Top 10 Big Big Train Songs

Photo: Big Big Train (photographer Kain Dear, Glassart Photography) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Many people look back at the early 1990’s as the era of grunge music. Obviously grunge music and bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden played significant roles in the setting the musical rock and roll landscape of the decade of the nineties. However, at the same time, the next wave pf Progressive Rock bands were coming of age and setting the tone that would stretch the genre of Progressive Rock to incorporate many musical styles. Bands like Anathema, Dream Theater, Fates Warning, and Spock’s Beard were all releasing albums that excited fans especially on the Eastern side of the Atlantic.

The band Big Big Train came out of the early Progressive Rock scene of the 1990’s. Like many of their colleagues the band is still together releasing new music as the decade of the 2010’s continues.

Big Big Train’s first album was released in 1994. The album entitled Goodbye to the Age of Steam featured the musicians, Ian Cooper on keyboards, Steve Hughes on drums , Andy Poole on bass, Martin Read on vocals and Greg Spawton on guitars. Big Big Train followed up their debut album with the release of English Boy Wonders. Five years later the band released the album Bard in 2002.

The band’s fourth album Gathering Speed featured Laura Murch on vocals instead of Martin Read. Sean Filkins took over lead vocals on The Difference Machine album in 2007. David Longdon joined the band on their 2009 album The Underfall Yard.

English Electric Part One and English Electric Part Two were albums released back to back in 2012 and 2013. In 2016, the band released the Folklore CD. At the time the band had expanded to include David Longdon on lead vocals, flute, acoustic guitar, mandolin, and percussion Nick D’Virgilio on drums, percussion, and backing vocals, Greg Spawton on bass guitar, Andy Poole on acoustic guitar, mandolin, and keyboards, Dave Gregory on electric guitars, Danny Manners on keyboards, and double bass, Rachel Hall on violin, viola, cello, and, Rikard Sjöblom on keyboards, electric guitars,and accordion.

In 2017, the band released Grimspound and The Second Brightest Star albums. Our Top 10 Big Big Band takes a look at various points in the band’s career.

# 10 – Victorian Brickwork

We open our Big Big Train songs list with an exciting track from the brilliant The Underfall Yard album. The song “Victorian Brickwork,”: is the perfect track to turn people on to this great band. We are just getting started.

# 9 – The Last English King

The band’s third album was entitled Bard. The record was released in 2002. “The Last English King,” is the album’s opening track.

# 8 – Perfect Cosmic Storm

The Perfect Cosmic Storm was released ion the band’s fifth studio album entitled The Difference Machine. The album was released in 2007.

# 7 -Fighter Command

This is why we love Big Big Train. Their progressive music is full of spirit and passion much like early Genesis. There is a Peter Gabriel Steve Hackett sense to them at times . Its uplifting, thought provoking emotionally charged music. “Fighter Command,” is brilliant. The song was released on the band’s fourth studio album entitled Gathering Speed. The record was released in 2004.

# 6 – The Undefall Yard

The song “Underfall Yard,” was released on the album The Underfall Yard While some of the band;s music seemed to be inspired by early Genesis, the The Underfall Yard seems to take a great deal of inspiration from the band Yes.

# 5 – A Giddy Thing

This smoking track from Big Big Train was released on the band’s second album entitled, English Boy Wonders. The album was released in 1997.

# 4 – Experimental Gentlemen

The song “Experimental Gentlemen,” was released on the band’s Grimspound album.The record was released in 2017.

# 3 – Uncle Jack

The second song to appear on this Big Big Train songs list form the album The Underfall Yard is the great track “Uncle Jack.”

# 2 – London Plane

The two 2017 albums that the band released in 2017 were stunning pieces of work. The song “London Plane,” is from the Folklore album.

# 1 – East Coast Racer

The amazing piece of music “East Coast Racer,” was released on the album English Electric Part Two. The album was released in 2013. The song East Coast Racer was written by Greg Spawton. It was the album’s opening track. It stands as our choice for the number one song on our Top 10 Big Big Train songs list.