Big Country - The Crossing

Big Country's The Crossing (1983) is widely hailed as a classic, praised for its unique, emotive "air-raid" twin-guitar sound (Stuart Adamson/Bruce Watson), blending Celtic spirit with epic rock, memorable hooks like "In a Big Country," and deep themes of struggle, hope, and place, making it a powerful, heartfelt album that stood out from synth-pop and earned Grammy nods. While some found the blend of pop and Scottish roots hit-or-miss on certain tracks, reviewers largely agreed it was a defining, masterfully crafted record with poetic, cinematic scope and genuine passion. 

by Tom Demalon

With producer Steve Lillywhite at the helm, Scotland's Big Country managed to deliver earnest, socially conscious arena anthems in a similar vein to U2 and the Alarm. The twist was their trademark bagpipe sound, achieved through the use of E-Bow. The unique sound of "In a Big Country" garnered the band considerable attention and a Top 20 single in the U.S. The Crossing, however, is an album whose richness goes beyond the single. The more subdued "Chance" is sparser and its personal lyrics are every bit as heartfelt as the more populist-inclined anthems like the wonderful "The Storm" or the thundering "Fields of Fire." The lyrics are straightforward and, despite the grand themes of many of the tracks, manage to steer clear of being overly pretentious. While this album earned the band a gold record, Big Country's sound and image (reinforced by the members' tartan checked shirts) resulted in them being tagged a novelty, and they never duplicated their initial success in America.

Ripped to MP3

1. In A Big Country

2. Inwards

3. Chance

4. 1000 Stars

5. The Storm

6. Harvest Home

7. Lost Patrol

8. Close Action

9. Fields Of Fire

10. Porrohman