Live in 2016: The Christians live at Acapela Studios, Pentyrch, Cardiff on Saturday October 1st 2016

Tonight was a unique opportunity to see one of the UK's best bands up close and personal. The gig was being held in The Acapela Studios in a little village outside Cardiff called Pentyrch.

It's housed in a converted chapel which still has some pews both downstairs and upstairs and is a perfect space, especially for acoustic based music. Tonight's performance reminded me very much of one those MTV Unplugged shows which were a huge success a few years ago.

The Christians now comprise of Garry Christian (Vocals), Joey Ankrah (Vocals/Lead Guitar), Neil Griffiths (acoustic Guitar/Vocals) and Mike Trigg (Keyoards). They are still making albums, their latest being, We, released in 2015. But tonight we were treated to an almost complete Greatest Hits show.

The band, looking extremely comfortable in this foursome, perched on their stools, started the show with an accomplished and soulful cover of Bob Dylan's I Shall Be Released.

They had the crowd on their side within one song and the enthusiastic applause continued throughout the performance.

It would have been so easy for the band to slip into the promotion of their latest album, We, which is very good indeed. But they chose to give the audience exactly what they wanted with a succession of songs that were more or less The Christians Greatest Hits. It was a move that paid dividends as the Sold Out Acapela heard singing as it had probably not been heard since its days as a chapel. The audience knew every word and sung along on many of tonight's songs. They didn't need the encouragement of Garry Christian but he gave it anyway.

So, for the next song we had the sublime Born Again, which highlighted the harmonies that are still present within the band.

The Christians have had enough hits to warrant a Greatest Hits album and the next song Perfect Moment was one that was included on the band's Best Of album released in 1993, showing that they could still produce a song in that year as good as any of their 80s tunes.

The band were clearly enjoying tonight's show and the witty banter between themselves and the audience only enhanced the jovial atmosphere within the hall.

A big cheer wnt up as the opening phrase to the next song, Words, rang around the walls of the studio. The crowd sat silently to this one as they drank in the fabulous lead vocal of Garry Christian. He still has a voice like velvet.

It was a case of severe audience participation for the next song, Greenbank Drive, as the band hit their stride in giving the audience another of their biggest hits.

Tonight was a show of two halves and the band finished part one on a high as they sang another of their best known hits, the anthemic, What's In A Word. Again with the audience singing along with great enthusiasm. 

After a swift drink, it was back into the fray as the opening notes of another huge 80s anthem, Forgotten Town, rang around the chapel. It's delightful to hear all of these fantastic songs again, many written by former Christian, HENRY PRIESTMAN who now has a very successful solo career. The songs are full of a social conscience and have lost none of their power and insight over the years.

As if to prove that the band have not lost their social conscience, the next song is from their latest album, We, and is about the 96 Liverpool football fans who lost their lives at Hillsborough. 

Big Red Sky provided one of the show stopping moments as the band projected a film of the fight the families of the 96 fought to get justice for their departed loved ones. It was a very moving moment.

Here is that video.

How do you follow that? Well, if you're The Christians, you pick one of your biggest hits as we are treated to another superb singalong to the fantastic, Ideal World. If ever we needed this song - it's now - and the audience reaction is just fantastic. 

It's now hits again for the last three songs of the evening as the band play The Bottle, Sad Songs and then end the set with the superb Hooverville. Again, a song that has lost none of it's power over the subsequent years and is as relevant today as the day it was first released back in 1987.

The song brought an end to the second set and a standing ovation from a Sold Out Acapela. But there had to be an encore.

And why not leave the audience on a high. The Christians chose their biggest hit to end the show tonight, a great cover of The Isley Brothers classic, Harvest For The World. As you can see from the video below (from tonight's performance), it was a great singalong moment and was the perfect ending to a very excellent show.

The day after the gig, the band announced another date for 2017. 

I've got my ticket already.

Do yourselves a favour and go and see a great band who can still cut the mustard on their own terms. Trust me, you won't be disappointed.

And when you come back next year guys, how about playing MY favourite Christians song - the majestic Man Don't Cry?

Twitter - @thechristians

click here for The Christians Website

Live in 2016: Rob Reed & Special Guests - Sanctuary Live at Real World Studios, Box, Wiltshire on Saturday 8th October 2016

Ever since recording the first Sanctuary album back in 2014, Rob Reed has been imagining how he could present the music in a live context. This year, with the release of the Sanctuary 2 album, Rob  finally found a way to present Sanctuary that he was happy with.

And where better than in the Sanctuary of Progressive Rock - Peter Gabriel's Real World Studio. 

Hidden away in the village of Box in rural Wiltshire, Real World is set in a beautiful set of buildings in a lovely manicured garden with streams and weeping willow trees. You can immediately see why Mr Gabriel decided to set up his musical home here. It truly is a stunning venue.

With state of the art technological facilities, you can also see why Rob Reed decided to hold the live debut of Sanctuary in these hallowed surroundings. 

The two shows were presented as a matinee performance and then an evening performance.

I chose the afternoon performance to be able to see the studio in all it's glory.

We were warmly welcomed as we booked into the reception area and collected our programmes. 

Rob wanted to keep the debut shows small and selective so Real World was the perfect venue and you could palpably feel the excitement and anticipation build as the audience was led into The Big Room ready for the performance.

Both of the shows were being filmed for hopefully a forthcoming DVD release so it was strictly No Cameras and Phones Off - so sorry, no photos of the gig itself.

Rob didn't want to skimp on the quality of the music presented live so brought together 11 of his musical companions including his Magenta band colleagues.

The musicians for today's performances were:

Robert Reed - Guitar, Keyboards, Tubular Bells, Percussion & Vocoder

Chris Fry - Acoustic, 12 String, Nylon & Electric Guitar     Martin Shellard - Electric Guitar, Nylon Guitar & Banjo                 Dan Nelson - Bass Guitar       Jonathan 'Jiffy' Griffiths - Drums & African Percussion       Tim Lewis - Keyboards, Vocoder and Low Synth       Nigel Hopkins - Piano       

Simon Brittlebank - Marimba, Vibraphone, Glockenspiel, Timpani &..... Tubular Bells

Angharad Brynn - Solo Voice       Vocal Chants - Christina Booth, Fran Murphy, Lorraine King & Ffion Wilkins 

Firstly, as you might expect in this venue, the sound quality was first class. You could hear every instrument perfectly which must have been quite an achievement to produce as they were plenty of them.

With Rob Reed at centre stage, with a keyboard and electric guitar, the 'band' started with 

Sanctuary 1 - part 1.

Both Sanctuary albums are absolutely delicious. I'm assuming by reading this review that you are aware of what Rob Reed was trying to achieve with the Sanctuary album releases. If not, you might like to check my review of Sanctuary 1 to see what we were all listening to in The Big Room.

click for my Sanctuary 1 review

Sanctuary 1 Part 1 end section

There was always the temptation that Rob would choose to recreate the album note for note but to his credit, Rob allowed himself the creative space to interpret Sanctuary beautifully for the stage. Don't get me wrong, the music is very much the album but with added dynamics that only a live performance can give. Sanctuary 1 had minimal live drumming on it, Sanctuary 2 has much more. But the added rhythm that the drums provided on stage drive the piece along beautifully.

I really can't express in words how much hearing these works live has meant to me. My vocabulary isn't that big but hearing that guitar soar and those glockenspiel notes twinkle just brought a tear to my eye. 

Also a special mention here for the ladies who provided the human vocal touches this evening. They were spot on and just sounded heavenly. And Angharad Brynn, with her solo vocal performance was just sublime.

Although the music is based on the template of Tubular Bells and the early 70s albums, those albums were far more melancholic, as a mirror of Mike Oldfield's personality. The Sanctuary releases are much more optimistic and joyous and it really showed in today's performances.

You could really see all of the musician's were enjoying themselves immensely as there were smiles galore. Mr Reed, a shy individual at the best of times, ran the show like a true ringmaster, counting in the sections to the musicians using both his hands and facial gestures. 

As the final acoustic guitar notes of  Sanctuary 1 Part 1 drifted off there was a quiet that held there, just for a moment, as the audience took in exactly what they had just witnessed. Then they erupted in applause. 

The smile that Rob Reed gave just lit up the room. And I couldn't have been happier for him. All the hard world that had gone into planning today's performance had just paid off. Big Time.

From the front row, I could see Rob's nervousness to the reaction just slip from his shoulders as he probably realised that the works he had released over the past two years DID actually work as a live performance.

Next, Rob and the musicians performed a small piece of Sanctuary 1 - Part 2 before the main event of the complete Sanctuary 2 album.

