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Stuart Adamson then

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It’s coming up again – the anniversary of Stuart Adamson’s death. And every year, I start thinking about him, his music, and what could have been,

He’s the one with the bagpipey guitar band, right? One hit wonder?

Well, true. If you ignore the The Skids. And how BC developed over the years. And The Raphaels. And Driving to Damascus.

He came from Dunfermline; well, born in Manchester, but everyone in Fife claimed him. My Dad, who is Fife born and bred (you don’t follow the Pars and the Blue Brazl otherwise) says so, and Da introduced me to him. The Crossing, on cassette, in the Renault 14 when he took my brother and me to work with him at Sunningdale. That, and Making Movies.

I saw BC at De Montfort on the ‘Why the long face?” tour. Then with Dad when they were supported by The Alarm. Among the best concerts I’ve been to. They were a band who connected with their audience in a way that few I’ve seen have.

So what’s the music about then? Well, it’s better than popular opinion would have you believe. Adamson is a good guitarist; actually, he’s very very good, and Watson ain’t no slouch. Butler and Brzezinski re a very tight section.

It’s the lyrics though. Take a run through the catalogue, and you’ll find someone who wrote about ordinary people. Wondering what happened to the protest songs about the Falklands? You might have missed BC then. Factory workers? Check. Protesting American politics? Yup. Steelworking? That’s there too. Movie soundtrack that got the film just right? Restless Natives. And you know what? It sounded fucking fantastic.

The Crossing was great. Steeltown was patchy, but when it was good, it was great. But when they hit their straps – and I think it’s The Buffalo Skinners – you can see what a great rock band they were. No frills guitar rock.

Big Country were above all else a people’s band. Not like Ufucking2; Adamson bought a bar in Dunfermline. Bono bought a shopping center in Lithuania.

They’ll never get the credit they deserve, and this is a paean to a lost hero. I’ve always seen Stuart as a hero – because of Dad, he’s local. And he’s a local guy who stayed true to his roots and his folk.
I’ll post a video underneath.

I’ve been musing a post of this nature for a while. How do you write a meaningful post about someone whose music you admire and whose death makes you sad every year? Probably not like this, but this is the best I can do. #stayalive

21

Comments

    • That`s what I thought re: “one hit wonders” but I think @Sitheref2409 was actually quoting the comments of others (non-Big Country fans). I saw them twice, at Manchester Apollo where they were headliners at the time of `The Crossing`. If I remember correctly they repeated most of the album because as Stuart said “We don`t have any more fuckin` songs`, I could wrung having had one or eight pints of Carling Black Label in that pub around the corner. The second time was at the Reading Festival in 1983 (I think). When they played `Fields Of Fire`, a sheet of flames were supposed to make a vertical wall of flame. Instead the sheets of fire went out horizontally, luckily the flames went above the heads of the crowd!
      I didn`t follow the band`s musical output after `Steeltown` but in the late `90`s I started to pick up some more of the band`s albums after a friend lent me the `Restless Natives` CD. In fact I picked up a 3CD compilation (another compilation) when I was in Edinburgh recently. I`ve just ordered a second-hand copy of `The Buffalo Skinners`, new copies are too expensive. I didn`t realise I didn`t have it.
      Stuart Adamson was a good man and wrote many great songs, one of the great protest song writers. His passing was, as others have stated tragic and shocking.
      That was a welcome post @Sitheref2409 in memory of a fine musician.

  5. Back in the early 80s when I first started getting interested in music they were one of the bands I got into, along with Simple Minds and U2 in particular. I had The Crossing on cassette and I recall I particularly liked the 12″ versions of Fields of Fire and In A Big Country that were extra tracks on the tape (always liked an extended mix – probably pre-empting my interest in dance music, lengthy krautrock tracks etc).

    U2 I’m happy to leave in the 80s and feel no need to revisit. Simple Minds have stood the test of time. BC I’d kind of forgotten about but played some the other day and that still sounds good -the bagpipe guitar thing is a bit of a daft gimmick at times but…yeah! Good band, big hearty songs. This is a *tune*

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2mn8cTyWzQ

  6. Was a huge Big Country fan during my mid-teens. My older brother was a punk rocker, so hearing his Skids singles played repeatedly led me on to loving the guitar stylings of Stuart Adamson. I only saw them play once, supporting David Bowie at Cardiff Arm’s Park on The Glass Spider tour and they were excellent. I fell out of favour with them by the 4th album when they were full-on stadium rock . But I still occasionally revisit the BC archive. Their underrated 1984 gem Come Back To Me about a girl whose boyfriend has been killed in the Falklands war still gets me every time.

  8. Let him go. His death means something else entirely to you. You’ve stated as much. You’ve felt comfortable enough to be naked with us all here. That’s very brave.

  10. Wise words Bri. Have an up.

    I loved Big Country when I first heard them. May have been on The Tube? Bought the first three albums, diminishing returns I thought. A shame I never saw them.

    The Crossing has lasted well I think. Great thunderous sound.

    I once asked after Big Country records in Groucho’s in Dundee. They sneered at me – what a bunch of wankers.

  11. Even after 30+ years the bright shiny, as opposed to dark bluesy power chords that finish Chance make the hairs stand on my neck.
    A instantly recognizable player…

  15. Just wondered how familiar fans are with the band that his son Callum had,called Ahab,who have their back catalogue on Spotify,taking their cue from the more Americana style that Stuart himself was taking with the band he started called The Raphaels.

  17. I found Adamson’s guitar work on the Skids’ stuff thrilling and unique. Restless Natives soundtrack aside, never dug Big Country – initial impression was that they were a bit po-faced, amplified by Stu’s delivery – but you may have tempted me to take another listen.
    I think the happy middle ground between the Skids’ jerky new wave and the Country’s big sound might be on The Absolute Game – espesh Woman In Winter – an album I do reach for from time to time and always enjoy immensely.

  19. The anniversary of Billy MacKenzies death has the same effect on me. 21 years in January. I’ll listen to as much Associates and solo Billy as I can after Christmas and then nothing much until the next year.

    Thanks to you Si I’ve delved a little deeper into Big Country than the greatest hits and they did have something special. Strangely right for the 80’s but not a synth in sight. “Chance” is one of those songs that shakes you to the core, it’s perfect.

  20. I was friendly with the original BC bass player, Alan (brother of Pete) Wishart, and as a result I blagged a freebie to their first ever gig in the Glen Pavillion. Feb(?) 1981. The car I got a lift home with crashed into a wall. Bummer. The concert was the final rehearsal for a UK tour supporting Alice Cooper where they lasted two or three gigs before getting kicked off for reasons never explained. Not to me anyway. The Wishart brothers left shortly afterwards when keyboard playing Peter was asked to leave and Alan walked out in sympathy. Peter joined Gael rockers Runrig a year or so later.
    Anyway, I got to know Stuart on a casual basis…. he was a painfully shy man, never looked healthy, but friendly enough, and he was totally, completely dominated by his wife.
    *snaps fingers* dominated.

  21. The Crossing nestles happily in my Top 10 alongside Sex Pistols, The Who, The Jam and Stiff Little Fingers.
    Yes, it is that good.

    I rank The Seer above Stteltown (and concur with your “patchiness” statement)

    Upgraded the vinyl with the 5 Classic Albums Box Set – didn’t play anything else for a fortnight.

    Saw Big Country with Mike Peters – it didn’t “feel” right, although the new material they produced a couple of years ago was more than passable (The Journey from 2013)

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