In December of 2001 Scottish musician Stuart Adamson succumbed
to depression and ended his life. I was devastated by this, Heartbroken, as were all
fans of his groups Big Country, the Skids and the Raphaels, his most
recent project. My heart goes out to his family and those who knew him
personally, it's unfathomable that someone who wrote so much music filled
with hope and optimism could've been so depressed.
For those who aren't familiar with Adamson's
bands the Skids were Scotland's seminal Keltic influenced Punk band in the
late 1970's, Adamson's influence on U2's Dave "the Edge" Evans is obvious to
anyone who's heard the Skids, and U2 have never denied that. Ironically when
Big Country came to the states they were compared to U2, -completely backwards
Americans presumed Adamson was influenced by the Edge, whereas I'm sure in Europe
early U2 records were noted for their Skids-like guitar sound.
I find it fairly an easy task to write a decent
sounding song in a Minor key (angry,dark or sad sounding music to those who don't know
any music theory), but a great challenge to write GOOD music in a major key (happy chords).
Adamson was a genius at both, and wrote more good major key songs than anyone since the
Beatles. His use of Ebow, a small hand-held electromagnetic field generator which can
make a guitar sound violin-like, among other things, and amazing ability to make his
guitar sound like a bagpipe (first perfected I think on the Skids song "Iona"), pizzicatto
violin or steel drums, made him that rarest of creatures, an original sounding musician,
who not only didn't sound like anyone who ever came before him, but raised the standards
of what rock music could be, and, and I'm too depressed to keep sounding like a witty
rock critic anymore. They will have played his songs on the radio for a day, but sadly not
while he lived. I would trade 99% of the current music industry to have you back Stuart.
the Song "Stay Alive" which you can hear by clicking the link below,
takes it's title from Stuart's lyric
"in a big country, dreams stay with You, like a lover's voice Fires the mountainside,
stay alive" it's what he said at the end of concerts, it became his catchphrase I think.
though I'm deeply depressed by this unimaginable tragedy, I will honor his memory by carrying
on making the best music I can, battling the mediocrity that plagues the lowest common
denominator airwaves of modern radio. I dedicate the Song to Stuart Adamson, his family and
friends. I also have plans to launch a side-project, a tribute band called "Wonderland"
in which I will play guitar, Ebow, Bass sometimes, and sing. Interested musicians in
Eastern MA should email me. it is still al little ways off. time moves so fast,
the days pass like the flash of a spark.
"like a garden in the forest that the world will never see..."
-J.M.
click here to hear "Stay Alive" instrumental, 2:23 (2.29MB)
this song features James playing a 30+ year old mandolin. This is the 4th movement of the Cyberfunk suite, a trilogy in 4 (or so) parts of which the first 2 and the 4th are on the CD 'M3'. the song that gives a whole new meaning to the word 'Trilogy'*
This page is an updated version of one on my old band's page, updated 9-27-06. I still haven't really started that tribute band, but I will! also I wrote but have not yet recorded a song which came to me in a dream, in the dream Stuart wrote and played it. It does sound like one of his, eerily enough. Perhaps he did write it? and I wrote one with lyrics about Stuart, which is Big-countryish sounding.
I should probably post the lyrics here at least since I haven't recorded that one properly yet either. I'll stick those at the bottom of the page. Big Country fans reading this page, feel free to sign my guestbook!
by James Mobius copyright © 2006 Mobius Musicus. P.
( a few lyrics borrowed from Stuart and Richard, with apologies)
I never knew the life of a king
but never wanted for anything.
I grew up under the watchful eye
of brilliant men who never lied.
If only somehow I could've saved you
from the bottomless bottle that enslaved you
you grew in the shadow of giant men
who kept their pain so well hidden
Is this the way of the world?
how the mighty all fall
I hate feeling so helpless
I never knew you could be weak (come back to me, come back to me)
When I first heard your gift of song
it moved my soul but I'd missed the throng
hurry on boys now daddy's gone (oh hurry on, and carry on)
somehow we must be strong (oh hurry on, and carry on)
Alone inside your tiny room
too far for us to reach you
Tragically lost sight of dreams
he missed the boat for home it seems
Is this the way it must be?
my heroes are all lost at sea
I will still hold the heart
no matter the cost to me
I take the strength you helped me see
work with pride and dignity
I tell the world you're not to blame
you sailed away but hold no shame
we'll put our backs against the wall
together we will never fall
I shall see you as I sleep
we'll carry on uphold the dream.