release date: Jul. 19, 1983
format: vinyl / cd
[album rate: 4,5 / 5] [4,25]
producer: Steve Lillywhite
label: Mercury Records - nationality: Scotland, UK
Track highlights: 1. "In a Big Country" 4,5 / 5) (live) - 2. "Inwards" (4,5 / 5) - 3. "Chance" - 4. "1000 Stars" (4,5 / 5) (live) - 5. "The Storm" (4 / 5) - 6. "Harvest Home" (4,5 / 5) - 8. "Close Action" (4 / 5) - 9. "Fields of Fire (400 Miles)" (4,5 / 5) - 10. "Porrohman" (4,5 / 5)
Studio album debut by Big Country consisting of Stuart Adamson on lead vocals, lead guitar, piano, and e-bow, Bruce Watson on guitar, mandolin, e-bow, and backing vocals, Tony Butler on bass and backing vocals, and with Mark Brzezicki on drums, percussion, and backing vocals. The band was initially formed as a trio and then a quintet with various other members but always featuring Watson and Adamson, the latter having only just left Skids. All tracks here are credited the band, although, it's evident that Adamson dominate and continue his style from Skids only adding new dimensions to his vocals and guitar playing. Both Adamson and Watson are among the first to bring in the e-bow in contemporary pop / rock, an instrument which basically enables the guitar to replace synths, and which became more popular in the late 80s and early '90s. Adamson was already known for his special guitar sound when playing in Skids but with Big Country he goes further making his guitar resemble that of Scottish bag-pibes (an analogy he hates).
The style is hard to narrow in but the band plays with high energy, which at the time was labelled new wave, however, that hardly suffice, as the band blends celtic rock with elements from new wave and contemporary pop / rock, and nearly all band members came from a background in punk rock - today, I would reckon that a combo of alt. rock and celtic rock would be more fitting labels. I used to only have the album on cassette, but have played it from '83 to "modern days" without ever tiring of the sound. Stuart Adamson's importance as one of the shining stars of popular music has only increased since then, and his playing style was copied in many years to come. The album is one of my absolute favourites and a modern classic.
This is Big Country's masterpiece.
[ allmusic.com, Blender, Rolling Stone 4 / 5 stars ]
1983 Favourite releases: 1. New Order Power, Corruption & Lies - 2. Tom Waits Swordfishtrombones - 3. Big Country The Crossing
