Reviews (page 6 of 9)
There’s some good stuff in there.
Very okay, a bit long with the 2 disc LP.
I didn’t listen
Do przesłuchania jeszcze raz
Pretty good! Would be a fun band live.
This wasn’t bad!! I really liked Carolan’s Welcome. Such beauty
This is pretty awesome - solid folk. Makes me want a pint.
Ok, not too interesting
Really enjoyed a lot of this, some of it was too folky for me though.
a double album of this stuff is a bit much
Sounded good, just not for me
Initial thoughts 2 songs in: if the Smiths used more (and real) string instruments (none of that violin synth stuff - which, I must add, I absolutely LOVE). I felt like the next 12 or so songs were kinda meh folk rock. I mean, folk rock ~can~ be really good, or it can come across as some cheesy pre-recorded stuff that costumed dancers at Busch Gardens perform to. I'm not saying this is the latter, but sometimes it's not far off. Continuing the Busch Gardens theme, I ultimately feel like this is a roller coaster of good, meh, and ugh songs. When it's good, it's really good (see Killing My Heart and Let Me Feel Holy Again), but then get the other stuff. Favorite song(s): see above Least Favorite song: the 12 songs in between the ones I really liked. Knew before: no - first unknown artist on the list for me!
Enjoyable pub rock, but I don’t imagine coming back to this
This *should* be an album I really like. But in reality, after the first song (which was great) this was a pretty tough listen.
First 5 songs on disk 1 I like great songs love how sweet thing fades into blackbird but then it dips, too slow, disk 2 you in the sky is a great song and meet you at the station, rattle my bones and shiver my soul are good up tempo songs.
"Don't judge a book by its cover" ahh album. Bruh 💀
There’s nothing wrong with this but I started checking how much was left on the first song and there’s nothing here that would keep me listening for an hour and 20 minutes.
If The Dubliners made music with Bruce Springsteen it might sound a bit like this. There is a comforting familiarity about it.
Decent folk rock record with some easy, mellow sounds. This is music that's the ancestor of Mumford & Sons and the like. Not my cup of tea, but it's pretty good.
Nice night at the pub.
This was my first listen through and I'll go back to it again. Solid 3.5. That Van Morrison / Beatles cover mash up is its own thing and is pretty great.
Кельтский Вор он Драгз, очень хорошо. Лучшая песня - The Stolen Child.
couldn't get through the whole album. Started sounding somewhat repetitive and wasn't my cup of tea.
Sounds like the background music from TRON. Interesting for what it is but not some am going to sit down and actively listen to.
First song was pretty good, but I got a bit tired of the format quickly. Maybe I was just not in the mood for this type of folk music, not sure. It felt like the first half of the record was more rock oriented, and then it turned more folk at the end. Nothing really to write home, strong 2.
I've realised I really like som violin in my rock. The first hint of this was when we got "Mekons" and their very good track "Last Dance". I came to this conclusion since is also really dig "Fisherman's blues" which also is the only track I've heard from The Waterboys before. After the great "Fisherman's blues" we are treated to some nice rock and folk mix. I think they are at their best with their more uptempo songs like "Sweet Thing" and "And a Bang on the Ear". I don't get why they feel the need to do country standard like the "This land Is Your Land" and missing the political verses makes even less sense. All in all I enjoyed the album and it's a music style I really enjoyed. Weak 4.
I like the water boys but again, if you need 2 hours to get your point across you’re not saying it right
A band I discovered properly via The War On Drugs who covered A Pagan Place, they also owe a lot of their sound in general to The Waterboys. Have seen them live three times now and they are incredible, as is this album, worthy of its place in this list and then some
Piss and shit, next …
A very good album
Very Irish. Why do I like the Pogues but not this?
Been getting a lot of long ones in a row… Most of it was pretty good, didn’t care for the saxophone near the end of the thing
not my vibe
Nice one
Nice songs but the album didn’t stand out to me
A beautiful and entertaining album. The title track is the highlight, but there is so much more to discover.
Couple of decent songs like fishermans blues, strange boat and stolen child. Overall, the album was absolutely way too long. Ultimately making me lose interest and concentration. I wanted to come back to this one but the length really puts me off.
Big music is one of those "cheating" genres I find - the nature of it sort of forcefully makes sure I get at least some enjoyment out of it no matter what. It's all those damn layers and build-ups - it just *works*. This is a pretty ahead-of-its-time example of this, in a lot of ways, I found The Waterboys to be doing the triumphant, euphoric, violin-driven indie rock sounds nearly two decades before a band like Arcade Fire would (well equipped with a large number of members and everything!). Quite a few songs here have these endless layers of sound, with the violin being the real driver, cropping in with these tactile melodies that cut through dense oceans of sound. I can't help but sit back and enjoy this effect on songs like the title track, 'World Party' and especially 'We Will Not Be Lovers. The latter of which might be one of my favorite songs ever, like no joke, it's genuinely that beautiful - you just have to listen to it - the way it keeps building with the one constant sequenced violin melody rowing it forward is utterly mesmerizing. While it doesn't dive too deep into its Celtic identity like a band like the Pogues did (lyrically or instrumentally), it still manages to form a unique identity more or less, in a sort of folksy-pop way. I'm not as much a fan of the slower country-leaning tracks that wind the album down but I still very much enjoyed a song like 'And a Bang on the Ear' for example. Great stuff.
What a full sounding album this is, folk rock I am a fan. I knew the track Fisherman's Blues but was not familiar of the rest of the album, obviously I know 'This Land is Your Land' the Woody Guthrie classic. Stand out tracks: - Fisherman's Blues - We will not be lovers - World Party - When will we be married
didn't finish, too long with songs that kinda sounded samesy. i liked the f]trad folk aspect of it tho, i enjoyed a few of the songs that were like that 5.5/10
Great.
