COUNTRY MUSIC

Question from my stick-man ShitForBrains in Ohio: "Somebody on a random Internet site listed Big Country as one of the best bands of the '80s. I've never heard of them. Anyone know if they're good?"

Dude, at least get their "Best Of...". Couple of their members had been in a band called The Skids before BC charted (whose Scared To Dance LP is great, galloping-up-the-hills Scottish R'N'R -- me thinks The Edge from U2 had swiped the guitar sound of the stand-out tracks and claimed it for his own ends). Anyway, Big Country had a huge hit with "In A Big Country" (you know, the one with "guitars that sound like bagpipes" and lyrics, "I'm not expecting to grow flowers in the desert/But I can live and breathe and see the sun in wintertime..."). What an excellent number that was (don't the vocals remind you a lot of Andy Partridge from XTC?). Others from the comp worth a sheep's organs include "Fields Of Fire," "Wonderland," "Harvest Home," and "Peace In Our Time."

Definitely pick it up, if you can dig on some XTC or early-'80s Oingo Boingo (Elfman had a lil' Partridge thing going on, himself).