Come Up Screaming [Import] [Live]

1. Harvest
2. King of Emotion
3. Driving to Damascus
4. John Wayne's Dream
5. Storm
6. Where the Rose Is Sown
7. Come Back to Me
8. Somebody Else
9. Dive into Me
10. Look Away
11. You Dreamer
12. Your Spirit to Me

Tracks:

1. President Slipped and Fell
2. Lost Patrol
3. 13 Valleys
4. Inwards
5. Wonderland
6. We're Not in Kansas
7. Porroh Man
8. Chance
9. In a Big Country
10. Fields of Fire

Album Description

Customer Reviews:

Imperfect, but I'm happy to have it.......2004-03-18

The sound is clean, straight-ahead rock, and the vocals are stronger and clearer than I've heard from them anywhere else. The simplicity allows many of the songs to stand alone and sound better than ever before. There are blistering performances of `The Storm', in particular, and `Harvest Home', while `Where the Rose is Sown' is melodic and powerful. `Broken Heart' is something of a revelation, shorn of the plasticky production of Peace in Our Time. `Dive Into Me', which I hadn't heard before, is dynamic and uplifting. This should surely have been a huge hit, if uplifting guitar anthems could still be hits in this day and age.

But there are quibbles. A minor one is that Stuart's lead guitar doesn't seem to have enough sustain, so that it sounds a bit thin and trebly on some of the high parts, and at times is buried in the mix. Missing, too, is the spiralling guitar lead-out at the end of `Inwards'.

I also have a few issues with the song selection. I've never liked `King of Emotion' nor the overlong, strident `We're Not in Kansas'. Neither am I really enamoured of any of the most recent songs apart from `Dive Into Me' (`John Wayne's Dream' is particularly ho-hum and obvious). Of The Crossing songs, I'm not sure that `Porroh Man' really works here. Where's `Close Action' or `I Walk the Hill', both of which would sound great in this stripped-back setting? Where's the moving ballad `Ships' or, if epics are in order, the much-overlooked `Sailor' from The Seer?

I guess it depends on whether this is supposed to be a best-of, recorded in Big Country's natural environment, or a unique collection of live performances which happens to be a swansong. If it's the latter, why have versions of five of the same songs with much the same live "tweaks" as on Brighton Rock? (Though I do enjoy the snatch of "Wild Mountain Thyme" thrown into "Fields of Fire"). If it's the former, then there's just a few too many "you had to be there" live moments. While the odd bum note and missed vocal are fine, the crowd participation is ultimately a bit overdone. It's spine-chilling on "The Storm" when the crowd sing the high harmony part leading into the chorus. It also works on "Chance", which lends itself to a singalong. But they really didn't need to put a couple of "this is yours" choruses into every one of their better-known songs. In my view, the "introducing the band" interlude ruins "In a Big Country", too.

Enough complaint - I guess I was just looking in vain for that elusive perfect Big Country album. I've still played this over and over since I got it, and it's worth the purchase price for the versions of "The Storm" and "Where the Rose is Sown" alone. For anyone new to Big Country, however, I would recommend getting the great first three albums plus Restless Natives. This is a fine reference point for them.

And yes, truly tragic irony in Stuart's parting comment to the crowd - "remember, stay alive"...

Come Up Motting.......2003-10-16

The band formed in 1981 when hugely-talented vocalist/lead guitarist/songwriter Stuart Adamson left Scottish punk band The Skids and joined with long-time Dunfermline pal and ex-nuclear submarine cleaner Bruce Watson on rhythm guitar. In 1982 the original rhythm section was fired and Tony Butler (bass) and Mark Brzezicki (drums) were recruited from On the Air via session work. On the Air was a three-some with Simon Townshend, who's now helping brother Pete out in The Who.

The band signed up with Phonogram and released their first single `Harvest Home'. It introduced the band's distinctive twin-racing guitar sound. References have been made to a `bagpipe' sound. Let me tell you that most bagpipes I've heard would make a deaf dog cringe. We'll leave this stereotype to the ill-informed. The band's second single, `Fields of Fire', hit #10 in the UK charts in 1983. The excellent first album, `The Crossing', charted initially at #4 and eventually reached a peak of #3. Subsequent touring and singles releases confirmed Big Country as the hot new act in the post-punk music industry.

Big Country's second album, `Steeltown', hit the UK charts in 1984 and went straight in at #1. More successful singles and sellout gigs followed. The band then took a brief sabbatical to record the soundtrack to the movie Restless Natives.

The third album, `The Seer', was released in July 1986 and reached #2 in the UK charts supported by the success of their biggest hit single (at #7) `Look Away'. High profile live appearances followed at the classic 1986 Princes Trust Concert and at Knebworth, supporting Queen at their last ever UK gig in front of 200,000 people (including this dog!). Looking back, 1986 was the band's commercial peak.

Each of the five studio albums that followed had some elements of experimentation and achieved varying degrees of success. The sixth studio album, `Buffalo Skinners', was a classic twin-guitar hard rocking album that eventually reached #25 in the charts, but with proper support from the record label could have brought the band back into the big time.

Big Country's last studio album, `Driving to Damascus', encompassed many of the styles of the previous albums and had a more relaxed leaning consistent with Stuart Adamson's move to Nashville in the US.

