The Great Divide - The Big Country Podcast

After two and a half years, Tom and Svein have finally arrived at the fourth song from their selection of songs from the Wonderland EP. Heart And Soul is one of the earliest Big Country songs, and it fascinates the hosts how much of the song would show up in later works thematically. Expect the usual deep-dive into the song's history, lyrics, and music.

Tom and Svein take another sidestep as they do a PSA about Svein's new book "Rocking In the Norselands, part 1". Find out what the book is all about, how it was like to put it together, and several reflections on the power of stories about music. Thanks for indulging us, and we'll be back with the next part of the Wonderland deep-dive series soon.

We have reached the third part of the Wonderland deep-dive, which continues with its track-by-track approach. This time Tom and Svein takes a thorough look at All Fall Together, and rarely have they been so in sync about being jubilantly positive about a track. Expect some song background for both Giant and All Fall Together, an overview of different versions, as well as the usual dissection of music and lyrics. And if you're a fan of the movie Streets of Fire, apologies in advance!

The Wonderland deep-dive continues with this second part, which is wholly devoted to the track Angle Park. This is the first Big Country song that Stuart and Bruce finished in 1981, with its roots going back several years before that. We delve deep into the timeline of the track, its lyrical meanings, and the actual location in Dunfermline that named it. Wonderland may "just" an EP, but after just two songs we have spent more time on it than we have some of the albums!

To celebrate the podcast's 10th anniversary, Tom and Svein speak at long last to Pete and Alan Wishart, the respective keyboardist and bassist in the very first incarnation of Big Country. This is an incredibly informative conversation on the earliest begninnings of the band, including the ill-fated Alice Cooper tour and the subsequent difficult decision by Stuart to revamp the lineup. Some rare live clips are played from BC's first-ever show, as well as some rare interview clips with Pete and Stuart from 1981. Joining Tom and Svein are the mighty JfnG and Stuart "Ming the Merciless" Menzies. Enjoy this incredible deep dive into this rare and formative period of the band's history.