Big Big Train announce new reissue of The Underfall Yard

(Image credit: Big Big Train in 2009)

British prog rockers Big Big Train have announced that they will reissue their 2009 album The Underfall Yard in April. The new remixed reissue will be available as 2CD and 3LP vinyl release as well as in digital formats and will be available through English Electric Recordings on April 9 (the vinyl version will be available through the Plane Groovy label). The Japanese version of the CD will be released through the Marquee label on March 25.

Originally released in December 2009, The Underfall Yard was the first Big Big Train album with vocalist David Longdon and drummer Nick D'Virgilio as full band members, the first to feature Dave Desmond's brass band and the first to include the guitar playing of Dave Gregory.

“The Underfall Yard is where the story of the contemporary line-up of Big Big Train begins. For the re-issue we asked BBT mixing engineer Rob Aubrey to open up the original sessions and to completely remix the album so that we could make a definitive version,” explains Greg Spawton. "Rob had more time and a bigger budget to work with, plus the benefit of another decade of mixing experience. His new mix has significantly improved the sound and dynamic range of the album.”

The new reissue will feature a second companion CD/third vinyl LP features 48 minutes of material, including a new 2020 studio recording of the title track, preceded by a previously unreleased brass prelude.

Also included is the Songs From The Shoreline suite, which was planned for the album’s original release in 2009. For this re-issue, in 2020 the band completely re-recorded Victorian Brickwork, which segues into Fat Billy Shouts Mine (which has to date only been available on the Far Skies, Deep Time EP).

The final track on the second disc is Brew And Burgh, a newly composed song written by BBT founder and bassist Greg Spawton specifically as a companion piece for this re-issue of the album. In addition, original album artist Jim Trainer has painted some new images for an expanded booklet.

“The Underfall Yard just missed out on the vinyl revival, so for some time we have been planning for a vinyl version of this re-issue,” says singer David Longdon. “We’re thrilled to have the album available on vinyl for the first time and so beautifully presented with Jim Trainer’s paintings.”

Pre-order The Underfall Yard.

Big Big Train: The Underfall Yard

CD Disc One
1. Evening Star
2. Master James of St George
3. Victorian Brickwork
4. Last Train
5. Winchester Diver
6. The Underfall Yard

CD Disc Two
1. Songs From The Shoreline: (i) Victorian Brickwork (2020 Version) (ii) Fat Billy Shouts Mine
2. Prelude To The Underfall Yard
3. The Underfall Yard (2020 version)
4. Brew And Burgh

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.