Why Stuart Adamson was the greatest songwriter (and rare live video "Shattered Cross") 

What a prolific ear and commentary. Glad to hear his and the bands genius transcends generations. ❤️

I cried like a baby when he crossed over, been a fan from the beginning! He gave us light and hope. He succumbed to his demons. He was inspired from above and this world was too dark for him. But he still gives us light and hope. Check out his daughter Kristen Adamson. She is a chip off the block!! She is amazing!! RIP Stuart Adamson. You will always be missed

A sad loss indeed, I was a lifelong fan since hearing In a Big Country as a child as it was so different at the time and really stood out. Stuart was, and always will be, a big part of us all. Thanks for taking the time to share Angela, I hope life treats you well.

Their Buffalo Soldiers album is fantastic.

Thanks for that, I think you summed up a lot of the reason why Stuart's music continues to resonate. It conveys a feeling of strength & pride that's baked into the landscape itself. Strength like that will outlive kings, flags & political parties, even humankind itself. I've never seen Scotland but everything I've heard about it tells me that the land is coursing with that energy. And I can't think of many songwriters who could handle the job of putting it into words & music like Stuart did.

So true. Stuart always seemed to draw tremendous strength from his homeland, it was in his music and in his blood. "Eiledon, I will be there / Eiledon, my dream is there" (I assume he was referring to Eildon Hill in Melrose)

I am American and a huge Stuart/BC fan and I completely agree. Had Stuart never moved to America, I truly believe that he would still be with us. The big man is sorely missed all over the world. 😢

Being a fellow Fifer Stuart was a big inspiration at a time when all the collierys were closing and unemployment was rife! He brought sunshine to us all! Miss you Stuart and I'll meet you again up there! X

@@yvonnejeffrey9956 Touched with the wandering, romantic spirit, an irrepressible curiosity, belief in the small man and woman (he wrote from women's perspectives even!) and in human rights and equity, an openness to all things and cultures, and humanistically nurtured by his matriarchs, his socially just vision reached far and away and touched and inspired many other lost, hurt souls. 'Who knows where all our days go?' Who knows how we touch and have been touched by others' loving-kindness and spirits? It is bitterly cold comfort I know, and while I would never begrudge his safety and the loving of those who cared most for this dear heart, I think of other great humanists who were taken too young and am selfishly comforted in the fact that I was privileged to hold a wee bit of his vision that lives on in my breast...and I know for a fact many others besides. He is forever a part of a global river of hope that connects us all one to the next.

wrapping the flag round anyone won't help much of anything, the guy needed support

Amazing 25? I never got a chance to see them, but every live video I've seen shows them at the peak of musicianship. You're right, each one was a master of his instrument and the sum was even greater than the parts. Add the most insightful and poetic lyrics on top and you have a legend that will never die. Seeing them live must've been the thrill of a lifetime!

Thanks for that info +Craig Boyle, "In A Big Country" is such a powerfully uplifting song even though the lyrics indicate a deep struggle ("pain and truth", "every single hope you had shattered"). I'm convinced Stuart's optimism was the real thing. You can't write uplifting music like that, and so many others, unless you truly believe it. Stuart did, but unfortunately for him it wasn't to be so.

Isn't that something?? I've listened to a lot of bands' songs over & over, their impact changes over the years, but BC's music always brings me back to the 1st time.

Stuart was sober for 10 yrs. I don't believe his 2nd marriage was good for him & his family also thought it got to him. He wouldn't have done it sober.

Every picture I have seen of him, he has a sad, lost distant look in his eyes. My thinking is he had this issue long before he every got into music and maybe he grew up a sad, lonely child. People often carry these traits into their adulthood and then when things go awry, they are incapable of working through their issues and he felt overwhelmed.

"Art is the capture of emotion in space and time." What a fantastic way of putting it. Stuart really had that rare ability; his songs each capture a very specific emotion that continues to resonate in each of us.

So true... It's easy to get wrapped up in his lyrics, voice and songwriting but you're right; he was a phenomenal lead guitarist. He never showed off by shredding, but even better he played carefully planned melodic parts. If I could play the guitar for beans I would study every note he played and consider that the best education.

R I P Stuart Adamson.

Thanks Scott, and I think you nailed a lot of the problem: although they seemed to be mutual admirers of each others work, BC and U2 had a weird commercial rivalry that left BC in the dust in America. The Edge is a true class act for telling it like it is: U2 wished they could write songs like Stuart (I say this as a lifetime U2 fan as well). I wish BC had kept Steve Lilywhite as a producer (who produced U2, Talking Heads, Peter Gabriel, and did BC's first 2 incredible albums) rather than going with American producers who tried to Americanize BC's sound. I saw an interview where Stuart voiced his regret over that decision. Unfortunately the music biz is very unforgiving. But I hope time will eventually show the world (America hah) what we missed out on.

Always seemed to me to live in U2’s shadows especially in the early days....first five years or so I think BC’s sound was ‘too Scottish’ for the mass public or the charts and unfortunately this haunted him I believe to the end He/They never got the acculation they deserved...they should of been bigger than U2

@@robertclayton6289 In the early 1980's I loved them both for their social justice messages. Over time I came to learn things about U2 and, for example, their tax evasion among other things, and was left with Stuart who, if anything, increased his advocacy for social justice. I am not sure if that public acclaim was all that important in the end. What I do know is that his legacy was never tarnished for me and whenever I hear his singing or view his performances, I am as breathless and inspired as I was when I first heard the courageous, earth-shattering and inimitable, "Flame of the West" way back when. He wrote about the plight of the poor and about how oppression operates consistently in his career and for that, he is among a rare and select few, I warrant. That is enough for me and I dearly hope it was enough for him.

@@ZeroChannelZero I may get roasted for this but personally, I really don’t think the studio albums sounded that great. Big Country were on a whole different level live! For me, the emotion of the songs get lost on the albums and they sound to sterilized and homogeneous. I often wonder how well they would have done (commercially in the U.S.) if their first releases had been on the level of any of their live albums. The sound is just so much “richer”. I don’t know, maybe I’m just talking nonsense. 🤷‍♂️ I’m just glad there are so many devoted fans here on RU-vid that are constantly posting personally recorded shows and previously unheard or rare tracks. It’s an awesome community! Stay Alive!!!

@@CFarnwide Hey CF no roastage here, I think everyone agrees that BC's live shows were incredible and that sort of energy is hard to capture in a studio setting. Some of the albums ended up sounding "dense" (Stuart's description) which to the listener becomes "homogeneous" as you said. I do think the recent vinyl remaster/reissues did a great job of cleaning things up and delivering the power as intended. But one thing's for sure, nothing compares to being at a BC show, which sadly I never was. You're right, it's great to hear from folks who were actually there, and to see people posting clips from shows. That energy is eternal!

Thank you so much, and I gotta agree that Stuart's music touches me every day as well (and not just because I'm neck deep attempting to cover one of their most challenging pieces The Crossing). It's like the older and hopefully wiser we get, we start to understand things Stuart was telling us all along, in ways that apply even decades later. The messages and themes he sang about are truly timeless.

