ALCEU NATALI'S CLASSIC ALBUMS: A BIG SHINING COMET THAT CROSSED OUR SKIES ONLY ONCE, November 16, 2008
For my definition of 'classic' albums please refer to my review of 'Heaven Or Las Vegas' by the Cocteau Twins.
In 1983 Big Country was among the next big things: the ones that would make the grade like, for instances, U2 (War, Under A Blood Red Sky), Cocteau Twins (Head over Heels), Depeche Mode (Construction Time Again) and many others, and the ones that would never make it...
ALCEU NATALI'S CLASSIC ALBUMS: A BIG SHINING COMET THAT CROSSED OUR SKIES ONLY ONCE, November 16, 2008
For my definition of 'classic' albums please refer to my review of 'Heaven Or Las Vegas' by the Cocteau Twins.
In 1983 Big Country was among the next big things: the ones that would make the grade like, for instances, U2 (War, Under A Blood Red Sky), Cocteau Twins (Head over Heels), Depeche Mode (Construction Time Again) and many others, and the ones that would never make it: like, for instances, Aztec Camera (High Land, Hard Rain), Spandau Ballet (True), Thompson Twins (Quick Step and Side Kick) and many others. Unfortunately, Big Country remained among the latter. Their 1st album, "The Crossing", is a masterpiece. "Steeltown", their 2nd , was not as good as their 1st , but it did have some great songs like Steeltown, Where the Rose Is Sown, Come Back to Me, and Just A Shadow. "The Seer", their 3rd album, was not as good as their 2nd and it did not have great songs. And the story of Big Country here ends. What they produced after their 3rd album is not worthwhile making comments about. That is a shame. They were doing even better than The Who, the band that produced the best debut album of pop-rock history, followed it up with two weak albums and made us wait four years for their next great album (Tommy). Big Country's 2nd and 3rd albums were not so weak as The Who's 2nd and 3rd. Once The Who delayed four years to prove they were not an one album hit wonder, I thought I could hope Big Country would eventually surprise me with their "Tommy" someday. When I first heard "The Crossing" I was a 100% sure they were going to be the next big thing, really. I am very sorry they were not. And even more sorry that Stuart Adamson, the band leader and responsible for Big Country's initial success, took his life by his own hand in 2001 at the age of 43. Sad. I will review here only the 10 tracks contained in the original release of 1983. 1. In A Big Country opens the album superbly, heralding a great album is just born, just like the 1st track of Sgt. Peppers does. 2. Inwards is an incredibly good song that gives the album a sense of perfect continuation, a sense of assurance, pleasure and a desire for more, making you feel like staying in all night with a song like this. 3. Chance is among the best ballads I ever listened to. The instrumental break just a few seconds after the first verses and repeated later has a westernized Japanese-like sound that makes it unique. 4. A Thousand Stars has an U2-like texture, sounding a little like the 2nd track but faster, thus giving it a sense of emergency. 5. The Storm has the taste of a great movie sound track, suitable for a western saga. 6. Harvest Home is an altruistic song, with a sense of glory and victory, like it was joyfully celebrating a struggling achievement. 7. Lost Patrol also reminds me of a movie sound track that gives me both a sense of danger and triumph. 8. Close Action is another great ballad, it is Big Country playing The Beatles. 9. Fields Of Fire (400 Miles) is the other side of the coin that has In a Big Country. It is not a Sgt. Pepper reprise. It is a new Sgt. Pepper. Fantastic. 10. Porroh Man is the true example of how a big band must end a big album.
Alceu Natali, November 16, 2008
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