Fisherman's Blues

Mencanta.

I don't think music like this is really for me. That being said, it was alright. There were a few pretty good songs on here. But this sound gets a bit old after 13 songs. My favourite songs were We Will Not Be Lovers and World Party.

Decent Irish music. Way too long, a 12 minute finale? Not necessary.

ah, how much do i love this album... let me count the ways. I remember saving up my pocket money and buying the tape in Golden Discs on Grafton Street after seeing them on TOTP.

Ok

I was not expecting to like this at all. However, after listening, it was pretty good. It kinda sounds like Dave Matthews Band mixed with mid-70s era Bob Dylan, with some Irish/Celtic influences mixed in. I think the first side of the record is by far the strongest side. It does get a bit meandering towards the end. Overall, a fun listen.

Ooh I really like this! There are a number of Dylanesque songs (“Fisherman’s Blues,” “Strange Boat”) and a few that remind me of U2. They incorporate elements of Celtic folk into their music but it feels fully integrated into the rock sound, at least on the early tracks. Like “We Will Not Be Lovers,” which has this surging drama led by the strings. It’s got that folky influence but with a stadium rock energy! (Later songs dive fully into Celtic folk and I enjoyed those too.) I dig the Van Morrison cover “Sweet Thing,” which also throws in Beatles lyrics from “Blackbird”! Highlights: “Fisherman’s Blues,” “We Will Not Be Lovers,” “World Party,” “When Will We Be Married”

Some of these albums are so susprising to me in many ways, and one of those facets that continues to surprise me is in the play counts. On this record, the first track has 37 million plays (per Spotify). All of the remaining ~20 or so tracks combined don't even come close to that. It makes me wonder if people bought this album, put it on, and then didn't get too far past the first track in both a positive and negative way? Like they enjoyed the track SO much that it was the sole reason for them coming back to re-playing the album, and/or the rest of the album doesn't even come close to comparing to track 1? Other then that not a ton stood out to me. I wonder if this is a cultural folk album that people love? Almost like "Come on Eileen"? I thought the singer had a pretty nice voice but at times it was a little cheesy for me. The drummer had some nice moments as well. Overall I think this might be one of the more forgetful ones on the list for me. Might have caught me at the wrong time / listening mood.

I didn't have time to listen much, but from what I heard, this is why this website exists! Awesome music that I would never have heard otherwise!

I used to play this album a lot back in the day. It still pretty much stands up to the test of time.

Wow! Fun.... Lucero meets Bob Mould?

Like if Bob Dylan was born on the Titanic and also interesting.

pretty good eclectic sound. I enjoyed it.

круто, что слышно этнические мотивы - что-то от ирландских баллад (группа ирландская, собственно) любимое: stolen child

Nice enough, might listen again

I don't like fishermen (long story). I don't like the blues (shorter story - trigger for disproportionate melancholy). Back in the day when a written review could be (and very often, had to be) enough information to buy an album on, Q really pushed The Waterboys, World Party and Karl Wallinger. (Incidentally, I just acquired a complete set of Q, 1-100. Still trying to figure out what to do with them next. Watch this space). However, the only places outside Berwick St where I brought records were blissfully aware of the existence of the Anointed One. And the dirty look I got from one of the guys at Reckless Records discouraged me permanently. Fortunate, that. Everyone likes The Whole of the Moon. Everyone who has heard it lies Glastonbury Song. Neither are on this rustic, heartfelt, but thoroughly unmoving collection of authentic folk-pop songs. And, truth be told, I doubt it'll do anything for an outsider coming to it cold.

too long

Folk influences are really strong on this record and the final result is a quite good album of the late 80s but not so ambitious.

Rating: 9/10 Best songs: Fisherman’s blues, We will not be lovers, Strange boat, World party, And a bang on the ear, When will we be married, The stolen child

Favourite track(s): Has Anybody Here Seen Hank So this is my introduction into British / Irish Folk. Sadly, the songs seem to be new compositions rather than songs sang at the campfire for centuries. The fiddle does also annoy at times. Most of the tracks seem somewhat forgettable and I just don't like double albums, unless they tell two different stories (which this does not).

