The Seer

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That autumn, Big Country had been writing and rehearsing in Scotland, developing songs that also had their roots firmly in the band's homeland. Nationalist poet Hugh MacDiarmid was a key influence. "Reading his poems gave me the idea for The Seer," explained Adamson. "He had this idea for a Scotland that was modern and vital and outward-looking, not one that was just a sentimental picture of clans, whisky and bagpipes, a country that was part of the world." a b c d e f g h i Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19thed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. pp.56–7. ISBN 1-904994-10-5. Message from Derek Forbes — Big Country – It's more than a journey. It's an adventure". Bigcountry.co.uk. 31 December 2012. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014 . Retrieved 8 April 2014.

Big Country released the non-LP extended play single " Wonderland" in 1984, [1] while in the middle of a lengthy worldwide tour. The song, considered by some critics to be one of their finest, [4] [5] was a Top Ten hit (No. 8) in the UK Singles Chart [3] but, despite heavy airplay and a positive critical response, was a comparative flop in the US, reaching only No. 86 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was the last single by the band to make the US charts. The culmination was a concert at the Glen Pavilion in Dunfermline and an interview with BBC Radio Scotland where the CBS Studio demos were utilised. The band then played live with Alice Cooper's Special Forces tour for two concerts in February 1982 at Brighton and Birmingham. So I took it out and dusted it off and there it was. I wanted to be outward looking and forward thinking, freed of the misty sentimentality of nationalism, but aware of its continuity. Where have we been, where are we going, what can we give, what can we learn. The album was given two separate mixes. The first was done by producer Robin Millar with the input of the band. This mix was rejected by the band's record label for being not commercial enough, and Walter Turbitt was brought in to remix the album. Turbitt's mix, which was eventually released, was disliked by the band, as it had more overtly poppy elements (such as added reverberation) in contrast to Millar's drier, crisper mix. The original mix remains unreleased, with the exception of "Look Away," the single version of which was released before the remix had been completed. I think that any underlying feel that there is to any body of work that we do comes from the atmosphere surrounding the group at the time," explained Adamson. "We are a group who try and connect the ideas in our songs as directly and explicitly as possible ... if people can identify with our songs and take them into their lives, there can be no stronger confirmation of our work."The height of the band's popularity was in the early to mid 1980s, although they have retained a cult following for many years since. The band's music incorporated Scottish folk and martial music styles, and the band engineered their guitar-driven sound to evoke the sound of bagpipes, fiddles, and other traditional folk instruments. The surviving original members toured again in late December 2010 and January 2011 with Mike Peters of the Alarm and Jamie Watson, Bruce's son, added to the line-up. [20] This line-up began more regular touring as well as writing new material for potential release, in part with the involvement of record producer Steve Lillywhite. The efforts resulted in the creation of Big Country's first single in 11 years, entitled "Another Country". [21] Millar's talent as an arranger - something he'd studied formally after abandoning his own chart-topping career as an artist - also proved crucial. "It's something I wanted since I started the group," Adamson explained. "I always wanted to have the parts much more orchestrated than, say, 'This song goes FDGA' and I based everything around the melody lines on the bass as well as on the two guitars, so there are identifiable harmonies and choral effects going on."

Johnson, Howard (10 July 1986). "Big Country 'The Seer' ". Kerrang!. London, UK: United Magazines (124): 12. a b Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19thed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p.56. ISBN 1-904994-10-5. Gwenda (19 January 2012). "Big Country Interviews 1984-1986". Archived from the original on 25 March 2019. RPM 100 Albums". RPM. archived at Library and Archives Canada. 44 (26). 20 September 1986 . Retrieved 20 September 2011. she patted me on both shoulders and said, 'You're really very good, you directed me well, thank you'. It was a lovely moment."

Tracklist

I've always considered myself as a singer and writer of folk songs I like to play though electric guitars."