is far more pronounced than the one for the women's. 
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Sep 13, 2023 01:42
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Noise Machine posted:Is Dave Gregory still in the band? He did some session work with them this year I believe but he's no longer a regular, no.
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Oct 6, 2023 00:31
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Omnikin posted:Anyone going to Haken's tour this month? I'm two weeks out from crossing them off the show list, after a decade in waiting. Setlist spoiler: Crystallised as a set 1 finisher & Visions encore is the type of poo poo that makes me feral. Can't wait. I'm seeing them on Cruise to the Edge next month. I haven't been this excited about a holiday since I can't even remember. Enjoy the gig!
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Feb 14, 2024 12:30
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In a few days, I'm embarking on a plane to Miami, to go on Cruise to the Edge - a prog cruise festival. I don't think I've looked forward to a holiday this much in a very, very long time. Acts of interest to me based on familiarity include Big Big Train, Riverside, Haken, Marillion, Steve Hacket, Jordan Rudess, Adrian Belew and Symphony X (only have The New Mythology Suite by them, which I like but haven't got truly into - nonetheless I'm very down for seing them). I've heard good things about Airbag and listened to a couple of Flower Kings songs before. My wife just ordered the Flower Kings' latest album, and I just bought Airbag's first. Are there any others by those two groups that people would particularly recommend I listen to before going? Any other listed acts people would recommend I not miss, and good starting points for them in terms of their catalogues? Any other good Symphony X albums? I want to get as much as I can from this trip! Line-up is here.
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Mar 2, 2024 17:52
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Would you guys say it's recommended to listen to those in their release order? I'll probably only have time for one or maybe two before the cruise in between exploring other acts.
OneSizeFitsAll fucked around with this message at 21:48 on Mar 2, 2024 |
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Mar 2, 2024 20:33
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Been listening to Airbag's Greatest Show on Earth and the new Flower Kings album Look At You Now. Really enjoying both; Flower Kings especially. Some really good stuff on both discs. The FKs especially are a great mix of melodic and technical. The Airbag album reminds me a bit of Pink Floyd and earlier Riverside, so that's nice. Snow Cone Capone posted:if I had to pick an order I'd go odyssey then Divine Wings then paradise lost Great specific advice, thank you.
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Mar 4, 2024 12:32
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Just starting my third day of Cruise to the Edge and holy poo poo this is the best holiday I've ever been on. A boat full of friendly prog lovers, band members just walking around, prog music everywhere and a generally chilled atmosphere. Apart from getting official photos with Adrian Belew, Big Big Train, Jordan Rudess, Martin Barre, Riverside and Steve Hackett, making friends with Big Big Train's American gig tuba player and participating in a Q&A with Adrian Belew (I asked him about his time with Zappa), I've mostly and unsurprisingly been overloading on music! So far I've seen: Day 1 Symphony X Stick Men - partial (also, Levin did not have his Chapman stick at the time as it got lost somewhere during embarkation) The Flower Kings Day 2 Wishbone Ash - partial Steve Morse Band - partial Airbag Marillion Haken Lonely Robot Thought I'd share a couple of pics.  Symphony X They rocked very hard and holy poo poo did Russell Allen sound good. Should have warned my wife how heavy they are though so she could wear earplugs. Exacerbated a bit by the gig being inside in a theatre which is the largest indoor venue on the ship but much smaller than what they would usually play. I think their second gig on the pool stage will be less overwhelming, and I will be there for it.  The Flower Kings Been slowly getting into these guys over the past year and they were enormously enjoyable to watch. They seem like fun guys and their music is an adventure.  My lovely attempt at a panoramic photo of Airbag playing the pool stage, complete with peripheral thumb. They sound like a cross between Riverside and Pink Floyd. Songs are a bit samey, but very enjoyable nonetheless.  Marillion A definite highlight so far. Just brilliant and what a charismatic performer Hogarth is.  Haken This was their second gig. First night they performed all of Fauna in the main theatre, but I missed it as I was exhausted. Second one on the pool stage was them doing previous stuff. Due to an annoying scheduling conflict I had to leave Marillion two songs before the end to catch some of this. Saw 45 mins of them, which was great, but missed them doing Cockroach King, which was annoying. They sound great live; their first gig in the theatre would have probably been a bit sonically ovewhelming but outdoors it was incredible. They finished with Visions, which was epic.  Lonely Robot Wasn't familiar with them, but a great gig in one of the smaller indoor venues, about 90 mins after the Marillion gig. A clearly-pretty-drunk-by-this-point Steve Hogarth showed up to do backing vocals on a couple of songs, including the one in the picture. I'm in heaven and don't want this to end.
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Mar 10, 2024 16:40
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gently caress me, Mike Portnoy just complimented my Zappa t-shirt. Then started showing me his Zappa tatoos. 
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Mar 10, 2024 19:10
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Yeah you might think so. Was the first day and all a bit chaotic. Someone (not sure who) filled in by improvising on keys - did a creditable job I think he found the stick now; sadly the second gig coincides with my allotted Steve Hackett performance, so I won't get to see Levin play with his big stick.
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Mar 10, 2024 19:51
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Back in England now, jet lagged and ill and came home to a leak in the basement. Yet none of this has brought us done much from the high from this trip. Thought I'd post a few photos and thoughts from days 3-5 of the cruise. Day 3 Adrian Belew The Flower Kings - partial Symphony X - pool stage Big Big Train Day 4 Lifesigns Big Big Train Steve Hackett Jordan Rudess Day 5 Jordan Rudess - pool stage Riverside Martin Barre Adrian Belew - pool stage Flying Colors   Adrian Belew Love him - always seems to be having fun, and what a storied career. Played a bunch of stuff from different eras, including of course some Crimson stuff. The second photo is from his pool stage gig, where he brought out Tony Levin for the last song. So in the end I did get to see Tony play with his big stick. Belew is a bit avant garde for my wife's tastes, but I had so much fun watching him. Great band, too. His bassist is early 20s I think, but she slays. Same with the drummer.   Symphony X on the pool stage A little easier on the ears hearing them outside. They rocked so goddamn hard, finishing with the Odyssey suite. I watched from the bar balcony on the deck above, chain smoking with the guitarist from Queensrÿche whom I'd just been introduced to, before he hugs me and gives me the devil's horns before heading off. Unreal. And I'm definitely going to pick up more Symphony X stuff - will start with the suggestions given to me upthread.  Big Big Train A favourite of mine and my wife's, they were one of the best-supported bands generally on the ship. Some people queued to see them for over 3 hours before the concert started. We were very glad of our VIP passes almost every moment on this trip, not least this time. Some of their arrangements were a bit different as they had to leave one of their guitarists behind, due to logistical costs. They mentioned in their Q&A they were doing a gig some time back in the UK with 13 musicians on stage, and realised that this simply would not work for touring. Visa costs alone were crippling. Still, they had the full brass section, and Rikard took the full weight of all the guitar parts on his shoulders, in between shredding on the keyboard. Love these guys, and was sad when their second gig, which was on the pool stage, started late due to technical difficulties so we missed half of it due to our allotted Steve Hackett show starting.  Lifesigns Only just started to listen to these guys before the trip, but I'm enjoying them. Really seemed like nice guys, too. Jon Young lives really near me - when I pointed this out to him after the Q&A he suggested we go for a drink, which I will probably try and make happen at some point. He was another one who commented on my Zappa t-shirt at the photo opportunity. They make very cool, relaxed and melodic prog. Steve Baimbridge on guitar was mesmerising and the bassist was a real onstage presence. Great stuff.  Steve Hackett I mean, what can you say. Wasn't familiar with his solo stuff but enjoyed it all. Plus he did three songs from Foxtrot - Watcher of the Skies, Can-Utility and the Coastliners and Supper's Ready. Hearing these live, especially Supper's Ready, was an unbelievable experience, and drat did Hackett rip it up on the guitar. Amazing.     Jordan Rudess Monster keyboard player, of course. Singer was Joe Payne, another guy who hails from near where I live, and seemed incredibly nice when I was introduced to him on the first day by a mutual friend. He sang great; during the second gig on the pool stage they finished with a cover of We Are the Champions, which was done total justice. Second and third pics were Rudess playing the blues on his Geoshred app; looks like he's doing a line of charlie in the third pic, but no, of course he's playing the app with his face because, why not. For the finale of the indoors gig, he brought out Mike Portnoy on drums and Haken's Charlie Griffiths on guitar and they performed Dream Theater's The Spirit Carries On. loving magical.    Riverside One of the bands we were most excited for, and they didn't disappoint. Really cool set, and they were clearly having a ton of fun and were appreciative of the support. Not too much to say other than it was really, really good. Mariusz Duda was a witty and totally commanding presence centre stage; watching him rock his bass guitar was mesmerising. Fantastic show.   Martin Barre Really rocking gig - great sound and like Hackett age does not seem to have dimished Barre's abilities on the guitar. Generally sounded very heavy, but also articulate. They did a weird cover of Eleanor Rigby which sounded only vaguely like the original but was pretty cool. Also some stuff from Aqualung, which was nice. The little girl with ear defenders on was the child of another artist (not sure who) who had come along to watch. She spent a lot of the gig dancing, spinning and capering; she also had a little brother of maybe two years old who was bopping away too, and at one point they were dancing together. It was freaking adorable.  Flying Colors Our very final gig. I bought the second album (Second Degree) just before the trip and listened to it on the plane on the way over, but was basically unfamiliar with their stuff, and so was a bit apprehensive about the last show being stuff we didn't know. However, they blew way past our expectations. Absolutely beautiful combination of prog with some tastefully poppy melodies. The playing was stunning and I think I'm in love with Casey McPherson's voice. The audience singalong on Peaceful Harbor was one of the most stirring I've been a part of, and I think Cosmic Symphony is one of my new favourite songs. This was a bucket list gig for one our new friends, and I can see why. Apart from the other gig on this cruise, they hadn't played together in five years, and didn't know when they would again after the show we saw. And they were wonderful; listening to Second Degree since has just consolidated my appreciation for them and I'll be picking up the other albums pronto. --- Overall, this was by far the best holiday I've ever done. We were on cloud 9 the whole time. The people, whether artists or passengers, were universally friendly and the vibe was amazing. We connected with musicians from bands we love and despite being socially awkward goony types we made a ton of new friends from all over the world, some of which I know will become close friends. Even coming home to a leak in our basement didn't really bring us back down. Kids didn't even seem to mind when we floated the idea of leaving them to go again next year, so... gently caress yeah. Bring it on. Hope this hasn't been too boring - I'm jet lagged and ill, so this post is pretty stream-of-consciousness, and sorry if my photos aren't great. I just had to share about my trip somewhere as it was astoundingly fun.
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Mar 15, 2024 15:13
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Must have misremembered or been misinformed about Julie's age then. She seriously slaps, anyway. Will check out her other stuff. Always interested to find cool new tunes. We got given a flier with code for a Lobate Scarp album, so just downloading that right now. OneSizeFitsAll fucked around with this message at 23:29 on Mar 15, 2024 |
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Mar 15, 2024 23:26
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BigFactory posted:Julie’s been in his trio for ages. She’s really good. She also reminded him of the other part of my Zappa question during the Q&A when he only answered one bit, which I was grateful for. (Bit he answered was how working with Zappa affected his development - he went into a long bit about how he learned about the technicalities of working in the business, going on tour etc, basically dry logistical stuff. But also spent tons of time with the family, improvised his Bob Dylan impersonation when working on Flakes, and Frank's like "that's it"). Bit he answered after Julie reminded him was what his favourite Zappa song to perform on was - answer was Peaches En Regalia. quote:I can’t get over seeing Martin Barre in a tiny room like that. That’s crazy. It's a little bigger than it looks in the photo, with seats to the left and right, and also behind where I was, along with a bar. But yeah, it was basically a lounge and your point stands. At one point he actually made a wry comment about being old and thus put into this part of the boat. Hardly ignominious, though; other great acts played in there too. Was mad how close he was... also the aforementioned frolicking kids. Made it feel like a random show at a school performance or something. Sir Lemming posted:It's actually Second Nature (the third album is Third Degree), but yeah, I love them too. Their first album didn't totally win me over (it felt a little stilted and "dad rock") but they really clicked after that. They fill a good niche of "prog music for people who don't like prog music, but also people who do". The weird thing is I made the same mistake with their album names before and cleared it up in my mind, only to apparently do it again. In my defence I've averaged very little sleep over the last couple of weeks, leaving aside jet lag. I'm also ill as gently caress - I guess unsurprisingly cruise ships can be disease cauldrons. Yeah, they said they didn't know when they'd be able to tour again, with an implication that who knows, it might be never. Especially now Portnoy's rejoined DT. Read up on True Colors - sounds interesting but I'll start with the commercial release I ordered and see how we go. Speaking of versions of things, on the offchance anyone is looking to buy The Flower Kings' Stardust We Are, do not get the 2022 remastered version. There are weird digital glitches resulting in clipping sounds for a lot of it, including on the title track. Basically making it unlistenable. I've had to track down an earlier version on discogs so I can enjoy it properly.
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Mar 18, 2024 20:33
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Nightmare Cinema posted:His 1973 - 79 run (Over-Nite Sensation thru Joe's Garage) should hit that spot. I would heartiful recommend this run of albums, but just to mention to you Fighting Elegy that if you like jazz fusion you could also do a lot worse than check out the slightly earlier Hot Rats album.
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Apr 12, 2024 12:20
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I cannot get enough of the Flower Kings' Stardust We Are. What a song. In other news, I may have just accidentally slipped and booked next year's Cruise to the Edge.
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May 2, 2024 17:10
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| # ¿ May 8, 2024 21:55 |
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Solumin posted:I've had their 2022 album By Royal Decree on rotation since it was released, but I never got around to checking out their back catalog. And they released another album back in September... I've got some listening to do. I've heard good things about By Royal Decree - it's high on my list of albums to get of theirs. I only have Stardust We Are, Space Revolver and the newest one, Look at You Now. They have an annoyingly big catalogue, so I'm just carefully picking through it, but don't want to rush it, so I can appreciate each album properly.
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May 2, 2024 19:27
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