Couldn't agree more! Lots of technically gifted songwriters out there, but Stuart was one of the rare few who really put emotion & meaning into it. Thanks for stopping by, it's always great to meet another BC diehard!

And I thought I was there biggest fan

+scneese64 "The shining eye will never cry The beating heart will never die The house on fire holds no shame I will be coming home again" Fields of Fire ;)

@Macca You're spot on. BC is the most phenomenally tragic example of how the music business buried a great act. I heard about Fragile Thing, I think it was in the Damascus documentary, their producer said he believes that ridiculous chart rule and subsequent burial of the album was what triggered Stuart down the final spiral. A terrible and unnecessary loss for the entire music world.

Thanks for sharing that... What a great victory! I've heard from a number of people who survived a suicidal crisis thanks to Stuart's music, came up screaming and STAYED ALIVE. Wish he knew how many lives he saved.

Hard to believe isn't it? I listen to his music every day so it's like time froze.

@@ZeroChannelZero lol my nickname is also Zero or ZeroX of some boards. Ditto for me on Stuarts music.

@@davepavey2737 Awesome, Zeros unite! (wouldn't that still be zero?) Always a thrill to meet another obsessed BC fan ✊

+Johan Peters That's something we don't usually talk about, in light of his great songwriting & guitar skills, he had a unique voice, very resonant and commanding but never aggressive or arrogant. Love hearing his banter between songs.

Yup, he definitely packed so many layers into his songs. Reminds me of what drummer Mark Brzezicki recently said: "Only in hindsight I’ve started looking at lyrics and I’m starting to go, ‘Hang on a minute - the writing’s there. This guy was saying it all along’. Or was he? I don’t know.”

Exactly! I’ve always felt this way about his music.

Perfect description, MM. Big Country's songs don't work for passive listening, they're too moving. Stuart was definitely a poet. Even on the 100th listen I'm always finding new depth & meaning in his lyrics. Not surprising that he was a classy gent in real life.

You know, I'm ashamed to admit that I don't own Steeltown and have only heard bits of it, never all the way through as it should be. Thank you so much for the compliments, definitely Stuart's storytelling style rubbed off on me as a kid, affecting me like no other songwriter. He was really a modern day bard singing timeless stories of struggle, victory & loss. I can't wait to check out Steeltown... I have to get on ebay to find myself a good vinyl copy of course. Gotta experience it right for the 1st time! Also you nailed it; regardless of the story's subject matter, Stuart's songs resonate with everyone who's experienced the feelings of depression, loss, conflict. You don't have to be a steel worker to get what he's saying about crushed dreams, just as with songs like "The Storm" where you don't have to be a warrior to understand the desolation that war/rage inflicts upon our souls.

@@ZeroChannelZero I definitely think Steeltown's their best work, but it's a hard album to get into. Lots of dark themes and dense music. It took me 3 or 4 listens to really get it, so if it doesn't grab you on the first play make sure you give it time! You're totally right that Stuart's a storyteller, he really puts you in a place and a time. There's such depth to his words. I liked that you brought up The Edge's eulogy at Stuart's funeral - I like U2 (particularly their early stuff), but compare With Or Without You to Chance - similar structure, similar feeling and message, but despite Chance's more specific lyrics you can relate to its meaning so much more, and when it reaches its crescendo it hits so much harder. That haunting chorus gives me chills every time.

"The Seer" always sounded to me like the "most-Irish" rock album ever done or even conceivable, even though it isn't Irish at all. :) I probably read different things into all the tunes and lyrics. The sailor/soldier thing, though, as a career option, even in songs that are supposedly anti-militarist, and as a common Scottish story is very "there" in BC's first two albums and all the Skids albums (I don't hear Remembrance Day or Red Fox that way, though). Chances are that Adamson and Jobson both expected at some stage during their youth that they might end up being recruited. Jobson said his songs were anti-war yet he also said that he often thought he coulda/shoulda have been a soldier, along with all his neighbours/the rest of the community etc. part of their culture, where the (eng) rose is sown

"a very comprehensive song indeed" (lol) in concert: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-FJI1bL0LoGY.html

I only take exception to one thing you attributed to Stuart, the depression. While I do not but doubt that the diagnosis (if not others) were given to him, I think employing it misses the forest for the trees, even for the Big Man. I will not oppose the notion that there is such a thing, I would only add that depression or most of what is described as mental illness, is a direct reflection of the world in which we live. We have (in this age of digital media and endemic illness) come to normalize the medicalization of the these manifestations of capitalistic alienation (or depression) because we are inculcated to from an early age, but for most of human history our forebears found ways to accommodate one another's quirks, and our survival as a species testifies to that truth. In the past space was created for people to find their healing. But that space today has been replaced with drugs, labels, and treatments that end up lobotomizing sufferers, not sufferers of mental illness but from the alienation of living in a toxic culture. Stuart is not speaking here of depression; he is revealing the reality of the millions of the forgotten left behind by capitalism and neoliberalism. His sorrow is the loss that comes from a sane man living in a very sick world. He was not ill. It is rather these toxic societies that prey on people as if they are commodities, rends families as if they are meaningless, designs hierarchical and competitive systems that replace equity and authentic relationships and creates extinctions in nature and in a universe humans never owned and never will own. As the inimitable Erich Fromm wrote, “A person who has not been completely alienated, who has remained sensitive and able to feel, who has not lost the sense of dignity, who is not yet "for sale", who can still suffer over the suffering of others, who has not acquired fully the having mode of existence - briefly, a person who has remained a person and not become a thing - cannot help feeling lonely, powerless, isolated in present-day society. He cannot help doubting himself and his own convictions, if not his sanity. He cannot help suffering, even though he can experience moments of joy and clarity that are absent in the life of his "normal" contemporaries. Not rarely will he suffer from neurosis that results from the situation of a sane man living in an insane society, rather than that of the more conventional neurosis of a sick man trying to adapt himself to a sick society. In the process of going further in his analysis, i.e. of growing to greater independence and productivity,his neurotic symptoms will cure themselves.” ― Erich fromm, The Art of Being

Thanks, I'm so glad you felt the weight of that thought my friend. His demons were beyond our comprehension, but it's funny how "three bottles of wine" is something tangible we can all grasp. It's so trivial compared to his life's contributions to the world.

@Jo Graham Wow congrats on experiencing epic greatness in the flesh! My biggest regret is that I never saw Stuart & BC play live. I don't think they toured the USA as much as they played UK & overseas, and also I might've been around 12 at the time. But re-watching their old shows on yt, I can see they had a monumental impact on audiences every time. Tragic loss for sure

@@ZeroChannelZero they were amazing! living in London in the 80s I was lucky to see alot of bands live, but Big Country were in a class of their own & had such an original sound & I loved Stuart's lyrics... lost touch with them for years, & was devastated to hear of his disappearance & tragic death...it was good to hear your "take" on it all, I totally agree..💔

That is so cool to hear! Definitely sounds like a down to earth guy. Somewhere on one of these vids, a fan commented that they knew him in the early days when he would hang out at the community centre playing his guitar. I agree his guitar chops put him shoulder to shoulder with the greats but he never acted that way. Never took a self indulgent 8 minute solo even though we all know he could've smoked any arena to the ground. He always seemed to be about interacting with the fans rather than indulging any sort of ego.