So, what do we have in Come Up Screaming? A double live album of 22 of their best tracks taken from the Glasgow and London gigs on the `Final Fling' tour of May 2000. The album kicks off with the rousing `Harvest Home', quickly followed by the hard-rocking `King of Emotion' from the `Peace in Our Time' album. `John Wayne's Dream' and `Driving to Damascus' follow with Adamson and Watson in great form, supported by the tightest rhythm section in the business. Other classic tracks follow including `The Storm' with the unique E-bow intro; a quieter moment with `Come Back to Me', before cranking up again for the ever-popular `Look Away' and 'Wonderland'. The finale is formed of four tracks from `The Crossing' in rapid succession - the epic `Porroh Man', `Chance' with vocals as usual loudly augmented by the crowd; theme song `In a Big Country', and great favourite `Fields of Fire', all with the racing guitars on full throttle.

Where are they now? Sadly, Stuart Adamson took his own life in December 2001; Bruce `the man who invented the seagull' Watson is recording and touring with ex-Marillion-frontman Fish; Mark Brzezicki has been recording and playing in Procol Harum, and Tony Butler currently concentrates on remastering and music production.

It's always been a mystery why Big Country never made the big time commercially. They shied away from publicity-seeking at the height of their popularity, when many of their less-talented contemporaries sought the limelight. The band stayed together for most of their 18 years and continued to be a great live act to go and see. However, a band with four top ten albums and four top ten singles should not have been forgotten so easily. Their legacy is kept alive by the ever-supportive ex-Manager Ian Grant, the two websites he runs (Track and Big Country), and an enthusiastic group of fans across the world. Live and rarities albums continue to be released and some of the studio albums have been lovingly remastered by Tony Butler. The big stores in Thailand have seen fit not to import `Come Up Screaming', so the best bet is the Track Records website - www.trackrecords.co.uk or the Big Country website - www.bigcountry.co.uk

Mott the Dog.

Live Rock at its best.......2003-02-16

Hands Down, The Best Live Album EVER.......2002-03-16

They surely did not go out with a whimper. They put together a show that was studded with the band's best known songs, and then added in some of their best (but less well known) album tracks for good measure. The album covers material from every part of their career, from their debut album "The Crossing" right up to "Driving to Damascus".

There just aren't enough good things to say about this album. The performances are first rate, the pacing is great, the sound is excellent, and the crowd is with them every step of the way, egging them on. If you take a music fan who has never even heard of Big Country and play them just the final six tracks of this album, you will create a rabid Big Country fan.

From a purely selfish point of view, I find it unimaginable that a band that sounded this good, even while standing on the edge of oblivion, had to break up. In the back of my mind I harbored the hope for a reunion at some point in the future. Obviously that hope was dashed with the tragic suicide this past December of frontman/singer/songwriter/guitarist Stuart Adamson.

For me, the only downside to this album is the bitter irony of its closing seconds. At the end of the final number, Adamson addresses the crowd and thanks them for their support. His final words to them (echoing the lyrics to the song "In A Big Country") are "...remember, stay alive!" If only he could have followed his own advice...

This is THE one BC cd to own. God Bless You Stuart. R.I.P........2001-12-18

Average customer rating: they have done it again

Come Up Screaming Big Country Manufacturer: Spv Germany ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music New Wave | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Live Albums | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Britain | British Isles | Europe | International | Styles | Music Scotland | British Isles | Europe | International | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music General | Live Albums | Rock | Styles | Music General | Alternative Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music New Wave | Alternative Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music Alternative Rock | Imports | Stores | Music Rock | Imports | Stores | Music ASIN: B000050GI7 Release Date: 2001-01-02

Tracks:

1. Harvest Home
2. King of Emotion
3. Driving to Damascus
4. John Wayne's Dream
5. Storm
6. Where the Rose Is Sown
7. Come Back to Me
8. Somebody Else
9. Look Away
10. You Dreamer
11. Your Spirit to Me
12. President Slipped and Fell

Tracks:

1. Dive into Me
2. Lost Patrol
3. 13 Valleys
4. Inwards
5. Wonderland
6. We're Not in Kansas
7. Porroh Man
8. Chance
9. In a Big Country
10. Fields of Fire

Album Details

Customer Reviews:

they have done it again.......2000-11-27

Average customer rating:

Come Up Screaming Big Country Manufacturer: Track (Navarre) ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music New Wave | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Live Albums | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Britain | British Isles | Europe | International | Styles | Music Scotland | British Isles | Europe | International | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music General | Live Albums | Rock | Styles | Music ASIN: B0000A4GDL Release Date: 2003-09-02

Tracks:

1. Harvest
2. King of Emotion
3. Driving to Damascus
4. John Wayne's Dream
5. Storm
6. Where the Rose Is Sown
7. Come Back to Me
8. Somebody Else
9. Dive into Me
10. Look Away
11. You Dreamer
12. Your Spirit to Me

Tracks:

1. President Slipped and Fell
2. Lost Patrol
3. 13 Valleys
4. Inwards
5. Wonderland
6. We're Not in Kansas
7. Porroh Man
8. Chance
9. In a Big Country
10. Fields of Fire

Product Description

Disc 1:
1. Harvest
2. King of Emotion
3. Driving to Damascus
4. John Wayne's Dream
5. Storm
6. Where the Rose Is Sown
7. Come Back to Me
8. Somebody Else
9. Dive into Me
10. Look Away
11. You Dreamer
12. Your Spirit to Me

Disc 2:
1. President Slipped and Fell
2. Lost Patrol
3. 13 Valleys
4. Inwards
5. Wonderland
6. We're Not in Kansas
7. Porroh Man
8. Chance
9. In a Big Country
10. Fields of Fire

Format: CD

Music: