Big Country - Chance | Reaction

#bigcountry #chance #thecrossing #stuartadamson #celticrock #altrock #newwave #songreaction #musicreaction
TODAY'S VIDEO: The Audiophiles Reaction/Review - “Chance" - by Big Country
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[@arthurwohlwill3837]

Wow, that's lovely. I was only familiar with "In a Big Country". I will have to listen to their other stuff now.

[@AlexAlex-ny3mz]

The fantastic Stuart Adamson on Guitar & Vocals, Loved him with The Skids, Especially their songs "The Saints Are Coming", "Working For The Yankee Dolar" & "Masquerade".

[@marcharley6465]

I saw Big Country play live twice in 1983, first at the Reading rock festival then at Hammersmith Odeon. They were excellent both times and really excited, energised and engaged the audience.

[@spacelab777]

Stuart Adamson deserves to be recognised as one of the great guitarists. Personally preferred his stuff in The Skids but listening back now this sounds really fresh. I think we were too spoilt for choice in innovative guitar music at the time.

[@scoticvs]

Well, I really love Big Country,. It's one of those bands that hit me hard in 1983. Sometimes you hear a band the the people around you just don't get it. "Doesn't that make you want to get up and do something"? "Aren't those lyrics just killing you"? and you get the bunny eye stare... Just brilliant stuff. Well, maybe some kid will see this video and dig in. That would be great. Thanks for the vid.

[@lordlockdown64]

Great tune by Big Country, it's one of my favourites from the album. Love their early work and of course the Skids were great too. Cheers all!

[@RichardLanemassage]

Big Country were excellent live. A regret of mine that I never saw The Skids (The Skids maybe better known in the US as Green Day/U2 covered "The Saints are Coming" after Hurricane Katrina). RIP Stuart

[@kennyhamilton3598]

Best song among many many superb songsby this superb band lineup

[@cyclops60]

Great reaction as usual gents. I never really got beyond the 'Crossing' apart from the later singles so I must revisit them. I got Andy's Springsteen reference, you really do have a good ear! I liked the Skids as well and so sad for Stuart to end up how he did. I saw Big Country support the Jam on their farewell tour and they were fantastic, a perfect entree for the main course!

[@theaudiophiles7889]

Hey Cyclops, that sounds like a great gig. Cheers, Jon.

[@theaudiophiles7889]

Thanks for the shoutout, and most importantly for giving this a watch. We appreciate you! - Andy

[@cyclops60]

@@theaudiophiles7889 I went two nights at Wembley arena, both great!

[@Manannan0402]

Lovely song from a band that seem virtually forgotten today. East of Eden, In a Big Country or Wonderland some time please, fellas. Been busy with work, grandkids' summer holidays and life in general recently but I'll slowly catch up on things over the next couple of days.

[@faithwithoutprejudice2380]

Totally agree and not forgetting Fields Of Fire, Look Away, Harvest Home, Where The Rose Is Sown and their excellent cover of Tracks Of My Tears either ❤️😊

[@kylewoolsey6635]

Glad we got the 12 in single. I always preferred the long fade out. Thank you.

[@theaudiophiles7889]

You’re welcome Kyle. Glad you enjoyed it. Cheers, Jon.

[@mightyV444]

Same. The intro is much better, too!

[@faithwithoutprejudice2380]

Excellent band with such a distinctive and wonderful sound. Stuart Adamson is such a great loss to the world of music and is so underrated in my opinion. The Skids preceding BC were another brilliant band that Adamson’s guitar, vocals and lyricism created with Richard Jobson. Big Country was a truly phenomenal experience live and also created some of the best 12” single mixes ever produced. Fantastic reaction guys again, thank you both 😊

[@rashedala-uddin9012]

Great, in-depth reaction. I appreciate it very much. Loved Big Country in 1983, love them still. Please give Just A Shadow a chance (pun intended). 💙

[@versioncity1]

Saw them at Liverpool Royal Court in 83 and then about a month later in Sefton park. Great live band, especially when you're a 13 year old boy.

[@bobpage665]

I had assumed Jon had already introduced Andy to Big Country. Just because.