Not every song on this album really takes me. But the way Mike Scott is into the music takes me always.

A very enjoyable folk rock album! In particular, it nails a particular aspect bands in this genre frequently get wrong - not sounding to samey. The consistent quality in their musical variety also hints toward a somewhat rare skill that is confirmed by the Wiki article: they wrote a whole lot of material and then managed to separate the highest quality ones from the chaff so that every track adds to the album. This is confirmed by listening into the bonus disc - definitely not on par with the album material.

easy to listen to, good background music. Probably 3 or 4 stars

Dave Matthews Band but good.

Good music but such a long album

Not bad, bluegrass\folk not really my jam. "This is the Sea" ,1985 album that youtube fed me next, I like better.

This album don't look interesting at first view, but listening to this will let you enjoy what the folk and rock were at first, however two or three song were kinda boring and that's ok, because it starts and finishes with great songs.

Excellent

Favourite song: We Will Not Be Lovers One for the karaoke: The Stolen Child (be so funny to see people’s faces) One for the car: World Party Felt like I was in the Shire for half of it.

I'd like to hear Bobby Boucher do some vocals but he won't because MUSIC IS THE DEVIL BOBBEH. Contains an unexpected cameo from Willem Dafoe as Thomas Wake from The Lighthouse on the track The Stolen Child. Favourite song - When ye go away Sing in the shower - Fisherman's blues One for a swim - And a bang on the ear

Favourite Song - We Will Not be Lovers/The Stolen Child One for Karaoke- Fisherman’s Blues One for a run - We Will Not be Lovers

Interesting listen. It combined Irish folk and modern rock. The album was released in the 80s but sounded very 90s.

wOw, DaS IsT Ja mAl eChT NeTt. UnD So iNnOvAtIv uNd iNtErEsSaNt!

I don't know, on paper celtic rock should be something perfect for me, but most of the tracks left me quite indifferent. Anyway, the ones that didn't are very good.

Not gonna lie, couldn’t get through this one all the way. It was nice for a little while but I’ve had my fill.

First album generated I had never heard of before. Great bass lines and some cool mandolin bits, but a few tracks have that really maximal 80s vibe where everything is right on the edge of being overproduced. Some of these songs are absolute bangers but others get a little too jammy (you really have to convince me a song should be over 5 minutes and I’m not sold here). Overall, really unique sound, glad I gave it a listen.

Liked it but was a a little monotonous

A very interesting album. I like the style of music but it was just too long for my liking.

Great album.

The blend of 80s music with traditional Celtic sounds and instruments is well done. Really fun listen.

Jújú, þetta er fínt, fagmannlega unnið og áheyrilegt. En þetta grípur mig svo sem ekki mjög fast, nema titillagið, það nær mér. Þrjár stjörnur og næsta plata.

This was a good listen nice blend of the Celtic in it.

Heard it before?: No Enjoy it? Yes, I definitely will be visiting this one again at some point (disclaimer: I only listened to the original track listing on the collectors addition as it bugs me for some reason when only special editions of albums are what you can find for streaming so I won’t consider the whole thing unless I came back to it in the future) Favourite song: Track 1 - Fisherman’s Blues

I was hoping for something more interesting when I first read the description of this album. Despite its Irish and Scottish influences, much of this album sounded like generic, forgettable radio rock to me. The portions that weren't as generic were better but still not great. The lyrics and music were fine and nothing I need to hear again.

This was a pretty good one. I see that there were quite a few musicians who contributed to this album. There was a mix of Irish, Scottish, country, folk, and Rock and Roll. I think the diversity is what drew me in here. One of my favorites was "And a Bang on the Ear." I learned something new about the Irish vernacular with this song.

had its moments, overall not a fan of the style or voice. Lyrics didn’t really Impact at all

Sweet Thing has an extended hommage to Blackbird. An okay folk album, not really my scene but totally fine.

