November 08, 2003
If Only...
Seeing as I'm working again now, and to celebrate the fact I've passed my exams, I've decided to splash a bit of cash and purchase some cd's which need to be added to my rather small collection. I've got a few things in mind already, but I also asked Al to make a few suggestions as everytime he puts a cd on in the car, I end up saying "Right, I'm going to get this!"
However, as I don't have an endless budget, I've been listening to as many clips as possible at HMV (never buy them from here though as they cost a bomb!!!), to decide which ones I'm going to get. I've checked bands out such as Heart, The Scorpions, Tesla, Whitesnake and Savatage. The clips have provided some excellent music that is just what I'm looking for as I want to get some music by different artists to the ones I've currently got in my collection.
However, I couldn't resist pointing my browser at a bands website that I know well. Big Country. I opened up Come Up Screaming; a live album recorded during their final tour. I've heard it before as Al has lent it to me, and obviously all the songs are very familiar anyway as I've listened to them on studio albums. I still found myself hovering the cursor over the 13 Valleys clip and left clicking. Instantly, the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end and an uncontrollable grin stretched across my face.
I clicked on some more; Lost Patrol, Wonderland and the awesome Your Spirit To Me. Still the same effect. I had to put one of their cd's on right there and then. Wonderland, banging away in my headphone covered ears - still a silly grin on my face. Three times I listened to just the intro of Just A Shadow and three times my hairs shot to attention.
Why did I not discover this band before they decided to split and the untimely death of Stuart Adamson. See, it was Al that got me into them in the first place, just after I got back in touch with everyone around Christmas 2001; the time of Stuarts death. To this day, there is nothing I've heard that moves me like Big Country. Not even the absolutely fantastic Ezio. I have to be in the right mood to listen to Ezio, yet Big Country can change my mood. If I'm feeling a bit down, on goes Without The Aid Of A Safety Net (another live album) and everything is right in the world.
If only I'd seen these guys live...