This new release from Big Big Train, Ingenious Devices, consists of newly recorded versions of a trio of songs, "East Coast Racer", "Brooklands", and "Voyager", all tracks that appeared on previous BBT albums and form part of a storyline trilogy. The original plan was to also have David Longdon re-record his vocal parts, but with his untimely death, that never came to be, so they used the original album vocal tracks and proceeded to rework the songs with the current line-up, and remixed them here in 2023. If that's not enough, they also added a 17-piece string section to add depth and extra symphonic flair, which was recorded at Abbey Road Studios. This all results in the song having even more punch and flair, the bombast fully hitting its peak on these wonderful, with Longdon's familiar, Peter Gabriel styled delivery floating over the top. As all three of these tracks exceed 12-minutes in length, it's epic prog all the way, and the orchestral elements are a very nice addition.
Tacked on at the end is a live version of "Atlantic Cable", another familiar song from the band, which was recorded on the second ever concert with new singer Alberto Bravin, and he does a fine job, his vocal style completely different from the late Longdon, and signals the future of the band going forward. So, in essence, Ingenious Devices is a sad goodbye to David Longdon, and a welcome hello to Alberto Bravin. It will be fun seeing where the band go from here!
Track Listing
1.
East Coast Racer (2023) 15:46
2.
The Book of Ingenious Devices 01:20
3.
Brooklands (2023) 12:23
4.
Voyager (2023) 14:11
5.
Atlantic Cable (live) 15:23
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