Big Country - Steeltown

Big Country hit it big in 1983 with their debut album The Crossing. The album would go gold in the US, and platinum here in Canada. "In a Big Country" was huge, and frankly to most of us is the one hit we know by the band. Audiences are fickle, and who knows what the band's follow up Steeltown didn't resonate outside of the UK where the album would hit number 1 and go gold. I don't remember anything being played on the radio. My buddy Otto had a cassette copy of the album and I remember playing it a couple of times and thinking it was pretty cool.

Steve Lillywhite was producing, and comparisons to U2 were inevitable. There were some sonic similarities at times but the bands could not have been more different. U2 were Irish and Big Country were Scottish.

One of things that sucks about getting old is having the time to let music percolate. It's one of the reasons most of us are so drawn to the music of our past. We have a deeper connection and more of an emotional attachment. Songs are associated with the past in a way new stuff will never be. This came out when I was 21 ... now I'm older, a lot older and my brain is a little slower and there are fewer connections to be made with the music. It's one of the reasons I can remember "In a Big Country" but can't remember anything else from The Crossing, an album I finally heard a couple of years ago, despite listening to it several times over the course of a few days. All I remember is that I liked it a lot and was pretty happy.

Here I am with Steeltown and it's an album that doesn't have any baggage other than a disassociated memory of being in Otto's truck cranking the cassette but I can't recall any of the songs. Just a feeling that I liked it, but no so much I went out and bought it. I've played it a couple of times now, and I like it (I seem to say like it a lot). The songs hold up. Stuart and Bruce are still a wicked combination on guitar. They pull of their sonic wizardry sparingly, which is a good thing. The whole electric bagpipes thing is cool, but needed to be applied with care.

I still found myself listening for those moments where the band would pull it all together. You know, THE BIG SONGS, the singles, the stuff that would go on a mix-tape. On the first side they got close with "Come Back to Me". It stopped me in my tracks and I perked up. I love being blown away. The second side yielded the musical kissing cousin to their big hit in "The Great Divide" that really got me. I spend my days listening to enjoyable music and despite my best intentions more often than not the albums play through and while I appreciate what I'm hearing and more often than not I can't remember what I've heard. I'm glad the album had the inner sleeve with the lyrics. There's nothing like an inaugural listen while reading along while Stuart sang to me. I'm quite sure that as I listen more other songs will strike my fancy only to be forgotten. This isn't me being dismissive of Steeltown, this was really good and boy howdy I'll stand by my assessment this is good. It's not them, it's me. 

Steeltown is a Big Country record. That is not damning the band with faint praise. They managed to do what many bands never accomplish: Have a distinct musical identity. All of the songs here are good, sometimes very good, but sadly I also know that they're not memorable enough to sink in. I'm too old, I'm a long way from 21. However, while this is playing, it's playing loud. I also know the next time I play the record I'll really enjoy it ... it'll be new to me all over.

Who said getting old sucked?