English Electric: Full Power

English Electric: Full Power
Compilation album by
Released23 September 2013
GenreProgressive rock, new prog
Length135:11
LabelEnglish Electric Recordings
ProducerAndy Poole
Big Big Train chronology
Make Some Noise (EP)
(2013)
English Electric: Full Power
(2013)
Wassail (EP)
(2015)

English Electric: Full Power (sometimes abbreviated to EEFLP) is a compilation album by the English progressive rock band Big Big Train. It presents tracks from their seventh and eighth studio albums, English Electric Part One and English Electric Part Two, along with four new pieces (which were additionally released on the EP Make Some Noise) as a self-contained double CD album. The album was issued in a book-style digipack, including a 96-page booklet.[1][2]

EEFLP (along with the Make Some Noise EP) marks the final release of English Electric material, which began work as early as 2010,[3] and was the last release of new material from the band until the EP Wassail in 2015. A new edition of EEFLP with a different cover under the name English Electric was released in 2016.

Background

Each song on the album tells a different story, many of them centering around characters living and working in England, with reference to the country's industrial past and processes which have changed its landscape. Full lyrics as well as descriptions of the stories behind the songs are included in the 96-page booklet of EEFLP.[2] Additionally, Greg Spawton and David Longdon discussed the meanings of the tracks on the two initially released "parts" of English Electric in blogs leading up to the releases of those albums.[4][5]

Track listing

Disc One
No.TitleWriter(s)Original albumLength
1."Make Some Noise"David LongdonMake Some Noise EP4:23
2."The First Rebreather"Greg SpawtonEnglish Electric Part One8:31
3."Uncle Jack"LongdonEnglish Electric Part One3:49
4."Swan Hunter"Longdon, SpawtonEnglish Electric Part Two6:21
5."Seen Better Days"SpawtonMake Some Noise EP7:37
6."Edgelands"Danny Manners, SpawtonMake Some Noise EP1:26
7."Summoned by Bells"SpawtonEnglish Electric Part One9:17
8."Upton Heath"Longdon, SpawtonEnglish Electric Part One5:39
9."A Boy in Darkness"LongdonEnglish Electric Part One8:03
10."Hedgerow"Longdon, Andy Poole, SpawtonEnglish Electric Part One8:54
Total length:63:57
Disc Two
No.TitleWriter(s)Original albumLength
1."Judas Unrepentant"LongdonEnglish Electric Part One7:18
2."Worked Out"SpawtonEnglish Electric Part Two7:31
3."Winchester from St Giles' Hill"SpawtonEnglish Electric Part One7:18
4."The Lovers"LongdonMake Some Noise EP5:32
5."Leopards"LongdonEnglish Electric Part Two3:54
6."Keeper of Abbeys"SpawtonEnglish Electric Part Two6:59
7."The Permanent Way"SpawtonEnglish Electric Part Two8:16
8."East Coast Racer"SpawtonEnglish Electric Part Two15:45
9."Curator of Butterflies"SpawtonEnglish Electric Part Two8:45
Total length:71:14