Had some bangers in it but overall wasn’t my vibe.

Liked the first few tracks and the last few tracks but got bored in the middle (I'm not very good with long albums oops)

pretty catchy, but gets repetitive towards the end.

Ok one good tune

Like it. Very listenable.

Too much fiddle for me or should i say fiddling hehe

Listened to te Collectors Edition a few times today, but will give a vote for the original album from 1988, which I had listened to a lot in the past: one of the best albums of The Waterboys and a clear 5* album. The Waterboys should appear a few more times in the list - again an example of a band whose music was more than the sum of its parts (also illustrated by the extra songs on the Collectors Edition, which are great too).

A bit of a mixed bag for me, this. I quite like the more folky songs, but would appreciate it much more in a live setting.

For me, being a Waterboys fan since my teens and comparing this album to The Waterboys, A Pagan Place and This is the sea (which are all stunning) Fisherman’s Blues is areal let down. I find the change immense and too much for me! It’s ok, is all I can say really.

"well it's got nothing to do with anything that is real" a lot of empty love songs, the music isn't bad tho

Just couldn't get into this.

In the context of music history it’s nowt special, but in the context of what’s come up on the list so far it’s a breath of fresh Celtic air, and I rather enjoyed it. Like one long barn dance. 3.5

Fisherman's Blues marked a change of The Waterboys, as the started pulling from their cultural roots to make more Celtic music than standard arena rock. In a way, though, it still sounds like the same brand of arena rock that U2 was producing. It's a shame because I don't care for arena rock at all. Arena rock has a way of feeling disconnected and empty for my liking. Relying too much on reverb and deferring to boring songwriting makes for boring music, no matter how much Celtic inspiration you sprinkle in. Some of the few bright spots on this album are Jimmy Hickey's Waltz and When Will We Be Married?, which are whimsical Celtic folk tunes that I genuinely enjoyed despite it seeming out of place in between the arena rock. Truthfully, most of the songs on the b-side are worth your time, more than side a anyway. Perhaps overly long and marred by the arena rock that they're so familiar with, but Fisherman's Blues isn't all bad. I am, perhaps, biased towards the Celtic folk given my own heritage. Regardless, I don't see myself going back to the Waterboys anytime soon.

First song was very good. The rest was decent.

Some nice influences but not the strongest.

I liked the title track on this, but not much afterwards tbh other than Sweet Thing. 2/5. I like the type of music that this almost is, when it has a bit more energy like Dropkick Murphys or a bit more soul like the Pogues, but this doesn't quite reach the heights of either except in the odd place.

This was a really distinctive sound that stood out in the sea of late 80s post punk and proto alternative. It's warm, earthy, nuanced music with a strong pop sensibility, but also a lovely traditional vibe. The album is a little on the long side and could have benefitted from dropping a couple of songs. Fave Songs: We Will Not Be Lovers, Fisherman's Blues, Strange Boat, Sweet Thing, And a Bang on the Ear, When Will We Be Married?

4.5 stars! Jam band, good sound, lots of interesting sounds.

Amazing set of tracks and wonderful combination of folks, blues, and "big music" rock. I might actually have to check their other stuff more.

I remember this album from when it was released back at the fag end of the 80s. I love Fisherman’s Blues, the song, in particular and had always rather dismissed the rest but on a play through all these years later (2022) it really stands up. I’m not a huge fan of the cover of Sweet Thing, but that’s in part because the original is one of my all time favourite songs. Surprised by how much I enjoyed this.

