cydniey

in 1982ish i was hospitalized for the first time in a psychiatric facility. i was in there for three months. the last month i had the use of my walkman and the only tape i had was Big Country's "The Crossing". it soothed me and helped keep me sane enough to get out of there.

then, when i was discharged, my parents took me and my siblings down to Palm Springs to take the tram up to the mountain and hike it. what i remember of the trip was hiking back out of the place alone in front of my family, with my walkman and Big Country.

i sat on a log to rest and a scraggly looking wolf approached me. he didn't get too close and i didn't move, we just stared at each other as "Porrohman" played in my ears. the wolf walked off, and i got up and finished my trek.

it was unspeakably beautiful up on that mountain and while i was enthralled with the music i would pretend to be walking the Scottish countryside.

after three months in a private hospital, to be out in the complete wilderness was joy i haven't experienced since.

so that's the deal with Bid Country.

my amazon wishlist is at an all time low. i just added the HG Wells anthology because of a story called Pollock and the Porroh Man (i think that's the title, i'm pretty sure). i'm interested in this story because of a Big County song called Porrohman. i don't know if there's a connection, but i've never read any HG Wells, and i feel i am lacking something for it. doc has to go to the library to revalidate his card (every 6 months, i believe, one must go in to the library with proof of address and identity), and after he does that, i'll go and find some HG Wells.

i'm listening to "Come Up Screaming", a double live CD of, of course, Big Country. a couple of my pirated live versions of songs are taken from this particular recording. it also has the only live recording of the above mentioned Porrohman that i know of, and as cool as it is in the studio, it is incredible live. i can only describe Stuart Adamson's vocal performance as enthusiastic. and wow. the audience matches his enthusiasm, counting down beats on "Wonderland" and singing as loud as Stuart whenever possible. foocking incredible.