On The Air (Simon Townsend, Big Country): Another Planet (1980)

Rips n' scans donated by the amazing Bristolboy from the world-rocking blog, My Life's A Jigsaw.


Yesterday, we asked what becomes the brother of a legend? If you're Who man Pete Townsend's little brother, Simon Townsend you just have to carve out your identity chip-by-chip. While Simon T. had done some solo singles in the mid-seventies, he earned his first break in 1980, with his explosive mod-punk trio, On The Air (more HERE).  While you can hear Pete's influence in these songs, especially in Simon's effective use of keyboards, the shadow of Paul Weller's own explosive mod-punk trio, The Jam, looms pretty large. Of course, this is a curious thing, as everyone knows that Pete Townsend was a huge influence on Jam leader Paul Weller.





This next single "Another Planet B/W "Typically English (Live)" and "Jimmy (Live)" shows the band Townsend plus Mark Brzezicki on drums and Tony Butler on bass, who'd go onto massive success as one-half of Big Country) still going at their mod-punk sound full-throttle.

Your thoughts on On The Air are most welcome in the COMMENTS SECTION


Track Records

On The Air (Simon Townsend, Big Country): Ready For Action (1980)

Rips n' scans donated by the amazing Bristolboy from the world-rocking blog, My Life's A Jigsaw.


What becomes the brother of a legend? If you're Who man Pete Townsend's little brother, Simon Townsend, you just have to carve out your own identity chip-by-chip. While Simon T. had done some solo singles in the mid-seventies, he earned a high-profile break in 1980 when his explosive mod-punk trio, On The Air signed to Warner.  While you can hear Pete's influence in these songs, especially in Simon's effective use of keyboards, the shadow of Paul Weller's own explosive mod-punk trio, The Jam, looms pretty large. Of course, this is a curious thing, as everyone knows that Pete Townsend was a huge influence on Jam leader Paul Weller.





The band''s first single, "Ready For Action" b/w "Crazy for Youth" finds the band honing a sound that's part early seventies Who, part late seventies Jam but also a large part Simon T.'s own skill in song-writng and band-leading. The deadly rhythm section he's leading into action here is one other than Mark Brzezicki on drums and Tony Butler on bass, who'd go onto massive success as one-half of Big Country. These two songs are, and this never ceases to amaze me, NOT on the CD their label, Track Records, called Ready For Action. Yeah that's right despite the single's artwork being the cover and the A-Side being it's title - they left both tracks off! W.T.F.?

Hey let us know what you think of On The Air and whether or not you want to hear more in the COMMENTS section!

Track Records

Big Country: Restless Natives & Rarities

Y'know watching Adamson ply his folk-powered guitar-sculpting* got me thinking: if John Peel was a bit off in calling Adamson "the British Jimi Hendrix", maybe's he could be better described as "punk rock's Richard Thompson". By the way, this long out-of print collection of miscellanea goes for between $79 and $365 on Amazon, so if you appreciate this being available here maybe it's time to see what's in the band's catalog.

Restless Natives & Rarities link is in the comments

Speaking of comments, thanks for your words on Adamson, Big Country (and The Skids!) thus far, please leave some words on this collection.


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* One day, I'll describe it right...

Big Country: BBC Live in Concert

It's $199.00 on Amazon for this high-spirited but now out-of-print live show taped for the BBC in 1989 is here. Now that we've offered it to you as a little Christmas gift, perhaps it's time to check out the band's rich catalog.

BBC Live in Concert link is in the comments

Speaking of comments, remember it your words that encourage the posts to continue, and I've got still more expensive out-of-print BC rarities to share...

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Big Country: Radio 1 Sessions (1983)

Y'know, to many North Americans Big Country were yet another One Hit Wonder but that's bullshit. True, over here only "Fields of Fire" approached "In A Big Country" chart-wise but back home in the UK the first three albums were huge critically and commercially. On this out-of-print collection of immediate-sounding radio sessions, tracks 1 to 4 were recorded 12/8/82 and tracks 5 to 8 were recorded on 9/3/83. Enjoy!

Radio 1 Sessions link is in the comments

Speaking of comments, please leave one behind if you want to hear more out-of-print Big Country!

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Big Country: King Biscuit Flower Hour (1983)

Y'know, back in the eighties, Friday Night Videos played the hell out Big Country.

Big Country - Fields Of Fire

Rab | Myspace Video

As I sat there on the couch in my underwear eating crackers and cheese, I don't recall thinking how the band were forcing Scottish folk motifs into the pop lexicon or that Stuart Adamson was deftly re-defining the role of the guitar in the Synth Age. Nope, what took me in was the hugeness of the sounds in songs like "In a Big Country and "Fields of Fire". That guitar didn't ring like a bell but roared like the war pipes and those choruses weren't chirpy jingles but echoed like a choir in a canyon. Like many of you, I too bear a grudge against the rampant soullessness of the eighties but I stand by those who fought against this deadness and Stuart Adamson & co, did that. So Rest in Peace, Mr. Adamson, Rest In Peace.

What you have here is a damn fierce performance in the men's hometown of Glasgow on NewYear's Eve 1983, which includes a visit from a genuine Scottish pipe band in the middle of the show and a near-inevitable performance version of Robbie Burns' "Auld Lang Syne".


King Biscuit Flower Hour (1983) link is in the comments

Speaking of comments, our Skids post generated a paltry four comments, can Big Country fans take up the slack????


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