The Difference Machine
Occupation
- Vocals: Sean Filkins
- E -Bass: Andy Poole
- Guitars, keyboards, bass, vocals Gregory Spawton
- Drums: Steve Hughes
- Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Flute: Tony Wright
- Viola: Becca King
- E -Bass: Pete Trewavas
- E -Bass: Dave Meroes
- Drums, vocals Nick D' Virgilio
The Difference Machine is the fifth studio album by the English retro prog band Big Big Train. It was released on 17 September 2007.
Style and reception
The Difference Machine is a concept album that deals with death, loss, loneliness and grief. The concomitant voicelessness is illustrated by instrumental pieces and passages. The concept topic has been convoluted progtypisch by incorporating the butterfly effect of chaos theory: Can the death of a earth people bring a distant star to explode? The album's title - derived from a passage of the piece Perfect Cosmic Storm - refers to Charles Babbage and his futile attempts to build a functioning difference engine.
Musically, this album is attributable to both the retro prog as well as the New style skirt, there are influences by Genesis and Van der Graaf Generator, but also by Sigur Rós, Mew and Oceansize.
Title list
Reviews
" These guys are amazing! I have not heard anyone so "new " old prog ( Does this make them " neo "? ) With seeking high quality, great melodies, great vocal harmonies, amazing song structures, album concepts ( with musical themes being repeated Throughout à la " A trick of the Tail "). "
" Since the engineer Gregory Spawton rushes with his heater Andy Poole and the rest of the crew including the " support staff " of the ancient steam locomotives Spock 's Beard and Marillion through landscapes covered with porcupine trees and, with strange creatures like the crimson king or young musicians strangely enough, all in the name of Peter (to be distinguished are the musicus Gabrielus and musicus hammillitis ) hear are populated. In the sky, clouds rushing out jazz tones and Banks'schen keyboard swabs over and out of the cab of the locomotive penetrates sometimes strangely familiar vocal harmonies. "
"Conclusion: A rather quiet, yet exciting prog album. Highly recommended. Not for Frickel lovers. "
" With The Difference Machine, BBT june have finally made the album theyhave been promising all thesis years. [ ... ] Jem Godfrey ( Frost *) was right, with The Difference Machine, BBT have made a damn good album. One of the best progressive rock albums this year, at least for me. "
"The classic prog arrangements are spiced up with some modern technology, including digital loops and industrial sounding distorted vocals. This infuses the album with a schizophrenic quality. "
"Big Big Train know how to connect with each other on their latest album, the sound of the classic prog -rock with a modern variant of the style similar to Porcupine Tree new art rock. You do not like to believe, but it funzt. "
" The last work " Gathering Speed " I was frankly quite boring and now the new CD, which mainly consists of three long tracks comes - the short instrumentals in between are possibly instrumental filler (especially the bloodless opener did not ignite ) without substantive essence. "