You got that right...! I'm still finding new meanings in his lyrics every time I listen.

His wonderful guitar style will live on also and continue to influence the lucky ones who search him out.

We really need an official chapter of American Scots (Who Have Not Necessarily Been to Scotland) don't we? It's funny that Chance spoke so directly to you a Midwesterner, just as I could've sworn Steeltown was about Bethlehem Pennsylvania. At the core of Stuart's songs are a human theme that's universal. Come up screaming!

Thanks for that great comment, PR! Hell yeah I'd be honored to narrate a story about Stuart. Are you planning to write one? I recently finished Tony Butler's "Then Came the Great Divide" which I really enjoyed, and I'm halfway thru Glen Allen's "In A Big Country". Both books are mostly fact-oriented historical accounts which is cool, but I always wondered what if some talented writer would give us something more on the poetic side, symbolic & even a bit abstract, that captures what Stuart was all about. Your obervation about the BC compass is a perfect example...what does it mean? What did it mean to Stuart? Stuart himself wrote in mysterious ways, never quite spelling it out but giving us enough clues to find our bearings. Anyway, get to writing my friend.

@@ZeroChannelZero I want to read the Glenn Allen book first. I got that idea from the comments in Good Reads. That work may not have covered Adamson as a person. Who was he to those who knew him best? PR

Manchester surprised me! And Bruce was born in Ontario, Canada. But there's no arguing they're Scottish to the kilt ✊

@@ZeroChannelZero yes

"I always knew Stu’s demons were there but I always had hope when listening to him sing." That says it all. Can you believe what he must've been going through, and yet all his songs are hopeful and uplifting (even the dark ones). That says a lot about him as an artist and a human being. Thanks for stopping by and leaving the nice comment. Bagpipes, way cool! Although I wasn't quite as ambitious, Stuart inspired me to learn the ebow (MUCH harder than he makes it look).

@@ZeroChannelZero Yes to all that. I was age 11 when “The Crossing” came out and I didn’t comprehend the darkness of Stu’s music at that time. I just knew that I was drawn to it like a moth to flame. But by age 14, I sure did comprehend it! Now, age 51, I comprehend it more than ever. But I am fortunate to have retained the joy, pining, and hope from the effect his music had on the 11year old me. Stu must have been a tortured soul and so very intelligent. He was “the sacrifice” 😟 What a burden it must have been. I’m really grateful to have discovered your post here. Your telling of Stu’s story and how it is entwined with yours will stay with me forever. After reading all the comments here, I now realize I have so much company in my sentiments toward Stu’s music. Take it easy out there. And, yeah regarding the E-bow. Good on you!! I think we all were inspired to learn by Stu in some highly meaningful and tangible ways. M

@@melissabautz2346 tbh that's the biggest reward I've gotten from this vid, meeting so many great people, hearing stories of how BC affected--in many cases saved--so many of us the same way, separated by continents. He must've surely been tortured to have such deep insights on the painful things he wrote about, and yet his music would always distill a good feeling out of it. He was definitely "the sacrifice," a safe conduit. I agree, some of the lyrics in The Crossing are horribly dark. "The Storm", "Porrohman,", "Chance"... as tiny tots we had no clue of the extent. Like you, I only figured it out years, decades later. Unlike the typical 70s punk lyrics that were full of frothy angst, Stuart's lyrics are like a slow boil. I think that's what makes them so powerful and timeless. Wait...! I just visited your channel and you weren't kidding! LOVE THE BAGPIPES! Instant sub :)

@@ZeroChannelZero Thanks!!! For the reply, the subscription, the connection. Music is a superpower!!! 😁🎶

I'd never heard that song before this minute. Wow, thank you for pointing me to that gem. On the surface the song seems to be about the eternal human struggle against itself, but in hindsight I think we can see a 2nd meaning, a very personal one about the conflicts he felt within himself. What a great line and a great song.

@@ZeroChannelZero Yeah, it's a great song. :-)

@lisajayne That's the magic combination isn't it? There are a lot of great human beings and a lot of great singers, and a lot of great songwriters, but when does it all come in the same package? And don't forget INCREDIBLE guitarist

I'm so sorry to hear about your brother as well as your own struggles. Sometimes suicidal thoughts can be contagious, you know? Those are profound thoughts. Those lines you cited are my favourites as well, full of loaded meanings. Great point about Hawaii being his best chance to "see the sun in wintertime". I personally think he went there to try to clear his mind and possibly recover, but it's equally possible like you said that he just wanted to feel the sun one last time. You know the unfortunate thing about that is, if you look up Google Earth pics of the hotel where he had his final days, the Best Western Airport, you'll notice that there's no direct view of the sunrise. The hotel is on the south shore with a huge mountain blocking the view of the east coast. I don't know how significant that is except that he didn't seem to leave his hotel room for the last few days (if at all). He probably never made it to the sunny beach, or as the line goes "And let us find a beach where we can cross our hearts." When you dig through his lyrics, you realize that his ending was full of ironies. Deliberately? I wouldn't put it past him to devise the perfect tragedy for himself. It's just a really sad sequence of events that left us all with a huge hole.

You're very welcome! Nice tip, I'm going to put on Buffalo Skinners right now. It's been ages since I listened to that one.

@Catherine Marlow - Great description. His lyrics always had a soulful & spiritual edge, and that was unusual for 80s rock. “In a Big Country” has this quality, where he sings about majestic landscapes & abstract forces (dreams, pain, truth)... not your average party rocker; it’s an inspirational song with depth. A blessing and a curse I’m sure... with that sort of insight comes vulnerability.

@@ZeroChannelZero His dynamic was complicated, yet ethereal. We are the richer for him.

+Aimee You speak for a lot of us, too. Can you believe he's been gone 19 years this month? And I'm still hearing things in the music that suddenly clicks as if I'm hearing it for the first time.

Thanks for sharing that, HH. It must've been amazing to catch BC live and feel the power in person. That's really interesting about Tracks of My Tears, I have the version included on the B-side of Wonderland and it always struck me as a strange pick. But you're right, in hindsight we can see what the lyrics meant to Stuart. As drummer Mark B said after Stuart's death: "Only in hindsight I’ve started looking at lyrics ... This guy was saying it all along." But I think that's also why Stuarts music resonates with so many people who know the darkness, like you said about the music & liveliness of BC helping you recover from your lowest point. It was Stuart's lyrical awareness of misery + the band's musical optimism = the magic cure. The tragedy is that the music that helped so many people couldn't help the music maker.

Thank you! Great to meet another Adamson fan.

@London The Seer Tour? From the vids I've seen it was EPIC. Congratulations, you were a part of history.

1. Your English rocks :) 2. I know what it's like to be the only BC fan. The band was never as big as it should've been here in the states, and I bet they were even more obscure in Brazil. But that makes it more meaningful when you finally do meet another BC fan. And like you said, finally the internet & RU-vid can pull us together. I wish Stuart had seen this. 3. Great to meet you!!

