Track Listing

1. Oblivious
2. Boy Wonders
3. Walk Out To Winter
4. Bugle Sounds Again
5. We Could Send Letters
6. Pillar To Post
7. Release
8. Lost Outside The Tunnel
9. Back On Board
10. Down The Dip
11. Haywire
12. Orchid Girl
13. Queen's Tattoo

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #10612 in Music
• Released on: 1993-09-06
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .21 pounds

Amazon.co.uk Review
Roddy Frame was slightly ahead of his time. In 1983, when he wrote, arranged and--with the help of his band, Aztec Camera--recorded High Land, Hard Rain, he was just 19 years old; and Britpop, the genre Aztec Camera in part inspired, wouldn't become popular for another decade. There is certainly more to High Land, Hard Rain than Britpop, however. Frame, a stellar acoustic guitar strummer, fills the 13 songs with jazz chords, and Aztec Camera's grooves foreshadow British jazz popsters the Style Council and Everything But the Girl. Whether making you dance ("Oblivious", "Queen's Tattoos") or reflect ("The Bugle Sounds Again", "We Could Send Letters"), Frame proves a master craftsman. A bonus tip: the sing-songy "Walk Out to Winter" is a fine addition to any holiday mix. --Bill Crandall

CD Description
Formed in 1980 by teenage Glaswegian Roddy Frame, Aztec Camera captivated the UK music scene with their delightful 1983debut album, HIGH LAND, HARD RAIN. Released after a string of singles and compilation tracks on obscure labels like Postcard and Les Disques du Crepuscule, HIGH LAND, HARD RAIN seemed to come out of nowhere, completely at odds with the synthesizers and haute couture then prevalent in the British charts.
Strumming a completely unfashionable acoustic guitar and dressed down in similarly unpretentious clothes, the 18-year-old Frame delivered his heartfelt songs with a charming lack of guile and sincere, boyish enthusiasm. Filled withremarkable, captivating songs, including the singles "Oblivious" and "Walk Out to Winter" as well as the stirring "We Could Send Letters" and the hyperactive "The Boy Wonders", HIGH LAND, HARD RAIN is a timeless pop classic.

Customer Reviews

Real songs, Real Emotion, Real Genius
Roddy Frame had just turned 19 when this album was released and the astonishing maturity and depth of the songs within this collection would have amazed most of his acolytes - were it not for the fact that he had recorded Just Like Gold three years previously. I still remember seeing Roddy perform Oblivious on the Tube in his fringe suede jacket and thinking 'you can't do that!'. But Roddy, touted by Elvis Costello no less as the best songwriter in the world, has suprised and delighted people throughout his career with finely crafted and touching examples of the songwriters art. This is the Aztec's first, and probably best set of songs, culled largely from the Postcard years but they touch the emotional and musical heights reached by the best of Roddy's work. Buy this album now - or you will lose out on the most engaging combination of words and melody this century. And that's no overstatement....

This album has changed my entire life!!
Well, I'm a 30-something Asian musician,guitarist and song-writer.By the time highland,hardrain came outI was a captain of my school football team.I've never intersested in any kind of music before.I've heard dylan,the beatles,and the velvets etc.from my parents but That was about it.I do remember the first time I've heard "oblivious"on radio.I was absolutely blown away.by the freshness of their sounds plus Roddy frame's naively lost-little-boy vocal.and inevitably his brilliance guitar skills I went to the recordshop the next day to buy this album..I've discovered shortly after that.That he was just 17 or something??And me and him havehad the similarmusical heroes such as Mick jones,dylan and Lou reed.and also I was well surprised by his world-weary point of view and poetic lyrics too.After the whole listening I've retired myself from the football team.and started practicing some tunes on my guitarinstead.eventhough I've been listening to loads great bands until to day,My latest favourite are new tarlents like bloc party,babyshambles,the departure or stuff like that.but none of them are touching me deeply in the heart like Aztec camera did back in those days.tracks like walk out to winter are the pecfect ost.for you-and-yer-Missus holiday by the sea.meanwhile song like we could send letter is some kind of nostalgic heart-felt ballado.Which reminded you of your first kiss at yer scoutday summer camp's campfire.and tunes like The bugle sounds again and Release has portrayed Roddy frame's self-doutbe and Imperfection side.and Back on board and down the dip could easily sung by Bob dylan himeself If he was born and raise in Killburn bride In Glasglow.He has shown me a new perspective of Popular music back the era of O.m.d and a flock of seagulls.He was like a breath of fresh air to me.and for me Roddy is god not Clapton!!.

The greatest album of all time?
I know that is quite a statement, but High Land, Hard Rain is an outstanding album of supreme lyrical and musical skill. Roddy takes the listener on a journey of discovery, from the giddy gipsy heights of Oblivious to the fabulous Walk out to Winter. Surly this is a classic.