Sanctuary 2

I haven't completed my review yet for Sanctuary 2 (there is a reason that will become clear later in the year) but suffice to say it is another beautiful piece of work. Even more dynamic and beautifully sonic than Sanctuary 1.

I visited Rob in his studio while he was working on it and the phrase that I used of hearing the early mixes was that it was like Sanctuary 1 but wearing velvet and brocade. I wasn't far off.

click to read about my visit with Rob Reed

Buoyed with confidence to the reaction of Sanctuary 1, Rob and the musicians gave their all while playing both sides of Sanctuary 2. I could see it in their faces as they smiled throughout the performances.

Once again, a special mention to the ladies vocal performance which has a greater presence in Sanctuary 2. 

Sanctuary 2 is richer in approach than the first album and this gives every musician on that stage a chance to shine. 

It would be easy for Rob to take the lead performances for himself but in the spirit of generosity that pervades the performance, he gives all the musicians their chance to shine. 

While Rob didn't leave his position for Sanctuary 1, the temptation became too much (planned, I'm sure) as he stepped behind Simon Brittlenbank's section to play Vibraphone, a Sleigh Bells Stick and Tubular Bells.

On the album, Simon Phillips mans the drum-kit but tonight young Jonathan Griffiths stepped up to the plate and put in an absolutely sterling performance.

With two excellent guitarists on stage I was pleasantly surprised to see Rob doing so much guitar work. Known as a keyboard player, Rob had to learn all of the instruments played on the Sanctuary albums and he is a much better guitarist than he thinks he is.

Suffice to say that Sanctuary 2 Parts 1 & 2 are performed magnficently and the musicians left the stage with a standing ovation ringing in their ears. It was great to see the smiling faces all around the room, not only on the stage but in the audience too.

Everybody in that room knew what they had just witnessed and were so glad to be there.

There just HAD to be an encore and as the lady vocalists came back onto the stage masked up with animal faces we knew what was coming next.

Rob and the musicians played the title track from the Willow Song EP with the glorious vocals of Angharad Brynn sealing the deal.

Willow Song interview with Rob Reed

click here for Willow's Song

After another standing ovation, the musicians left the stage for the last time to thunderous applause.

The end of a very special performance indeed.

Following the end of the performance we all left The Big Room where the musicians were on hand to talk and have photos taken and sign the albums and cds.

The buzz among the audience was that we had all been present at something very special indeed.

I know that Rob and the musicians have performed in some very large venues and been a part of major music festivals but I think that all of them will hold today's performance close to their hearts.

Rob must be extremely proud of what he has achieved with the Sanctuary projects, both recorded and live.

And they had the opportunity to relive that performance all over again in the evening.

With Rob's attention to detail, I'm sure the DVD will be a fitting monument to today's very special performances. So let's hope for a full Blu Ray presentation in 5.1 Surround Sound - then everyone else might just have some idea of what it was like to be there.

Over to you, Mr Reed.

A TRIUMPH INDEED!

Shoobaddy Shoobaddy Doo  

Twitter - @robreedmagenta 

click for the official ROB REED Website

Spotlight 2016: Steve Mason - Meet The Humans

Steve Mason began his career in music by becoming the lead singer with Scottish band, The Beta Band back in 1996. He stayed with the band from 1996 to 2004. The band played a mixture of all sorts of music including Folk, Electronica, Trip Hop, Rock, and a bit more besides. Their albums were always events and the fans had no idea what was coming at them next.

The Beta Band assessment

Since the split, Steve has released music under several guises but in 2013, it all came together in an absolutely brilliant solo album- Monkey Minds In The Devil's Time. It's an outstanding record and one that deserves repeated listens. It's not an easy listen but one hell of a rewarding one. 

fight them back

So, it's been three long years to see what Steve has come u with next. And with Meet The Humans, he certainly hasn't disappointed. In fact, he may even have topped Monkey Minds.

Following the darkness and challenging, confrontational 'aggression' of Monkey Minds, Meet The Humans is an album of Joy, Hope and some brilliantly vibrant and optimistic song writing. Again, it wasn't the sort of album I was expecting but true to form, Steve has produced an album that nobody expected him to produce following Monkey Minds.

I think the first great decision on Meet The Humans was to bring in Elbow's Craig Potter to sit in the Producer's chair. He certainly knows how to build a superb record.

The album opens with the glimmering shuffle of Water Board. Steve has not lost his strength of rhythm and this is shown throughout the album but the songs find new positions and breathing space compared to the claustrophobic feel of Monkeys Mind. It's as if someone has opened the windows to let in the light.

