I was going through some things in storage and found my old The Crossing tape. Popped the tape in my tapedeck and it's been there ever since for the last three months playing it to and from work. It's a solid album thoughout and still stands up to the test of time. Thet have a unique sound early U2 but with a unique bagpipe guitar sound on this album, which was unusual at the time because new wave was the rage at the time. Once you listen to the song samples you will get what I mean by their sound. When I bought this originally it was for In A Big Country, but now my favorite is Close Action especially the guitar solo and drums. I've just picked up a few of their later albums that I missed out on, and it's been like rediscovering an old friend. Do yourself a favor and pick up this album and others for one of the most under-recongized rock bands in recent times. They've matured over time and it's a shame that (1) they didn't get much recognition in the states after their first album The Crossing, and (2) the recent passing of lead singer Stuart Adamson. I was looking forward to seeing them in concert in the future but it looks now I will just have to settle for the next best thing...what they recorded when Adamson was alive.

As I listen to their first 1983 release, I really wish this band would have lived up to their potential. Their other works never possessed the same chemistry. This cd contains their best work. "Fields of Fire" and "In a Big Country" were their radio hits, but if you listen to the whole collection, you will hear some other gems. "1000 Stars" and "Inwards" are equally as good. The unique bagpipe guitar sound of the band can be heard in nearly all of the tunes. It is refreshing to hear a band play the blue collar sounds of rock 'n' roll. The career of Big Country does contain some good tunes, but just couldn't put a compilation of songs like this one. If your are looking for some songs different from their greatest hits collection, I recommend this one.

When I bought Big Country's 1983 debut in 1989, I was struck by the consistency of The Crossing. 10 tracks that rock in Celtic style. The hit "In A Big Country" is here as well as the minor hit "Fields of Fire". But Big Country also showed they could do more with songs like "Chance" and "Porrohman." Aside from their Best Of, this is an outstanding cd to own. It's timeless too since the band weren't following the synthesized sounds of the time back then. Their other albums, 1984's Steeltown, 1986's The Seer, 1988's Peace in Our Time, 1990's No Place Like Home, 1993's The Buffalo Skinners and 1995's Why the Long Face don't quite match the intensity and focus of The Crossing. A must have for any rock collector.

"music to move montains by"...thats all that needs to be said about big country....this album is the reason i do what i do today (write songs and play guitar) when i first heard the crossing it was like nothing i had heard before....it took me in,took me to places i had never been before....here was a group who put there whole heart and soul into every note....forget the pomp and pretense of duran and spandau...here are the real icons of the 80's! truly magnificent and moving...a sad loss to the world now that stuart is with us no more....but at least his legacy will live on in his music....and what better legacy to leave than an album like this!
stay alive!

I first listened to this album back home in Germany. I don't know much about the band itself, but when I worked as a DJ, I sometimes played some of the songs, and the folks inside the dancehall liked it. It is different from what at that time was commonly to be listened to on the waves. So, in my opinion, they created something new and opened way for rockmusic mixed with folcloristic sounds.