Fisherman's Blues shall be in consideration for one of the all time greatest albums of the 1980s. Apparently it is also one of the best artistic reinventions for a band, given that The Waterboys were a full on rocking band. That fully rocking band still exists, it is now welding Irish jigs and poets as opposed to what came before. One will soon find themselves swayed by the passion and creativity that possessed the band on its quest to create this masterpiece. Favorites: Fisherman's Blues, We Will Not Be Lovers, Strange Boat, Sweet Thing, And a Bang on the Ear, When Will We Get Married, The Stolen Child, Killing My Heart, You in the Sky, Rattle My Bones and Shiver My Soul, Let Me Feel Holy Again, Meet Me at the Station, Soon as I Get Home.

God, I love The Waterboys. But not like this... You can sense their greatness on 'We Will Not Be Lovers', which is an excellent track not at all suited for this album, until they smacked a fiddle on top of it. Speaking of which, I am still not friends with that instrument. Then you have other highlights like the title track and a great Van Morrison/Beatles cover on 'Sweet Thing'. Overall they are still at the top of their game when they lean into the grandiose or their Irish and Scottish roots as on 'The Stolen Child'. Then you also have 'Jimmy Hickey's Waltz'. Just, why? And can we please stop it with albums ending on a shitty cover song? Thank you.

Unbelievably strong start. As in I genuinely don’t believe how great the first half is! With more than 100 songs recorded during this session and a runtime of more than 50 minutes, I don’t understand the inclusion of the Jimmy Hickey’s Waltz. A filler on an album that most certainly don’t need fillers. Steve Wickham’s violin proves to be the secret weapon on a record that is already loaded with great musicians. Blown away! Best: We Will Not Be Lovers / World Party / Sweet Thing / The Stolen Child Worst: Jimmy Hickey’s Waltz

8/10 there was some fun stuff in there not good enough to give it five stars but I still enjoyed it too european, idk I don’t hate that irish/celtic stuff, it just sounds like a gimmick to me like some kinda bit that gets annoying after a little bit and fuck bro, I’m part irish, it’s still kind of annoying still mostly enjoyable

Really enjoying their cover of "Sweet Thing"

Their version of "Sweet Thing" featuring snippets of "Blackbird" by The Beatles is splendid. Needs more of that magic. Everything else sounds like outtakes from that scene in Titanic when Rose and Jack do an Irish Jig with members of the Third Class before having uncomfortable sex in a car.

Pretty good, liked We Will not be lovers

Is this Irish Arcade Fire?

i didn’t absolutely hate it, much to my shock. i didn’t enjoy the singing because it was a little bothersome but i did enjoy the music. 3.5/5.

I went in cold on this one which I like. I remembered one song by the band, I'd thought, but I definitely recall and really liked the first/title track. I'm thinking this is going to be a highly enjoyable Irish inflected album. but...it kinda all blends together for me. Frankly, by the second (long/repetitive) song I was getting real tired. ok to be fair, there are some really nice moments and although it still has that 80s sheen it does sound very nice. I just got back from Ireland so there's a little nostalgia still in me which may make me a little more generous with this... I'm sure I wouldn't reach for the album as overall I find it fairly milquetoast but then again it's not likely to be offensive in any setting. that's a real non committal review right there.... 5/10 3 stars.

Not much else going on after the singles

I actually enjoyed this a bit. Had never heard of The Waterboys. A bit uneven, but I liked the longer, more driving tracks the most.

2.5/5

How is this sub pub folk crap in the top 1001 albums you must listen to before you die? Are you supposed to put it on immediately before the death, so that the death is a welcome relief? It's the aural equivalent of that wee you do when you're dehydrated. It's 100 minutes long. None of the tracks are the tolerable Whole of the Moon. 270 albums in, this is the first time I've given up on one before the end. Unless the second disc pivots to drum and bass, I'm well aware that it will sound like the Waterboys. Honestly, whoever fought for this to be included should be nowhere near music.

🟩 77 🥇 We Will not Be Lovers 🥈 The Stolen Child 🥉 And a bang on the ear

He sings with the strained anguish of a man with terrible hemorrhoids.

a bang on the ear all right

Never heard of this band before, but I love me some Celtic inspired rock.

I like this, nice sounds. Very pleasant, good energy.

Not to bad. Great Irish band.

