High Land, Hard Rain
High Land, Hard Rain | ||||
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Studio album by Aztec Camera | ||||
Released | April 1983 | |||
Recorded | September 1982–January 1983 | |||
Studio | ICC Studios, Eastbourne | |||
Genre |
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Length | 36:44 | |||
Label | Rough Trade | |||
Producer | John Brand, Bernie Clarke | |||
Aztec Camera chronology | ||||
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Singles from High Land, Hard Rain | ||||
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High Land, Hard Rain is the debut album by jangle pop band Aztec Camera, released in 1983. Three tracks from the album originally appeared on the Oblivious EP, which reached number 18 on the UK Singles Chart when re-released in November 1983.[11] The album itself reached number 22 on the UK Albums Chart.[11]
Background and recording
Following the demise of the Forensics, vocalist and guitarist Roddy Frame formed Aztec Camera in 1980 with bassist Alan Welsh and drummer Dave Mulholland. By the end of the year, Welsh was replaced by Campbell Owens. The band supported the Rezillos at the Bungalow Bar in Paisley, Renfrewshire in December 1980; they were witnessed by Alan Horne of Postcard Records, who signed them days afterwards. Preceded by press attention in Sounds, "Just Like Gold" was released as a single, reaching number 10 in the UK Independent Singles Chart. "Mattress of Wine" followed as the next single, reaching number eight on the same chart. A planned album for Postcard, titled Green Jacket Grey, was scrapped, and around this time, Mulholland left the band. The band relocated to London and temporarily drafted in Blair Cunningham of Haircut One Hundred, before the role was permanently taken by Dave Ruffy of the Ruts. Keyboardist Bernie Clarke joined soon afterwards.[12]
Aztec Camera recorded their debut studio album at the International Christian Communication studio in Eastbourne in three weeks. Frame said they were "rush[ed], but that was good because sometimes you can hear a bit of pressure in the album." He mentioned that they doubled-tracked his Masano-branded acoustic guitar, which he acquired two months before the recording sessions. He used the "slightly percussive thing where you can hear the plectrum scraping each string", which became more percussive when they doubled-tracked it, "because the two guitars end up slightly out of time."[13]
Composition
Frame said the album's acoustic sound was not intentional; he was using an acoustic guitar "trying to be contrary when everyone else was getting more into [guitar] effects again. Acoustic sounded refreshing to me ..."[13] The album included two early songs by Frame, "We Could Send Letters" written in 1979 and "Lost Outside the Tunnel" which was performed by Frame's pre-Aztec Camera band Neutral Blue.[14] The single "Oblivious" was a conscious attempt to write a pop hit.[15] He intentionally borrowed the guitar part from "Maybe the People Would Be the Times or Between Clark and Hilldale" (1967) by Love for it.[16] Frame said "Pillar to Post" was purposely trying to emulate the work of the Clash and bands on the Tamla-Motown label.[13] "Down the Dip" was the last track written for the album; Frame came up with it during a period where he was experimenting with chords, only to return to basic chord progressions.[16] It inspired by a local East Kilbride pub located close to Duncanrig Secondary School, Roddy Frame's high school. Originally called "The Diplomat" ("The Dip" for short), it is now called Gardenhall Inn.
Release
Aztec Camera's debut album, High Land, Hard Rain, was produced by John Brand and Bernie Clarke for the Rough Trade record label. The album was released in April 1983 and was distributed in different formats on Domino Recording Co. Ltd. in the US (in addition to Sire), WEA and Celluloid in France, Nuevos Medios in Spain, Powderworks in Australia, MVM Records in Portugal, and WEA for a general European release.[17][11]
Critical reception
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
American Songwriter | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Christgau's Record Guide | A−[18] |
Paste | 8.7/10[19] |
Pitchfork | 8.3/10[9] |
PopMatters | 9/10[20] |
Rolling Stone | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Select | 5/5[21] |
Spin Alternative Record Guide | 9/10[22] |
Uncut | 9/10[23] |
The album was successful, garnering significant critical acclaim, and peaked at number 129 on the Billboard 200. Frame later revealed that the song "Oblivious" was consciously written as a Top of the Pops-type pop song and received a corresponding degree of popularity.[24] Writing for The New York Times in 1983, music critic Jon Pareles wrote that Aztec Camera "traffic in the sounds of folk-rock" and that "If not for the firmness of the rhythm section and the clever use of echoes, Aztec Camera's High Land, Hard Rain (Sire) might almost have been made 15 years ago."[7]
Author Dave Thompson wrote in his book Alternative Rock (2000) that the album was "haunting , hopeful, and howling. Pop this brittle should be treated like fine crystal."[25]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Roddy Frame
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Oblivious" | 3:09 |
2. | "The Boy Wonders" | 3:13 |
3. | "Walk Out to Winter" | 3:23 |
4. | "The Bugle Sounds Again" | 2:56 |
5. | "We Could Send Letters" | 5:43 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Pillar to Post" | 3:59 |
2. | "Release" | 3:41 |
3. | "Lost Outside the Tunnel" | 3:40 |
4. | "Back on Board" | 4:50 |
5. | "Down the Dip" | 2:10 |
Total length: | 36:44 |
No. | Title | Original release | Length |
---|---|---|---|
11. | "Haywire" | 'Oblivious' EP | 3:57 |
12. | "Orchid Girl" | 'Oblivious' EP | 2:33 |
13. | "Queen's Tattoos" | "Pillar to Post" b-side | 2:09 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
