release date: Mar. 22, 1993
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,62]
producer: Big Country
label: Compulsion - nationality: Scotland, UK
Track highlights: 1. "Alone" - 2. "Seven Waves" (4 / 5) - 3. "What Are You Working For" - 4. "The One I Love" - 5. "Long Way Home" - 7. "We're Not in Kansas" (4 / 5) - 8. "Ships"
6th studio album by Big Country follows 1½ years after No Place Like Home (Sep. 1991), and it's the band's first after being released from its contract with Mercury. Freed from its contract, the band wanted to give it another try but this time free from a label direction and in full control of songs, recordings and mixing. This is also the first by the band to be self-produced. The band remains a trio of Stuart Adamson, Bruce Watson and Tony Butler, and for the studio recordings, Simon Phillips handles the drums. Subsequently, former drummer Mark Brzezicki joined the band and the the 'old' quartet was united and ready for the upcoming promotion tour.
Soundwise, it's quite evident that the band has taken charge of sound and style, and what a relief that is! The album comes out as something that genuinely sounds like a natural folow-up to the band's second album, and that alone sets a high standard. Instead of being generic pop / rock, it's no longer difficult to place this as pure Celtic rock with proud traditions. Two songs are reworkings of songs from the '91 album: track #7 and track #8 have been fueled up with guitars and a stronger rock-groove, which really suits these songs.
You could argue that the songs here sound a bit old-fashioned, as the band obviously tries hard to return to a sound they recognise as themselves again, all because various producers and management without much success for years have sought to place the band's releases on American charts. But, better that and still be original and something instead of trying to sound like somone else. And the benefit from returning to a recogniseable expression is twofold: the band members enjoy playing again, and their fans get money-value playing music that bonds much better with the band's best loved albums.
Yes, there's recycling of former patterns, and no, there's not a huge progression at stake, but by gosh, it's so much better than the band's two most recent albums. It's not at the same level as the first three, but it's definitely an improvement to the 1988 and '91 albums.
Recommended.
[ 👎allmusic.com, NME 3 / 5, SputnikMusic 3,8 / 5 stars ]
