release date: Jul. 14, 1986
format: vinyl (826 844-1) / cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,86]
producer: Robin Millar
label: Mercury Records - nationality: Scotland, UK
Track highlights: 1. "Look Away" (4 / 5) - 2. "The Seer" (feat. Kate Bush) (4 / 5) - 3. "Teacher" - 4. "I Walk the Hill" - 5. "Eiledon" (4 / 5) - 6. "One Great Thing" - 7. "Hold the Heart" - 8. "Remembrance Day" - 9. "Red Fox" - 10. "Sailor"
3rd studio album by Big Country following two years after Steeltown (Oct. 1984) introduces a somewhat softer sound, yet still builds on especially the style from the debut album. The album is produced by Robin Millar, who has been associated with more mainstream artists, and it's probably due to the shift from Lillywhite to Millar that I disliked the album in the '80s. Fact is, I sold my copy of the vinyl album because I never played it. Talk about being stupid! To me, and my ears back then, this was nothing but polished pop / rock, and I simply stopped following the band from here on. Nowadays, I don't understand my rejection, as I find that this more than pars Steeltown. It contains fine songs, and it's actually better produced - it's more varied with a broader sound - and it simply contains no fillers. I know, I didn't really appreciate the title track, and just found it boring. Now I see this as one of the absolute strongest tracks. Its complexity, verses and great chorus lines with a splendid contribution by Kate Bush whose singing voice really suits Adamson's guitar so perfectly. Actually, one may see the whole album as a fine bridge between contemporary pop / rock and celtic rock. Luckily, I have managed to get a second-hand copy of the original first issues.
Highly recommended.
[ allmusic.com 2,5 / 5, Kerrang! 3 / 5 stars ]