@@ZeroChannelZero Hello. Thank you for your kind words. We had difficult times, hadn´t we? I still have the letters I received from the DJ who presented the alternative radio show at that time and once in a while he played some rare tracks or B-Sides. One day, I was in a record store, the salesman was showing me a magazine with an article about BC and this DJ comes into the store and it was funny when he knew who I was. Difficult, but good times. As you said: "I wish Stuart had seen this". He deserved so much more... Thank you for your time and be safe. Hugs!

Agreed, if we had a Poet Laureate for lyricists it should have been Stuart, and then Scott Hutchison.

@@68blues I sense a hint of challenge in the question but I'm game; we've only had 4 Makars so I'll give you all of them. Edwin Morgan, Liz Lochhead, Jakie Kay and our most recent Kathleen Jamie, who put the role as she perceived it into words beautifully; "to laugh, lament and to witness." which is what I believe both the musicians we're speaking of did in their short time here. I do, however, think it's a shame Nan Shepherd never held the title, she was a deep soul and the a voice to the connection between culture and landscape. If you were looking for recommendations, I suggest including her, too.

Happy to do it, thanks for tuning in! Stay tuned for a follow-up I'm putting together for Stuart's 63rd birthday (April).

@Edward Chapman What a great purchase that was, and it probably set you up for a lifetime of great music. My first single may have been Captain & Tennille - Muskrat Love but we don’t talk about that 😐

Totally agree that Shattered Cross takes things to a different level. Somewhere on YT there's an interview with Stuart from the later years floating around (I think it's the one where he's lying in the grass) where he talks about how his early lyrics were clouded by his lack of confidence in opening up, whereas the later material was more of him wearing his heart on his sleeve so to speak. I think both approaches are great, but to me Shattered Cross seems more personal & confessional (like "Too Many Ghosts" from the same time). I think we were just beginning to hear what Stuart had to say about himself when it all ended. You're right, he was taken from us way too soon.

ROBO, you speak for so many of us. Timeless indeed... All these years later the music is just as powerful as the first time we heard it!

@@ZeroChannelZero amen to that..

Every band you love will have a song or songs you just don't get along with and I'm sorry but I really can't abide beautiful people. It starts OK but then goes on. And on. And on. Not a fan of the teacher or Charlotte either but from 8 studio LPs to have only 3 songs I'd skip is a brilliant strike rate. We'll always love them

"That says it all." AMEN. In a time when classic rock was fracturing into different styles and different fan bases, BC really crossed all genres. To this day they're in a class of their own. I think you nailed it regarding his 2nd marriage breakup accelerating, if not causing, his downfall. In his lyrics toward the end there are a lot of themes of regret like here in "Shattered Cross" or how about "Fragile Thing"? (And all I ever wanted / Was to be that hero too / Then I might still be with her / Instead of here with you) Dang I wish I had seen them live, but I was sorta late to the BC party. At least it's great that BC fans have preserved and uploaded tons of live material. What a rock solid band.

The great waters of the sea and the twinkling stars in the firmament, I know but that he is among them both.

+Cassie What a perfect summary of how Stuart & BC impacted a generation. Hardcore fans & casual listeners alike, everyone remembers how they felt when they first heard their music. Especially for the troubled teens of the 80s, these songs will never go away. In light of the tragedy it's a weird conflict of emotions but I think you said it perfectly: "he breaks my heart and puts it back together again with every word."

+RichardPowell That's a sad point but true that Stuart must've felt that unfathomable frustration. I guess mindless/commercial pop has always been a threat to good music, but the threat has been steadily getting worse while the good stuff is being chased into extinction. A note of optimism: the young kids today are smarter, maybe due to the luxury of youtube and being able to hunt for songs you never hear on the radio. The technology you mentioned. (Remember the 90s and before, when radio was all you got??) I wish Stuart could've known that his songs, even his scratchy old demo tapes, would be appreciated & kept alive by the fans. He always shared the energy of the crowd, and that could've made all the difference.

@@ZeroChannelZero I respect your point about the new generation but I'm afraid its gonna take more than smarts. The sad truth is so many people especially those born since the 90s and the two thousands have just lost what makes music and art of all types so special. They have lost the ability to dream and more importantly just don't believe in dreams anymore and I think some never did. Not only have we lost the lovers of great art but we have lost the would be artists. I'm afraid its gonna be a long time before we recover what we have lost. I hope I'm wrong but I'm afraid I'm not. I'm not sure of your age or more precisely what time frame you grew up in. I grew up in the 80's and I wouldn't have made it if it wasn't for my dreams. Music is my therapy. Its the reason I don't need alcohol or drugs. Music is why I believe life is worth it even when the world tries to tell me it isn't.

@@richardpowell4643 That's true. Emotionally it's a much darker world, and dreams are hard to come by. That optimism for peace in our time that drove Stuart is now replaced by the thing that killed him.

Channel Zero That's very true. I hate sounding negative about the younger generation because I know there are exceptions and realistically they are the ones who will have to help turn things around but I also see and hear the opinions and thoughts of many of their peers and can't help but sense the negative outlooks and sense of hopelessness and helplessness that prevails. Things have always been hard for most people and life has never been nor will it ever be fair. To me those are some of the reasons why we must dream and believe in something better and not the reasons to loose faith and give up. As much as I appreciate technology and the Internet in particular for obvious reasons I'm so glad it wasn't a part of my childhood and my formative years because I was able to and to a great extent had to dream and believe in something better in order to deal with and occasionally escape the reality of life and that benefitted me tremendously. For the last 20 years or so people escape in their video games and the internet and in doing so have lost the need and I believe for many the ability to dream and believe.Just my personal opinion. Let's hope things turn around for the better in the near future. It is nice to know that I'm not the only one who feels this and more importantly who misses the dreams and those who inspired us to dream especially the ones who supplied the soundtracks.

lol is it that obvious? I think there's a common anger we all feel about how the whole thing turned out, not anger at anyone in particular but more at the whole situation: that certain forces pushed Stuart into doing the opposite of what his heart & music were all about. Thanks and stay alive!

Oh wow that must've been incredible to see them live. From what I've been told, BC was one of those rare bands who sounded even better live than on the records. I think that comes from a genuine love of performing for the fans. You're spot on that BC didn't need to break America, and the U2 formula would've worked great (especially since they shared the same producer as U2, Steve Lilywhite, for the first 2 albums). I think Stuart politely pointed out that the Los Angeles producers killed their sound in an attempt to Americanize them. Their sound on later albums (I mean literally the sound engineering, not the actual songwriting which was always extraordinary) may sorta reflect Stuart's lost direction in his private life. At the end I think he desperately needed to reconnect with his roots, but unfortunately that didn't happen.

Hey Chequered, I had to read your comment twice before it sunk in that you're 17. Not only was that an insightful and downright poetic comment, but I love the fact that Stuart's music is reaching an entirely new generation that wasn't alive the first time around. As for how "someone could seem so lively and exuberant when in reality they're battling themselves" I guess that's the million dollar question that would explain not only Stuart but Brad Delp, Robin Williams, and all the others who gave the world so much light but couldn't apply it to themselves. Who knows, maybe somehow the darkness inside fuels the light outside. In any case we're lucky we got a glimpse.

