The Great Divide – The Big Country Podcast

This is the first part in our No Place Like Home trilogy. Before we get into a track-by-track analysis of the album in the next two episodes, we talk about all the changes the band was going through just before the album’s release. We discuss drummer Pat Ahern, the Through a Big Country release, new songs like Heart of the World and Save Me, our feelings on the new musical direction the band was taking at the time and more.

Svein and Thomas continue their Top Ten countdown of their favorite Big Country rarities and b-sides. They also argue over what constitutes a b-side.

New co-host Svein Hjorthaug joins the show and shares his stories about becoming a Big Country fan back in the late 1700s. Svein and Thomas then begin a two-part Top Ten countdown of their favorite Big Country b-sides.

Thomas goes into his track-by-track analysis of Big Country’s first album, The Crossing. He compares demos to final tracks and offers thoughts on Stuart’s songwriting.

The first episode of the show features Thomas Kercheval talking about how he became a fan of the band in the 1980s. Anyone who grew up in America during that time will feel a good bit of nostalgia listening to clips from Friday Night Videos and other pop culture references. There’s also talk about how Big Country formed, how their first incarnation fared, and an interview with Steve Lillywhite discussing the making of The Crossing.