[@theaudiophiles7889]

One step at a time Bob. Remember the journey of 1000 miles starts with a breakfast at Greggs. Cheers, Jon.

[@samajax]

The BC is going to get a whole bunch of love I'm sure, but except for the pop bagpipe hit, I've never given them much time. Feels sort of like a Trainspotting version of U-2, less strident, but more rain/mist. There was a bit in the middle that was pushing heavy metal guitars, but then it returned back to the picking and rain. Not bad.

[@neilscott1966]

As a life long Big Country fan from 1983 to present day and probably till my grave , just a band that will live you forever, seen them live 60 times , 49 with Stuart , The recent album was 2013 The Journey with Mike Peters as lead singer, after Mike left to continue with his band The Alarm, Simon Hough took up the lead singer roll and to this day the band are still touring, Simon puts his own stamp on the songs and does not try to be Stuart, Still sound as good live and still have a big following 40 years on

[@johncarr2806]

Bruce Watson and his son, now play with Richard Jobson in The Skids, whilst also still performing with Big Country.

[@mightyV444]

Oh cool! It's even the (in my opinion) nicer _extended_ version, with added intro and outro 😃👍 And one of the reason's for Stuart Adamson's 'Boss'-like vocal delivery had been the fact that he'd believed during the recording sessions for Big Country's first two albums that he had to sing very loudly 😅 His voice sounds quite a bit smoother on later recordings 😊 And true, the bass and the drums are indeed rather tame in this song - but not so much in many of Big Country's others, like 'Look Away' , 'Wonderland' , 'Angle Park' , 'Fields Of Fire (400 Miles) 😁

[@theaudiophiles7889]

Thanks MightyV. More Big Country coming soon. Cheers, Jon.

[@mightyV444]

@@theaudiophiles7889 - Good stuff! 😊👍

[@boq780_2.0]

I realised about a minute in that I had heard this before and the chorus was familiar. I was never a fan of anthemic rock music (Springsteen, U2, later Simple Minds etc.) and this is of that ilk. It is quite well made as a song, though, probably a few steps above the likes of Del Amitri (who I have always cultivated a hatred of, possibly slightly unfairly!).

[@theaudiophiles7889]

Yes, ditto to Del Amitri. And it's totally fair. Cheers, Jon.

[@boq780_2.0]

@@theaudiophiles7889 I was trying to be diplomatic, a skill I signally lack! They did a criminal cover of ‘Bye Bye Pride’ by The Go-Betweens and Justin Currie still isn’t serving time. It is an odd fact that Justin is cousin to Nick Currie, the very talented Momus. I can’t imagine they are buddies.

[@mikesummers-smith4091]

"The band sate in Dunfermline toun / Drinkin Buckfast Tonic Wine." Or something. There are "new towns" in Scotland too - e.g. East Kilbride, a dump best known for...a band Jon has promised us more of. Fourth single off the album, which shows how good it is; loved it for 40 years; IMO their best by some distance. @Andy - listen to "Fields of Fire". There's a very Boss-like touch in the way Stuart Adamson explodes on "fire" in the first chorus - only. I hadn't made the connection before, but I'm sure you're right. (I'm a big _Nebraska_ fan, and that came out the year before _The Crossing_ ).

[@theaudiophiles7889]

Hey Mike, JAMC - there's some of their earlier stuff in the pipeline. Cheers, Jon.

[@theaudiophiles7889]

Thanks for confirming I'm not losing my mind, Mike . . . well at least in regards to the Springsteen comparison. Also, thank you for the recommendation. I will give it a listen. Be well! - Andy

[@mikesummers-smith4091]

@@theaudiophiles7889 @Andy - possibly old news to you, but I only recently learned that "Atlantic City" mentions a real event - look up Philip Testa. Considering time and place, I think it likely that the E Streeters were leant on at some time in their early career. They may have built up enough clout for the word to be passed that they should be left alone - but who knows? The fizzy drink Jon mentioned is Irn Bru, rarely found outside Scotland but something of a national bevvy.

