[markl]

It saddens me to hear that Stuart Anderson, the leader and songwriter of the band Big Country has passed on. It appears he caused his own death.

Those of you who remember Big County do so as a "one-hit-wonder" of the early '80s, for their signature song and debut single, "In a Big Country". That's right, the song with the guitars that sound like "bagpipes" supported by the worst, most embarrassing video ever filmed.

It should be noted that Big Country's debut album "The Crossing" is an all-time "lost" or at at least "unacknowledged" masterpiece of guitar playing. Big Country consisted of the gifted songwriter/guitar player Stuart Adamson (whose father was a well-known UK socialist), his guitar-playing sidekick from Scotland, and Pete Townsend's rythm section (their drummer is *****in' INSANE).

Big Country had the mis-fortune of being the world's best pro-working-class Scottish guitar-God band that ever lived. Trouble is, there's not much call for that outside of Scotland.

Their first 3 albums are great (and have so-so German import remasters out now). The record company just didn't "get" Big Country, but they would have been, could have been U2, but U2 got their first (their early records also produced by Steve Lillywhite, now of Dave Matthews Band fame). Instead, they suffered a sad decline at the hands of "helpful" record-company snivelling producers who turned them against everything that gave them soul and originality in the first place.

I LOVED Big Country when I was a teenager in the '80's, and I am saddened at the passing of its leader. He wrote with passion and sincerity, 2 things that were missing in the '80s. God bless Stuart Adamson, and rest in peace.

markl

 

[MacDEF]

I loved Big Country

I still have two of their CDs.

Quote:

"In a Big Country". That's right, the song with the guitars that sound like "bagpipes"

If I remember correctly, those really *were* bagpipes. I remember seing a biography of Big Country where it said they were the first band to use "electric" bagpipes

 

[Beagle]

I was a Big Country fan. My favourite album was "Steeltown". And the 12" single "Wonderland" is just so massive and beautiful, it almost defies description.

What is so shocking is that if you look at the words of Nick Drake or Kurt Cobain, you could almost see it coming. Yet Big Countrys music and lyrics seemed to be very uplifting.

 

[markl]

"If I remember correctly, those really *were* bagpipes." Nope, it was a little device called an "e-bow" which is a lot like playing lap steel.

It's really sad. I was just crusing the official Big Country board, and there are just pages and pages of tributes from fans. You just wish he could have realized how loved he was, maybe he would have stayed with us.

http://worldcrossing.com/WebX?expandAll@37.ANwZcyREFrD^1@.eec0c20

markl

 

[frankclone]

"...dreams stay with you, like a lover's voice from the mountainside"

 

[Trawlerman]

A real shame to hear that.

Like many others, I grew up in the 80's listening to the music of Big Country.


Rest In Peace - Stuart Adamson