- 3 because it's not like these guys can't play, they're clearly good musicians and they care about this music, ..... at a certain point, I didn't. I'm sure it's a failing on my part so +1 = 4 ... -
Decent. But just decent.
5/5. I love the energy in each of these songs, kind of inspired by stone roses and Oasis with some pretty strings throughout, giving a more down to earth vibe. The longer songs are definitely the highlights, with beautiful arrangements. This is a repeat listen for me for sure, just each song has a big sound in it as well while feeling so personal. Best Song: We Will Not Be Lovers, Sweet Thing, Fisherman's Blues
Great fun. That tickled a folksy fancy.
This is up my alley. Never heard of them before.
I liked a few songs but it's not necessary to listen to before you die. The last few tracks were pretty rough. 2.5 stars
This was my intro to Mike Scott, who I feel is one of the greatest poetic songwriters ever. How he can use his voice and words to convey such pure emotions is staggering. 5 stars, no question, and this album is groundwork of my love of Ireland too
I was deeply scarred by Come On Eileen, so any fiddlers on pop music need to be Charlie Daniels or I'm instantly dismissing them as dungaree wearing ejeets. This is fine, and you can see how some people love the arse off of it. Not me though. Too many fucking fiddles.
Starts well but wears thin by the end. *Maybe need a repeat listen*. 5/10.
Nice irish music, sounds like an evening at the pub, where I don't recognize any of the song (and I wont recognize it even if it's played twice). One bright spot on the record was The Stolen Child, Waterboys rendition of Yeats' poem. Very good and melancholic song.
Fun enough
It doesn't all hit, but some bits feel like a Scottish Westerberg so three stars feels right
That was a great cleaning the house album.
After two Waterboys albums, I feel pretty confident that I like but will never love them. And that's okay. There *is* some excellent stuff on here, though. 3.5/5
I feel like if early Goo Goo Dolls were super Irish, it’d end up sounding something kinda like this. I don’t hate it, and it was enjoyable enough to have on in the background, but I can’t see myself coming back to this one with the exception of a few songs. 3/5 Highlights: Sweet Thing When Will We Be Married - 1987 Recording
Some good tunes
I liked some of the tracks a lot but didn’t enjoy the really folky ones
Wouldn't have ever thought i'd like this, but i'm damn impressed.
2024-07-24...
Mostly lost me but some songs really captured what I think they were goikg for.
A bit of 1980s for the synth pop beat, jangly guitars, and big U2 sounding production and a lot of 1880s for the industrial era invention of tradition folk music. Alt country, but the country is Ireland.
Wow. Surprise! Had heard some over the years but this brings it all together. I am Irish and I am proud to be so. But-this is not like Irish jig dancing in the pubs. It’s thoughtful. 5 stars and will be added to my list of favorites ☘️
First time listening to this band. The twangy and folky feel from this album reached me
2.5. Started off well enough, I was bored by the end. But nothing offensively awful.
A really fantastic album, I love the rock music with folk instrumentation. It's very hard to pick a favorite, but each of the first few tracks are a contender.
First few tracks are amazing, then it starts to slowly become more and more repetitive. More of the beginning of the album and cutting out some of the filler would make this a lot better.
Not good.
It's no whole of the moon.
Thought I was going to have to be screeched in to listen
Very good
Struggled to get to the end of this one
POV: you're at the county fair. Between eating shitty food, observing the irritated, underpaid workers, and wondering if rodeos are really ethical, you tune into your ears and realize "Damn, the band playing is really good!" For real though, this band slaps. There's a oddly noisy component to this album that works really well, it kind of elevates the eclectic nature of this album. They achieve this with a broader set of instruments than your usual folk group, with each section getting its own strong part to play in it all. Some songs here and there are a bit plain, but I see myself coming back to this and smiling.
Fun sound ! 4 stars
It’s a nice album. Well done. It made me want to drink beer to it, which I then did. Unfortunately, I got drunk and decided to make tacos and then put on a mariachi band. I reckon there’s a 1001 better albums. Three stars, because it was downhill after the first song (Which is an all time favourite) and I lack any melancholy feelings about what I was doing when it came out. I was in a Metallica phase, and for that I will not apologise.
What can I say. Solid British 80s folk rock. I'm trying to think about what make me listen to this again. If have to be drunk for a start. Maybe if I travelled back in time to a wedding, in the late 80s or at that Irish pub I used to work at. If that ever happens I'll bust out this album as a soundtrack. 1h43m is a big commitment. I feel like 'Bang on the ear', a fun little Irish styled song about love and light physical violence, could have ended 3 minutes sooner. If you made this today it would be dealt published and available out of a suitcase at your local markets. 'Has anybody seen Hank?'. Three stars. Oh, you thought my review was finished? Like the album, we're only half way through. It's getting very traditional up in here. And now 'The stolen child' has an old man rambling over a flute and goes for seven minutes. Now I'm just listening to the first 30s of each track. Waterboys, you don't have to go home, but your can't stay here.
This album would be worth hearing if it was ~1/4 the length
I put this off because I figured I wouldn’t like it, and you know what? Good instinct. It was sort of meh at the beginning but by the end I wanted to be bludgeoned. (ntm.)
Mostly made me want to listen to The Pogues.
stellar great
All the songs kinda blended together.
Great folk music. Some of the songs where a little long for me. But overall loves this album. I could hear their influence in so many other bands I listen to.
