"The new album, Common Ground, has all the earmarks of a Big Big Train album—especially in uplifting, poetic, and achingly gorgeous lyrics and the nearly-unmatched vocal harmonies (only Neal Morse uses more intricate ones)—but this album sounds like a very, very different band from its previous incarnations and manifestations. Though inimitable Big Big Train, one hears some surprising influences (or, at the least, parallels in sound, as I hear them) on this album—ranging from Elton John, to some Oceansize, to some Kate Bush, to Yes’s Tormato, to Toto IV, to XTC’s Nonsuch, and, perhaps least surprisingly, to NDV-era Spock’s Beard but also, much more surprisingly, to Morse-era SB. At times, the band even engages in some heavy rock, especially through the guitar. By far, this is the least pastoral album from the band, and while certainly not pop, it does at times—again to this American ear—sound very much like mid- to late-1970’s and early-1980s Album-Oriented Rock." BJB-TPR

"Common Ground is the sound of the core members – Spawton, Longdon, Nick D’Virgilio and Rikard Sjöblom – regrouping, refining and hunkering down, together. With the help of some new faces and trusted sidemen, they’ve distilled the band’s essence and forged some of the best music yet. With its beating heart, massive brain and positive theme, Common Ground is the sound of a band strongly reinvigorated. They retained their nerve through the strangest times, and Big Big Train have rebounded with some of the biggest, best and proggiest music in their catalogue." GM-PM



Essential Track: "Take 'Atlantic Cable', the very-Spawton 15-minute, five-part evocation of the laying of the first telegraph cables across that ocean. As well as furthering the album’s theme (‘Close the distance, bring all together/A world undivided, let mankind be as one’), it ruminates on Man’s interaction with the Earth, and the hard-skilled achievements of engineers. Great Eastern, the ship that laid the cable, was designed by Brunel (he of The Underfall Yard), and gets its own section. The tale is set to washes of sparse, melancholy piano and flute, to upbeat, hard-rocking Moog/Mellotron prog with funky clavinet moments, and a stirring motif. Incoming tour guitarist Dave Foster offers the fastest guitar solo in BBT history on this centrepiece among centrepieces." GM-PM



Read the full reviews on The Prog Report and Prog Magazine.

Listen and watch the videos on YouTube.

In the US, buy the CD from The Band Wagon USA or wherever great Prog music is sold.

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2021-10-01
Brand X with Jane Getter Premonition and Flight at Zorba Music Hall - Lowell, MA at 08:00 PM
With Special Guests Jane Getter Premonition
TBD

Click on the following link for a complete list of bands that have played for the NewEARS Art Rock Series

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New England Events

Featured Show

2021-08-01
Jon Anderson with The Paul Green Rock Academy at Blue Ocean Music Hall - Salisbury, MA at 08:00 PM
$79.50 - $89.50 + $3 Additional Day of Show

2021-08-05
Jon Anderson with The Paul Green Rock Academy at Ridgefield Playhouse - Ridgefield, CT at 08:00 PM
$89

2021-08-10
BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME: AN EVENING WITH at The Palladium - Worcester, MA at 07:00 PM
$26.29 - $48.97

2021-08-11
BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME: AN EVENING WITH at The Webster Theater - Hartford, CT at 08:30 PM
$26.29

2021-08-13
YOUR MOVE - The best in progressive and hard rock classics at The Burren - Somerville, MA at 07:00 PM
$16 adv, $20 door

2021-08-21
NJ Proghouse Prog Camp '21 featuring Simon Godfrey and Karl Eisenhart of Tribe of Names, The Tea Club in a trio format, Stanley Whitaker, Brett Kull and Katie Barbato with Ray Weston and Jeremy Beck at Camp Oak Spring - Franklin Township, NJ at 02:00 PM
$45

2021-08-24
King Crimson - Music Is Our Friend USA Tour at Pines Theater - Northampton, MA at 07:00 PM
With Special Guests The Zappa Band
$59.50 - $365 (Royal Package)

