Walking in the Shadow of the Big Man explained

Walking in the Shadow of the Big Man
Type:Album
Artist:Guadalcanal Diary
Cover:Walking in the Shadow of the Big Man (cover art).jpg
Released:1984
Recorded:September 1984
Axis Studios, Atlanta, GA
Genre:Alternative rock, jangle pop
Length:31:16
Label:Elektra[1]
Producer:Don Dixon[2]
Prev Title:Watusi Rodeo EP
Prev Year:1983
Next Title:Jamboree
Next Year:1986

Walking in the Shadow of the Big Man is the first full-length album by Marietta, Georgia, band Guadalcanal Diary.[2] The album was released in 1984 and was produced by Don Dixon. It was reissued on CD by Rhino Handmade in 2003, with additional tracks from the Watusi Rodeo EP, the B-side "Johnny B. Goode," and the previously unreleased track "Just an Excuse."[3]

Critical reception

Trouser Press wrote that the album "presents rocking explorations of several of [singer Murray] Attaway’s pet themes: religious fanaticism ('Why Do the Heathen Rage?'), Civil War mythology ('Trail of Tears') and spontaneous human combustion ('Fire from Heaven')."[4] The Sun Sentinel called it "solid, melodic rock 'n' roll," writing that "thundering drums and tough-talking guitars frame lyrics that condemn war and imperialism."[5]

Track listing

  1. "Trail of Tears" - 2:24
  2. "Fire From Heaven" - 3:52
  3. "Sleepers Awake" - 3:10
  4. "Gilbert Takes the Wheel" (instrumental) - 2:32
  5. "Ghost on the Road" - 2:47
  6. "Watusi Rodeo" - 2:36
  7. "Why do the Heathen Rage?" - 3:04
  8. "Pillow Talk" - 1:57
  9. "Walking in the Shadow of the Big Man (Part 1)" (instrumental) - 4:34
  10. "Kum-Ba-Yah (live)" - 3:40

Bonus Tracks on Limited Edition

  1. "Johnny B. Goode" - 3:45
  2. "Michael Rockefeller" - 4:55
  3. "Liwa Wechi" - 2:51
  4. "John Wayne" - 3:11
  5. "Dead Eyes" - 3:19
  6. "Just an Excuse" - 2:53

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Give Me No Man's Land: 5 Songs For The Fallen. Jef. Rouner. May 31, 2010. Houston Press.
  2. Web site: Guadalcanal Diary | Biography & History. AllMusic.
  3. Web site: Guadalcanal Diary - Walking In The Shadow Of The Big Man | Rhino. www.rhino.com.
  4. Web site: Guadalcanal Diary . Trouser Press . 8 October 2020.
  5. Web site: A POP/ROCK PLAYLIST:BREAKING THE FORMAT. Scott Benarde, Staff. writer. Sun-Sentinel.com.