My expectations couldn't be any lower: unremarkable cover, "blues" in the title. Then without noticing I'm swaying in the bed fully immersed in the music. Immaculate vibe in the first two songs. A lot going on in the instrumentals. I think I just like fiddles
I listened to this 2 days ago and forgot to rate it but it was cute
Folksy and fun, trad rock. Not exactly my jam, but I enjoyed it.
Folk. (I turned it) off. Not my thing.
A romp in an aran sweater. What a mess. But I still like it. I've always loved Bang on the Ear. It's stupid as stupid.
Quite nice
I really liked this one. Definitely worth listening to again.
Folk! Não é blues não...não gostei muito
Great folksy album. Long. Chill. Good background noise
Kind of a mix between DMB and Blues Traveler
The song about a bang on the ear wants me to bang out my ear. Not even to the second disc yet and I desperately want this album to be over. I really don't like this.
I’m okay with this album. This is in the same genre as the Cheiftans and I liked them better. I wouldn’t likely come back to this album.
Interesting musicality. I like some of it, but the album is very long. They seem to straddle too many genres and it doesn't work for me.
#256. Fiddlesy country folk. Not my most favorite, but I didn't hate it I guess. 3/5: ok Song added to playlist: Weird Will Not Be Lovers I've created a playlist on Spotify that consists of the best and/or my favorite song from each of the albums in this book. This list can be found here if you are interested: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7MAXDGLWlwLkFLb8veGfkA?si=FqkQQPgZTFWG0jAUJXLFZA&utm_source=copy-link
Nice pace of music never heard of them before but enjoy it
I found only one really good song here. The rest was very generic. Too bad since I thought that this could be a great record.
I really liked this album, but it was way too long, especially the last song. Fun music, though. Entertaining.
# Fisherman's Blues (1988) 3.5* Favorite songs: - Fisherman's Blues - Sweet Thing - Jimmy Hickey's Waltz ## "Fisherman's Blues" (Mike Scott, Steve Wickham) – 4:26 4* Catchy, love the violins/fiddles. Catchy bassline and vocals. ## "We Will Not Be Lovers" (Scott) – 7:03 3*. Similarly, very catchy with those fiddles and basslines. ## "Strange Boat" (Scott, Anthony Thistlethwaite) – 3:06 2*. Too slow and sappy for me. ## "World Party" (Scott, Trevor Hutchinson, Karl Wallinger) – 4:01 3*. High-energy with guitar, fiddles and piano. ## "Sweet Thing" (Van Morrison) – 7:14 4*. Love the mandolin and the drums on this. ## "Jimmy Hickey's Waltz" (Scott, Wickham, Thistlethwaite) – 2:06 4*. Catchy, love the violins. ## "And a Bang on the Ear" (Scott, Wickham, Thistlethwaite) – 9:14 4* toe-tapper with that accordion and violin. Bassline is solid. ## "Has Anybody Here Seen Hank?" (Scott) – 3:19 2*, Country sound, not my vibe. ## "When Will We Be Married?" (Traditional, adapted: Scott, Thistlethwaite) – 3:01 3*, good vibe ## "When Ye Go Away" (Scott) – 3:45 2*, countryish. ## "Dunford's Fancy" (Wickham) – 1:04 3*, pretty ## "The Stolen Child" (Words: W.B. Yeats, Music: Scott) – 6:55 3*, too sappy ## "This Land Is Your Land" (Woody Guthrie) – 0:56 2*, fun take on the song.
4-, te folkowe są całkiem fajne
I'm tired of listening to this album, it's exhausting from the first track, 1/5
Open the Door, hear the sound and a pint for free to all guest with Irish father and a scotch Mother. Tolles Album das einen gedanklich auf die britischen Inseln bringt. Man hört Folk ind Rockklänge die gut aufeinander abgestimmt sind. Great Songs are „And A Bang On The Ear“ and „Fisherman’s Blues“, „When We Will Be married“ (Tip) and the 2005 Bonus Track „Meet me at the Station“. will come back.
Ahoy mates!
Dylan, if he ate potatoes.
Very frontloaded album, with 3 to 4 powerful and insane tracks, but unfortunately, the more it goes, the weaker it gets. They have a nice sound overall, tho... So, 3 stars will do it.
It's pretty good folk rock album. But there's an awful lot of it at once.
Good album, but leans a little too much into the Irish folk sound for my taste.
I like it fine. There are 3-4 really good tracks. 3.75
Opening track is banging
While music like this isn't something I listen to, I distinctly remember family members listening to it when I was a kid. I think it's because of that, the album feels somewhat whimsical in a way to me, with instruments played for the joy of playing. Some tracks did feel like they blended together at places, but overall it was a fun listen.
Excellent! It would have been 4.5 I wish it was less darn long, but it was so good! Musicianship was great, and it made me happy to listen to such a happy bunch of songs. I liked how the drums sounded too.
Very serene
I really enjoyed this one! It got a bit long at the end with the extended edition, but... damn, it made me smile and feel, so it succeeded as a great thing I will return to!♥️
Weird thing in the late 80s through late 90s where Irish culture and bands had a huge impact here in the US. This would be included in that I am sure. Also, US country music is just Irish music but with steel guitar instead of horns. This wasn't a bad album by any stretch, it was enjoyable to listen to , the band sounds tight, and the singer has a decent voice. But my goodness it felt about an hour too long. And I just... nothing stuck with me. Not something I'd return to but wouldn't hate it if it came on again.
Meh. The ubiquitous violin gets tedious pretty quickly and as the album droned on I became more impatient for it to be over.
Ok
What a monster of an album.