2021-08-28
Jon Anderson with The Paul Green Rock Academy at Stadium Theatre - Woonsocket, RI at 08:00 PM
$36 - $76

2021-09-04
AWAKEN - A Tribute to the Music of YES at Courthouse Center For The Arts - West Kingston, RI at 08:00 PM
$29

2021-09-05
King Crimson - Music Is Our Friend USA Tour at Westville Music Bowl - New Haven, CT at 07:00 PM
With Special Guests The Zappa Band
$35 - $365 (Royal Package)

2021-09-10
The Machine performs Pink Floyd at The Cabot Theatre - Beverly, MA at 08:00 PM
$29.50

2021-09-10
King Crimson - Music Is Our Friend USA Tour at Leader Bank Pavilion - Boston, MA at 07:30 PM
With Special Guests The Zappa Band
$29.50 - $365 (Royal Package)

2021-09-10
AWAKEN - A Tribute to the Music of YES at District Center for the Arts - Taunton, MA at 08:00 PM
$25 – $35

2021-09-11
THE MACHINE performs Pink Floyd at The Flying Monkey - Plymouth, NH at 07:30 PM
$34

2021-09-18
COHEED AND CAMBRIA / THE USED at The Palladium Outdoors - Worcester, MA at 05:00 PM
With Special Guests Meet Me @ The Altar
$61.95

2021-10-01
Brand X with Jane Getter Premonition and Flight at Zorba Music Hall - Lowell, MA at 08:00 PM
With Special Guests Jane Getter Premonition
TBD

All Events ...>>

BRAND X are recognized as true musical pioneers, as they helped create an entire musical genre and influenced a broad spectrum of musicians and bands, from Phish to Dream Theatre. They are unrivaled in their creativity, originality and approach. Their contemporaries include bands such as Weather Report, Headhunters, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Jaco Pastorious and Chick Corea, all crafting a unique blend of Jazz, Rock, and Ethic influences now widely known by fans worldwide as Fusion.

Many claim it’s BRAND X's unique combination of masterful chops mixed with their childlike melodies that make so special. Some musicians play from inside their own world, but John Goodsall, Percy Jones, and the guys from BRAND X play from their own universe! REUNION: After years of rumors of a potential reunion, it is finally happening. Three of the four main members came together recently in New York, and according to sources present at the rehearsals, listening to them play was “...like traveling back in time to the legendary 'Livestock' album – there was no question this was BRAND X! Their sound was uncannily identical to the BRAND X of 'Livestock' – and that in itself speaks volumes”.

We're excited to have JANE GETTER PREMONITION (JGP) opening for us on OCTBER 1st in LOWELL, MA at ZORBA MUSIC HALL. Such a great songwriter, and with a killer band, which includes Alex Skolnick/Gtr (Testament), Adam Holzman/Keys (Stephen Wilson, Miles Davis etc), Drummer Gene Lake, bassist Paul Frazier (David Byrne).

Guitar Player Mag sez: "Jane Getter is the fieriest frettboarding female ever to strap on a Stratocaster”. Lowell is just 30 mins NW of BOSTON. This one's gonna be epic.

Flight is Guitarist Scott Abene, Guitarist Scott Deardon and Drummer Sal Demetrio and Bassist Angelo Frassato.

Flight's debut album "Simulator" is available on Amazon, iTunes and all the major digital music sites. Please support Independent and New Artists.

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2021-07-31: THE PUZZLE Promo #1 - Devin Townsend
So what is 'The Puzzle'? ...well, its not technically my 'new record', its more a collaborative, multimedia art project that acts as a stopgap between Empath and the next record, 'Lightwork' (Due out in March of next year on

2021-07-31: 'Common Rise' by Paul Dews
Here is a new track called 'Common Rise' which will feature on my forthcoming How Far To Hitchin album 'Screams & Whispers'. If you would like a copy it can be downloaded from the HFTH website for free or you can pay your own

2021-07-31: Long Earth - Interview
For a good number of people prog rock died when Rick Wakeman hung up his cloak and Peter Gabriel left Genesis and went off studying drums in Africa. The same people say punk was the final nail in the rotting coffin of the pro

