UK proggers Big Big Train have released a brand new video for the 23-minute title tack of their 2009 album The Underfall Yard, which you can watch in full below. The epic title track features a new guitar solo from former It Bites man Francis Dunnery.
"The music of It Bites was a big influence on me back in the day,” bassist Greg Spawton explains. “When we were originally working on the album in 2009, I knew that the title track needed a big guitar solo, so I reached out to Francis to ask if he would contribute a solo. Whilst he was keen to work with BBT, he was going through a stage where he wasn't interested in playing in the fluid, legato style he had mastered with It Bites, so the solo he played for us, whilst great, was different from what I was expecting.
"Subsequently, Francis has re-connected with the music of It Bites so I thought I would ask if he was prepared to have another run at the solo. He was up for it and has delivered a storming piece of guitar work for this new mix of The Underfall Yard.”
Big Big Train will be releasing newly remixed version of the album as 2CD and 3LP vinyl release as well as in digital formats through English Electric Recordings. The Underfall Yard is widely regarded as the band's breakthrough album and the first to feature singer David Longdon and drummer Nick D'Virgilio, on April 9 (a Japanese version on the Marquee label will be released on March 29. The new reissue will feature a second companion CD/third vinyl LP features 48 minutes of material,
"The Underfall Yard was an important album for BBT and we wanted the re-issue to offer the best possible audio quality,” adds D’Virgilio. “Our sound engineer, Rob Aubrey, has immersed himself in the multi-track recordings and has used all of his considerable skills and experience to deliver a beautiful new mix.”
“Back in 2009 we made what was then a controversial decision to make the whole 23-minute title track available as a free download ahead of the album’s release,” vocalist David Longdon remembers. “Of course, that was before streaming really took off, so it doesn't seem so unusual in retrospect! At the time our decision helped us to get our music heard by a bigger audience, so we thought we would repeat the exercise, but this time with a film to accompany the song."
“Christian Rios has made a beautiful film for The Underfall Yard,” adds Spawton. “Amongst other things, the song is about Isambard Kingdom Brunel and the great Victorian engineers. Christian wanted Isambard to appear in a specific way in the film and decided there was only one thing for it: he had to don the outfit and cigar himself!”