Someone on here said they sound like a mix of Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen and I couldn’t agree more. They’re a tad original, have a lot of energy which really drives this project, and aren’t the worst writers either. There are some choices that show a desire to be experimental, though, as a whole, the album really isn’t. Overall, however, I’d say I definitely enjoyed this. 3/5
started liking it very much but it got a little longwinded
The first two tracks are amazing. I think The Waterboys are one of the reasons why a genre shift isn't always a terrible idea. Also, it has aged well since the 80s. Unfortunately, the overall greatness isn't always consistent throughout the album. At least "Fishermen's Blues" is better than I expected. 4 stars from me.
Liked it
This album is very nice when it leans on the Folk aspect of the music; it's not-so-good when it is just generative 80s music, and I say this as an 80s lover. Luckily, the latter songs are the minority. The Folk songs have it. 3/5
fisherman's blues
This is not normally something I would listen to. But I really enjoyed this.
This is supposed to be a departure in sound from The Waterboys’ previous albums (like the excellent This Is the Sea), but I don’t hear too much of a difference. Both are pretty solid folk rock with some clear punk influences.
I love Celtic music and bands that incorporate Celtic music into rock — The Young Dubliners, The Corrs, even U2 — all my jam. The first half of this album was really good. Good pop/rock music that incorporates fiddles and other elements of Celtic music. A little less punk than The Pogues and with a much better singer. I was digging it a lot. Then there's an abrupt shift about halfway through the album where it switches entirely to traditional Celtic standards. Still pretty good songs, but man, what a weird choice. I get why this album perplexed fans and critics at the time. Taken separately, the first and second halves are both really good. But they should have either mixed the tracks together or just picked one style. I'll give it a 4/5 because it was still a fun listen, but it's probably really a 3.5 because of the jarring change in style.
An interesting album of oceanic dirges.
A folk rock supergroup debut that is super.
Fun and well written arrangements. Kinda fell off during the latter half.
Always get nervous when I see Disc 1/Disc etc. but the opening/title track is SO GOOD. Disc 1 is easily a 5/5, second half loses me (2.5), so a 4/5 it gets
This is also the music of my people, but this album doesn’t have the Dubliners on it
Good bit of folk, I guess the Irish influence can be heard from me mostly through the violin bits (very good in the second track). Very Dylan-esque first track, interesting take on Blackbird too.
it's giving..... ireland? (even though they're from the UK i looked it up)
Really liked the first half. Not as much the second half. Therefore, 3 stars Standout songs: We will not be lovers World Party And a Bang on the Ear
I've heard of The Waterboys, but the only song of theirs that I'm familiar with is "The Whole Of The Moon" from the album that came out before this one (it's a badass jam, and The Killers covered it live, and that version kicks ass too). This album was a really pleasant surprise. The first half of the album was definitely better than the second half, but it was still great overall. The musical arrangements were beautiful, and I loved how the band was able to create an album that has a solid folk rock feel, but the album still has several hallmarks of music from the late eighties (ethereal backing vocals, sophisti-pop adjacent/art pop string and piano arrangements, and a few songs that were more in the vein of pop-rock). The lyrics were great, and I loved that the album ended with their brief cover of Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land." I loved the fiddle playing and other string arrangements throughout the album. Those elements really set this album apart from other art-pop-esque albums from the same period. All of the songs were really unique, but the album still felt very cohesive from start to finish. This was a fun surprise, and I'd probably revisit this album.
Good
Reminds me of Grateful dead! Super cool and loved the exploratory feel of the album. Never heard before.
Great album - some weird parts, but overall excellent.
Fisherman’s Blues” by The Waterboys was a delightful surprise. Initially hesitant due to past experiences with Celtic rock, notably The Pogues’ “If I Should Fall from Grace With God,” which felt forced and insincere, I found “Fisherman’s Blues” to be refreshingly authentic. Unlike The Pogues’ contrived attempts at creating Celtic pub anthems, The Waterboys’ album feels genuine, focusing on creating high-quality music rather than pandering to a specific pub atmosphere. While it’s undoubtedly suitable for a pub setting, it doesn’t try too hard to be rowdy pub music. Authentic Celtic music for the pub environment should naturally evoke that vibe, not force it.
Enjoyed it, went on a little too long tho
Wow! Fantastic soul, blues, rockabilly, and Irish music. This is a gem.
This is a weird one. The Irish/Scottish influence is very obvious - but where the Pogues and Dubliners had voices that came straight out of the pub this guy’s voice felt too clean. I would have appreciated it more if he had a rougher voice and the music had a less sanitized sound.
I've never heard this band or album before. It's a banger and I've thoroughly enjoyed it. This is the type of album I was hoping to discover from this list. Dig the music, dig the vocals, dig the Van Astral Weeks tune. Kick ass.
This was fine until "Has Anybody Here Seen Hank?" where they channeled one of the worst sounds - Bob Dylan.
fishing soundtrack pretty funny not exactly my vibe 3/5
I've been in some type of mood for this type of music lately. Definitely good for the occasional listen.
I enjoyed this. Not my usual but it had some great songs and I felt like I was at the renaissance festival
irlandzki nudny rock jak z polskiego radia
could i write poetry to this? n
Grandfather of the Sons of Mumford. This music makes me feel...nothing at all. I recognize it as instruments playing notes in rhythm, but it has the emotional weight of a feather. And it's double album?!? Gimme a break, already. Buncha generic, boring, Bob Dylan wannabes.
This is never not interesting. Kind of Celtic folk-psyche in places, unfortunately U2-esque in others, utterly mediocre and boring in its quieter moments. "It started up in Fife, it ended up in tears," are genius lyrics, "The Stolen Child" is awful and weird. Felt like it lasted forever.