Interesting album. I had never listened Waterboys before. It is a good music to listen.

I don't mind the waterboys and there is a lot to like here, bit have to admit to getting a little bored and checking out before the end of what is a very long album

Decent enough but nothing I would put on repeat

beautiful. 10/10 mystisch, feenhaft, gibt ein feeling für den kommenden sommer. hat mich sehr bewegt.

Pleasant music for background listening. My love for Fisherman's Blues (from the Waking Ned Devine soundtrack) and the interesting cover of Van Morrison's "Sweet Thing" combined with that pleasantness is enough for me to bump it up to three stars, although the collector's edition of this album makes it a bit too long.

Other than being way too long I actually did enjoy this album. I'll probably never go back to it but it was good background music while working.

This was a nice album but after about halfway through I got tired of the musical sound. I would listen to this band again, I’m just not sure I’d seek out listening to it.

I have a soft spot for violin in music like this, super good. Not a fan of the shout singing, but that's par for the course with Irish rock. Not much variety here though.

I'm not gonna lie, this album sucked. it had all the grandiose overblown rock sound of U2 combined with the worst parts of folk music. Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, there was a slow sappy country song.

The first few tracks on this album are fantastic, passionate and memorable, though it doesn't hold up through out. This band continues to create, and after this listen, I feel they definitely deserve a deeper exploration.

I love this album. Side 1 is by far the best moment of The Waterboys career. From the epic opening track to the dissonant fiddle that dominates We Will Not Be Lovers, to the beautiful accoustic turn of Strange Boat, the start of this album is as good as it gets. The band then rocks out with danceable World Party and closes side one with a gorgeous take on the Van Morrison classic Sweet Thing. Unfortunately side 2 pales in comparison (how could it not?) With the only standout track being And a Bang on the Ear. The underwhelming second half keeps this from being a 5 🌟 classic. 4.5 🌟

Brand new listen. Reminded me of the Pouges

This takes me back, I remember listening to this in the late 80's and it helped expand my musical interests beyond pop, rock and punk. Musically interesting, with tracks that were accessible to (younger) listeners outside the folk, Celtic, Irish genre. Today, it still holds up okay, but it's a little more traditional than I remember.

Jesus that's a of of fiddle.

Favorite track: We Will Not Be Lovers.

Like the folks stuff and the opening track was very promising. The clean production takes away a lot however. Ok. Fun.

dips into mid tempo country on 'Killing My Heart' (sounding like Barry Walsh!), lilting Irish folk on 'Carolan's Welcome', jig music on 'When Will We Be Married'. I especially enjoyed the title track 'Fisherman's Blues' (featuring great vocals tin whistle, fiddle, mandolin etc)) and this was the standout. Overall, not bad if inconsistent.

Pah

Pogues were better so why bother with this?

Wiffly piffly rinkerty tink

This version of the album (on Spotify) was far too long. I couldn't figure out what the original track listing was; the book says 12, Wikipedia says 13 - which would be fine, but still felt longer than it needed to be. This album sounded like it belonged more in the late 70s rather than a decade later. Maybe it's a response for The Waterboys wanting to escape the city and get back to simpler times, a rural retreat - still at times you can hear the urban chaos trying to resurface.

I have a great deal of love for this album. The Irish folk rock sound so authentic compared the previous pomp. The voice, the lilt, th concept. Those violins. Its irresistibly happy in its approach. Mike Scott knows instinctively when its ok for a sing to run for 6/7 minutes. Yeah there are a couple of fillers but it gets away with it.

It feels kind of like an Irish country album. A lot of the songs go on a good minute too long. Kind of dragged, you know? So, probably not going to come back to it because of that.