I've seen your comment a few times and it speaks volumes to me. Your insight, something about the way you spoke reminds me of me at 17... So please, if you ever need to read back what you wrote and you find yourself in a battle of your own, 17 year old me made it as far as 32 and counting, with the strength of others to support me, and music to get me the through the worst parts. I too, feel my road is one of inexperience, but you have such insight already and it will serve you in your journey. Don't lose it, or forget to trust in yourself, or your own resilience. I'm sorry if this is out of place 3 months after you said it but I was too immature in myself to have the confidence to respond, back when I saw it first. Keep learning and teaching. Age is a number, maturity and insight are the currency of the soul. You are rich with it so please never forget this.

@Violet Raven Thanks for the compliments, both of you, it's good that people such as we meet and can sympathize with each other's struggles in life. Something like that. I keep most comments I make online in my journals; use them for reflection. So I'll make note of yours. Anyway, I'm not a particularly happy person, for as much as my optimistic ideas seem realized, they're not. I've got to rely on the music to pull me through the darkness, a good Springsteen, Big Country, or Lightfoot track can do that. So practically anywhere I go I bring my music with me. A lot like luggage but, there's no weight.

@@josiahprofenno4136 Also a rambling response but heartfelt: I woke up at 6am (not a morning person usually! I'm in Scotland but my internal clock works on US timezones I'm sure) having slept on the couch to keep an Internet connection instead of head to bed, and somehow it feels like fate to be here to see this. When it's dawn for me it's the dark of the night for you. I had this conviction I should tell a story because I was listening to the myth Raven Steals The Sun overnight, but when I started recording, I couldn't figure out which Fæ-tale to tell. I think it was supposed to be this, true story (and a metaphor I guess because of my name). Wherever you are, in the very dark of the night, it's dawn somewhere. I didn't properly believe in fate until a few days ago, but everything in our lives, whether you believe we are lead or not, happens for a reason. The connections we make with people pull us together, the internet isn't called the Web for nothing. For me, it's a safety net, that's stopped me falling all the way into the dark. And 17 it a very significant number for me, more than anything it was that which made me reach out, to you, and coincidentally to @channel zero in a different way. It's my lucky number to be confident enought to make a reach. I'm truly honoured to make it into your journal and it confirms my inkling that you're a lot smarter than I was at your age. I've only started trying to re-find compliments and comments recently. Keeping a journal, keeping hold of those positive thoughts and believing people when they give feedback on your writing, that's something I'm learning right now. The best compliment I ever had in my writing was from zero here "what is this rare creature who knows how to use language to it's fullest" and at the time, I said I felt "rare and endangered" like there aren't a lot of us and we need protected, to find our clan, our pack. What you say about music is so profound, "there's no weight." I hope its ok if you make it into my Journal (which I call my Journey) too. I'm writing a tale based on the Hades and Persephone myth, and I was trying to figure out what 3 items a Hero could take to the Underworld, if they needed to rescue someone. Things that couldn't be lost or stolen. In the end I decided on flint 'n steel, for making fires, a silver ring, for payment if needed, and a reminder of the bright cord of connection, and if those two were taken by a Demon, a song in your heart can never be taken from you, only given. I'm sorry this is long and rambling, I was a story writer before I was a poet. And I'd forgotten that til recently. But you give me confirmation I was on the right Track (music track, wolfpack trail, leaving my own pawprints). I read your last few sentences again and truly feel that sense of similarity. I felt exactly the same and still do. I was in the lowest set all through primary school, no one thought I was worth teaching. My teacher when I was 8 said "she's just a dreamer, she'll never amount to anything" and my dad stood up and told her "The World Needs More Of Them." It's one of the best things anyone ever said about me and I always meant to have it as a dedication in my first novel (which is 17 years old and still unfinished) but we can't wait to tell our stories. "We are all unfinished stories" as I said to zero once, and he gave me a compliment I didn't write down or remember, but I wish I'd been paying more attention to the kindness and connection to the real world rather than lost in my books, trying to escale reality. It's being in the draft stage as people that makes us beautiful. We can make corrections to our plotline, as we go along, meet new characters in our lifestory who change its course. Perfection is overrated. Typos and misspoken words can sometimes be the best part, if it sparks creativity, thought, laughter. Don't feel you have to clean it up, it's honest and genuine and authentically Present-Tense you. And you're enough as you are now, and the connections you make will help you in your own story. Maybe, like me you'll get to nearly twice your age now before you can look back and say "damn that WAS poetic" but I hope it's much sooner than that. Whatever happens, keep the music inside of you, and tell your story, and be poetry. Other people's songs (which are the best kind of stories) can be not just weightless in us, but help us carry our own burdens and metaphorical luggage.

Truly uplifting to see how dedicated (and affected) Stuart's fans are to this day. Also isn't it great that despite the tragic turn of events, the most resounding message we all remember is "STAY ALIVE" ...right back atcha my friend!

@@AnFithich As I said in the other comment to you and in this thread as well, Ive been at a loss for words for a while now. Your comment really has stimulated my emotions today in an extremely positive way. I wish I could spell them out right here and now. Perhaps in a few days. At any rate, I’m the one who should be thanking you. So, thank you! Stay Alive!

@@CFarnwide I completely understand. I have been at a loss for words so profound I wrote to the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows to ask for a name for it. You have given me more than I have words for. Take all the time you need, you owe me nothing at all. Stay alive. Isn't it beautiful the way this differers from the message "survive"? To be alive. Many thoughts and few words. Gratitude.

@@AnFithich omg I never realized how "stay alive" is so different from "survive". While "survive" implies a sort of passive endurance, "stay alive" is active, deliberate and implies a choice. Total tangent, ever notice how that line references the elements of nature: fire, earth ("mountain"), air ("dreams")... the only one missing is water ("sea") which I believe was Stuart's symbol for death so it makes sense he would exclude it from this context.

@@ZeroChannelZero Yes! In fact, I wrote you one of my patented 4am essays last night and then archived it but I did notice! And you noticed! Elemental, my dear corvid. Jaded Scots like me sometimes need a bit of profanity to make it work thought. As in "Stay [tf] Alive" which is my mantra for today. Sorry, I actually didn't think you'd notice me here first thing in the morning fangirling about your voice. Woops.

The biz definitely chewed him up. If you want to read a heartbreaker, look up what happened with BC's last single "Fragile Thing" and how it got recalled & sales buried because "the packaging had more than four folds. It was upsetting because it was selling well." (-Stuart). Some say that defeat contributed heavily to his last spiral. But man, look at all the musicians he deeply inspired, you, me, tons of others I've met. I think that's what counts in the end!

