High Land, Hard Rain

''High Land, Hard Rain'' is the debut album by the jangle pop band Aztec Camera. It was released in February 1983 through Rough Trade Records. It reached number 22 on the UK Albums Chart in April 1983.

Background and recording

Following the demise of the Forensics, vocalist and guitarist Roddy Frame formed Aztec Camera in 1980 with bassist Alan Welsh and drummer Dave Mulholland. By the end of the year, Welsh was replaced by Campbell Owens. The band supported the Rezillos at the Bungalow Bar in Paisley, Renfrewshire, in December 1980; they were witnessed by Alan Horne of Postcard Records, who signed them days afterwards. Preceded by press attention in '' Sounds'', "Just Like Gold" was released as a single, reaching number 10 in the UK Independent Singles Chart. "Mattress of Wine" followed as the next single, reaching number eight on the same chart. A planned album for Postcard, titled ''Green Jacket Grey'', was scrapped, and around this time, Mulholland left the band. The band relocated to London and temporarily drafted in Blair Cunningham of Haircut One Hundred, before the role was permanently taken by Dave Ruffy of the Ruts. Keyboardist Bernie Clarke joined soon afterwards.

Aztec Camera recorded their debut studio album at the International Christian Communication studio in Eastbourne in three weeks. Frame said they were "rush d but that was good because sometimes you can hear a bit of pressure in the album." He mentioned that they doubled-tracked his Masano-branded acoustic guitar, which he acquired two months before the recording sessions. He used the "slightly percussive thing where you can hear the plectrum scraping each string", which became more percussive when they doubled-tracked it, "because the two guitars end up slightly out of time."

Composition

Frame said the album's acoustic sound was not intentional; he was using an acoustic guitar "trying to be contrary when everyone else was getting more into uitareffects again. Acoustic sounded refreshing to ''me'' ..."Bacon 1984, p. 17 The album included two early songs by Frame, "We Could Send Letters" written in 1979 and "Lost Outside the Tunnel" which was performed by Frame's pre-Aztec Camera band Neutral Blue. The single " Oblivious" was a conscious attempt to write a pop hit.Aztec Camera interview 1988
Youtube He intentionally borrowed the guitar part from " Maybe the People Would Be the Times or Between Clark and Hilldale" (1967) by Love for it. Frame said "Pillar to Post" was purposely trying to emulate the work of the Clash and bands on the Tamla-Motown label. "Down the Dip" was the last track written for the album; Frame came up with it during a period where he was experimenting with chords, only to return to basic chord progressions.Bacon 1984, p. 19 It is inspired by a local East Kilbride pub located close to Duncanrig Secondary School, Roddy Frame's high school. Originally called "The Diplomat" ("The Dip" for short), it is now called Gardenhall Inn.

Release

''High Land, Hard Rain'' was released through Rough Trade Records in February 1983. It was produced by John Brand and Bernie Clarke. The album was distributed on Domino Recording Co. Ltd. in the US (in addition to Sire), WEA and Celluloid in France, Nuevos Medios in Spain, Powderworks in Australia, MVM Records in Portugal, and WEA for a general European release.

Critical reception

The album was successful, garnering significant critical acclaim. It peaked at number 22 on the Albums Chart and at number 129 on the US ''Billboard'' 200. Frame later revealed that the song "Oblivious" was consciously written as a Top of the Pops-type pop song and received a corresponding degree of popularity. Writing for ''The New York Times'' in 1983, music critic Jon Pareles

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