Heart and soul (Big Country) (LP 58-59)

Big Country The Crossing (CD - Mercury Records, 1983/1996) ****
Big Country  Steeltown (Vinyl - Mercury Records, 1984) ****

Genre: Scottish pop/rock

Places I remember: New Plymouth from 1983-1985

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Tough to choose the best track on the debut but I'll go for Porrohman, Just A Shadow on Steeltown.




Gear costume: Harvest Home, The Storm, Lost Patrol and Chance from The Crossing are awesome.

Active compensatory factors: I was first aware of Big Country and their main man Stuart Adamson via a Skids song on a Virgin sampler. Into The Valley has a great guitar sound.

In 1983 In A Big Country and Fields Of Fire were huge, thanks to some videos and radio play on NZ stations. 

The big sound of Steve Lillywhite seemed to be everywhere in the early eighties (Simple Minds, U2, and XTC were a few). For me, he's at his best with Big Country and these two albums.

Adamson was trying for music that could make pictures, music that could spread out wide landscapes and great dramas. Lillywhite was a perfect fit.

When I hear these songs I can't help but imagine the wide vistas in the highlands, which I love.

Where do they all belong? Big Country studio albums would become patchier but still essential purchases for me. 

Rest in peace Stuart.  Such a sad waste of immense talent.