release date: July 27, 2018
label: Burning Shed
production: Big Big Train
rating: 9 / 10
“Merchants of Light” is the latest live album from Big Big Train, the workaholic English prog rock revivalists who have been enjoying a real creative and popularity boom in recent years, within the confines of the modern prog rock scene, of course. We’ve kind of gotten used to Big Big Train putting out at least one new album a year, if not two, which sometimes stirs up mixed feelings, even though the end result has so far been more than satisfying. This year they first ‘teased’ fans with the single “Swan Hunter” (2018), which featured three different live recordings and three different versions of the song “Swan Hunter”, and then a few weeks later they released their current live offering under the title “Merchants of Light”, which focuses on the current, hugely successful era with singer David Longdon, that is, from 2009 onward. That means it contains selected pieces from the albums “The Underfall Yard” (2009), both parts of “English Electric” (2012 and 2013), “Folklore” (2016) and “Grimspound” (2017). Interestingly, the album cover was designed by Fish’s longtime bassist Steve Vantsis.
“The Merchants of Light” was recorded during a show by the symphonic prog stalwarts at Cardogan Hall, with an eight-piece lineup that, besides Langdon on lead vocals and flute, included Greg Spawton on bass, Andy Poole (now a former member) on keyboards and acoustic guitar, Rachell Hall on strings, Dave Gregory on guitar, Nick D’Virgilio on drums, Rikard Sjobloms on guitar and keyboards, and Danny Manners on keyboards, plus a supporting brass section that expanded their traditionally rich symphonic arrangements even further. It’s precisely because of that, along with minimal improvisation, that hearing individual Big Big Train standards from the past ten years in their modern live versions on “Merchants of Light” feels like a pretty fresh experience. The high point of the whole recording, which features epic treats like “Brave Captain”, “A Mead Hall in Winter”, “East Coast Racer” and “Victorian Brickwork”, is the closing performance of the folksy teaser “Wassaill”, probably their most beloved standard of the past few years.
Big Big Train were in outstanding form at Cardogan Hall, backed by an extra brass section, and you can hear it all the way through “Merchants of Light”, which is stuffed with a varied selection of some of their best moments from the past ten years. Longdon, who is often compared to Peter Gabriel because of their similar timbre, really doesn’t have a hard job conjuring up an incredible live atmosphere with backing vocalists like D’Virgilio, Sjoblom and Hall. The recording gets an extra boost from the remarkable variety in the arrangements, which radiates from every single “Merchants of Light” performance. With their pastoral-tinged symphonic prog rock, at a time when many legendary names of the English symphonic prog scene are retiring or have already waved goodbye, Big Big Train are the greatest hope for everyone keeping the old-school prog tradition alive. So on one hand it’s only right that they’re so active, but on the other, they really shouldn’t be in too much of a rush with a new studio album down the line.
author: Peter Podbrežnik
Track list:
1.) Folklore Overture
2.) Folklore
3.) Brave Captain
4.) Last Train
5.) London Plane
6.) Meadowland
7.) A Mead Hall in Winter
8.) Experimental Gentlemen Part Two
9. )Swan Hunter
10.) Judas Unrepentant
11.) The Transit of Venus Across the Sun
12.) East Coast Racer
13.) Telling the Bees
14.) Victorian Brickwork
15.) Drums and Brass
16.) Wassail
Musicians:
David Longdon – lead and backing vocals, flute, acoustic guitar, mandolin, percussion, strings and brass
Dave Gregory – guitar
Rikard Sjöblom – keyboards, accordion, backing vocals
Danny Manners – keyboards, double bass
Rachel Hall – violin, viola, cello, backing vocals, string arrangements
Greg Spawton – bass guitar, bass pedals, acoustic guitar, backing vocals
Nick D’Virgilio – drums, percussion, backing vocals