Diddly dee
Fisherman's blues (the song) will always have a place in my heart. Bit of an eccentric album, but it has a lot of flesh to its bones.
I kinda loved this though I wasn't really expecting to. But holy dooley there's a lot going on, ended up being a bit of a yawn because of how long it was with some songs that were just unnecessary. favourites: "we will not be lovers" "sweet thing" "bang on the ear" skips: "this land is your land" "carolan's welcome" "let me feel holy again" "meet me at the station" "rattle my bones and shiver my soul" "soon as i get home"
Irish folk influence. Sounds like Dylan in parts.
cool
I enjoyed this album at first, but it did seem to drag on a bit. I did appreciate the blending of Celtic influences though it was not as striking as the Pogues. Nevertheless, this record was pleasant enough and was a nice calming listen.
I love the Waterboys. Have several of their songs in heavy rotation but not from this album
Enjoyed this and can hear the big influence it must have had on indie/folk rock that followed it, including Freightened Rabbit (my favorite Scottish folk rock band). Loved the Van Morrison cover. The violin makes everything sound more epic. 3.5 and rounding up.
It was not good. Very folksy. I finished it and did not skip any songs. Not sure how this was designated as "Rock." I will round down.
3.5
Very unique music; unlike anything I've ever heard before. The mix of rock, folk, and the twinge of sea shanty sounds make it a very fun listen. Some of the songs began to sound a bit same-y, but overall I enjoyed the album quite a bit and there were no songs that I could not listen to.
I was expecting to hate this. Like, come on, ugly green cover with the lamest dudes ever just standing there, probably some boring blues music, and it's an hour long? A recipe for disaster. So, I'm happy to report that I loved it. This is actually a really beautiful celtic folk album that brews a devious potion of farm music and Bilbo Baggins Shire "let's go on a quest"-ass music. It slaps. Even stayed for some of the bonus tracks. "Carolan's Welcome" specifically was incredible. Powerful shit. Gave me chills. Strong 4/5. Missed St. Patrick's Day by two weeks.
stuff that leans trad tends to lean away from dissonance and suffers for it. does an ok job of borrowing without disappearing into historical reenactment so I'll give it some credit.
For whatever reason, this sort of music never really speaks to me. Didn’t hate this, would have liked it more if it leaned a bit more towards traditional folk (maybe it’s the rock drums superimposed on folk music that makes it not speak to me). Also a bit tough to be a singer who sounds like he’s doing a Bob Dylan thing.
Interesting album. Not bad, not great.
the violin made it bearable
Not bad, all the songs sounded the same really
I actually quite like the title track. The rest of it is competently performed, but utterly uninspiring Oirish guff. So many skips that it met the threshold for giving up on it.
This really caught my attention. It is tagged as Folk Rock, and I suppose that fits. I’d be tempted to call it Americana, except it’s Irish. And a little more upbeat/rocking. And less stripped down in the sound. It reminds me a lot of a band Three O’Clock Train, and their 1987 album “Muscle In”. But that’s not helpful, since they’re pretty unknown. All that said: I really like this… a lot. Note: Spotify has a “collectors edition” with a whole second disc of material. I only listened to the original track list (disc 1 in Spotify).
Arrangements are fun at first, but wore by the end. Couple covers. Feels like I'd enjoy it more cherry picked for than as one big album experience entree.
I like it. It's a fun sound, bunch of songs I liked.
Best served in an Irish pub
Never heard this one before but I really liked it. I think this band and The Alarm and Big Country got lumped in as U2 wannabees but this album, by going back to their Celtic roots, certainly stands out as unique. Solid album.
Started out as a 4 with some surprisingly awesome songs that sound like they could have been recorded yesterday. Like, We Will Not Be Lovers killed. But a lot of the songs in the back half of the album were a bit *too* folky or dragged on compared to those in the first half. Still pleased that this was on the list though because I never would have heard it otherwise
This low key ripped. Love me some Irish influenced music. Ty list for giving this to me in March ☘️
Def never listened to this genre before... Irish rock? Some good songs for sure, but I agree with Dom that disc 2 dragggged on forever. Wudda been a 4 if it was only disc 1
Album Nr. 71 Guter, klassischer Rock.
Very pleasant to listen to
It was like..boring? But not in a bad way. Idk man
Joyful
Better than expected
Upbeat Irish rock that was okay to listen to
Album 348 of 1001 The Waterboys - Fisherman's Blues Rating : 3.5 / 5 A "mixture of traditional Irish music, traditional Scottish music, country music, and rock and roll." Another that is a fine album but nothing really leaves me wanting more. No doubt it is someone's favorite.
Irish Tom Petty 80’s vibe
As reductive as it is to compare them to The Pogues...the comparison isn't not warranted. And they're just simply not as good or entertaining. With that being said, I did enjoy the listen, particularly at the beginning. Favorite track: Fisherman's Blues
Irish fiddle pub music. It’s ok in small doses but a bit long
Damn this was pretty good! 1st listen 3.5/5
Ive got through disc 1. I don’t think I’ll continue on with disc 2 as it was all a bit samey and bland, with the exception of We Will Not Be Lovers which felt like it sneaked in from a much darker album.
See: previous notes about an Englishman editor overly fond of missable good-not-great records of his youth.
This was an interesting listen for sure
Well this was an odd one. When it's good it's really good, but that's broken by songs that are fairly meh. This album could have been cut dramatically, getting rid of all the filler, and been amazing.
This turned out to be a pretty decent album. A folk rock with a Scottish feel to it.