It's a joyous, piano led song with lovely simple harmonic vocals. Engineered to please and to blow the cobwebs away from that three year hiatus.

water bored

The upbeat feel continues with Alive - another uplifting song. There's even space for a synthesised sitar and other electronic flourishes that skip above the piano.

Two songs in and you're already smiling.

alive

Alright kicks off with some fuzzed guitar chords before some 80s sounding keyboards move the song forward. The song then breaks into an electric guitar with sweeping strings and brass building to a crescendo of harmony and Steve's voice floating over the top. Turning it into a dramatic, epic wall of noise.

Next up is one of my favourite songs on the album - Another Day, the beginning of the song builds beautifully to an extremely catchy chorus. But this isn't the end of the story, we then get some brilliant brass phrases that lift the song to another level and reaches a triumphant conclusion.

The addition of strings and brass to Steve's sound is the winning card in Meet The Human's hand. It gives the album a more organic and dare I say it, Human, quality.

Another Day

Although it is an overall optimistic record, Meet The Humans does have it's darker and more melancholy moments, such as in the next track, Run Away. It's a softly brooding ballad, led by piano and bathed in strings. It's a really beautiful song.

To A Door is another gentle song that flows along beautifully to a rhythm of handclaps, acoustic guitar and piano. It's understated, harmonious and really quite quietly joyous.

It will be really interesting to see how Steve interweaves these softer songs into some of the more challenging songs from earlier works when he performs these songs on the Meet The Humans Tour in late 2016.

At 5.18, the longest song on the album is the next to hit your ears. Hardly Go Through is another quietly epic song - to me, very much in the vein of a Pink Floyd song, except maybe for the more insistent piano stabs in the choruses. 

Through My Window is a watercolour treatment of a song. Wistful, with breathy almost whispered vocals by Steve. It's a simple, acoustic song and is also simply gorgeous.

The first track that was released from the album was the perfect choice. Planet Sizes is a wonderfully uplifting and optimistic song, based around an insistent piano phrase and acoustic guitars, it becomes bathed one again in electronica and some twinkling piano - it really is a gospel song, stripped right back and presented in a beautifully simplistic and modern way.

And talking of gospel, the next track, Like Water also has a gospel feel, especially with the insistent piano work - it is very Hymnic, especially when the strings and brass join the cymbals in crashing towards the triumphant climax. Another epic track.

As if to prove the uplifting nature of the record, the final track, Words In My Head, drives along again on a persistent piano phrase which unpins the song. The electronic instrumentation once again builds up the song to a glorious climax.

Meet The Humans is the most Singer/Songwriter album of Steve Mason's career so far. For beneath the instrumentation, that's exactly what it is. Whether based around piano or acoustic guitar, you can easily see Steve play this album in it's basest form if he wanted to. And it would still sound fabulous.

Quality songwriting with a gloriously sympathetic production have helped Steve Mason produce the album of his career so far. If you haven't yet caught up with Mr Mason, it's time you did. And make sure you don't miss his previous album. To see another side of this excellent songwriter.

Twitter @SteveMasonKBT 

click for THE STEVE MASON WEBSITE

Spotlight 2016: Benjamin Francis Leftwich - After The Rain

It's been a long 5 years since the release of Benjamin Francis Leftwich's debut album Last Smoke Before The Snowstorm.

That album is an absolute jewel of a record. Lyrical and dripping with melody - it really should already be in your collection.

I've discussed Ben on a previous post

The Archivist: Ben Leftwich

In October 2012, Ben released the Ep In The Open, which signposted where he was to go on his next album.

But in 2013 Ben lost his father to cancer. This led Ben to drop off the grid for almost two years on a spiritual journey of self realisation and coming to terms with the death of his father. And now in 2016, Ben presents his new album After The Rain. And by God, how I've missed his music. 

So, has After The Rain been worth the wait. Oh Yes. It's simply stunning.

After a such a dramatic event in his young life, you'd expect that Ben would return being somewhat reflective and introspective. But After The Rain is so much more than that. It has certainly been an exercise in catharsis for Ben and there's as much light as shade in the record.

The first tracked that Ben released from After The Rain is also the lead off track from the album. The lovely Tilikum. It showcases Ben's fragile and almost whispered vocals and gently picked guitar. With soft brushed drums and sparing electronica - it sets the scene for the rest of the album.