Personnel

  • Nick D'Virgilio – drums (all tracks), backing vocals (track 1-1, 1-7, 1-10, 2-1, 2-7), cajon (track 2-6, 2-9)
  • Dave Gregory – electric guitar (all tracks except 1-8), voice of the court usher (track 2-1), 12-string electric guitar (track 1-5, 1-7, 1-10, 2-6), banjo (track 1-8), mellotron (track 1-10), marimba (track 2-2), electric sitar (track 2-6), e-bow (track 2-8)
  • David Longdon – lead and backing vocals (all tracks), flute (all tracks but 2-7, 2-8), vibes (track 1-2), tambourine (track 1-2, 1-3, 1-7, 1-9, 1-10, 2-6), banjo (track 1-3, 2-5), accordion (track 1-3, 1-8, 1-9, 2-6), melodica, birds and bees (track 1-3), keyboards (track 1-8, 1-9, 1-10, 2-1, 2-4), acoustic guitar (track 1-1, 1-3, 1-9, 2-1, 2-5), mandolin (track 1-9, 1-10, 2-1), electric guitar (tracks 1-9, 2-1), percussion (track 2-2), piano, organ, synthesizer (track 2-5), dumbek (track 2-6)
  • Andy Poole – backing vocals (all tracks but 1-9), acoustic guitar (track 1-1, 2-1, 2-2, 2-3, 2-6), keyboards (track 1-7, 1-10, 2-8), mandolin (track 1-8), choir (track 8), electric piano (track 2-6), 12 string guitar (track 2-9), bass pedals (track 2-9)
  • Gregory Spawton – bass guitar (all tracks but 1-3 and 1-8, 2-5), electric guitar (track 1-2, 1-8, 2-2, 2-6, 2-8), slow moog (track 1-2), backing vocals (all tracks but 1-9), mandolin (track 1-3, 2-6, 2-8), classical guitar (track 2-3), acoustic guitar (track 1-5, 1-8, 2-1, 2-2, 2-6), keyboards (track 1-7, 1-10), 12-string guitar (track 2-2, 2-4, 2-6, 2-8, 2-9), organ (track 2-6), mellotron (track 2-8)
  • Danny Manners - keyboards (track 1-1, 1-5, 2-4, 2-8), double bass (track 1-3, 1-7, 1-8, 1-9, 2-1, 2-5, 2-6), piano (track 1-4, 1-6, 1-7, 1-10, 2-1, 2-2, 2-3, 2-7, 2-8, 2-9), organ (track 1-6, 2-2, 2-3), synthesizer (track 2-2)
Guest musicians
  • Andy Tillison - organ, keyboards (track 1-2, 1-9, 2-1, 2-7, 2-8), piano, Moog (track 1-2), Tillisification (track 2-7)
  • Abigail Trundle - cello (track 1-2, 1-7, 1-8, 1-9, 2-3, 2-5, 2-6, 2-9)
  • Teresa Whipple - viola (track 1-2, 1-9, 2-3, 2-5, 2-8, 2-9)
  • Eleanor Gilchrist - violin (track 1-2, 1-9, 2-3, 2-8, 2-9)
  • Geraldine Berreen - violin (track 1-2. 2-3, 2-5, 2-8, 2-9)
  • Rachel Hall - violin (track 1-3, 1-4, 1-8, 1-10, 2-1, 2-2, 2-6, 2-7)
  • Verity Joy - backing vocals (tracks 1-7, 1-8, 1-10)
  • Violet Adams - backing vocals (tracks 1-3, 1-7, 1-8, 1-10, 2-7)
  • Robin Armstrong – backing vocals (tracks 1-5)
  • Daniel Steinhardt - electric guitar (track 1-10, 2-3)
  • Ben Godfrey - cornet (track 1-4, 1-7, 1-10, 2-7, 2-8, 2-9), trumpet, piccolo trumpet, choir (track 1-10)
  • Dave Desmond - trombone (track 1-7, 1-10, 2-7, 2-8, 2-9)
  • Jan Jaap Langereis - recorders (track 1-7, 2-7)
  • Jon Truscott - tuba (track 1-4, 1-7, 1-10, 2-7, 2-8, 2-9)
  • John Storey - euphonium (track 1-4, 1-7, 1-10, 2-8), trombone (track 1-7, 1-10, 2-7)
  • Lily Adams - backing vocals (tracks 1-3, 1-7, 1-8, 1-10, 2-7)
  • Sue Bowran - violin (track 1-9, 2-5)
  • Simon Godfrey - backing vocals (track 2-2)
  • Megan Fisher – harp (track 2-2, 2-8)
  • Rob Aubrey – bass pedals (track 2-3, 2-8)
  • Lord Cornelius Plum – backwards guitar (track 2-4)
Arrangements and technical
  • String arrangement on "A Boy in Darkness", "Leopards" by Louis Phillipe
  • Brass arrangement on "Swan Hunter", "Summoned by Bells", "Hedgerow", "The Permanent Way", "East Coast Racer" and "Curator of Butterflies" by Dave Desmond
  • String arrangement on "The First Rebreather", "Winchester from St Giles' Hill", "East Coast Racer" and "Curator of Butterflies" by Dave Gregory
  • String arrangement on "Swan Hunter" and "The Permanent Way" by Rachel Hall
  • Closing section of "Summoned by Bells" arranged by Danny Manners
  • Mixing and mastering by Rob Aubrey at Aubitt Studios

References

  1. ^ "English Electric: Full Power | bigbigtrain.com". www.bigbigtrain.com. Archived from the original on 24 November 2013.
  2. ^ a b Henderson, Alison. "Big Big Train - English Electric: Full Power". Background Magazine. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
  3. ^ Spawton, Greg. "Fat Billy Shouts Mine". Big Big Train blogspot. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
  4. ^ Spawton, Greg. "About the new songs - The First Rebreather". Big Big Train blogspot. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
  5. ^ Spawton, Greg. "East Coast Racer". Big Big Train blogspot. Retrieved 16 April 2016.