Big Country
July 30, 2007 5:18 PM Subscribe
No, that's just the last link again. This is the Wikipedia entry for Big Country.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 5:20 PM on July 30, 2007 [1 favorite]
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 5:20 PM on July 30, 2007 [1 favorite]
er...the actual wiki entry for big country (just testing you all)
posted by sgt.serenity at 5:21 PM on July 30, 2007
posted by sgt.serenity at 5:21 PM on July 30, 2007
Thankyou !
posted by sgt.serenity at 5:21 PM on July 30, 2007
posted by sgt.serenity at 5:21 PM on July 30, 2007
Also, the Bela Fleck composition (no relation).
posted by The White Hat at 5:22 PM on July 30, 2007 [1 favorite]
posted by The White Hat at 5:22 PM on July 30, 2007 [1 favorite]
You know, I can remember seeing a poster for Big Country up at an Aladdin's Castle arcade in '83. Their music never got much airplay where I lived at the time, so that's the best memory I have of the band.
posted by malaprohibita at 5:31 PM on July 30, 2007
posted by malaprohibita at 5:31 PM on July 30, 2007
Huh. They had more than one song. Maybe I should have bought more than just the cassingle.
posted by dersins at 5:31 PM on July 30, 2007
posted by dersins at 5:31 PM on July 30, 2007
Seriously, BC were pretty cool, so thanks for posting this. And I say "were", because I have no idea they were still around.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 5:36 PM on July 30, 2007
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 5:36 PM on July 30, 2007
in a big country, things stay with you. da da da da da da da da di di do...
posted by geos at 5:43 PM on July 30, 2007
posted by geos at 5:43 PM on July 30, 2007
Oh, this is a treat - I loved Big Country and had no idea they were still around in one form or another so thanks for posting, sgt. But hey, they already toured in Boston a few weeks ago, dammitall!
sgt - are we still getting married? If so, let's have them play at our wedding, mkay?
The White Hat, thanks also for that terrific Bella Fleck version.
posted by madamjujujive at 5:53 PM on July 30, 2007
sgt - are we still getting married? If so, let's have them play at our wedding, mkay?
The White Hat, thanks also for that terrific Bella Fleck version.
posted by madamjujujive at 5:53 PM on July 30, 2007
: )
posted by sgt.serenity at 6:04 PM on July 30, 2007
posted by sgt.serenity at 6:04 PM on July 30, 2007
franz oldinand.
posted by Hat Maui at 6:04 PM on July 30, 2007 [1 favorite]
posted by Hat Maui at 6:04 PM on July 30, 2007 [1 favorite]
I think R has the majestic Wester Hailes at the start of it - which may be it's only redeeming feature : )
posted by sgt.serenity at 6:24 PM on July 30, 2007
posted by sgt.serenity at 6:24 PM on July 30, 2007
Huh. They had more than one song. Maybe I should have bought more than just the cassingle.
And I just found out a while ago a-ha have more than one song too. The things you learn on the internet.
posted by bobo123 at 6:40 PM on July 30, 2007
And I just found out a while ago a-ha have more than one song too. The things you learn on the internet.
posted by bobo123 at 6:40 PM on July 30, 2007
Thanks for the post. I was in love with these guys and spent ridiculous (at the time) sums on imported 12" singles in the 80s. Took my little brother to see them--his first concert. Something about that ebow, and the ethereal guitar sound, and that big hair . . .
There was a (brief) period of time when I thought BC was on their way to being bigger than U2. But, uh, no.
I never felt that way about the Big Country/U2 lovechild know as The Alarm.
posted by donovan at 6:43 PM on July 30, 2007
There was a (brief) period of time when I thought BC was on their way to being bigger than U2. But, uh, no.
I never felt that way about the Big Country/U2 lovechild know as The Alarm.
posted by donovan at 6:43 PM on July 30, 2007
Also on Metafilter. (and "Chance" is still one of my all time favorite songs)
posted by eyeballkid at 6:59 PM on July 30, 2007 [1 favorite]
posted by eyeballkid at 6:59 PM on July 30, 2007 [1 favorite]
.
oh, they're still around?!
posted by The Esteemed Doctor Bunsen Honeydew at 7:08 PM on July 30, 2007 [1 favorite]
oh, they're still around?!
posted by The Esteemed Doctor Bunsen Honeydew at 7:08 PM on July 30, 2007 [1 favorite]
This post just jogged a memory from another concert of theirs, circa 1984.
They had finished their set and came back to launch into their encore, which was "Wonderland," and Stuart Adamson had a guitar pedal technology meltdown. And without the guitar effect they just couldn't play, so they packed it in and said goodnight. I suppose now I would have stepped back and thought "what, not even an acoustic cover song to satisfy the paying crowd," but at the time I thought something more along the lines of: "wow, what artistic integrity that they won't compromise their sound to satisfy the eager masses." And then I crashed backstage and got their authographs.
