Track Listing

1. Christina's World
2. Wishing Time
3. Swimmer
4. Life
5. Big New Beginning
6. Jealous
7. Faith Healer
8. Jean
9. Where Do You Live
10. Waiting For The Parade
11. European Rain
12. Loneliest Man In The World
13. Voodoo Baby
14. Slide
15. Prospect Street

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #56859 in Music
• Released on: 2003-12-01
• Number of discs: 1

Customer Reviews

Concise but not comprehensive
This doesn't really stand up as 'a history' as such because it does not include any tracks from the third album 'Satellites'. However, the good news for people just getting into this excellent band is that it means that there is plenty of room for most of the tracks from the fantastic second album 'Creeping Up On Jesus' which is devilishly difficult to find on CD. Moreover, as somebody who was into the band at the height of their undeservedly limited success, I can state that 'Satellites' came as something of an anticlimax. The Big Dish don't really bear comparison with any other act but the closest comparison I could come up with is 'The River Detectives'. There is something truly distinctive about Lindsay's vocals...his voice has the classic qualities of Cliff Richard, the expressiveness of Lloyd Cole, the passion of Tony Hadley singing Musclebound and the vaguely guttaral tones of Tom Petty. The melodies are gorgeous and the whole album fills you with the mellowness of a harvest moon. The really stand out tracks emanate from the 'Creepin' album with 'Where Do You Live' earning top billing for its simple but lilting riffs, overtones of rural life and heavenly harmonisation. The highlight of the first album is the title track 'Swimmer' which is here in all its glory, with Lindsay's vocals ripping your heart out as he mixes the emotions of anguish and resignation. If you want to create a complete history of The Big Dish, you'll need this CD for the two previously unreleased tracks. If this constitutes your introduction to the band, there can be no better start. Enjoy the CD in a hot bath or relaxing with a mug of Ovaltine or glass of wine, but wait until the kids are in bed before putting it on. Listening to this album is an act of self-indulgence and one you're going to want to repeat over and over again.

Excellent Melodic Pop by Highly Underrated Band
Well, the Big Dish must have fans somewhere - or why else would this album still be in print, even though the band itself disbanded in the early 90s? Without doubt, Steven Lindsay and his bandmates would have deserved phenomenal success: As this greatest hits compilation shows, Lindsay was able to write original songs with fantastic hooks. The instrumentation is subtle and sophisticated. The songs cover a wide range of styles, from dark, brooding ballads ("Jealousy") to simple, catchy pop tunes ("Waiting for the Parade" / "European Rain"). The lyrics are sometimes witty and sometimes thoughtful. I would recommend this album to anyone who likes intelligent and well-made pop music. If you like bands such as The Bible or The Fat Lady Sings, you will certainly enjoy this album. For a first taste of this great band, Rich Man's Wardrobe will be great - but even for the long time fan it's worth buying, as the album includes two previously unreleased bonus tracks. But of course, you should also look for their three regular albums, "Swimmer," "Satellites," and "Creeping up on Jesus." Let's also hope that there will be new material or at least a solo release by Steven Lindsay sometime. The Big Dish is one of those rare bands that can make you laugh and make you cry. They deserve wider recognition.