High Land, Hard Rain

High Land, Hard Rain is the debut album by jangle pop band Aztec Camera, released in 1983. Three tracks from the album originally appeared on the Oblivious EP, which reached number 18 on the UK Singles Chart in November 1983.[11] The album itself reached number 22 on the UK Albums Chart.[11] The majority of the album was recorded at the ICC Studios in Eastbourne.[12] "Down the Dip" was 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.[13]

High Land, Hard Rain
Studio album by Aztec Camera
Released	April 1983
Recorded	ICC Studios, Eastbourne
Genre	Jangle pop, alternative rock, new wave
Length	36:44
Label	Rough Trade
Producer	John Brand, Bernie Clarke
Aztec Camera chronology
High Land, Hard Rain (1983) Knife (1984)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
American Songwriter	[2]
Christgau's Record Guide	A−[3]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[4]
Pitchfork	8.3/10[5]
PopMatters	9/10[6]
Rolling Stone	[7]
Select	5/5[8]
Spin Alternative Record Guide	9/10[9]
Uncut	9/10[10]

Aztec Camera's debut album, High Land, Hard Rain, was produced by John Brand and Bernie Clarke for the Rough Trade record label. The album was released in April 1983 and was distributed in different formats on Domino Recording Co. Ltd. in the US (in addition to Sire), WEA and Celluloid in France, Nuevos Medios, Nuevos Medios in Spain, Powderworks in Australia, MVM Records in Portugal, and WEA for a general European release.[1][11] The album was successful, garnering significant critical acclaim, and peaked at number 129 on the Billboard 200.[13] 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.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Roddy Frame.

Side one

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Oblivious"	3:09
2.	"The Boy Wonders"	3:13
3.	"Walk Out to Winter"	3:23
4.	"The Bugle Sounds Again"	2:56
5.	"We Could Send Letters"	5:43

Side two

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Pillar to Post"	3:59
2.	"Release"	3:41
3.	"Lost Outside the Tunnel"	3:40
4.	"Back on Board"	4:50
5.	"Down the Dip"	2:10
Total length:		36:44

1991 CD reissue bonus tracks[14]

No.	Title	Original release	Length
11.	"Haywire"	'Oblivious' EP	3:57
12.	"Orchid Girl"	'Oblivious' EP	2:33
13.	"Queen's Tattoos"	"Pillar to Post" b-side	2:09

2012 CD reissue bonus tracks[15]

No.	Title	Length
11.	"Queen's Tattoos"	2:09
12.	"Haywire"	3:56
13.	"Orchid Girl"	2:32
14.	"Set the Killing Free"	3:45
15.	"Oblivious [12" mix]"	3:49
16.	"Walk Out To Winter [12" extended version]"	7:46
17.	"Oblivious [12" extended remix]"	4:36

2013 reissue bonus 7"[16]

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Boy Wonders (Capitol Radio session)"
2.	"Release (Capitol Radio session)"
3.	"We Could Send Letters (C81 Version)"
4.	"The Bugle Sounds Again (Bedroom Demo)"

2014 30th Anniversary Edition reissue bonus tracks[17]

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Pillar to Post (original single version)"	3:43
2.	"Queen's Tattoos"	2:12
3.	"Orchid Girl"	2:35
4.	"Haywire"	3:59
5.	"Walk Out to Winter (7") (Tony Mansfield version)"	3:48
6.	"Set the Killing Free"	3:47
7.	"Back on Board (live on CFNY)"	4:22
8.	"We Could Send Letters (live on CFNY)"	6:55
9.	"Walk Out to Winter (Kid Jensen session)"	3:34
10.	"Down the Dip (Kid Jensen session)"	2:25
11.	"Back on Board (Kid Jensen session)"	4:17
12.	"Release (Kid Jensen session)"	3:49
13.	"Walk Out to Winter (John Brand unreleased single mix)"	3:25
14.	"Walk Out to Winter (12") (Tony Mansfield version)"	7:48
15.	"Oblivious (Colin Fairley remix)"	3:51
16.	"Oblivious (Langer/Winstanley remix)"	4:37

Personnel

• Roddy Frame – vocals, guitar, harmonica
• Bernie Clark – piano, organ
• Campbell Owens – bass
• Dave Ruffy – drums, percussion

References

1. Raggett, Ned. "High Land, Hard Rain – Aztec Camera". AllMusic. Retrieved 22 May 2015.
2. Horowitz, Hal (19 February 2014). "Aztec Camera: High Land, Hard Rain". American Songwriter. Retrieved 19 February 2014.
3. Christgau, Robert (1990). "Aztec Camera: High Land, Hard Rain". Christgau's Record Guide: The '80s. Pantheon Books. ISBN 0-679-73015-X. Retrieved 22 May 2015.
4. Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 0-85712-595-8.
5. Heller, Jason (4 February 2014). "Aztec Camera: High Land, Hard Rain". Pitchfork. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
6. Folland, Richard (21 February 2014). "Aztec Camera: High Land Hard Rain (Deluxe Edition)". PopMatters. Retrieved 21 February 2014.
7. Fricke, David (15 September 1983). "Aztec Camera: High Land, Hard Rain". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 9 May 2006. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
8. Collins, Andrew (November 1993). "Aztec Camera: High Land, Hard Rain". Select (41): 96.
9. Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig, eds. (1995). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
10. McKay, Alastair (2 January 2013). "Aztec Camera – reissues". Uncut. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
11. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 35. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
12. Forster, Robert (14 August 2017). Grant & I: Inside and Outside the Go-Betweens. Omnibus. ISBN 978-1785585845. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
13. "ecosse19" (Richard). "AZTEC CAMERA-DOWN THE DIP" (Web site).
14. "Aztec Camera - High Land, Hard Rain (1991, CD)". Discogs. Discogs. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
15. "Aztec Camera - High Land, Hard Rain (2012, Expanded Edition, CD)". Discogs. Discogs. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
16. "Aztec Camera - High Land, Hard Rain (2013, Gatefold, Vinyl)". Discogs. Discogs. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
17. "Aztec Camera - High Land, Hard Rain (2014, digipack, CD)". Discogs. Discogs. Retrieved 14 February 2020.

External links

• Domino's page on 30th Anniversary Edition of High Land, Hard Rain