(RAM) Big Big Train will re-issue their third studio album Bard on 21st March 2025. Originally released in 2002 and after many years of being unavailable as a physical CD, the album has been completely re-mixed by their longstanding engineer Rob Aubrey.
Additionally, the re-issue features a live version of the album's opening track, The Last English King, recorded during the band's tour in autumn 2024, as well Headlands, a song recorded during the original sessions but unavailable until now.
"I'm pleased to see Bard being re-issued at last," comments Andy Poole, the band's former bassist and this album's producer. "On its original release we expected Bard to be Big Big Train's farewell. The album has a number of songs that I think stand up pretty well and which in retrospect laid some of the foundations for the upwards curve that the band subsequently embarked on. Rob Aubrey has worked wonders with the re-mix and enhanced the album considerably."
"I'm never going to pretend that Bard is our best work," Gregory Spawton adds. "But there's been increasing demand from fans for a re-issue and over the last few years, I've warmed towards the album, especially with the benefit of Rob Aubrey's re-mix. I had never expected us to play anything from Bard live, but I've always been proud of The Last English King and was particularly pleased with how we breathed new life into it on tour this year. It proved one of the highlights of the set, both for the band and apparently for fans too."
"Since I joined the band in 2022, in parallel with creating new music I have been keen to embrace the entire back catalogue of Big Big Train," says lead vocalist Alberto Bravin. "Of course, over 20 years ago, this was a very different Big Big Train and with the vocals being shared between a number of singers, Bard precedes David Longdon's arrival as well. Bard certainly has its moments and I loved playing The Last English King on tour this year."
Bard will be released via the band's own label English Electric Recordings on CD and 2LP and via Bandcamp high resolution download.
The CD and vinyl versions will be strictly limited editions and Bard will not be made available on streaming or other download platforms. The 2LP version of the album will be available as 180 gram "shark" blue vinyl (exclusive to Burning Shed and The Bandwagon USA) and 180 gram black vinyl.
The CD/2LP versions of the album will include extensive 4,000 word liner notes by Andy Stuart (author of the book A View From The Embankment, A View From The Line, which documented the band's 2023 tour) using material from a new interview with Gregory Spawton.
1.The Last English King
2.Broken English
3.This is Where We Came In
4.Harold Rex Interfectus Est
5.Blacksmithing
6.Malfosse
7.Love Is Her Thing
8.How The Earth From This Place Has Power Over Fire
9.A Short Visit to Earth
10.For Winter
11.A Long Finish
12.Headlands
13.The Last English King (Live 2024 version)
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