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| Liner Notes |  |
by Alan Edwards |
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Life in a Big Country: I remember seeing The Skids at the Hammersmith Palais and noticing shy Stuart Adamson's contribution. I remember co-managing The Skids, and undertaking a tour of the school playgrounds the length and breadth of the country. I remember Virgin Records holding onto Richard Jobsen and letting Stuart Adamson go when The Skids fell apart. My partner Ian Grant pinpointed Chris Briggs and Phonogram as the right record company for Big Country and just kept on and on at them until the deal was done.
Live Big Country played at the Dingwalls club circuit and supported Alice Cooper at Brighton Conference Centre, the latter backfired when the obnoxious Vietnam vet tour manager took a dislike to the band and kicked them off the tour. This did the group a favour, and hot rhythm section bassist Tony Butler and drummer Mark Brzezicki who were working with Pete Townshend were enlisted. Big Country never looked back. Moody magnificent guitarist Stuart Adamson, rhythm guitarist and comedian Bruce Watson, friendly rock solid bassist Tony Butler and quirky Mark Brzezicki with the massive drum sound. Soon sweaty venues like Nottingham Rock City were heavy with the pure excitement of a real live rock band cutting a swathe throughout the new romantic and posey pop scene. America beckoned, and a combination of guitar rock and tartan imagery struck a chord. 'In a Big Country' stormed up the singles chart with the album in hot pursuit Stateside, it seemed a far cry from their U.S. debut supporting The Members at the Peppermint Lounge in New York. It all happened very quickly in America, guitar rock was a well established tradition. Pressure dropped on Big Country big time, endless touring - Stuart not really wanting to be part of the rock and roll trip - a hastily mixed second album, a canceled tour with Hall and Oates the band need a break. Manchester United fan Stuart was football mad, backstage players popped up like they were in the penalty box - Steve Archibald, Charlie Nicholas, Tony Woodcock, Paul Mariner, Kenny Daglish to name but a few. When Stuart wasn't touring he was watching Dunfermline's athletics good times. The audience too felt like they were too off the terraces, and the empathy that was felt between the band and crowd rivaled that of the Liverpool players and the packed Kop. The music was authentic and so was the sing along response and support from the masses down the front. Back in the USA again, standout show in Sinatra's old N/Y/ stomping ground the Roseland Ballroom, sellouts at the Palladium in L.A., crazy party at Sunset Marquis, broken down bus on the way to San Diego, snowbound spectrum in Montreal and good fun at Saturday Night Live with then world champ Larry Holmes. Back in Scotland for Hogmany or was it Christmas Eve at Edinburgh Playhouse, followed by a cranky propeller driven small plane ride back to London. June 1994 still got it live at Chapham Grand, always worth the price of admission Big Country continue the great rock tradition. |
