The Underfall Yard<\/a><\/i> was in many ways the launching point for the current band\u2014the first to feature both Longdon\u2019s distinctive voice and Gregory\u2019s lyrical guitar playing, D\u2019Virgilio\u2019s first album as a permanent fixture in the lineup, and the first release to feature the Big Big Train Brass Band, a five-strong horn section led by Dave Desmond. Its thematic focus on the history of Britain and the men and women who built it would linger through several subsequent releases and the musical identity it established\u2014a mix of extended prog epics and tighter songs, with the group\u2019s largely serious literary and historical themes punctuated by the occasional lighter or darker fare\u2014persists to this day. <\/p>\nDisc one of the reissue features The Underfall Yard<\/i> thoroughly remixed and remastered by the band\u2019s in-house sonic wizard Rob Aubrey, and what a job he\u2019s done. Much like Steven Wilson\u2019s remixes of classic Yes albums, this new mix instantly feels like the definitive one, achieving outstanding clarity and separation and giving every element of these densely-packed tracks a meticulous shine and vibrancy. It\u2019s as if they\u2019ve taken a pleasantly worn wooden chest, dusted it off, and scrubbed and oiled it until it looks nearly new.<\/p>\n
There are a few changes in the mixes, but they\u2019re mostly subtle: the greater dimension and impact of the chorused background vocals on \u201cMaster James of St. George\u201d; the way Gregory\u2019s gorgeous extended solo in \u201cLast Train\u201d now leaps out of your speakers; the replacement of a synth part on the intro to \u201cWinchester Diver\u201d with the horns Spawton had always envisioned. The biggest single change is that guest Francis Dunnery has updated his own guitar solo on the opening sequence of the title track; the tone is similar, but with the aggression and athleticism redoubled.<\/p>\n
The new(ish) material is all interesting and worthwhile, as Big Big Train continues the high standard for releases that its fans (the Passengers) have come to expect. The bonus disc opens with \u201cSongs From The Shoreline,\u201d the suite Spawton had in mind when work began on the original album, consisting of familiar TUY<\/i> staple \u201cVictorian Brickwork\u201d\u2014here in a brand new 2020 studio version\u2014paired with \u201cFat Billy Shouts Mine,\u201d which ended up being held over to the group\u2019s 2010 EP Far Skies, Deep Time<\/i>. To be honest, this is one of those cases where I listened to the restored suite and promptly said to myself \u201cGood decision.\u201d The two songs may share certain thematic elements, but the magnificent \u201cVictorian Brickwork\u201d has always stood tall on its own, and adding \u201cFat Billy\u201d to it only diminishes them both to these ears. That said, it\u2019s great to have a studio recording of \u201cVictorian Brickwork\u201d that includes Manners and Hall\u2019s contributions, and interesting to bear witness to the group\u2019s creative process.<\/p>\n
Next up we get a horns-only prelude to the epic 23-minute title track, and my reaction is the same again: good decision. The prelude is lively and fun, but a bit distracting and the original track feels stronger without it. Next we get a 2020 studio re-recording of \u201cThe Underfall Yard,\u201d and it is honestly fantastic. There is just something special about Longdon\u2019s emotive lead vocals supported by the D\u2019Virgilio\/Sjoblom\/Hall background chorus, not to mention the sterling performances by all of the players. Hall\u2019s violin repeatedly adds fresh textures and fullness, Manners\u2019 organ is more prominent than on the original (where it was played by Spawton), Gregory swaps in for Dunnery\u2019s solo and does a great job, and Longdon\u2019s sharp flute work comes slicing through the mix at key moments. Even the substitution of Manners’ electric piano in the first case and Hall\u2019s violin in the second for the guesting Jem Godfrey\u2019s original synth solos works nicely.<\/p>\n
The bonus disc closes with \u201cBrew & Burgh,\u201d the one entirely new song here, written specifically for this reissue. A gentle, charming mid-tempo acoustic number that\u2019s nearly a word salad of references to other BBT songs\u2014even looking to the future with a reference to \u201ccommon ground\u201d\u2014it doesn\u2019t feel groundbreaking, but offers a sweet and fluffy treat for longtime Passengers. <\/p>\n
The punchline here is that, even while engaging in the anniversary \/ deluxe edition trope, Big Big Train manages to turn it on its head. When it comes to with these sorts of albums, the new and\/or previously unreleased material is usually the prime attraction. And while the bonus disc is well worth your time, to this listener the remixed original album is the star attraction. On disc two, only the rerecorded title track approaches the magnificence of those original six tracks, especially after they\u2019ve been burnished to such a beautiful state.<\/p>\n
As always with BBT, the packaging is superb, featuring additional Jim Trainer artwork, full lyrics and credits, and a nicely detailed introductory essay in a hardbound, bookish package, delivering an artisanal-quality product that\u2019s for once entirely worthy of that pretentious term.<\/p>\n
The Underfall Yard<\/i> is one of those landmark albums that begs for this sort of high-end treatment, and this package of beautifully remixed original recordings alongside freshly reimagined versions is eminently worthy of the adjective \u201cdeluxe.\u201d If you\u2019re even a little bit of a fan of Big Big Train\u2014or British prog at all, for that matter\u2014you need this release.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":34304,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"artist":[8052],"rating":[5646],"class_list":["post-46139","review","type-review","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","artist-big-big-train","rating-rating-a"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review\/46139","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/review"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46139"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review\/46139\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/34304"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46139"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"artist","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/artist?post=46139"},{"taxonomy":"rating","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rating?post=46139"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}