Big Big Train to reissue ‘Bard’ as 5.1 deluxe edition

Having spent the first part of their career defining their sound and dealing with shifting line-ups, prog band Big Big Train struck on a winning formula with ‘The Difference Machine’ and ‘The Underfall Yard’, before cementing their popularity with the expansive double set ‘English Electric’.

First released as two separate albums and then a deluxe set, ‘English Electric’ saw the band gain a much bigger fan base and increased press coverage. For those who’ve discovered the band in more recent times, there’s one part of the BBT history that’s absent.

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Blondie 180g vinyls to be released in May

In 2014, the original run of six Blondie albums was re-released as an expensive box set.

There’s good news for those who just couldn’t afford that £80+ price tag. The six releases are to be made available separately in May. The albums from ‘Blondie’ (1976) to overlooked swansong ‘The Hunter’ (1982) will be re-released by vinyl specialists Back To Black in the UK on May 4th.

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“Dear Mr. Le Bon…” – crowdfunding campaign

A few years ago, a couple of pensioners from Bournemouth – home of the mighty prog band Big Big Train – embarked on an unusual hobby.  They began to write to musicians, questioning their song lyrics.  It all began in 2008, when Wilf Turnbull and Derek Philpott decided to write to Simon Le Bon, stating that other animals besides wolves experienced hunger and it was perhaps wrong for Duran Duran to single out our lupine chums.

The whole thing snowballed.  Soon, their project became a fully functioning website, with replies from Gary Numan, Toyah Willcox, Steve Dawson (ex-Saxon), Billy Bragg and many, many others.

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