@@ZeroChannelZero I didn't know the decline was so tightly related to the American production . For sure, from my point of view going back in time, the American sound turn was something I did not like. Lost interest in their music, I mean, the first two albums were f*@ing epic, gave me shivers every time I spun the record, were evocative. Made me trip to Scotland in a van to see where that energy and values were taken. I think that, as said, Steve Lillywhite had great part of that sound. unfortunately searching for a different sound weakened the impact of the band. U2 followed the road of adapting to market needs, probably BC took the wrong train. Sad. what remains are some great albums and some I have never even listened to. In any case I respect Stu and miss him. Fragile thing was a great song

@@walterredaelli7507 Dude EXACTLY. The American labels and powers-that-be BLUNDERED not just BC but the entire face of rock music in the late 80s-90s. Speaking as an American, and speaking for all my little American friends at the time, BC blew us away because it was so new, yet so traditional, it was the antithesis to the old blues & country riffs we had gotten sick of. Suddenly here's a rock band who's not playing the same blues guitar clichés that every Bo Diddley wannabe was playing (fun fact which you probably already know since you're a guitarist: the entire album The Crossing does not have any bending of guitar strings. Both Stuart & Bruce consciously avoided going bluesy). But I guess after Lillywhite left (or was replaced, I'm sure it was the record company's call) BC had a string of American producers and influencers who thought the best way for BC to crack the American market was to try to sound more American. That had to be the worst idea since The Star Wars Christmas Special. So you're definitely spot on with your analysis that the Americanisation (spelled with an 's' lol) of BC was what ironically hurt them in the American market. WE. WANTED. SCOTLAND.

PS But despite all that, something really interesting to note is how regardless of arrangement & production Stuart's solid songwriting skills cut through. If you strip the mixes down to his lyrics, melodies and basic guitar accompaniment, BC's traditional roots are still there and that's why I think every album is a masterpiece in its own right.

@@ZeroChannelZero Damn... great analysis. Honestly I never thought of the " bending stuff" how the hell did I not realize is a mistery. Probably due to the fact that BC were, to me, unique and never thought to compare to anything else. at those times I followed also "the alarm" that had more folk attitude but quite different sound. You know, being European I find amazing how you American boys of the old times (80's) needed the same thing that in the BC music were present. i.e. 1000 stars feeling music and words just to clarify the mood. strange also that after 30 years I went back to the "blues" music you could not stand anymore. ;-) . Probably due to the fact that after a ton of cheesecake someone would like to taste an apple pie. Take care 🖖🏻

Thank you so much for those tranquil thoughts. Oddly enough, so many of Stuart's lines would be perfect tombstone markers (or monuments to greatness), and I really like the lines you singled out. Almost everything he wrote, if not everything, had 2 distinct interpretations. He said as much in interviews. We can see both the triumph and the tragedy in the stories he told, and it's up to us to interpret it for ourselves. If you can believe it, I hadn't heard Steeltown until very recently! A very cool person heard about my steeltown deficiency and sent me a copy on vinyl and I think I've already worn it out. I didn't know the specific place it was about, so thanks for the Corby lead, I'm on it. On that note, do you have any idea what city he's referencing in the song The Crossing when he says "Build up great railways that run through the horns of the moon / Hold up a city with cast iron museum walls"? It paints such a sharp visual image I'm sure he's talking about a specific place, could it be Corby?

@@ZeroChannelZero Hi Jay, thanks for the reply. I cant answr your answer I'm afraid. There are many references in this song, as well as lovely guitar changes and tempo. For example; Mornings hit hard with an uncontrollable light Piercing the senses that click deep in the night Crouched in a pillow of straw feet on the floor Creeping a path to the mat that holds back the door-could that be a prison cell? Maps on the back of your hands point to the cross Scratches on walls in a room draw out your loss Your islands are conquered and You are returned to the throne Martyrs take penance and Fill up the mattress with stones-??? This song is truly wonderful. Thankfully we have you tune Jay. Best wishes my friend. Stay alive.

Hi John, I'm from Barrhead not far from you, I saw them in the barrowlands every time they played, if you look into every song you could dicept it to see the pain that he is in, the song writter off his generation a master at work but in pain like any genius

@@johnmacintyre6231 Hi John, good to hear from you buddy. I wonder what he'd be thinking, knowing people still comment on his work to this day and what he meant to so many people. He did seem like a tortured soul John, but could channel it into songs and every now and then, a song would connect with one of us and we would think, wow, this guy gets it. Hope you and your family are all well buddy. As the big man would say; stay alive!! Best wishes-John.

@@johnpirie3800 he was a very humble and down to earth guy, I think he would have found it hard to believe that he was loved and respected by the amount people that did

+Cormac Conway - I saw that version and LOVED IT. There's another one by Darrell Scott and Kenny Malone which I like even better because it's stripped down to just 1 guitar and 1 percussionist. Somehow the simpler arrangements of Stuarts songs really seem to unleash the power of his words. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-oAjEiMyJmZM.html Shattered Cross is such a great song, full of Stuart's clever irony. The "advice" of avoiding men in black, women in red, guys named Doc, ends up being a deception. The last verse reveals who is really to blame. The whole song reminds me of the saying "When you point a finger, remember 3 fingers are pointing back at you." Thanks for sharing that experience... Meeting Stuart must've been a huge thrill, and it's great to hear that he's as down-to-earth as he always seemed. He's one celebrity who didn't have a phony bone in his body. Maybe that's why he couldn't play the game that the industry threw at him. Stuart will definitely never be forgotten. I agree, more musicians need to cover BC songs instead of just recycling the latest pop hits. I've got 3 BC covers on the way if ya stick around. Was actually planning to upload one today but today is just too damn depressing.

@Rhoddry YES! I believe that's the legend that inspired Stuart's "Eiledon" (Eildon Hill, with a cryptic "e" added). Thank you so much for the compliment and I'm happy this had an effect on you, just like Stuart's music profoundly affected us all. Thrilled that this led you to discover an old song also. Stay tuned because I'm about to upload a vid highlighting another obscure BC gem Stuart wrote for their last album!

@@ZeroChannelZero the above is a quote from the film Restless Natives - with the soundtrack by BC - snatches of music throughout the film as good as anything by Ennio Morricone... Watch the film, revel in the music! I was on a ship in the Caribbean when Stuart died - but had been a fan since the first stirrings of Harvest Home on Radio Clyde. I agree with others - the 'difficult' second album is their best, but EVERY album has brilliance!

​@@campbellmccutcheon8752 I knew I heard it somewhere! Not long ago I saw Restless Natives and loved it. I agree, the soundtrack is magnificent and I particularly loved the ending with sweeping shots of the landscape set to “Come Back to Me.” Might be time to watch it again. As for Steeltown, I agree it’s a tossup...All 3 of the Lillywhite albums (The Crossing, Wonderland, Steeltown) are almost like 1 continuous body of work, evolving and getting thicker, so Steeltown is the destination of the journey that began with The Crossing. I agree EVERY album has brilliance!

Thanks for those insights! Yes BC ignited so many bands & musicians myself included, and I totally agree that the powers that be (Mercury Records?) did the band a disservice. In particular it looks like Steve Lillywhite, the producer responsible for encouraging their sound and letting them do their thing, was pulled away after The Crossing/Wonderland/Steeltown. After that, BC was assigned a roster of different producers, never the same for any album. Imo the songs were solid all the way to the end, but the rotating producers diluted the presentation. Meanwhile Steve Lillywhite was assigned to U2, he mixed Joshua Tree and their success skyrocketed. I'm a U2 fan as well as BC, their albums have fantastic production & engineering, but artistically speaking there's no comparison. Edge said it best.