11. | "Queen's Tattoos" | 2:09 |
12. | "Haywire" | 3:56 |
13. | "Orchid Girl" | 2:32 |
14. | "Set the Killing Free" | 3:45 |
15. | "Oblivious [12" mix]" | 3:49 |
16. | "Walk Out To Winter [12" extended version]" | 7:46 |
17. | "Oblivious [12" extended remix]" | 4:36 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Boy Wonders (Capitol Radio session)" | |
2. | "Release (Capitol Radio session)" | |
3. | "We Could Send Letters (C81 Version)" | |
4. | "The Bugle Sounds Again (Bedroom Demo)" |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Pillar to Post (original single version)" | 3:43 |
2. | "Queen's Tattoos" | 2:12 |
3. | "Orchid Girl" | 2:35 |
4. | "Haywire" | 3:59 |
5. | "Walk Out to Winter (7") (Tony Mansfield version)" | 3:48 |
6. | "Set the Killing Free" | 3:47 |
7. | "Back on Board (live on CFNY)" | 4:22 |
8. | "We Could Send Letters (live on CFNY)" | 6:55 |
9. | "Walk Out to Winter (Kid Jensen session)" | 3:34 |
10. | "Down the Dip (Kid Jensen session)" | 2:25 |
11. | "Back on Board (Kid Jensen session)" | 4:17 |
12. | "Release (Kid Jensen session)" | 3:49 |
13. | "Walk Out to Winter (John Brand unreleased single mix)" | 3:25 |
14. | "Walk Out to Winter (12") (Tony Mansfield version)" | 7:48 |
15. | "Oblivious (Colin Fairley remix)" | 3:51 |
16. | "Oblivious (Langer/Winstanley remix)" | 4:37 |
Personnel
- Roddy Frame – vocals, guitar, harmonica
- Bernie Clarke – piano, organ
- Campbell Owens – bass
- Dave Ruffy – drums, percussion
References
Citations
- ^ Sean Michaels (28 August 2013). "Roddy Frame to perform Aztec Camera's High Land, Hard Rain in full". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 August 2013.
- ^ "Top 10: Scotland's all-time favourite albums". The Herald. 29 June 2018. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
- ^ Scapelliti, Christopher (1998). "Aztec Camera". In Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Daniel (eds.). MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Detroit: Visible Ink Press. pp. 55–56.
- ^ a b Fricke, David (15 September 1983). "Aztec Camera: High Land, Hard Rain". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 9 May 2006. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
- ^ a b Joshua Pickard (20 April 2020). "For Your Health: Quarantine Listening". Beats Per Minute. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
- ^ Emily Barker (24 October 2013). "The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time: 300-201". NME. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
- ^ a b Jon Pareles (18 September 1983). "OLD AND NEW ACTS IGNITE A FOLK-ROCK COMEBACK". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
- ^ a b Horowitz, Hal (19 February 2014). "Aztec Camera: High Land, Hard Rain". American Songwriter. Retrieved 19 February 2014.
- ^ a b Heller, Jason (4 February 2014). "Aztec Camera: High Land, Hard Rain". Pitchfork. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
- ^ Jack Whatley (24 June 2020). "From Joni Mitchell to The Fall: LYR's Simon Armitage prescribes 9 of his favourite albums". Far Out. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
- ^ a b c Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 35. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ Thompson 2000, p. 164
- ^ a b c Bacon 1984, p. 17
- ^ Davis, Hays Aztec Camera - Roddy Frame on 1983’s “High Land, Hard Rain” Under The Radar 9 April 2014
- ^ Aztec Camera interview 1988 Youtube
- ^ a b Bacon 1984, p. 19
- ^ a b Raggett, Ned. "High Land, Hard Rain – Aztec Camera". AllMusic. Retrieved 22 May 2015.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (1990). "Aztec Camera: High Land, Hard Rain". Christgau's Record Guide: The '80s. Pantheon Books. p. 43. ISBN 0-679-73015-X. Retrieved 22 May 2015.
- ^ Ham, Robert (4 February 2014). "Aztec Camera: High Land, Hard Rain 30th Anniversary Reissue". Paste. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
- ^ Folland, Richard (21 February 2014). "Aztec Camera: High Land Hard Rain (Deluxe Edition)". PopMatters. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
- ^ Collins, Andrew (November 1993). "Aztec Camera: High Land Hard Rain". Select. No. 41. p. 96.
- ^ Huston, Johnny (1995). "Aztec Camera". In Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig (eds.). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. pp. 20–21. ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
- ^ McKay, Alastair (2 January 2013). "Aztec Camera – reissues". Uncut. Archived from the original on 21 May 2015. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
- ^ "Aztec Camera interview 1988 #1" (Video upload). megumino2 on YouTube. Google, Inc. 28 July 2009. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
- ^ Thompson 2000, p. 165
- ^ "Aztec Camera - High Land, Hard Rain (1991, CD)". Discogs. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
- ^ "Aztec Camera - High Land, Hard Rain (2012, Expanded Edition, CD)". Discogs. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
- ^ "Aztec Camera - High Land, Hard Rain (2013, Gatefold, Vinyl)". Discogs. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
- ^ "Aztec Camera - High Land, Hard Rain (2014, digipack, CD)". Discogs. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
Sources
- Bacon, Tony (January 1984). "Aztec Camera". One Two Testing. ISSN 0265-7139.
- Thompson, Dave (2000). Alternative Rock. Third Ear: The Essential Listening Companion. San Francisco, California: Miller Freeman Books. ISBN 0-87930-607-6.
External links
- Domino's page on 30th Anniversary Edition of High Land, Hard Rain
- v
- t
- e
- Craig Gannon
- Dave Mulholland
- Campbell Owens
- Malcolm Ross
- High Land, Hard Rain
- Knife
- Love
- Stray
- Dreamland
- Frestonia
- "Oblivious"
- "All I Need Is Everything"
- "Somewhere in My Heart"
- "Good Morning Britain"
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