I mostly liked
Fun
A bit of a Celtic vibe (might actually be?) with some nice peppy songs sprinkled in. Was a particular fan of 'And a Bang on the Ear'!
this has some really good songs but a few forgettable songs. i really do think i have a thing for folk rock, it always sounds great in my eyes. i liked the instrumentals a lot, a lot going on in them. some songs dragged out a bit long but i had no issue with the songs themselves.
Wikipedia has explained to me why mid-album I was getting such strong Van Morrisson vibes. Overall, this rock album with traditional influences feels like it is neither rock nor traditional - tries to do too much and doesn't succeed at any for me.
The playlist for “The Waterboys Radio” includes The Rolling Stones, Crowded House, Big Country, Joe Jackson, and Elvis Costello. All bands and acts that I enjoy immensely more than I enjoyed this album. I think that’s interesting because I can absolutely hear where this album fits in with those groups. But this just didn’t grip me in quite the same way that similar artists have throughout my life.
overall...meh. there were some that i liked, i get it. i do love strings. its giving red dead redemption thats for sure
The Waterboys - Fisherman's Blues I enjoyed this one. Irish/rock/folk music. I understand that this album was a departure from their last album but hearing this one I think they were on the right path. 4/5
Funky folky rocky. Class album
Seen them a couple of times live which is much better than their albums. It's ok, nothing to get excited about but giving it a 3 simply because of the utter dross that's been inflicted on us lately.
Quite a good album, I found myself enjoying this a fair amount.
I thought I was going to dislike this a lot but found it super enjoyable. It lost me a little near the middle but overall Id say it's good
Some cool parts, but also some boring ones.
It was okay, but 2 hours on one album is a bit much.
a journey. blues to irish to trippy
This sounds like something Bilbo Baggins would enjoy. Not me, though.
Pretty good in parts
soooo lang
The original waterboys!
Very long. Not my kind of music kinda nice to listen to? The music had some good melodies, I don't know if I agree with the singing. I probably will not listen again.
there were four songs i really liked, and the rest was boring.
Loved this album, I felt like this inspired bands in America like Railroad Earth. Great blend of traditional music with rock elements
Mot terrible. It was kind of political.
Loved it!! I knew Fisherman’s blues of course but it was a great listen all the way through. Almost a five…
Loved this! Not sure I'd listen to disc 2 tracks much but the first half is fun.
God help anyone who rated this 5*
A really enjoyable album and I'm glad I've finally heard it. About 4 years after the release of this album I became a fan of The Levellers, and their influences can definitely be said to be the Pogues, Waterboys and the Clash. That's why this list works, I've now been much easier been able to pinpoint where my favourite bands got their sounds from.
Never heard of this one. Pretty enjoyable to listen to. Has Anybody Here Seen Hank sounds like a Bob Dylan song. The celtic-y songs with fiddle are nice.
I'm fish not fisherman
Oh boy, water album! The name may sound like a cough sweet, but it’s my ears that were soothed! I’ll definitely be listening again, but probably not to the somewhat problematic “And a Bang on the Ear”
The Waterboys are one John M’s favourites, so a bit of a nostalgia going here. Lovely bit of work, nice to hear a cover Sweet Thing which is one of my favourite songs. Shame it didn’t have Whole of the Moon on there, because that is a stone cold banger! Simpsons reference: No
Very nice album. Could imagine giving this an even higher rating if I listened more and got to know the tracks.
Wasn't bad, just really boring. Every song seem very similar. I really hope they find hank but I won't be helping them .
I’ve given this a few listens and each time I love it more and more. Just a joy to listen to
I fell in love with the mandolin with this album. Wish the mandolin was in more things. VOTE YES to have mandolins in EVERY song! 10/10
Long 6/10
Was pretty fun near the start but man does this thing drag on in terms of sounds and actual runtime. 6/10
This is simply fantastic. Great musicians making great tunes. I had to get used to the singers style but after I did I felt it complimented the music very well. The mandolin is such an underutilized instrument. The later half of the album slows down a bit and leans much more into the English Folk sound, lingering just a tad. Very solid album. 8/10
Fantastic album. Classic Irish-Folk-alternative from the 80’s
Tbh, I was not expecting to like this album or music. But I was pleasantly surprised and really enjoyed it! It felt sort of country, but without the country; maybe soft/light rock? Anyway, it felt good and was positive; reminded me a bit of O.A.R. Glad I came across this and look forward to more!
Enjoyed the album but didn’t wow me
Very nice
What a treat. An hour forty-five is way too long but I’m really loving the more traditional sounding stuff on disk two so I’m not sorry it’s there.
jeez it was a slog getting through this album
Something about Irish/Celtic music reaches a part of my soul - not sure if this is ancestral or just how a lot of people feel about Irish melodies. The best of this album were the more traditionally leaning songs, and the worst in my opinion were the generic poppy ones. I recognized a few 80’s hits here, but the ones I didn’t recognize were the true winners. Listened to “When Will We Be Married” quite a few times on Friday and it was stuck in my head all weekend. Kind of to the point of it burning out, but my, what a song! The Waterboys found a new fan this weekend; I really enjoyed this album. Four stars.
Honestly not a fan of indie/folk music. This one didnt make my ears bleed though. It has a good quality and I think is far better than a lot of the folk music I hear coming out recently but I still dont think its for me. Again, if I heard this live I think I would enjoy it much more. 2.5 stars
Lots of Van Morrison vibes in that shambolic, urgent way. The WB's are always floating around in the background and I've never done them the decency of listening to a range of their catalog, as I know it varies greatly. This is one that I may not get my groove on that often, but I appreciate the songwriting complexities along with its straightforward earnestness. And a Bang on the Ear hits me hard...maybe it just took 7 tracks in to get me warmed up?