Tilikum

'I wish you no harm if some other arms are keeping you happy'

Track 2 is the beguiling song Some Other Arms - opening with drums, bathed in electronica and featuring once again Ben's picked guitar and lovely harmonies, it's another gorgeous track. It has a beautiful hymnal quality - which is a theme throughout the album.

Some Other Arms

She Will Sing lifts the mood with an uptempo drumbeat and vibrant electronica underneath Ben's layered vocals. 

As I stated earlier, Ben has produced an album of both light and darker shades - quite often they lie within the same song, such as in the next track Kicking Roses. 

Kicking Roses

Ben has created some gorgeous melodies for this album and none better than the lilting and floating Summer - with it's softly sweeping background including some muted drumming and piano and electronic swathes it's Ben at his most seductive and poetic musically.

Summer

'I parted from the feeling I was never going to change and I started to believe in the hope of better days'

Just Breathe is almost a continuation of Summer with an even richer atmospheric accompaniment. It's amazing how Ben has created an album that sound so sparse and at the time seem so lush.

The songs are short and sweet on this new album - fitting in 13 tracks into it's 47 minute playing time. The songs are around just enough time for them to make friends with you then they're gone. Like mist in the morning.

Cocaine Bridge sees Ben at his most pleading with some lovely electric guitar moments. It shimmers under an insistent swathe of brushed cymbals which come in like waves hitting the seashore. It's a lovely sound indeed.

The next song is also the longest on the album - at just over 5 minutes, Groves starts with some strummed acoustic guitar and piano before being joined by what sounds like a cello. It's dramatic, it's cinematic but oddly insular. It's reminiscent of something Peter Gabriel might produce. 

Groves

There are quite a few songs on the album that deal with relationships - Day By Day is one of these. With just Ben's guitar and a sprinkling of electronica, it's one of the simplest tracks on the album.

Immortal starts with some foot stomping drums before settling down with a piano motif and then builds into another minor dramatic track.

There is a mood of solace that runs throughout the album but that's not to say it is mournful or demanding your sympathy. Ben has very much gone for a mood on this album and the songs have either been selected or sculptured to fit into this mood.  

It's obviously and album that has been instigated with sorrow in mind but it's how Ben has had to deal with his grief - it's often said that artists produce their best work out of sorrow or strife and Ben is no exception. After The Rain is very much in the same vein as another of my Albums of 2016 this year - the magnificently understated Happy Blue by Jones.

click to see my review of Happy Blue by Jones

The next track on the album is one of the most immediate songs on the album - Mayflies is another of the more uplifting songs on the album with its electronically treated vocals and another melody to die for it's an absolutely killer track. Contemporary and 

Mayflies

'In another life the mayflies will take over the sky'

The soft acoustic strum of Ben's guitar is the basis of the penultimate track of After The Rain. Frozen Moor is the gentle Coda to the album and is the track on the album that would easiest fit on to Ben's debut. There's something about just a musician and their guitar. Stripped of the polish and instrumentation it really is a lovely track.

The final track on the album is the extremely short Just As I Was Waking Up. Again just Ben and his guitar, it drifts in like a shaft of sunlight into a darkened room. Then disappears.

After The Rain is a record that seduces you. Lulls you into a false sense of insecurity. Whispers in your ears. Tells you secrets. And promises that everything will be alright in the end.

Let's just hope we don't have to wait another four years for that Difficult Third Album.

A mention has to go to Jade Spranklen who has produced some beautiful illustrations to accompany the album.

Illustrations by Jade Spranklen 

Twitter -  @Sprankenstein 

click for SPRANKENSTEIN WEBSITE

Twitter - @BenLeftwich

click for Benjamin Francis Leftwich Website

Spotlight 2016: Big Big Train - Folklore

WARNING - you may need to be sitting down with a glass of something you enjoy. Because if you play the accompanying videos in full - you will be here some time. And I want you to. But trust me, it'll be worth your time. Are you sitting comfortably? Then we'll begin.

If Big Big Train are a mystery to you, here's a small history lesson - if not, just bear with me a minute.

