Masterpieces – Train

Train – The hidden giant of the American rock landscape

In our reverently entered Hall of Fame called Masterpieces, we usually dedicate ourselves to individual songs that stand out from the crowd through their exceptional class, emotional depth, or epochal impact. But today we're making an exception. Not a small one—a massive one. Because today we're talking about a band whose name may not be on everyone's lips on every street corner in Europe, but whose significance for recent American pop and rock history is undisputed:
Train .

Train. The name alone evokes movement. A new beginning. After a road trip through the endless expanses of America—between the Golden Gate Bridge and the Appalachian Mountains. And it was precisely there, in the vibrant San Francisco Bay Area, that the band formed in 1993/1994 around the charismatic singer Pat Monahan .

Initially an insider tip in smoky clubs, Train quickly developed into one of the live bands par excellence . The ingredients of their sound? An excellently balanced blend of melodic rock, catchy country influences, a touch of Southern flair – and above it all floats Monahan's voice , that unmistakable, slightly nasal, always a bit yearning timbre that is instantly recognizable and lends each of the band's songs an emotional gravitas.

The fact that Europe never really jumped on the bandwagon , as their US success would have suggested, is one of the tragic misunderstandings of transatlantic pop culture. After all, Train are superstars – in America. Over 30 million records sold, multiple top-10 albums, two Grammy Awards (including for the worldwide hit "Drops of Jupiter"), and a treasure trove of gold and platinum awards that covers entire walls.

The debut album in focus today , "Train" (1998), is their original document, their foundation. A remarkable debut album that, with "Meet Virginia," "I Am," and "Free," already contains everything that made the band great: melodic sophistication, profound lyrics—and choruses that burn themselves into your ear canals like tattoos.

If you're now on fire, a trip through the band's other oeuvre is highly recommended. Because there's still "Calling All Angels ," the bittersweet "Cab ," the Grammy-winning megahit "Drops of Jupiter" —and, of course, the larger-than-life, ukulele-infused "Hey, Soul Sister," which has long since become the unofficial national anthem of all college road trips.

Train isn't hype. Train isn't a coincidence. Train is an institution —at least for anyone with a flair for songwriting, soul, and storytelling.

Climb aboard. And let yourself be carried along. Because, as an Imagine Dragons song so aptly puts it:
"The road to heaven runs through miles of clouded hell."