Big Country

107

5 Stars

Stuart Adamson had first come to the public’s attention as a member of the moderately successful Pop/Punk band, The Skids, who had various hit singles in the late Seventies. But it was not until he left The Skids that real critical and commercial success came his way when he formed Big Country.

Stuart Adamson was a Scotsman by birth, but Big Country were nothing if not an international band. Forming a lead guitar partnership with Bruce Watson, and with help from the record company, they got in a rhythm section of drummer Mark Brzezicki and bassist Tony Butler.

The combination worked better than anybody had hoped for. After spending eight months rehearsing and building up a unique sound and solid collection of songs, they ventured out into the live arena, releasing two singles. The first, ‘Harvest Home,’ received plenty of airplay and critical acclaim but failed to make the British charts. However, the second single, ‘Fields of Fire (400 miles),’ was a top ten hit, quickly followed by their debut album, The Crossing. This became a top three album in the British charts and went top twenty on the American Billboard. What was to become Big Country’s anthem, ‘In A Big Country,’ was also a hit single in America.

I could tell you all about the very unique sound the combination of Stuart Adamson and Bruce Watson got from their guitars, making them sound like bagpipes, violins, and other traditional Scottish folk instruments. But suffice to say, it was intriguing and very effective, giving the band a sound that was instantly Big Country.

The best thing of all was the Big Country dual guitar sound; it blew away all the synthesizer bands dominating the music scene in the early Eighties and allowed real rock & roll to make a much-needed comeback. Proper music with proper songs about actual events or feelings. ‘Inwards’ and ‘Chance’ depict the desolation of loss, separation is represented by ‘Close Action,’ dehumanization by ‘Lost Patrol,’ and ‘The Storm’ is about the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion. Not the sort of subject light-weight pop songs are about.

Because of the songs’ passion and the dual guitar attack, Big Country was often compared to a Scottish Thin Lizzy. But there was no comparison when you listen to the music side by side.

Despite the enormous success of their debut album and a very well-received world tour Big Country never again achieved the success of their debut album in America. However, their second album, “Steeltown” in 1984, went directly to the top of the charts in Britain, producing three hit singles.

The band continued at the top of the charts for the rest of the decade in Britain but faced dwindling support in America. By the time the Nineties came, Big Country had dropped down the ladder of success.

Tragedy and disappointment were to follow when Stuart Adamson was found dead in his hotel room in 2001.

But you cannot keep good music down. The writing of the music created on the first eight Big Country albums is credited to all the members of the band. So in 2007, to celebrate twenty-five years of Big Country, the remaining members did a reunion concert and have kept the band’s name going with concert tours and occasional recordings since then.

Big Country headlined the New Day Festival in 2017.