[@paulsmith2516]

My hometown heroes my IDOLS and my friends (wow, love I can say that) BIG COUNTRY!!!! Possibly my favourite song of their whole catalogue, and live this is Stuart's "tea break" song live, because at every gig since probably March 84 WE sing this song it's OURS! It started with that obviously singalong chorus but eventually us fans just took it over completely. I will go into the fire to this song, mainly as the final double check that I'm definitely deid! 😆 If I don't start singing in that box then yep, I'm gone lol. HOWEVER ANDREW, DO NOT DARE INSULT MY FRIEND OF NEARLY 20 YEARS BY COMPARING HIM TO THAT TALENTLESS HACK SPRINGSTEEN! STUART WROTE BEAUTIFUL HEARTFELT INTRICATE SONGS AND SPRINGSTEEN SPEWED OUT JINGOISTIC LOWEST COMMON DENOMINATOR GARBAGE, SHAME ON YOU! John, that signature guitar sound is NOTHING WHATSOEVER TO DO WITH THE SOUND OF BAGPIPES! NOT A FKN THING! Your folk allegory is very correct and what you are hearing is the tones of Scottish folk which is played on fiddle and accordion. Bagpipes are an exclusively MILITARY INSTRUMENT here in Scotland, effectively a weapon of war! As Stuart was the most anti war and anti military human I ever knew that comparison truly upset him. I can understand why and have made it MY life mission to defend the man who has given me so much joy for over 40 years.

[@theaudiophiles7889]

I just said his voice reminded my of Springsteen’s voice on this track. Christ on a bike, bud, take a breath. Merry Christmas. - Andy

[@terrysutton8452]

I liked Big Country, but unfortunately they never really stood out for me. Obviously, unlike Jon, I never appreciated their musicianship. I was more a fan of The Skids, whose songs ‘ Into The Valley’ and ‘Working for the Yankee Dollar’ were more anthemic, and their gigs were really great. Big Country are a band who I need to go back and listen to, because first time round I never took much notice of them.

[@theaudiophiles7889]

Hey Terry, horses for courses. I was the opposite - never really rated The Skids. After all the positive comments about them I guess we're both doing some extra homework. Cheers, Jon.

[@terrysutton8452]

@@theaudiophiles7889 Your right Jon. I need to listen to some more Big Country, But give The Skids another chance. They had a powerful sound and some songs that were real anthems. But I agree that Richard Jobson was a knobhead. Met him a couple of times when I was an extra in one of his films, and he was a real narcissistic twat.

[@boq780_2.0]

I have always found singers like Adamson, Springsteen, Bono, deeply unconvincing. I find less conventionally accomplished (and less 'macho' singers) like Billy Bragg, Bob Dylan, Loudon Wainwright to pick three almost at random, more believable, not in terms of their 'message', but the emotion they convey through their delivery. I think it's more than a matter of taste, perhaps the more forceful style lacks nuance?

[@theaudiophiles7889]

I personally wouldn't lump Adamson in with those others. I think it's the bombastic delivery which can irritate, and I never saw that in him. But I take your point. And I'm sure there are loads who would complain of Bragg's 'loutish' delivery. They're wrong, of course. When you hear something 'true' you know it. Cheers, Jon.

[@boq780_2.0]

@@theaudiophiles7889 possibly it’s all just a bit too polished for me. The melody is quite nice.

[@ijustneedmyself]

​@@boq780_2.0I think it is the polish. It can be a turn off for sure. For this song I think it might be okay. I have to listen again.

[@boq780_2.0]

@@theaudiophiles7889 it's a beautiful thing when someone sings in their own accent, especially when it is non-standard. That's one of the many reasons why I love Cathal Coughlan, his Cork accent softened, after living in England for 35+ years but he never lost it.

[@terrysutton8452]

@@boq780_2.0 I am also a massive fan of Cathal Coughlan. Jon did a song of theirs I requested, 464, but that probably wasn’t the ideal introduction to Microdisney. If ever they were going to have a hit, it would have to be ‘ Town to Town’ , in my opinion one of the best pop songs ever written.