2021-07-30: NEW album project "Troubadours" by Fernando Perdomo & Gabriel Agudo.
Prog songs stripped in acoustic versions. This is our cover version of Still You Turn Me On (ELP) originally written by Greg Lake / Guitars by Fernando Perdomo / Vocals by Gabriel Agudo / Video by Gabriel Agudo. Follow us at

2021-07-30: Hired By Frank Zappa: Ed Mann interview about starting his career with Zappa
Having spent a large part of my career in music working for Frank Zappa, I should say: I’m not a fan, but he’s always impressed me. How did I get drawn into (what turned out to be) a lifelong professional and cultural relatio

2021-07-30: Far Corner “Risk,” $5.00 on Bandcamp, & Prog Sub Genre Crossover Music
This Friday, July 30, Far Corner’s third album “Risk” is available for only $5.00, on BandCamp, thanks to Cuneiform Records. If you haven’t heard us [much], now’s the time to check us out. While we’re honored to be mentioned

2021-07-30: Leprous release video for new single The Silent Revelation
Norwegian proggers Leprous have released a video for their brand new single The Silent Revelation, which you can wacth in full below. The new single is taken from the band's upcoming studio album Aphelion which is released th

2021-07-30: Vangelis streams brand new single In The Magic Of Cosmos
Keyboard wizard Vangelis has streamed hi brand new single, In The Magic Of Cosmos. You can listen to the new music below. It's taken from his upcoming album Juno To Jupiter, which will be released through Decca Records on Sep

2021-07-30: Big Big Train - Common Ground review
This album nearly didn’t happen. After the shock exits of Dave Gregory, Rachel Hall and Danny Manners in 2020, Big Big Train’s Greg Spawton and David Longdon wondered if the band might have run their course. Ultimately they r

2021-07-29: STEVE HACKETT - Fox's Tango (VISUALIZER VIDEO)
Taken from the new album 'Surrender of Silence', Out September 10th, 2021 as a Limited Edition CD+Blu-ray Mediabook in hardcover slipcase, Standard CD Jewel case, Gatefold 2LP+CD & LP-Booklet and Digital Album via Inside Out

2021-07-29: A thru Z - Meet the Band
A-Z (pronounced "A through Z") equals Ray Alder (Fates Warning; vocals) and Mark Zonder (ex-Fates Warning, Warlord; drums), and also means "anything is possible" - and with this line-up of musicians, that is no exaggeration.

2021-07-29: New Atomic Rooster Tribute Nuclear Bird “Tyrannical Megalomaniac” Now Available!
Nuclear Bird was inspired by the 70’s band, Atomic Rooster which was led by extraordinary keyboardist Vincent Crane who is also known for his signature organ work on The Crazy World of Arthur Brown’s “FIRE.” Tyrannical Megalo

2021-07-29: Watch Neil Peart’s Final Recorded Drum Solo in Rush Film Teaser
Rush will screen a director's cut of their 2019 concert film, Cinema Strangiato, for a one-night-only event on Sept. 9. The movie — which documents the band's final tour, 2015's R40 Live — features interviews with musician fa

2021-07-29: Genesis to release The Last Domino? collection
Genesis are to release a new collection, The Last Domino? as a four LP or two CD set on September 17. The new set, also the title of the band's upcoming reunion tour, on which, the band say "a majority being performed on the

2021-07-29: Dennis DeYoung interview: 'no band has worked harder than Styx at diminishing its own reputation'
He has made many great albums, and now he has made his last. Dennis DeYoung is bowing out gracefully at the age of 74 with a solo record, 26 East Vol 2, that recalls his finest work from the 70s and 80s as singer, pianist and

2021-07-28: DREAM THEATER RETURN WITH A VIEW FROM THE TOP OF THE WORLD Album and Tour
Dream Theater – comprised of James LaBrie, John Petrucci, Jordan Rudess, John Myung and Mike Mangini - was in the middle of a sold-out world tour in support of their last release Distance Over Time and the 20th anniversary of

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