Fields of Fire: The Ultimate Collection

Big Country may never have reached the commercial highs of similarly structured outfits like the Waterboys and U2, but the Scottish rockers had all the ingredients needed for stadium domination. This two-disc U.K. collection from Spectrum dutifully chronicles the underrated Dunfermline, Fife-based outfit's nearly 20-year career, from the band's classic 1983 debut, The Crossing, to 1999's Driving to Damascus. Listeners who only know the group's two big international hits ("In a Big Country" and "Fields of Fire") will find in Fields of Fire: The Ultimate Collection a veritable treasure trove (as in 35 excellent remastered tracks) of anthemic modern rock with a rural twist, propelled in large part by the late Stuart Adamson's soaring, bagpipe-inspired guitar leads. ~ James Christopher Monger