Formed in 1990 by Andy Poole & Greg Spawton, originally with various musicians, the band now has a stable line up - 

• David Longdon - lead and backing vocals, flute, acoustic guitar, mandolin, percussion
• Nick D'Virgillo - drums, percussion, backing vocals
• Greg Spawton - acoustic guitar, bass guitar, bass pedals, backing vocals
• Andy Poole - acoustic guitar, mandolin, keyboards, backing vocals
• Dave Gregory - guitars
• Danny Manners - keyboards, double bass
• Rachel Hall - violin, voila, cello, backing vocals
• Rikard Sjöblom - keyboards, guitars, accordion, backing vocals

                                                        

photo courtesy of Kain Dear

The band started their recording career with the release of 1994's Goodbye To The Age Of Steam and are now on their ninth release with the magnificent Folklore.

The band are very much perceived as a Progressive Rock band but with Folklore, they have turned their attention to a more pastoral view of their place in the musical firmament.

They've gathered together songs that in the best tradition of English folk music, tell stories. But with the Progressive framework that followers of BBT have come to know and love. 

BBT have always enjoyed looking into the past for their inspiration and they do do again on Folklore but this time with a specific aural objective in mind. 

With five of the nine songs on Folklore over 7 minutes long, they have plenty of time and space to weave their musical magic.

The album opens with the stunning title track, Folklore. Somber strings give way to plaintive brass which has an almost military feel, like a requiem to the fallen but then the violin and drums kick in and the song begins properly. It's very much in the Bellowhead territory before the organ kicks in to send the song off in a different direction again with layered voices and harmonies. It's an upbeat, rabble-rousing opening song with the traditional violin and flutes weaving together with the Progressive guitars and Organ to create a thrilling mix of the old and the new. It really is a thrilling opening track.

London Plane is a lovely, gentle song. Very much in the Pink Floyd or Marillion way when they decide to get softer. Guitar based initially, the gentleness gives way to a focused work out featuring the guitars, flute and keyboards before David Longdon's vocal brings it back down into it's softer harmonic waters before the guitars and keyboards start to soar again. It's a sweeping piece of music and at over 10 minutes it has more changes than a Las Vegas Showgirl.

photo courtesy of stuart wood

Along The Ridgeway uses harmonies, piano and plaintive strings to weave an almost waltz like magical spell. Guitar arpeggios are the bed on which the harmonies play around before they are joined by subtle brass. Some lovely Byrdsian Rickenbacker - probably by Dave Gregory - leads into the next section of vocal interplay. There are just SO many colours in this one relatively short song.

Ominous cello and violin introduce the next track Salisbury Giant, a mere vignette at only 3 and a half minutes long. A mainly instrumental piece with some lovely Hammond Organ work.

With Transit Of Venus Across The Sun we are back into the 7 minute territory. Opening up with a gorgeous brass and violin passage before the early Genesis-like guitar work introduces David Longdon's vocals which really are stunning all the way through this record. This track will remind you of Marillion at their best. 

With a flute and some very English Folk vocal we are into the next track Wassail.  It's harmony driven and dramatic with plenty of keyboard flourishes, it's definitely the most folk-oriented track on the album.

How many songs do you know about Pigeons - (and can we please BURY that bloody Genesis song!!)? Well, here's a song called Winkie - and it's about a pigeon that saves the lives of a bomber crew back in World War 2. I know, I know but stick with me here. It's very Progressive in approach and performance - complete with bugle, drum and pealing bells. It's Prog Jim, but not as we know it. Well, it's actually just as we know it, Captain. And what a joyous thing it is. Could have been plucked straight out of 70s Prog album. Just sit back and enjoy. and I hope those headphones are comfortable.

We're almost home on this majestic voyage that Big Big Train have taken us on but we have one last epic track. Brooklands. This is twelve minutes of Folk tinged progressive music just as you would expect. Fine musicianship, sweeping musical statements and solos that soar.

I've tried not to spoil the stories relating to the songs on the album by revealing them to you. I thought it better that you discover them for yourselves if you choose to do so. But suffice to say that the titles of the tracks will lead you in the right direction.

It's always difficult in album reviews not to reveal too much about an album and I hope I have given you a flavour of the scope and grandeur that have gone into the making of Folklore. 

Well, where do we go from here? Hmm, how about MY favourite song on the whole album. The absolutely glorious, beautiful thing that is Telling The Bees. I won't tell you what it means - go and Google it - or watch the video. But I haven't heard a Coda as good since Made Again from the Marillion album Brave. If you went on that emotional journey with Marillion, you'll know exactly what I mean.

Folklore is one of THE albums of 2016 - so check it out - invest - and tell your friends - then go back and discover the other jewels in the Big Big Train crown.

artwork by Sarah Louise Ewing

click for the BIG BIG TRAIN WEBSITE