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BUFFALO SKINNERS
DEEP DIVE - PART 1


21 February 2016
1:55:51




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Getting into DEEP DIVE mode again.

  • The guys talk about how hard it is to rank the songs on the album.
  • Summing up the Buffalo Skinners roundtable (episode 53).
  • We asked people on the TGD Facebook group to rank the songs on the album, and got 49 responses! These will be revealed after each song along with Tom’s & Svein’s rankings.
  • Speakpipe from Lance Eagan.
  • Tony Butler’s comments on the album & songs.

Alone – song DEEP DIVE by Tom and Svein

  • Likely the first track most of us heard – either as 1st single, and/or opening track on the album.
  • The weird “weekly CD” double packaging of singles at the time.
  • The opening of the song, also in the context of previous Big Country openings.
  • The lyrical themes of the song.
  • How a song like this, especially with downtrodden lyrics, might fit into the musical climate at the time.
  • How the song ends and outros in general on the album.
  • Single performance: how Alone holds up against other singles released by the band, and what the other considerations were.

Speakpipe from Robert Rowden.

Seven Waves – song DEEP DIVE by Svein and Tom

  • The title of the song.
  • The music comes from Bruce Watson, who put the original instrumental demo on the website release “Hi Yo Tonto… Away!”, released 2001. We play a snippet.
  • A song about the end of a relationship – discussed vis-a-vis Stuart’s situation and passages in the song.
  • The journey through the bad emotions and alienation toward the conclusion, which is stopping to feel by also stopping to care about anything.
  • The biggest clash in BC’s catalogue between happy music and dark lyrics?
  • Tom’s favourite guitar solo on the album – vicious, yet beautiful.

Speakpipe from Andy Inkster.

What Are You Working For – song DEEP DIVE by Tom and Svein

  • An example of Neil Young’s influence on Big Country, especially lyrically. This marks the start of a style of lyric writing where instead of a singular story or theme, we get a number of very different anecdotes that is intended to add up to a larger point, similar to Young’s “Rocking In the Free World”.
  • An example of Big Country changing their sound a bit, while still retaining the things that makes them sound like Big Country. 
  • A bit of a throwback to Steeltown as far as themes go – picking up the banner on behalf of the small man, unions, and worker’s rights.

The One I Love – song DEEP DIVE by Svein and Tom

  • The music for this song comes from Bruce Watson again – the demo was included on “Demology” (a “website only”-release) in December 2000.
  • Lyrically yet another relationship song. The desire to be together is there, and even quite strong, but he is prevented by other commitments.
  •  The harmonizing. Everything is double-tracked, triple layered, filled with dual-guitars – so many interesting things are happening throughout.
  • The songs ebbs and tides – there is no guitar solo, but in place of it there is an interesting section which slowly builds, things are added, and it reaches a crescendo into the chorus.

Speakpipe from John Lewis.