Door One

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Gradually other instruments get added as the intensity builds, and the piece is brought to a close when some picking on guitar or perhaps another stringed instrument appear. With that husky, timeless tone of his, David Longdon appeals to us to heed the words: ‘ Love is the only thing that matters, Love is all, love is all. He had much greater range than even I had expected, and yet he always performed with class and muster. The final track, Love Is All, is a far gentler piece as David exorts us that love is all that matters and, indeed, it does matter and if you find it then work hard for it, treasure and guard it as love is precious and vital to us all. The Big Big Train gig I attended in Edinburgh in 2019 will always be etched in my mind as one of the stand out concerts and performances I’ve ever been to, irrespective of how things ended up turning out – and it’s that, plus my love of the music he was a major part of creating with BBT, and the kinship that the music invokes in fans, that makes his passing a painful one.

This is a difficult album if you knew the man but it’s wonderful to hear what he had been working on in these days before he left us. Thankfully, Big Big Train have chosen to continue, albeit in a different configuration and one that pays tribute to their deeply missed colleague. However, David’s partner Sarah and all the key protagonists involved in its creation agreed that David would want the world to hear the album.

Perhaps surprisingly for an album made by someone known mainly as a Lead Singer, the album opens with an atmospheric instrumental – and that’s absolutely as it should be; because David’s talents were much broader than that of a frontman. His loss, especially as he was gaining respect and stature as a fine frontman, singer, multi-instrumentalist, lyricist and visionary part of Big Big Train, was both unexpected and shocking. Travis really goes for it again here, with squalls of soprano, tenor and baritone sax as the song drives to a momentous close.

Watch It Burn is rather upbeat and urgent with an almost indie sound to it, all jangly guitar lines which lead into a memorable chorus. The sadness of knowing that David’s voice is now silent is eased by the wealth of incredible music he has left us – and this album stands as one of his very best.

Approaching his debut solo record, Door One, I firmly decided to be as honest and sincere as I could, something I know David would have appreciated and especially due to the care this album has received by his friends. The atmospheres and use of ambience were a huge source of inspiration and a big factor in the making of Door One. Il grande frontman dei Big Big Train ci ha lasciati un anno fa, ma non prima di dare libero sfogo alla sua arte con questo album solista di indubbio valore, nel quale la sua voce inimitabile (anche se a lungo era stato accusato di "imitare" Peter Gabriel, Fish dei Marilllion e altri celebri cantanti del progressive più illuminato) valorizza al meglio alcuni brani bellissimi. Stacey is one of four main musicians featured, along with bassist Steve Vantsis, saxophonist Theo Travis and Longdon’s former band mate from Gift Horse, Gary Bronham who contributed many instruments to the album. The song then enters a haunting melancholic flute section backed with piano as David sings “The Letting Go” over an ever increasing drum pattern which, in turn, leads to sustained chords and it’s a suitably strong ending to an excellent track.

David had also finally, after many years, begun to gain both widespread acclaim and respect, furthermore he had found satisfaction in his life with partner Sarah Ewing. The CF was then finished and mastered by some exceptional musicians and studio technicians as a tribute to this irreplaceable musical force. I subsequently had to take on a wider role with David’s passing, but Patrick Phillips and I were definitely on the same wavelength when it came to manifesting some of this at the mixing stage, with these goals in mind. Although it only runs for 30 seconds, it’s an excellent piece which shows another side to David’s compositional ability.Je peux conseiller Common Ground aux amateurs de rock progressif symphonique, de préférence à ceux qui ont un goût pour les sonorités seventies (mais pas que). He had been recording since April 2021, following the completion of Big Big Train’s Common Ground album. Door One, borrowing the nickname for a recreation ground in Nottingham near where David grew up, has a musical personality that is distinct from his work within Big Big Train even though Gregory Spawton plays acoustic guitar on two songs. I will say that this tends to make the album feel quite raw, which isn’t a word I would ever have used for David’s music in the past.

His legacy thankfully remains with this album that was 90% complete at that time having now been completed by his friends as a tribute to a good man, a Brave Captain, to coin one of his songs. A reflection on his craft, The Singer And The Song must be at the very least partially autobiographical. There's a suppleness to the instrumentation on Door One that is often missing in BBT’s meticulously crafted music. Accepting the change that has occurred and facing it bravely whilst keeping the memory alive, even though the loved one has gone.Trusted co-producer/engineer Patrick Phillips oversaw the album’s completion after Longdon’s untimely death in November 2021. Watch It Burn’s low piano line, new wave guitar riff and great Stacey/Vantsis groove power along as Longdon revisits a toxic relationship with an alcohol-dependent ex-lover. One thing I must note, and it pains me to say this, is that David not only seems to change genre, he also changes his vocal style somewhat. Door One was recorded with a core of four musicians: drummer Jeremy Stacey (King Crimson, Noel Gallagher, Sheryl Crow, The Finn Brothers), bassist Steve Vantsis (best known for his work with Fish), saxophonist Theo Travis (Steven Wilson, Soft Machine, Gong) and David’s longstanding friend and former 1990s Gifthorse band mate Gary Bromham (Bjork, Sheryl Crow, George Michael) who contributed guitar, backing vocals, keyboard parts and textures.