Big Country enjoyed a popularity with the release of their first album, The Crossing. I contained their hit, “Big Country”, endearing a nation of UK fans to their songs. After the fourth album, it was the UK audience that stayed affixed to Big Country for the other five setts including 2013’s Cherry Red original release of The Journey.
On June 29, Cherry Red will revisit Why The Long Face, Big Country’s seventh studio issue, with a 4CD remastered and expanded representation of the 1995 release. And the treasures are vast.
Of the four CDs, there is the original fourteen track album, another CD with collected bonus songs, 17 in all with single edits, remixes, acoustic tracks (including an acoustic version of “In A Big Country”). Also, there’s a cover of Alice Cooper’s “I’m Eighteen” found on CD2.
The third CD is the home of Eclectic, the band’s 1996 live album, with added bonuses that include five bonus tracks, three of them covers of Alice Cooper’s “Teenage Lament”, Neil Young’s “Hey Hey My My”, and CCR’s classic “Down On The Corner”.
CD4 is a collection of sixteen Big Country demo tracks. The four CDs and included booklet of album related notes, photos, and credits, are packaged with a clamshell box.
Why The Long Face 4CD Deluxe Edition – Big Country
CD1 (Original Album remastered):
01. You Dreamer
02. Message of Love
03. I’m Not Ashamed
04. Sail Into Nothing
05. Thunder & Lightning
06. Send You
07. One In A Million
08. God’s Great Mistake
09. Wildland In My Heart
10. Take You To The Moon
11. Far From Me To You
12. Charlotte
13. Post Nuclear Talking Blues
14. Blue On A Green Planet
CD2 (Collected Why The Long Face Bonus Tracks):
01. I’m Not Ashamed (Single Edit)
02. One In A Million (1st Visit)
03. Monday Tuesday Girl
04. In A Big Country (Acoustic Version)
05. Crazytimes
06. Blue On A Green Planet (Cool Version)
07. You Dreamer (Single Edit)
08. Ice Cream Smile
09. Magic In Your Eyes
10. Bianca
11. Hardly A Mountain (HITW Tapes)
12. Golden Boy Loves Golden Girl (HITW Tapes)
13. Can You Feel The Winter (HITW Tapes)
14. I’m Eighteen
15. Vicious
16. On The Road Again
17. All Go Together (Acoustic Version)
CD3: (Eclectic (1996) Live, five bonus tracks):
01. River of Hope
02. King of Emotion
03. Big Yellow Taxi
04. The Buffalo Skinners
05. Summertime
06. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
07. Eleanor Rigby
08. Winter Sky
09. Sling It
10. I’m On Fire
11. Where The Rose Is Sown
12. Come Back To Me
13. Ruby Tuesday
Bonus Tracks
14. Teenage Lament
15. Down On The Corner
16. Hey Hey My My
17. You Dreamer (Acoustic Version)
18. I’m Not Ashamed (Acoustic Version)
CD4 (Demos):
01. You Dreamer
02. Message of Love
03. I’m Not Ashamed
04. Sail Into Nothing
05. Thunder & Lightning
06. Send You
07. God’s Great Mistake
08. Wildland In My Heart
09. Take You To The Moon
10. Far From Me To You
11. Charlotte
12. Post Nuclear Talking Blues
13. Crazytimes
14. What About Peace
15. Normal
16. God’s Great Mistake (Alternate Version)