music.wikisort.org - Composition

"Peace in Our Time" is a song by Scottish rock band Big Country, which was released in 1989 as the third and final single from their fourth studio album Peace in Our Time (1988). It was written by Stuart Adamson and produced by Peter Wolf. "Peace in Our Time" reached No. 39 in the UK and remained in the charts for three weeks.[1] A music video was filmed to promote the single.[2]

"Peace in Our Time"
Single by Big Country
from the album Peace in Our Time
B-side	"Promised Land"
Released	January 1989
Length	4:33
Label	Mercury Reprise (US) Vertigo (Canada)
Songwriter(s)	Stuart Adamson
Producer(s)	Peter Wolf
Big Country singles chronology
"Broken Heart (Thirteen Valleys)" (1988) "Peace in Our Time" (1989) "Save Me" (1990)

Background

Adamson described "Peace in Our Time" in a 1990 interview with Melody Maker as a "very Sixties feel protest song, naive but I did it anyway."[3] He added in an interview with Sounds: "I do feel music can be more than a three-minute adrenaline rush, but there's a great danger in viewing a song with too much weight. "Peace in Our Time" was written with irony, but you can be too smart-assed for your own good. It was called a plea for peace when it was really much smaller than that."[4]

In addition to the main release, a limited edition 12" vinyl was also issued in the UK with four live tracks recorded at the Palace Of Sports, Moscow on 2 October 1988.[5]

Reception

On its release, Tony Beard of Record Mirror commented, "This is a grand record, all large guitar solos, awesome power chords and a lyric that could set East-West relations back a few eons if ever the powers that be hear it."[6] Caren Myers of Melody Maker wrote, "This is so ponderously well-meaning it practically grinds to a halt. No tiny gossamer wings could lift this concrete hippopotamus of a single off the ground."[7] As guest reviewers for Number One, Simon Tedd and Shark of Big Bam Boo gave the song three stars. They described it as "just another Big Country record" but one that's "good for fans".[8]

In a review of Peace in Our Time, Peter B. King of The Pittsburgh Press noted the song's "anthemic chorus" and described it as "catchy as the cold going around this newsroom".[9] Brett Milano of The Boston Globe considered the song a "chunky rocker" which "recall[s] better days".[10] William Ruhlmann of AllMusic recommended the song by labelling it an AMG Pick Track.[11]

Track listing

7" single

1. "Peace in Our Time" - 4:33
2. "Promised Land" (The R.E.L. Tapes) - 5:39

7" single (UK promo)

1. "Peace in Our Time" (Radio Edit) - 3:26
2. "Peace in Our Time" - 4:33

12" single

1. "Peace in Our Time" - 4:33
2. "Promised Land" (The R.E.L. Tapes) - 5:39
3. "Over the Border" (The R.E.L. Tapes) - 5:17
4. "The Longest Day" (The R.E.L. Tapes) - 6:36

12" single (UK limited edition)

1. "Peace in Our Time" (Live) - 5:01
2. "Chance" (Live) - 5:46
3. "In a Big Country" (Live) - 4:08
4. "Promised Land" (Live) - 4:52

CD single

1. "Peace in Our Time" - 4:33
2. "Chance" - 4:25
3. "The Longest Day" (The R.E.L. Tapes) - 6:36
4. "Promised Land" (The R.E.L. Tapes) - 5:39

CD single (US promo)

1. "Peace in Our Time" - 4:33

Personnel

Big Country

• Stuart Adamson - vocals, guitar
• Bruce Watson - guitar
• Tony Butler - bass
• Mark Brzezicki - drums

Production

• Peter Wolf - producer of "Peace in Our Time"
• Big Country - producers of all tracks except "Peace in Our Time" and studio version of "Chance"
• Steve Lillywhite - producers of studio version of "Chance"
• Nigel Luby - recording of 1988 live tracks from Moscow
• Brian Malouf - engineer and mixing on "Peace in Our Time"
• Jeremy Smith - engineer on "Peace in Our Time"
• Gonzalo Espinoza, Jeff Poe, Kristen Connolly - assistant engineers on "Peace in Our Time"
• Geoff Pesche - mastering

Charts

Chart (1989)	Peak position
Irish Singles Chart[12]	16
UK Singles Chart[1]	39

References

---