For real man... last reported sighting, he was at Fadó in Buckhead. That's just nuts. Glad you dig the tune. If you get a chance check out the album Big Country - The Crossing. If you crank it, it's impossible to have a bad day. Ironic since the lyrics are pretty bleak!

P.S. I'd pay good money to see French whip out that ebow and you guys cover "The Storm"

+ryan burgeson Amen to that. As much as I hate the fact that The Crossing (song) got cut from the album, I love the way Porrohman wraps up the story.

@@ZeroChannelZero I feel that the band should have called the first allbum 'Big Country', and should have added a few more tunes to the 'Wonderland' EP and called it instead 'The Crossing' and released it as an LP. Then again, I also think that the 'Restless Natives' soundtrack should have been converted into a stand alone thematic album (similar to what they'd done with 'The Seer') but I absolutely adore their early work especially and am kinda angry even these decades on about how 'Steeltown' was mixed and released; the sound sits like a boulder in a river. I am not saying that 'Steeltown' would have shook the world with a more balanced mix (thought it had that potential if they had replaced 'Girl with Grey Eyes/Rain Dance' with 'Belief in the Small Man', but only that had it been more true to their live sound it would have had more legs. That all being said, I love transforming that album with EQ, etc, to get it closer to the Crossing/Wonderland timbre.

@@frankstared AMEN TO THAT. I'm baffled at why they didn't do exactly that, make Wonderland an LP on its own. I think Wonderland was about 32 mins long meaning another 8 mins would've made a full album. My only guess is that it was a stupid record label marketing thing: Mercury didn't want to invest in promoting & distributing a full LP so they quietly slipped Wonderland out as a "single". I don't know exactly how that stuff works, but it's clear that throughout BC's tenure they were the victims of questionable choices by the industry heads. I also agree with your feelings on Steeltown. It's a magnificent album, but the mix isn't as clear & distinct as The Crossing. If I'm not mistaken, The Crossing was recorded at The Manor Studios in UK while Steeltown was recorded at Polar Studios in Sweden. Different board, different equipment, different technicians & different rooms. So even though it was the same band & the same producer Lillywhite, the actual sound came out different. Again, I dunno exactly how industry decisions are made, but I wish they had stuck with Manor Studios, Steve Lillywhite, and of course the core 4 boys with Stuart at the helm in all decisions. I love it that now some 30-40 years later we're hearing remasters of the material, alternate versions and even leaked demos that preserve the rawness of BC's musical soul. It has always been there in every song, but we as listeners sometimes get lost if the mix isn't quite right.

@@ZeroChannelZero I think Lillywhite (and perhaps Bruce and Mark who helped mix it) were perhaps influenced by what U2 were doing with the dampened,, more subdued sound on Unforgettable Fire (recorded in Slane Castle)-but I could be wrong about that. I also think that Steeltown is really more of an artistic tour de force than The Crossing and maybe that was also a consideration, to give it a more brooding and melancholic treatment. Doubtlessly, the band were exhausted by that point and perhaps just wanted the album released and we are lucky to have it. Certainly that mournful Scandinavian atmosphere did color the work and I think buried what we know those tunes sound like live. I also think that had 'Flame of the West', 'Steeltown', 'Where the Rose is Sown' (needed a more succinct title as a potential single), 'Tall Ships Go' and 'the Great Divide' been mixed with more treble, 'Steeltown' the LP (and with the momentary attention the band had acquired from 'The Crossing', would more than likely have done much, much better and it would have solidified BC as not only as commercially worthy of long term investment but and more critically it would have marked them as the purely distinct post-punk/rock driven folk artists the were at heart. Those progressive lyrics however likely scared away interest however brilliant was Stu's and the band's work. In terms of BC's rela'p w/ record corpserrations, we now know quite a bit about what was happening behind the scenes and I am not about to lift up those rotten floorboards. I never understood why I was so drawn to BC when I was younger (I mean I adored the overdriven guitars, the punk ethos of the lyrics and the refreshing paucity of masturbatory guitar solos) since they were not a band in my cultural sphere, that is until I came upon a recent quote of Stu's where he said that he saw himself as a folk artist. Then it all made sense and it all fell into place.

@@frankstared U2 where trying to do what Echo and the bunnymen did with 'Ocean Rain'.

@Reg Munday O.M.G... All these decades I never caught that! It’s the hidden ending of the story that I always wondered about. See that’s another example of how sneaky & brilliant Stuart was. In 1 line he gives us the surprise punch revelation, but it’s so poetically done that we miss it for literally decades. Of course now it’s so clear: Chance tells the story of a young girl who was preyed upon with promises of hope (which she had no option but to take a “Chance” on), only to be abused & abandoned. And this results in a lifetime pattern of being used/abused. Her youth was stolen. Or rather, she bet her youth on hope, and lost. I am totally floored. Thanks for illuminating!

I'm so jealous... I was late to the party and didn't really discover BC until the 90s when their USA tours were few & far between. But from watching the old concerts I can say hands down Stuart commanded an audience better than anyone I've ever seen. It's amazing to see the way he could hush a crowd to a whisper and then bring them to a roar seconds later. He was born for the stage.

@@ZeroChannelZero A hero. We need heroes. Too often they burn out - George Best, Phil Lynott - you know the script. Stuart was a much loved man.

It doesn't make any sense does it? Well from what I've read, he did get in touch with his Alcoholics Anonymous coach. He called his coach from that pub Fadó in Atlanta; that's how we know Stuart was there. So he was trying. But I believe there were too many forces against him, both external and internal ("Too Many Ghosts"). According to Tony Butler's book, the band respected each others' space & stayed out of Stuart's personal life. Tony writes that he did stage a sort of intervention-of-one with Stuart on the last European tour, but I gather that didn't change much. My guess is toward the end Stuart was looking to his new wife Melanie as his only emotional support, and when she filed for divorce, well... that's the day the cross shattered.

@@ZeroChannelZero thanks for filling in the gaps. It’s good to hear that he did have some support and that Tony attempted an intervention. Tragic is an understatement. 😩

@Jimmy Bruce that's really sad to hear. On this side of the pond the problem seems to be 'legal heroin' (opioids) that's taking some of our finest. Great to hear you beat it though. Come up screaming. Stay alive.

@@ZeroChannelZero Thank you. I saw Big Country back when they were touring the Crossing album at The Caird Hall in Dundee Scotland, It was my first ever gig. I still know every line on that album. I don't think anyone will ever write a better song than Porrohman. Got me through some hard times, I owe them alot.

@@RoseangleWarrior wow, what a first ever gig! BC didn't tour the States enough (and even if they had, I didn't discover them until much later). But by all accounts and every vid I've seen, they were probably the best live band out there. Funny, everyone I talk to has a similar story of BC's music getting them through hard times, myself included. What a tragedy that Stuart didn't seem to realize how much his music affected and continues to affect us. "We are only singers and too many songs are sung."

