release date: 13.07.2018
label: English Electric Recordings.
album length: 27:36
production: Big Big Train
rating: 8.5 / 10
»Swan Hunter«, the new live single from English prog rock revivalists Big Big Train, arrived a few months after the rather surprising departure of founding member, bassist and guitarist Andy Poole. In the meantime, Big Big Train have already found his replacement in Robin Armstrong, the head honcho of Cosmograf. »Swan Hunter« came out with one single purpose – to give the new live album »Merchants of Light«, released in July 2018, the best possible promotion.
The single contains three different versions of the song »Swan Hunter«, which originally came out on the album »English Electric Part Two« (2013): a shortened original version, a new 2018 remix, and a live rendition from »Merchants of Light«. Besides the three versions of »Swan Hunter«, the single also has live versions of the »English Electric Part Two« track »Seen Better Days«, with guest vocalist Tim Bowness (No-Man), who joined David Longdon on lead vocals, and »Summer’s Lease«, which first came out on the album »The Difference Machine« (2010). Both of these live cuts also appear on »Merchants of Light«.
»Swan Hunter« is basically a teaser for the most impatient Big Big Train devotees, who needed a fresh musical ‘fix’ from their favorites before the release of the current live offering »Merchants of Light«. Although »Swan Hunter« doesn’t bring anything new at all, not even some rarity, the biggest Big Big Train fanatics will of course not go without it. Those who don’t need every single release from the English prog revivalists in their collection will skip this single with a clear conscience and spend their hard-earned money on ‘just’ the new live album instead. Big Big Train may well be the most popular contemporary prog rock band coming out of England right now, swearing by the ‘old English prog rock school’, but it seems very unlikely that this single will ever find its way onto some of the more commercial radio stations in their homeland; sad but true.
author: Peter Podbrežnik
Track list:
1. Swan Hunter (Radio Edit) (4:26)
2. Swan Hunter (2018 Remix) (6:39)
3. Swan Hunter (Live) (6:51)
4. Seen Better Days (the Brass Band’s Final Piece) (4:42)
5. Summer’s Lease (Live) (4:58)
Musicians:
David Longdon – lead and backing vocals, flute, acoustic guitar, mandolin, percussion, strings and brass
Dave Gregory – guitar
Rikard Sjöblom – keyboards, guitar, 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
