Welcome to the Planet by Big Big Train
Welcome to the Planet by Big Big Train
Welcome to the Planet, the 14th album from Big Big Train, is one of the finest releases by this long-running British progressive-rock band. Which makes listening to it so bittersweet. Frontman, co-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist David Longdon—who joined Big Big Train in 2009 with his rich Peter Gabriel-like vocals—passed away in November 2021 at age 56 following what the band referred to as an “accident.”
The tragedy occurred shortly after Big Big Train announced that Welcome to the Planet would be released a mere six months after its previous full-length album, The Common Good, which dropped in July 2021. Both records showcase the previously sprawling band pared down to a quartet (plus guest musicians and vocalists), which results in more accessible yet no less imaginative songs.
Longdon had firmly established himself as the musical and spiritual center of Big Big Train, but every member plays a vital role, which is readily apparent on such tracks as “The Connection Plan” and its snappy, staccato chorus; the majestic yet anxious instrumental “Bats in the Belfry;” and the searching mini epic “Lanterna.” Welcome to the Planet unfolds at a leisurely pace, its feel-good melodies and hopeful messages now draped in a shroud of sorrow. What track Big Big Train takes from here remains to be seen; an announcement regarding the band’s future is expected by mid-April, according to its website.
