All reviews written by Alceu Natali with Copyright protected by Brazilian law 9610/98 (POSTED ON WWW.AMAZON.COM USA ON NOVEMBER 16TH, 2008)
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 others, and among the ones that would never make it, such as 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 ends here. What they produced
after their 3rd album is not worthwhile commenting 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 fair to middling albums and made us wait
four years for their next great album (Tommy). Big Country's 2nd and 3rd albums
were a little bit better than 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 one of the real things, 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 collection of songs 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 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, as if it is 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. Porrohman is the true example of how a big band must end
a classic album.
In A Big Country
Inwards
Chance
A Thousand Stars
The Storm
Harvest Home
Lost Patrol
Close Action
Fields Of Fire
Porrohman
