Big Country: Driving To Damascus, 4CD Deluxe Edition

• 4CD Deluxe Edition of Big Country’s eighth and final album with Stuart Adamson.


• ‘Driving To Damascus’ (1999), also includes the live-in-the-studio ‘Nashville Sessions’, single versions, alternate mixes from the US release ‘John Wayne’s Dream’ and two discs of demos.

Formed by singer/guitarist Stuart Adamson in 1981 after leaving his previous group Skids, the Scottish rock band Big Country were hugely successful in the UK and US, scoring four UK Top 10 albums including ‘The Crossing’ (a UK platinum, US gold record) plus a further 2 UK Top 30 albums.

‘Driving To Damascus’ features the classic Big Country line up of Stuart Adamson (vocals/ guitar), Bruce Watson (guitar), Tony Butler (bass) and Mark Brzezicki (drums) and was recorded in the legendary Rockfield Studios in Wales.

Album highlights ‘Somebody Else’ and ‘Devil In The Eye’ were co-written by Ray Davies of The Kinks. Eddi Reader is guest vocalist on the single ‘Fragile Thing’. Ian Grant (Big Country manager from 1981 to 2013) has written the sleeve notes, giving a personal insight into the album’s genesis.

 

Track Listing:

DISC ONE

Driving To Damascus
1 Driving To Damascus
2 Dive Into Me
3 See You
4 Perfect World
5 Somebody Else
6 Fragile Thing
7 The President Slipped And Fell
8 Devil In The Eye
9 Trouble The Waters
10 Bella
11 Your Spirit To Me
12 Grace
Nashville Sessions
13 Driving To Damascus
14 Perfect World
15 Fragile Thing
16 Dive Into Me
17 Chance
18 Look Away

DISC TWO

B Sides and Alternate Mixes
1 I Get Hurt
2 John Wayne’s Dream
3 Dust On The Road
4 Loserville
5 This Blood’s For You
6 Camp Smedley’s Theme
7 Sleep There Till Dawn (Sleep Until Dawn)
8 Another Misty Morning
9 Fragile Thing (single edit)
10 Somebody Else (single edit)
11 Dive Into Me (Rafe Mix)
12 Perfect World (Rafe Mix)
13 The President Slipped And Fell (Vocal Up Mix)
14 Devil In The Eye (Vocal Up Mix)
15 Bella (Vocal Up Mix)
16 This Blood’s For You (Rafe Mix)
17 Fragile Thing (Vocal Up Mix)
18 Your Spirit To Me (Vocal Up Mix With Middle 8 Vocal In)

DISC THREE

Demos Disc 1
1 Driving To Damascus (1st Version)
2 Dive Into Me
3 See You
4 Perfect World
5 Somebody Else
6 Fragile Thing
7 The President Slipped And Fell
8 Devil In The Eye
9 Trouble The Waters (1st Version)
10 Bella
11 Your Spirit To Me
12 Grace
13 I Get Hurt
14 Loserville
15 This Blood’s For You (demo)
16 You Want Me To Go
17 I’m On This Train
18 Small Town Big News

DISC FOUR

Demos Disc 2
1 Driving To Damascus (2nd Version)
2 Trouble The Waters (2nd Version)
3 This Blood’s For You (alt mix)
4 You Want Me To Go (alt mix)
5 I’m On This Train (alt mix)
6 Ages Of A Man
7 Birmingham
8 Sun And My Shadow
9 Living By Memory
10 Don’t You Stay
11 Cimarron
12 Second Time Around
13 Without Wings
14 Daystar
15 Medicine Show
16 Sweet November Nothings
17 Simple’s Always Best
18 Soldier Of The Lord