Pleasantly surprised by this one.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
Not my thing. The more folks/traditional songs are the strongest, but very pots and pans type rock. A bit too artsy for me.
I didn't pay much attention to the lyrics, but the music was lovely. It's not my favorite rendition of Yeats' "The Stolen Child," though.
I used to listen to bands like The Waterboys, Silly Wizard and Planxty a lot in my youth. I'd forgotten just how much I enjoyed them all. Really enjoyed listening to them again.
There are lots of ways to look at music critically. One is to consider whether it is era specific or "dated." Or, if it stands the test of time and is more or less "ageless." The Waterboys sound like a band from the 70's to me, they give off that kind of vibe. It is surprising than, that this album was from the late 80's. Now it must be known that the Waterboys have among their catalog a couple of real gems. Overall I feel like they are a little too niche for me. I can't decide where to place them. I don't have the nastalgia mind to rave about their cult/ folk status, so they become one of those "yeah, they are Ok." bands.
Sounds like standard rock with a little bit of Irish fiddle. I suppose if it have been on the radio more it would’ve worked its way into the popular lexicon but it’s not interesting enough for me to come back to
ferli indzojabl
Typical fish story a lot bigger until you see it.
I've never heard of The Waterboys, but I will check them out! I love the Celtic sound.
What a pleasant surprise. I'll be listening to this a ton.
[[ I've been wondering what I was gonna do when a double album came up. Hope I can find the time to listen to the whole thing - 22 songs, 1 hour 42 minutes. ]] I have enjoyed some of these songs for years, especially FISHERMAN'S BLUES, which most people have likely heard. I'm embarrassed that I was unaware of the relationship between the Waterboys and World Party (Karl Wallinger), but listening and thinking about it, it makes perfect sense. A lot of the music feels like it was recorded live, as a full band, with spontaneous surprises allowed and kept on the final product - see SWEET THING, a Van Morrison tune "interrupted" by The Beatles ' BLACKBIRD. A BANG ON THE EAR is a terrific song. I was concerned about exactly what a “bang on the ear” meant - apparently, it's slang for “say hello to her for me”. This reminds me of The Pogues, but, while it's loosey-goosey and traditional-based, it's not as wild or drunken. THE STOLEN CHILD is wonderful. Includes spoken word and great instrumentation in a minor key. More violin than fiddle, if you know what I mean. Heartfelt. Best song on an excellent album. 'Come away, O human child To the waters and the wild With a faery hand in hand For the world's more full of weeping Than you can understand' Disc 2 including alternate versions of FISHERMAN'S BLUES and WHEN WILL WE BE MARRIED, both of which are very, very good. Final tune, SOON AS I GET HOME, is a 12-minute banger - where a typical R&R band would include a screaming lead guitar we find sax and fiddle battling it out. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ __________________________________ 🎧 LPs reviewed: 24 🎧 LPs left to review: 977 🎧 LPs I found great/relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 6 🎧 LPs I *might* include in my own list: 8 🎧 LPs I will certainly *not* include in mine: 7
vi kallar detta för indiefolk.. Brittisk indiefolk så att säga heh.. lite för många låtar nästan fumblattinn fumlade bag så att säga heh... men ändå så många bangers att man inte kan göra någonting. kan inte klaga för mycket när den här brickan spelas med fifflande och skitsång, matas med en silversked i halsen Jag tar gärna emot Jag accepterar det här är läckert fisherman blues
Aptly named, cohesive album. I loved the fiddle and shanty town sound. It is just too long.
The Waterboys - wow, rock and roll, country, quality, lyrics, arrangements, production quality, album layout - just enjoy the wholeness, sound and meaning.
Walmart Bruce Springsteen goes on for almost 2 hours. Dear God no.
Long album that gets a little too folky. Started strong though.
nah
A pleasant surprise. I really wasn’t sure what to make of this based on its description. But I really enjoyed it. Definitely top heavy, with the livelier, more up-tempo numbers coming in the first half. But still a good listen throughout. Very defined sound. You can tell they’d been at it for a while as a band (despite the ever changing lineup). Overall, a good time if you want a folk album reminiscent of Dylan in his prime.
Had no idea what to expect going in, so I just hit play and was immediately FLOORED by how good the first song was. Then the album continued on to be extremely good. This one is gonna spend some quality time in my ears.
Completely new to me and although I am not big on folk-rock this was a real treat. A lot of pulse, emotion and a live feel.
I thought I'd like this a lot less based off of name alone but this is a cool folk rock record. Reminds me of James but with more of a bluegrass/folk twang to it. Lots of good playing and there is an effortlessness to chemistry of the songs. This is like your favorite bar band that's played forever.
After reading the description, I wasn't too thrilled about this. Then the first half wasn't what I was expecting. Way more rock, less Celtic folk. The second half, however, was what I was expecting. I wasn't a fan of the second half.
Prva stvar masu podsjeća na war on drugs odnosno obrnuto😃
I was pleasantly surprised by this album
I love the raspy vocals. Almost a Pougues “love you til the end” vibe. 2nd track a real U2 meets the chieftains vibe. I wonder if this album had any influence on Flogging Molly?
I feel like such a broken record, but this is yet another one that I enjoyed enough, but can't see myself returning to often. They're obviously talented and make incredible music, it's just not MY thing. I was incredibly amazed at how they were able to combine the folksy/bluegrass sound with the very 80s, almost synth vibe. For current listeners of red dirt or more modern bluegrass music, I think this one could become a new old favorite, but not for me.
