Big Big Train drummer enlists Steve Hackett for rewiring of Lamb Lies Down On Broadway tribute album

(Image credit: English Electric)

Big Big Train drummer Nick D'Virgilio is to reissue a remastered update of his reimagined version of the classic 1974 Genesis album The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway through English Electric Recordings on November 28. And they've shared the Rewired version of In The Cage, with new strings recorded at Abbey Road,

Originally released in 2008, and long since unavailable, the album was the brainchild of D’Virgilio and Mark Hornsby, and now, to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of the Genesis album's release, D’Virgilio will release an updated version of Rewiring Genesis – A Tribute To The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway, with new parts recorded, including by Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett and strings recorded at the iconic Abbey Road Studios in London.

“What seems like a lifetime ago, Mark Hornsby and I had the crazy idea to get a bunch of Nashville’s top musicians together and record The Colony Of Slippermen," explains D'Virgilio. "We thought it would be fun to put a country-fied or bluegrass twist on that classic progressive rock song. I know it sounds nuts because it doesn’t get more prog than Slippermen. How on earth would we turn that into a bluegrass song? That seems ridiculous, right?

“But what happened at that first session was simply magical. A bunch of incredible professional players, most of whom knew Genesis of course, but had never heard The Lamb, let alone Slippermen, came into the studio and gave the song a really great feel and vibe. The way the song turned out was way beyond what I could have ever imagined. After we heard the finished Slippermen, we knew right away that we should attempt the entire record. The songwriting on The Lamb totally lends itself to some fun and creative interpretations. We feel we’ve been faithful to the original material but managed to create a version of The Lamb like you’ve never heard it before.

“Unfortunately, when we originally released this album back in 2008, we hit a couple of bumps in the road and it fell by the wayside. I always felt we should re-release it, particularly after I had received loads of enquiries asking what had happened to the album and where it could be purchased or heard. Mark and I agreed this should happen, especially after he was able to record the orchestra a couple of years ago at Abbey Road Studios for In The Cage. After hearing that, we knew there was no way the world should not get the chance to enjoy this piece of art."

Rewiring Genesis – A Tribute To The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway will be available as a double vinyl, 2 CD or as a Bandcamp download.

Pre-order Rewiring Genesis – A Tribute To The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway.

In The Cage by Rewiring Genesis - A Tribute to The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway - YouTube

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Rewiring Genesis &ndash; A Tribute to The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway — (Image credit: Distrokid)

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Writer and broadcaster Jerry Ewing is the Editor of Prog Magazine which he founded for Future Publishing in 2009. He grew up in Sydney and began his writing career in London for Metal Forces magazine in 1989. He has since written for Metal Hammer, Maxim, Vox, Stuff and Bizarre magazines, among others. He created and edited Classic Rock Magazine for Dennis Publishing in 1998 and is the author of a variety of books on both music and sport, including Wonderous Stories; A Journey Through The Landscape Of Progressive Rock.

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