Watching these vids reminds me that they were really a good live band. And falling for them in 1983 sent me--courtesy of some xeroxed fanzine--back to my local record store to order an imported copy of The Skids album The Absolute Game.
posted by donovan at 7:16 PM on July 30, 2007
They had finished their set and came back to launch into their encore, which was "Wonderland," and Stuart Adamson had a guitar pedal technology meltdown. And without the guitar effect they just couldn't play, so they packed it in and said goodnight. I suppose now I would have stepped back and thought "what, not even an acoustic cover song to satisfy the paying crowd," but at the time I thought something more along the lines of: "wow, what artistic integrity that they won't compromise their sound to satisfy the eager masses." And then I crashed backstage and got their authographs.
Watching these vids reminds me that they were really a good live band. And falling for them in 1983 sent me--courtesy of some
posted by donovan at 7:16 PM on July 30, 2007
Don't worry everyone. There is still Newfoundland's Great Big Sea!
(Just for god's sake don't call 'em a 'newfie' band!)
posted by humannaire at 7:21 PM on July 30, 2007
(Just for god's sake don't call 'em a 'newfie' band!)
posted by humannaire at 7:21 PM on July 30, 2007
There was a (brief) period of time when I thought BC was on their way to being bigger than U2. But, uh, no.
Indeed, it was a level playing field with u2, big country and simple minds in some sort of race - at least the weegie pomp rock from simple minds has vanished ...... indeed the recent scottish parliament budget review cited simple minds music as valid reason for cutting funding to the glasgow area.
posted by sgt.serenity at 7:28 PM on July 30, 2007
Indeed, it was a level playing field with u2, big country and simple minds in some sort of race - at least the weegie pomp rock from simple minds has vanished ...... indeed the recent scottish parliament budget review cited simple minds music as valid reason for cutting funding to the glasgow area.
posted by sgt.serenity at 7:28 PM on July 30, 2007
What have we done, Hat Maui, to make you act so discourteously? Franz Ferdinand is a set of whiny poseriffic sluggard twits in comparison to Big Country.
And GBS, while cool, is not Big Country.
Go find 'Wonderland', or 'Snow Patrol', or just watch the damn videos they have there. Good lord, they put their heart and soul into their music, and they loved their music, and God help you if you think that any modern emo whiny group matches up to them.
I'd put 'Wonderwall' up against BC's 'Wonderland' for the song that best describes the feeling of having someone there for you, no matter how hard the road gets. (And I'll stipulate the Ryan Adams cover, too, which blows the Gallagher Brothers And Their Fucking Eyebrows version so far out of the water they'd land in the Sahara.)
posted by mephron at 7:31 PM on July 30, 2007
And GBS, while cool, is not Big Country.
Go find 'Wonderland', or 'Snow Patrol', or just watch the damn videos they have there. Good lord, they put their heart and soul into their music, and they loved their music, and God help you if you think that any modern emo whiny group matches up to them.
I'd put 'Wonderwall' up against BC's 'Wonderland' for the song that best describes the feeling of having someone there for you, no matter how hard the road gets. (And I'll stipulate the Ryan Adams cover, too, which blows the Gallagher Brothers And Their Fucking Eyebrows version so far out of the water they'd land in the Sahara.)
posted by mephron at 7:31 PM on July 30, 2007
CHA!!!
posted by First Post at 7:31 PM on July 30, 2007
posted by First Post at 7:31 PM on July 30, 2007
Big cuntery more like.
Oh, OK, they weren't so bad, and Restless Natives was a great film.
posted by Abiezer at 7:34 PM on July 30, 2007
Oh, OK, they weren't so bad, and Restless Natives was a great film.
posted by Abiezer at 7:34 PM on July 30, 2007
What have we done, Hat Maui, to make you act so discourteously?
who's "we"? the scots? well, let's start with haggis. we can then move on to nationalist pride over these bagpipe molesters.
posted by Hat Maui at 8:00 PM on July 30, 2007
who's "we"? the scots? well, let's start with haggis. we can then move on to nationalist pride over these bagpipe molesters.
posted by Hat Maui at 8:00 PM on July 30, 2007
Well, the 'we' I was using was Big Country fans. Also quoting from "The Godfather".
posted by mephron at 8:17 PM on July 30, 2007
posted by mephron at 8:17 PM on July 30, 2007
Whats the deal? Was he doing some weird midi bag pipe synthesis with his guitar or was that just a canned sample?
posted by damn dirty ape at 8:39 PM on July 30, 2007
posted by damn dirty ape at 8:39 PM on July 30, 2007
Loved, hell, still love, Steeltown.
posted by hackly_fracture at 8:43 PM on July 30, 2007
posted by hackly_fracture at 8:43 PM on July 30, 2007
AHOY ! AHOY ! BARMAN AND SODA !
Was better when Adamson was with Jobson and the others.
posted by Webbster at 8:48 PM on July 30, 2007
Was better when Adamson was with Jobson and the others.
posted by Webbster at 8:48 PM on July 30, 2007
Thanks for the post! Big Country has always been a favorite of mine. The Crossing is one of the very very few albums I bought in the 80's that I still listen to in its entirety.
posted by oneirodynia at 9:20 PM on July 30, 2007
posted by oneirodynia at 9:20 PM on July 30, 2007
damn dirty ape, that's not midi, that's playing guitar with an E-bow.
For a more downtempo example see R.E.M.'s E-Bow the Letter (YouTube).
posted by donovan at 9:29 PM on July 30, 2007
For a more downtempo example see R.E.M.'s E-Bow the Letter (YouTube).
posted by donovan at 9:29 PM on July 30, 2007
Oh, forgot this part--in the above video you can see Peter Buck using the E-Bow for, oh 4 seconds, from 1:27-1:30.
posted by donovan at 9:31 PM on July 30, 2007
posted by donovan at 9:31 PM on July 30, 2007
Cool. I was just thinking about them today and scrolling through their entry on allmusic. That first album was great. "King of Emotion" was a pretty good song, too. Good memories.
posted by blucevalo at 9:41 PM on July 30, 2007
posted by blucevalo at 9:41 PM on July 30, 2007
I hate to be Captain Bringdown, but the lead singer hung himself in 2001. So if they're "still around", it's not as the original line-up.
The Crossing rules. Thanks for the post.
posted by The Card Cheat at 9:41 PM on July 30, 2007
The Crossing rules. Thanks for the post.
posted by The Card Cheat at 9:41 PM on July 30, 2007
Your favorite band...ruled.
Yes, past tense, because I actually recall shedding a tear when I read of Adamson's body being found in that unfortunate manner. Granted, I was generally an emotional wreck from September on.....
posted by squasha at 10:09 PM on July 30, 2007
Yes, past tense, because I actually recall shedding a tear when I read of Adamson's body being found in that unfortunate manner. Granted, I was generally an emotional wreck from September on.....
posted by squasha at 10:09 PM on July 30, 2007
Oh, this is lovely. I love BC. "In A Big Country" is one of my all time favorite songs, too, but you know, I'd never seen the video? Thanks for posting this!
Man, I miss Stuart Adamson. If the remaining group is still performing today, it just isn't the same.
posted by angeline at 1:19 AM on July 31, 2007
Man, I miss Stuart Adamson. If the remaining group is still performing today, it just isn't the same.
posted by angeline at 1:19 AM on July 31, 2007
Many moons ago -- when "In a Big Country" was on continuous loop on MTV -- I was seeing a woman who was a dead ringer for the girl in the video. In fact, there was a rumor around campus that it was, in fact, her.
posted by lodurr at 4:28 AM on July 31, 2007
posted by lodurr at 4:28 AM on July 31, 2007
Anyone remember John Peel introducing them on Top of the Pops: "And now, here's the band that puts the 'tree' in Country..."
posted by MinPin at 5:53 AM on July 31, 2007
posted by MinPin at 5:53 AM on July 31, 2007
"and the ethereal guitar sound..."
I always thought it sounded like a bagpipe, which I assumed was intentional.
I don't think I've heard "In a big country" in the last 15 years, but that was a great song. Nice to hear it again.
posted by Mcable at 6:09 AM on July 31, 2007
I always thought it sounded like a bagpipe, which I assumed was intentional.
I don't think I've heard "In a big country" in the last 15 years, but that was a great song. Nice to hear it again.
posted by Mcable at 6:09 AM on July 31, 2007
I'm just going to add in here that I have, after the recommendation of a friend, their 'Come Up Screaming' live CD, and it is one of the few to have its own playlist on my iPod. (Yes, I bought it; yes, I ripped it for my own use.)
My enjoyment of their music - "Lost Patrol", "Wonderland", "Dive Into Me", "Fields of Fire", "The President Slipped And Fell" - is immense, possibly unholy, in its nature.
posted by mephron at 6:26 AM on July 31, 2007
My enjoyment of their music - "Lost Patrol", "Wonderland", "Dive Into Me", "Fields of Fire", "The President Slipped And Fell" - is immense, possibly unholy, in its nature.
posted by mephron at 6:26 AM on July 31, 2007
From "Never Mind The Buzzcocks"......
Mark Lamaar - "Stuart Adamson was a Big Country member. And we do remember."
posted by slixtream at 6:39 AM on July 31, 2007 [2 favorites]
Mark Lamaar - "Stuart Adamson was a Big Country member. And we do remember."
posted by slixtream at 6:39 AM on July 31, 2007 [2 favorites]
You can't discuss Big Country without linking to The War Against Silence. I think he's a bigger fan than the band's mothers.
posted by yerfatma at 7:41 AM on July 31, 2007
posted by yerfatma at 7:41 AM on July 31, 2007
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posted by sgt.serenity at 5:18 PM on July 30, 2007