Too folky
El estilo es repetitivo, pero tiene buenas canciones en el lado A.
It's a pretty long album and when I first heard it as a young man, it did not hit as well as it did today. I really enjoyed the vast majority of it, except for the sort of whaling songs or whatever you call them. Great instrumentation, consistent timing, and appealing vocals throughout. Pretty timeless.
Non offensive, traditional music you'd find at a folk festival while trying to find the nearest bathroom. This grew tired quickly but then Sweet Thing came on and I was somewhat satisfied. Because Sweet Thing was different and I then I realized why ... because it wasn't a Waterboys song. It was a cover of Van Morrison (duh).
From the exclamations of “hoooo!” at the start of the opening title track, it was immediately clear that this album was going to be a pleasant surprise. It only got better with “We Will Not Be Lovers,” which never made me regret a bit of its seven minutes. There were a couple of missteps, as “And a Bang on the Ear” did drag on too long, and the country-western tinge of “Has Anybody Here Seen Hank?” didn’t fit with the traditional Irish and Scottish flavor and high energy of the rest of the album. Thankfully, an actual traditional song, “When Will We Be Married?” quickly brings back the violin. I’ve seen members of our group and on r/1001AlbumsGenerator on Reddit appreciate finding new favorites through the list, but ¾ of the way through I had been feeling that far too infrequently. Things I had no prior knowledge of too often seemed like duds. But The Waterboys broke through the mire. I checked out some of their songs from their previous album, reputed to be more rock-oriented, and found several great tracks. Pretty interesting to see them come up in the same setting as U2 only to diverge in a different direction. The missteps in the middle of the album might make this a 4-star album, but I’ve got to give it a 5-star review.
I was pleasantly surprised by this album, an album by a British/Irish band from the 80s that I had never heard of (dammit1001 albums, just when I was starting to give up on your over representation of British bands that never made it across the pond, now I can't quit you)! The mix of traditional Irish music with rock made this album sound like it could have been plucked from the late 2000s/early 2010s indie folk revival and I am here for it. From the Wikipedia article, this album may have represented a departure from a bigger 80s rock sound but I will be checking out more of their catalogue to see if I can find more like this.
ugh i cannot stand this shit
Loved this in the late 90s.
Haven’t heard of this, Rock album from 1988 - almost sounds a bit Country-ish. Not bad straight away. Didn’t really enjoy after a while, not bad but was a bit grating.
They have a calm and pleasing sound and hadn’t heard of them before
Someone gave me a Waterboys album once and I was a bit confused as to why. However, surprisingly I LOVED the first few songs on this, they have this very late 80s vibe that feels very nostalgic for me. Definitely going on my playlist. Also enjoy the Mike Scott's shortened 'whoo-' vocal tic.
Nice Album...
Would have never listened without this list. Great album up to a point
Really hard to know what to think of that. It was ok. Worth a 3 until that last track, which was really really tedious. So down to 2 it goes.
01) Fisherman's Blues - 10,0 02) We Will Not Be Lovers - 8,0 03) Strange Boat - 8,0 04) World Party - 7,5 05) Sweet Girl - 7,5 06) Jimmy Hickey's Waltz - 8,0 07) And a Bang on the Ear - 8,5 08) Has Anybody Here Seen Hank? - 7,5 09) When Will We Be Married? - 7,0 10) When Ye Go Away - 7,5 11) Dunford's Fancy - 6,0 12) The Stolen Child - 8,0 13) This Land Is Your Land - 6,0 TOTAL: 7,65 (77/100) I love track #1 "Fisherman's Blues". The rest of the album is also good, very pleasant listening, unlike some albums on this list :-)
So I enjoyed it. But everything can't be a 4.
4.5, really surprised me, only issue is some songs carry on a bit too long
It was fine background music. 2/5
I do love some Irish fiddle, but I felt like most of the actual songwriting here was not interesting, and there were several songs that were longer than their worth. But it was enjoyable at times so I’m a bit torn between 2 and 3 Favorite was probably stolen child, I actually liked the mood on that one
The kind of thing I'd really enjoy live but probably wouldn't take home with me if you catch my meaning.
Lots of fun!
4.9 - I love this album, listened to it loads already
Fisherman's Blues - enjoyable. I love the way We Will Not Be Lovers starts - this instrumentation combo is super cool, strings and drums, bass. This is the sort of music Bruce Springsteen would've made if he was Irish. That song was really great. Strange Boat a bit of a comedown afterwards. World Party piano almost gives me Steely Dan vibes. Hmm then goes in a very 80s direction I'm not such a fan of. Sweet Thing, Jimmy Hickey's Waltz, And a Bang on the Ear all sort of just passed me by. I really like the start of this album, but it kinda fades away and drags for me. I could give or take most of the second half. Fave Track: We Will Not Be Lovers 3.6/5
Sounds like the band that would be playing at a divey Irish bar. Ok but songs are too long and album begins to get a bit boring. Kind of meh
tiene violin 🦋
I really really wanted to like this. I've listened to a bunch of Celtic folk inspired punk rock. I guess I was expecting it to be more like that? Some decent tracks but mostly mediocre.
Solid, not my favorite. Not super bluesy
Love this album. Love Irish music. Good mix of rock. Not too heavy. Very folk.
Man this was a bop for how long it was
Loved it! Steeped in Irish influence and full of life. The album was super long and definitely could have benefited from being shorter, though.
A good album, it was nice to listen to while commuting to and from work. I especially like When Will We Be Married.
Much more melodic than what I was expecting, really ended up liking this one! I was worried when I saw 9-minute songs but nothing felt overlong.