The Seer is the third studio album by the Scottish band Big Country, released in 1986. The album featured very traditional Scottish musical settings, reminiscent of the band's debut album The Crossing (1983). Kate Bush worked on the title song in a duet with lead singer and lyricist Stuart Adamson. The album's first single, "Look Away", was an Irish number one, and was also the group's biggest hit single in the UK, reaching number 7.

The album reached number 2 in the UK Albums Chart.

Track listing

Songs written by Stuart Adamson unless otherwise noted.

<small>*Note: writing credits as per original vinyl edition and the ASCAP song database.</small>

1996 reissue bonus tracks

  1. <li value="11">"Song of the South" [B-side of "One Great Thing"] – 3:48
  2. "Look Away" (12" mix) – 6:31
  3. "One Great Thing" (Adamson, Butler) (Disco Mix) – 6:11
  4. "Giant" (Adamson, Brzezicki, Butler, Watson) [B-side of "Wonderland", 1984] – 3:55

2014 reissue

Bonus tracks

  1. <li value="11">"Restless Natives" [B-side of "Look Away"] – 4:00
  2. "Margo's Theme" [B-side of "Look Away"] – 3:42
  3. "Highland Scenery" [B-side of "Look Away"] – 4:06
  4. "Home Came the Angels" [B-side of "The Teacher"] – 2:07
  5. "Song of the South" (7" version) [B-side of "One Great Thing"] – 3:49
  6. "Honky Tonk Woman" (live at the Pier, New York, 1986) (Mick Jagger, Keith Richards) [B-side of "Hold the Heart"] – 3:54
  7. "Hold the Heart" (instrumental) [B-side of "Hold the Heart"] – 6:07

Bonus disc

  1. "Restless Natives" (Restless Natives soundtrack part 1) [B-side of "Look Away" 12"] – 16:43
  2. "Restless Natives" (Restless Natives soundtrack part 2) [B-side of "The Teacher" 12"] – 18:08
  3. "I Will Run for You" [complete Restless Natives film version; previously unreleased] – 4:24
  4. "Look Away" (12" Mix) – 6:32
  5. "The Teacher" (Mystery Mix) – 5:40
  6. "One Great Thing" (Boston Mix) (Adamson, Butler) – 5:34
  7. "Song of the South" (full version) – 5:04
  8. "Look Away" (Outlaw Mix) – 6:54
  9. "One Great Thing" (Big Baad Country Mix) (Adamson, Butler) – 6:12

Charts

Weekly charts

{| class="wikitable sortable"

!Chart (1986)

!Peak<br>position

|-

|Canadian Albums (RPM)

|align="center"|75

|-

|-

|Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)

| style="text-align:center;"|1

|-

|-

|-

|-

|-

|-

|-

|US Billboard 200

|align="center"|59

|}

Year-end charts

{| class="wikitable"

!Chart (1986)

!Position

|-

|Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)

|align="center"|78

|}

Personnel

Adapted from the album liner notes.

Big Country

  • Stuart Adamson – vocals, guitar, EBow
  • Mark Brzezicki – drums, percussion, vocals
  • Tony Butler – bass, bass pedals, vocals
  • Bruce Watson – guitar, mandolin, sitar

Additional personnel

  • Kate Bush – additional vocals on "The Seer"
  • June Miles-Kingston – backing vocals on "Eiledon" and "Remembrance Day"
  • Davie Duncan – bodhran

Technical

  • Robin Millar – original production
  • Walter Turbitt – additional production, mixing
  • Will Gosling – engineer
  • Dave Anderson – assistant engineer
  • Phil Legg – assistant engineer
  • Nick Lacey – assistant engineer
  • Russell Leahy – assistant engineer
  • Julian Balme – sleeve
  • David Da Silva – illustration

Bonus tracks

  • Robin Millar – production on "Song of the South"
  • Steve Lillywhite – production on "Giant"
  • Geoff Emerick – production on "Restless Natives", "I Will Run for You", "Margo's Theme", "Highland Scenery" and "Home Came the Angels"
  • Will Gosling – mixing on "Song of the South"
  • Tony Butler – mixing on "Song of the South"

References