The Crossing is the first studio album released by Scottish band Big Country. In 2002, Mercury released a remastered and expanded version of The Crossing which included the US-only Wonderland EP and a single version of "Chance".
The most startling thing I discovered while reading the previous reviews is that band leader Stuart Adamson is dead, and by his own hand at that. What a tragic loss. I would never have thought he was troubled by typical rock icon sins. I first discovered Big Country as a high school junior in 1986 and it was an instant attraction for me. The big guitar sound, with celtic rhythms reminiscent of U2 and Simple Minds just pleased my soul. The album was The Seer, which I think is the only album that surpasses this marvelous debut from 1983. I found The Crossing going cheap on tape shortly after that and was blown away that Big Country could deliver so well on another album. Both are five star efforts. The copy I have on tape is rare in that it has bonus 12 inch mixes of In a Big Country and Fields of Fire, as well as Angle Park which I always assumed was on the original album anyway. I lament the lack of those huge, blistering 12 inch versions on this latest remastered CD, but there is the much appreciated addition of the title track. I always wondered why it was left off the original album. I had discovered it previously on an EP with Big Country's instrumental version of Smokey Robinson's Tracks of My Tears. Listen to how the mournful Chance ends on the album - he's starting to go into Tracks of My Tears. Lovely. The best song on this album is The Storm, a haunting epic with different guitar melodies introduced then layered on top of each other. Stuart Adamson truly had the most unique guitar sound in rock music. And Big Country had the best drummer in the business, Mark Brzezicki (what a name!). If you like this album, check out Brzezicki's drum opus, The Sailor, on The Seer album.
The Crossing
1983|2002 Re-mastered
BIG COUNTRY
Stuart Adamson(v,k,g),Bruce Watson(v,g), Mark Brzezicki(v,d),Tony Butler(b)
All songs written by Stuart Adamson, Mark Brzezicki, Tony Butler, Bruce Watson except as indicated.
Released in Germany
BIG COUNTRY
Track Listing:
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
6. Harvest Home - 4:19
7. Lost Patrol - 4:52
8. Close Action - 4:15
9. Fields of Fire - 3:31
10. Porrohman - 7:51
11. Angle Park - 4:07
12. All Of Us - 4:09
13. The Crossing - 7:08
14. Heart & Soul - 4:33
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