Puneet Varma (Editor)

The Crossing (Big Country album)

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Released
  
15 July 1983

Length
  
48:24

The Crossing (1983)
  
Steeltown (1984)

Release date
  
15 July 1983

Recorded
  
May 1983

Label
  
Mercury

Artist
  
Big Country

Producer
  
Steve Lillywhite

The Crossing (Big Country album) httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediaenccbBig

Studio
  
The Manor, Oxfordshire and RAK Studios, London

Genres
  
Rock music, New wave, Alternative rock, Celtic rock, Folk rock, Folk music, Post-punk

Similar
  
Steeltown, The Seer, Peace in Our Time, The Buffalo Skinners, Driving to Damascus

Big country the crossing full album


The Crossing is the first studio album released by Scottish band Big Country. The album reached #3 in the UK; overseas, it hit #4 in Canada on the RPM national Top Albums Chart and #18 in the US on the Billboard 200 in 1983. It went on to be certified platinum in the UK and Canada. It contains the song "In a Big Country" which is their only U.S. Top 40 hit single. The song featured heavily engineered guitar playing, strongly reminiscent of bagpipes; Adamson and fellow guitarist Watson achieved this through the use of the MXR Pitch Transposer 129 Guitar Effect. Also contributing to the band's unique sound was their use of the e-bow, a device which allows a guitar to sound more like strings or synthesizer.

Contents

The album has been remastered and reissued on three occasions. The latest version released by Universal in 2012 in advance of the album's 30th anniversary includes a second disc of previously unissued demos. Also included in the set is a track produced by Chris Thomas from the first abortive attempt to record the band's debut album. The demos include the earliest recordings done by Adamson and Bruce Watson, some of which were recorded on four-track prior to recruiting either a drummer or bassist for the band.

The set also includes a booklet with interviews (new in the case of the current band members and archived in the case of the late Stuart Adamson) by the journalist and author Tim Barr. Lyrics for all of the key songs are also included, and the album has been remastered by Paschal Byrne from the original master tapes. In total, ten previously unreleased tracks were included in the deluxe, digitally remastered edition.

Big country the crossing full album


Reception

Critic Kurt Loder of Rolling Stone gave the album a glowing review, writing:

Track listings

All songs written by Stuart Adamson, Mark Brzezicki, Tony Butler, Bruce Watson, except as indicated. On the USA vinyl lp, the songs 1000 Stars and Fields Of Fire are in reversed order. The USA cd release keeps the same order as below.

Side one
  1. "In a Big Country" – 4:44
  2. "Inwards" – 4:36
  3. "Chance" – 4:26
  4. "1000 Stars" – 3:50
  5. "The Storm" – 6:19
Side two
  1. "Harvest Home" – 4:19
  2. "Lost Patrol" – 4:52
  3. "Close Action" – 4:15
  4. "Fields of Fire (400 Miles)" – 3:31
  5. "Porrohman" – 7:52

Bonus tracks (1983 cassette release)

  1. "Angle Park" (Adamson, Watson) – 4:08
  2. "Fields of Fire (400 Miles) - (Alternate Mix)" – 5:19
  3. "Heart & Soul" – 5:13
  4. "In a Big Country - (Pure Mix)" (Listed as '12" Mix') – 6:19

Bonus tracks (1996 Remastered CD Edition)

  1. "Angle Park" (Adamson, Watson) – 4:08
  2. "All of Us" - 4:09
  3. "The Crossing" – 7:09
  4. "Heart & Soul" - 4:33 (This version fades out earlier than the version on the 1983 cassette release)

Wonderland EP (US only)

  1. "Wonderland" – 3:58
  2. "All Fall Together (Jimmy Iovine remix)" – 5:16
  3. "Angle Park" (Adamson, Watson) – 4:08
  4. "The Crossing" – 7:10

Additional bonus track

  1. "Chance" (re-recorded single version) – 4:37

2012 Reissue first disc bonus track listing

  1. "Balcony"
  2. "Flag of Nations (Swimming)"
  3. "Angle Park"
  4. "All of Us"
  5. "Heart and Soul"
  6. "The Crossing"
  7. "Tracks of My Tears" (Live)

2012 Reissue second disc track listing

  1. "Angle Park" (Demo)
  2. "Harvest Home" (Demo)
  3. "We Could Laugh" (Demo)
  4. "In a Big Country" (Demo)
  5. "The Storm" (Demo)
  6. "Big City" (Demo)
  7. "Fields of Fire" (Riverside BBC TV)
  8. "Lost Patrol" (Demo)
  9. "Inwards" (Demo)
  10. "1000 Stars"
  11. "Lost Patrol"
  12. "Inwards"
  13. "Close Action"
  14. "Fields of Fire" (Demo)
  15. "1000 Stars" (Demo)
  16. "Ring Out Bells" (Demo)
  17. "Chance" (Demo)

Personnel

  • Stuart Adamson – vocals, guitar, piano, e-bow
  • Bruce Watson – guitar, mandolin, sitar, vocals, e-bow
  • Tony Butler – bass, vocals
  • Mark Brzezicki – drums, percussion, vocals

    • Chart performance

    Album

    Single

    Songs

    1In a Big Country4:45
    2Inwards4:37
    3Chance4:25

    References

    The Crossing (Big Country album) Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA