Gungfly - Rikard Sjoblom of Big Big Train and Beardfish.

craigb
 

 
It's over 100 F here today so I'm staying in and trying not to move.  The above may be a perfect thing to watch tonight!

Reminds me of trips to (and at) the Planetarium to see Laserium shows back in the 70s

BobF

craigb
 

 
It's over 100 F here today so I'm staying in and trying not to move.  The above may be a perfect thing to watch tonight!

Reminds me of trips to (and at) the Planetarium to see Laserium shows back in the 70s

I remember those!!!  (Er, sort of anyway!  LOL.)

Played the newest Big Big Train album, The Second Brightest Star (not on YouBoob yet so link possible - sorry!).
 
Yes, it's very polished with excellent musicianship (and I'm sure my parents would have loved it), but I must admit that much of it kind of put me to sleep!  I preferred the later songs more than the ones in the beginning.  I'm not sure why, but the slower Tangerine Dream songs tend to mellow me out and my mind drifts away, however I don't want to nap like I did with the early BBT songs on this album.
 
Glyn and James, what do you guys think?
 

Hi, 
 
Played it 3 times straight through this morning.
 
The new songs are very beautiful, the music is flawless, and there are some really outstanding vocals from David Longdon, but they are all a bit too mellow as a whole album. I think they could have either spread them between Folklore and Grimspound, or put them out on EPs later, along with some heavier tracks.
 
Rachel Hall's song, 'The Passing Widow' is lovely, but it doesn't quite 'fit' to my ears.
 
To be honest, I can't hear a huge difference in the last 4 songs to the versions on the previous albums, or at least nothing that made me think 'wow, they turned that into something else'
 
I suspect this is a vault clearing exercise because they're going to be moving in a different direction from now on.
 
If I drew a comparison between BBT's  Folklore, Grimspound, A Stone's Throw From The Line and The Second Brightest Star, and Tull's Songs From The Wood, Heavy Horses, Bursting Out and Stormwatch...then everyone's going to get sacked and Longdon and Sprawton are going to go electronica 

jamesg1213
I suspect this is a vault clearing exercise because they're going to be moving in a different direction from now on.

 
I got that impression too.
 
So I changed it up Quartz's Satan's Serenade.  Good stuff!  Too bad the full album isn't on YouTube.

Robert Reed Sanctuary

 
A bit after the style of Tubular Bells

jamesg1213
 
The new songs are very beautiful, the music is flawless, and there are some really outstanding vocals from David Longdon, but they are all a bit too mellow as a whole album. I think they could have either spread them between Folklore and Grimspound, or put them out on EPs later, along with some heavier tracks.
 
Rachel Hall's song, 'The Passing Widow' is lovely, but it doesn't quite 'fit' to my ears.
 
To be honest, I can't hear a huge difference in the last 4 songs to the versions on the previous albums, or at least nothing that made me think 'wow, they turned that into something else'
 

A bit of filler here for sure but very pleasent fill for all that. In the old days these may have been served up as bonus track on re-releases way down the line.  It will be intresting to see where they go from here. Meanwhile I am looking forward to the concert in September.

Here is a heavier side of Rob Reed in Magenta "Devil at the Crossroads"

Following the Rob Reed trail here is his version of Steve Hackett's "Spectrial Mornings"  Jyemz, look who has joined Christina on vocals!