Episode 167 - The Crossing by Big Country (Side B)

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Now it’s time to get down to the meaty business of talking about Big Country’s debut album The Crossing. As well as the rest of their back catalogue.

We go into a lot of detail on their 80s and some of their 90s stuff too, and it’s interesting to see how this band, and Adamson as a writer, evolved over this period.

There’s also a lot of discussion on just what makes this band’s first three albums so good. Each of these first three albums show a distinctly different side of the band, from the post-punk riot of The Crossing to the darker, more emotive Steeltown and then the more upbeat and big guitar rock of The Seer. This period in the band’s history is truly their defining moment, and despite everything that’s been said about them, they were hugely popular for a good reason - they were fantastic players and songwriters.

As per, there’s a little more Scottish history in here too, because that’s a big part of the band and, apparently, a bit part of the three of us too, which is weird and only something we realised as we were recording this.

The late 80s and beyond a true mixed bag as things go, but in our minds there’s no denying how vital this band were in their heyday and now. The real question is, despite having sold lots of copies and making the band real popular, can we class The Crossing as an unsung classic? As ever, it’s your call. Vote below.