@@ZeroChannelZero There is line in the film "restless natives", the film they did the soundtrack to, something about the legends not being dead but they are asleep under the mountains and glens, and one day they will return. I prefer to think off him that way. If you say someones name it's a way of keeping them alive so they will never die. Thanks for saying his name Channel Zero.

@@RoseangleWarrior That's gotta be the most poetic thought I've ever heard on the subject. I've never seen Restless Natives but it's high on my list now. Thank you SO much for telling me about that because it suddenly helps me understand the meaning of the BC song "Eiledon" which I believe is Stuart's clever wordplay on 1) Eildon Hill where King Arthur and his knights are sleeping inside, and 2) the word 'eidolon' which means a mirage. What was he telling us? Are our heroes sleeping in mountains, or is it a fanciful dream? In either case, he sings: Eiledon, I will be there Eiledon, my dream is there

Thanks Keir... corrected in the description! Great album by the way

@@ZeroChannelZero Agreed on that. I've performed the title track myself a good few times, as well as some others...

@@keirrobinson4156 I just checked em out, good stuff man! Always a pleasure to meet a fellow Adamson/BC fan. I really like your originals too.

As soon as that album came out I thought to myself, Stuart's in trouble...

That's a very luicid, insightful analysis, particularly with regard to the 19th century romanticism you mentioned (which, if I ever finish it, is the subject of a follow up BC video I've been working on). "Folk" is an ambiguous label, but I take it to mean songs that are based on storytelling and melody (rather than "production"), in other words: songs that sound good even if they're sung without amps, guitars and driving beats. The interesting thing is that BC to took this basic concept and added the amps guitars and driving beats. Like you said, it may never have been heard outside Dunfermline otherwise. For that I'm grateful because I'm 3500 mi away and would never have heard BC if not for "In A Big Country" on the top 40 radio stations. It's a very interesting compromise: being genuine vs. getting yourself noticed. In the end, no one can deny that Stuart's lyrics stayed true to his heart. He never "sold out" and wrote pop songs consisting of catchy clichés about [insert latest pop song here]. Unfortunately, as you pointed out, the conflict between his artistic soul and the rock 'n roll lifestyle is what led to his demise. My opinion is that he never should have left his home Scotland. But even that is a contradiction because he never would have been heard here in the USA.

I get what you're saying about folk music. But I don't think BC's style was like acoustic music amplified for the most part. Hardly at all actually. Trashcan Sinatras were a Scottish band a bit like that (sometimes) but BC was production orientated: guitar effects, heavily produced drum sounds, whatever. But lyrically: is there any songwriter who has more references to the weather/geography/nature in his lyrics? I don't know how many but it is a lot. Even if it is just a line in a song. "The bond between land and sea". Nearly every song. In his head, I think Adamson equated that with being "down to earth" and having the eyes and heart to see life as it is. That's a folky way of conceiving of things. You'd get the same in Dylan's more traditional style songs. But that way of thinking can bring emotional vulnerability too. The storm has coming so we're finished; we'll never find the sun; dive into a raging sea; find oneself in a wilderness, or 'big country', or by travel etc. A lot of people's idea of reason is to banish all such thought because people who abandon themselves to that way of thought can end up being superstitious (1000 Stars). Or self-destructive (Alone). Others can end up being very good farmers (Harvest Home). Or adventurers (Time for Leaving). Or good poets, in song. "Lay down your weary tune" (Dylan). And with Adamson drawing contrasts within his lyrics, there's nature/reality contrasts drawn from time to time (a broken heart is a valley). Hear them in passing within a lot of song-lyric lines. Ice Cream Smiles. Or even puns: "he came from the factory floor with the sun and moon his gifts, but the only son you ever saw was the two he left you with". Seriously, though, that's what I hear most in his song writing. Nature references. And identifying his own (usually positive and "down to earth") state of mind with that. When he tried getting social/political, his lyrics/songs were often his less inspired.

I totally agree that Stuart's poetic strength was in natural themes: the sea, the land, farmers and labourers. Those songs have a timeless quality. As Stuart said in the liner notes of The Crossing: "It spread out wide landscapes. Great dramas were played out under its turbulent skies. There was romance and reality." I think his political songs that came later were powerful but in a different way. He abandoned the romanticism of natural themes and instead opted for sarcasm ("Republican Party Reptile"). Who knows, maybe that sarcasm mirrored his growing frustration with life that ultimately destroyed him. Either way, I think all his songs from the 1st to the last were straight from his heart. He's probably the only successful songwriter I can think of who never wrote a stupid song for the sake of making a buck.

For entertainment, I picked up and read Richard Jobson's autobiography "Into the Valley" recently. He wrote the lyrics to The Skids' songs; Stuart wrote the music (his first, more primitive, tunes pre-BC; quite different); and there's some stuff there about Stuart's personality, his sense of "foreboding" (that's like the folky fatalism); some unspoken unhappiness in family background (possibly something ala "your father's hand always seemed like a fist"); unhappy re. showbiz falseness; wanting to be happy in a family life; that doesn't fit with being in a rock'n'roll band (a circus on the road), so he's conflicted. Desperate for something to believe in and never wanting to be apart from his wife. He'd repeatedly walk away from success/publicity to focus on his private life instead and talk of quitting music industry as early as 1979. And he associated punk rock with his Scottish Labour political sensibilities/outlook rather than just a fashion statement, which it essentially was. That's Jobson's take. I'd add to that: if he screwed up his marriage (apparently he did--maybe even twice) he'd probably be the last person on earth to forgive himself for that (too many ghosts). He'd tell Jobson in 1978 he wanted a wife, kids, family; there's interviews c.1986 where he said "my ambition is to be a grandfather"; instead, he became just another rock musician going deaf from countless hyper gigs, drinks/drugs and, ultimately, that can only be a lonely/screwed up way to be. BC lyrics are probably like "the way he wanted to be" as much as what he believed in. Lyrically/musically, they're "from the heart" (as you note); Skids lyrics are Jobson's (who wanted to be a new Lou Reed or David Bowie) and didn't reflect Stuart. But they were friends. The book offers more of an insight on Stuart than the 'in a big country' biography which is (if I remember right) just a whole lot of extracts from impersonal old pop music journalism, i.e. not really a proper attempt at a biography. Jobson knew Stuart from the early days; before his divorce and alcoholism and didn't know he was in trouble, but he did know his moods.

Owen McGee Thank you so much for putting me onto RJ’s Autobiography. A really interesting read and, as you say, it offers insight into SA too.

True dat! He impacted so many. Over the years as a session player I've met tons of musicians & bands who were influenced by Stuart & BC. The general consensus is when they first heard the band everyone was like "WHAT IS THIS POWER???"

“serious subjects... like pizza and blue roses” 😂 If I’m not mistaken they had just played a Raphaels song called “Blue Rose” and joked about the weird lyrics. I don’t have the Raphaels album either, but the bits I’ve heard are outstanding!

@@ZeroChannelZero Ok. Thank you. Sometimes Stuart's accent is tough for me. I'm going to look for that song.

He sadly committed suicide 😭