Tag: Fisherman’s Blues

Waterboys – Fisherman’s Blues …album review

I’ve listened to this album before, but this week I had it on constantly, and I went through it many times. Not one clunker on this album. It’s one of those albums that is hard to pick just one song off and go with it. It needs to be listened to as a whole. I was just going to go with the song World Party but I kept listening to track after track and decided to go with the entire album. You have all kinds of musical styles on this album, including a tribute song about Hank Williams called Has Anybody Here Seen Hank?. It has something for everyone, but blended into one cohesive album voice. 

The impression I get from this album is The Basement Tapes by Dylan and The Band. Not comparing songs, no, just the freedom feel of the entire album. It sounds like they didn’t plan anything, and it just happened. When you pull that off, it’s pure magic. Not many albums are truly spontaneous, but when you get that feeling, bottle it quickly, because it doesn’t come often. 

The Waterboys were formed in 1983 by Scottish musician Mike Scott, the band’s leader and primary songwriter. Over the years, their music has evolved through various phases, blending elements of rock, folk, and Celtic influences. Fisherman’s Blues was the title track of their album released in 1988. 

Mike Scott recorded over 100 songs during this period. Only 13 made the cut for this album, and he made a good selection. This album helped inspire a wave of folk-rock revivalists in the late ’80s and early ’90s, and later on bands like Mumford and Sons. Mike Scott has said that Fisherman’s Blues was not one sound but a voyage, not a destination, but a process.

The album had a little of everything, like spirit, freedom, risk, and reinvention. It’s the sound of a band trying something new and getting lost in something older, wilder, and more timeless. It’s one of those rare albums where you feel like you’ve lived with the band. I’m going to go song by song…just listen to this album!

All the songs except for two covers (Sweet Thing by Van Morrison and This Land Is Your Land by Woody Guthrie) and a song called Dunford’s Fancy written by violinist Steve Wickham  were either written or co-written by Mike Scott. 

Karl Wallinger, who co-wrote World Party and was a key part of the early Waterboys, left during these sessions to form his own band, named World Party. I picked that song “World Party” below to highlight, plus the entire album on Spotify. What caught me was that it explodes out of the speakers with a honky-tonk style piano and a fiddle sawing like a buzzsaw through a barn wall. It’s hard not to like that. The song just makes me feel good.

The album peaked at #15 in New Zealand, #76 on the Billboard Album Charts, and #13 in the UK in 1988.

Mike Scott: We started recording our fourth album in early ’86 and completed it 100 songs and 2 years later. There was a lot of indecision. I got too involved in the album and I lost perspective. We had blues songs, gospel songs, country songs, rock songs and ballads. I didn’t know where to take it. It could’ve been a gospel or country album. It could’ve sounded more like This Is the Sea or it could’ve been a traditional album. It could’ve been anything.”

The tracklist to the original album

Fisherman’s Blues (Mike Scott, Steve Wickham)
We Will Not Be Lovers (Scott) – 7:03
Strange Boat (Scott, Anthony Thistlethwaite)
World Party (Scott, Trevor Hutchinson, Karl Wallinger)
Jimmy Hickey’s Waltz (Scott, Wickham, Thistlethwaite)
And a Bang on the Ear (Scott, Wickham, Thistlethwaite)
Has Anybody Here Seen Hank? (Scott)
When Will We Be Married? (Traditional, adapted: Scott, Thistlethwaite)
When Ye Go Away (Scott)
Dunford’s Fancy (Wickham)
The Stolen Child (Words: W.B. Yeats, Music: Scott)
This Land Is Your Land (Woody Guthrie)

World Party

Well it’s got nothing to do with anything that is realyou just believe in it and it’s trueYou can sooth like an angel or sigh like a saintyou can dream it and see it throughYou will live to see a sea of lightssparking on the face of a pearlClimb your own peakfind a new streak

Get yourself along to the world party (party!)

Now you’ve been building for yourself a cool place in the sandyou’re thinking that it’s mighty fineYou’ve got dust in your eyeballs, you got mud in your mouthbut it’s your head, it ain’t mineI’ve got a madman of my own to contend withcursing in the cave of my skullTurn the other cheekfind a new streak

Get yourself along to the world party (party!)

Well I heard a rumour of a golden agesomewhere back along the lineMaybe I dreamed it in a whisper orheard it in a spellIt was something to do with the sign of the timesand the only thing that I rememberIs a summer like a pretty girlwho shimmers and shinesMoving in timeshaking to the beat of the heart of the world

Party (party! party! party! party! party! party! party! party! party!)

…

Waterboys – Fisherman’s Blues

With this band…I’ve heard their name more than I heard their music. I’ve seen several bloggers post about them and I always liked the songs. This one I liked when I heard it a few years ago. It’s a band I’ve always wanted to hear more so I did this weekend a little. After listening to this album…I see what the fuss is about. This song in particular has so many influences and Mike Scott’s voice has a perfect edge to it. 

The Waterboys were formed in 1983 by Scottish musician Mike Scott, the band’s leader and primary songwriter. Over the years, their music has evolved through different phases, blending rock, folk, and Celtic influences. Fisherman’s Blues was the title track of their album released in 1988. 

The band had become deeply immersed in traditional Irish music, influenced by musicians like The Bothy Band, The Chieftains, and Van Morrison. On this album they were helped out by a rotating lineup of musicians to help fill out the sound. They recorded 100 songs for this album. 

Mike Scott disbanded The Waterboys in 1993 and pursued a solo career. The 1993 album Dream Harder was released under The Waterboys’ name but was essentially a Mike Scott solo album. They regrouped in 2000 and released an album called A Rock in the Weary Land. 

Fisherman’s Blues peaked at #20 in New Zealand and #32 in the UK in 1988. The album peaked at #15 in New Zealand, #76 on the Billboard Album Charts, and #13 in the UK

Mike Scott: We started recording our fourth album in early ’86 and completed it 100 songs and 2 years later. There was a lot of indecision. I got too involved in the album and I lost perspective. We had blues songs, gospel songs, country songs, rock songs and ballads. I didn’t know where to take it. It could’ve been a gospel or country album. It could’ve sounded more like This Is the Sea or it could’ve been a traditional album. It could’ve been anything.”

Mike Scott: American music has influenced me more than I can say, but I prefer the music you made from 1920 to 1970—jazz, Broadway, blues, gospel, rock ‘n’ roll, proper R&B, counterculture, soul—than anything made since. And what do you lot think of me? Ain’t got a clue.

Fisherman’s Blues

I wish I was a fishermanTumblin’ on the seasFar away from dry landAnd it’s bitter memories

Castin’ out my sweet lineWith abandonment and loveNo ceiling bearin’ down on meSave the starry sky above

With light in my headWith you in my armsI wish I was the brakemanOn a hurtlin fevered train

Crashin head long into the heartlandLike a cannon in the rainWith the feelin of the sleepersAnd the burnin of the coal

Countin the towns flashin byAnd a night that’s full of soulWith light in my headWith you in my arms

And I know I will be loosenedFrom the bonds that hold me fastAnd the chains all around meWill fall away at last

And on that grand and fateful dayI will take thee in my handI will ride on a trainI will be the fisherman

With light in my headYou in my armsLight in my headYou in my arms

Light in my headYouWith light in my headYou in my arms