English Electric Part Two BY big Big Train

whatsapp-image-2025-08-23-at-14.47.06.jpeg

English Electric Part Two, by the great Big Big Train, from 2013, is one of the finest progressive albums of that year, following its beloved predecessor, English Electric Part One.

I've spoken about this band at length; their sound is built on harmonies and beautiful choruses, with keyboards taking center stage.

The album's style is similar to Part One, and many of the same themes are revisited.

This album is a modern progressive rock album that verges on masterpiece status: rich, accurate, precise, never banal, and intense.

East Coast Racer, which at 15 minutes features a stunning orchestral theme that develops throughout the song with extensive use of the Mellotron and an explosion of sound that makes it my favorite.

Swan Hunter is a splendid song, a ballad with a beautiful transition that connects two parts of the song, adding a new melody and new progressions before returning to the main theme. David Longdon's voice is extraordinary, and Nick D'Virgilio is always precise and nuanced. Manners' piano is superb. A composition that varies between more complex and lively sections and more melodic ones, with beautiful wind and string arrangements. It could represent the sound of this band on its own. Beautiful.

Leopards is the most complex song on the album, a love song, and also the shortest, with beautiful vocal and rhythmic breaks.

"Worked Out" has an opening reminiscent of Celtic music and very intense prog instrumental sections, bordering on folk-prog, with a great flute part and great guitars, while Spawton and D'Virgilio do an excellent job.

"Keeper of Abbeys" shines with banjo, mandolin, and violins, and a great guitar finish.

"The Permanent Way" is also beautiful, an epic song that draws on the main themes of both albums, a splendid performance with a spectacular guitar solo and a romantic, dreamy piano melody. Longdon's voice is beautiful and passionate.

"Curator of Butterflies" is another great song in my opinion, with a beautiful array of keyboards, melody, and shiver-inducing vocals.

An album that, in my opinion, is a MUST for prog lovers.

The Tracks
1. East Coast Racer (15:43)
2. Swan Hunter (6:20)
3. Leopards (7:30)
4. Worked Out (3:54)
5. Keeper of Abbeys (6:58)
6. The Permanent Way (8:29)
7. Curator of Butterflies (8:44)
Duration 57:08

The Lineup
Nick D'Virgilio – drums, cajon (5, 7), backing vocals (6)
Dave Gregory – electric guitar, E-bow guitar (1), marimba (3), 12-string electric guitar (5)
David Longdon – lead vocals and backing vocals, flute (3, 5, 7), vibraphone, shaker (2), banjo (2, 4), percussion (3), acoustic guitar, piano, organ synthesizer (4), tambourine, accordion, Dumbek (5)
Danny Manners – keyboards (1), piano (1, 2, 3, 6, 7), organ, synthesizer (3), double bass (4, 5)
Andy Poole – keyboards (1), backing vocals, acoustic guitar (3, 5), mandolin and electric piano (5), 12-string acoustic guitar, bass pedals (7)
Gregory Spawton – bass (4), electric guitar (1, 3), mellotron (1), backing vocals, mandolin (1, 5), 12-string guitar (1, 3, 7), acoustic guitar (3, 5), organ (5)
With
Abigail Trundle – cello (1, 4, 5, 6, 7)
Megan Fisher – harp (1)
Andy Tillison – organ (1, 6), synthesizer (1), Tillisification (6)
Rob Aubrey – bass pedals (1)
Eleanor Gilchrist – violin (1, 7)
Geraldine Berreen - violin (1, 4, 7)
Teresa Whipple - viola (1, 4, 7)
Ben Godfrey - cornet (1, 2, 6, 7), trumpet, piccolo trumpet
Dave Desmond - trombone (1, 2, 6, 7)
Jon Truscott - tuba (1, 2, 6, 7)
John Storey - euphonium (1, 2), trombone (1, 2, 6, 7)
Rachel Hall - acoustic and electric violin (3, 5, 6)
Simon Godfrey - backing vocals (3)
Sue Bowran - violin (4)
Lily Adams - backing vocals (6)
Violet Adams - backing vocals (6)
Jan Jaap Langereis - recorders (6)