I quite liked it. But given the albums I just rated a 4 recently, I didn't know if I could go there with this one. Cool Celtic folk rock sound; at times it sounded like a precursor to bands like Dave Matthews (e.g., on We Will Not Be Lovers) or an homage to Van Morrison (no, not Sweet Thing but Strange Boat). I really enjoyed the first 5 songs and its mix of harder fuller sound (e.g., World Party) or a softer feel (e.g., Sweet Thing). After that it was more forgettable except for And a Bang on the Ear and When Will we be Married? I think I really enjoy violin rock. For sure a 3.5, I feel a bit bad for rounding down.

ewwww folk rock no thank you

A truly lovely album, of which I am very fond. Sort of an Irish Basement Tapes.

den första låten är kanon. kanske den andra också. sen är det inte så bra längre så långt jag orkat lyssna iaf.

British isle folk rock... At times it felt like a UK version of Stringsteen, just not nearly as good. Then there were the flutes.

Kinda folk rock. Good music. Violins. Cover of sweet thing van morrison.

If this album was totally crap except for We Will Not Be Lovers, probably the best breakup song I've ever heard and a couple of decades ahead of its time, it would still be a 3 star. The rest of the album isn't totally crap.

Nothing fancy, but an easy listen. "When Will We Be Married" and the title track were the standouts.

A mixed bag and a bit indulgent but good

Not anything that I'd likely play again, honestly. I did like some of the songs styled in a traditional Celtic way with their instrumentation, but beyond that, not a fit for me. The songs I did like were Fisherman's Blues, We Will Not Be Lovers, World Party, Sweet Thing, and When Ye Go Away.

Dylan meets Dave Matthews

Interesting, eclectic collection of songs mainly based in the style of Celtic folk. Lots of cool instruments used, but I found the arrangements of each song to mostly be underwhelming. I'm glad I listened to discover but not a whole lot more. Fave tracks: World Party, Has Anybody Seen Hank?

This was nice. Honestly don't have a lot to say... I enjoyed my listen, some good folk music done well. Didn't love it, didn't hate it, just a straight shooter. Strong U2 vibes coming from We Will Not Be Lovers, enjoyed the inclusion of a few lines of Blackbird in Sweet Thing. Had to dig a bit to find a version with the original track listing, ended up on a youtube playlist. Then I went through the extra tracks afterwards. Fav tracks: Fisherman's Blues, Sweet Thing, When Will We Be Married

I enjoy Celtic music so this was a nice surprise of music I was not already familiar with

This guy is definitely Irish

Lo tengo en vinilo, como disco me parece el mejor de los Waterboys (aunque el anterior tiene su mejor canción). y creo que este si es de los que merece la pena. Me gustan casi todas las canciones desde "Fisherman's Blues", "We Will Not Be Lovers", "World Party", "Sweet Thing", "And a Bang on the Ear", "When Will We Be Married?", "The Stolen Child"y "This Land Is Your Land". Creo que este disco sirve para entender la popularización de la música irlandesa tradicional como algo Pop que se puede escuchar y disfrutar en cualquier parte del mundo.

Love the folksy feel and Irish sounds. Like a Bob Dylan that can sing.

Folk rock. Me ha gustado. Vinilo.

2.6 - This record reminds me of a pack of bourbon flavored gummy bears I was once gifted. I like bourbon on its own and gummy bears on their own as well. Merging the two, though it might seem like a good idea, proved underwhelming. Similarly, this album is an underwhelming combo of Irish/Scottish folk and adult contemporary rock. Listening to it seems utterly pointless to me. The only place I could ever imagine hearing this would be at an Irish pub or a St. Paddy’s day parade or an Irish pride event or some other Irish-themed venue. “Sweet Thing” is one cool track - the fiddle actually works on this and doesn’t feel like a distraction as it does for much of the rest.

A glorious Celt Folk inspired Rock record, full of joy and energy, love stories and bucolic imagery. Mike Scott has got something truly magical going on here.

Eh, not bad, but peaked with the first song.

Started strong, ended extremely weak. Forgettable is the word I would use to describe this album best

not bad

Nice Irish album, fun folk sound

A band i've heard of but never actually listened to apart from the hits but this sounds pretty fresh even after 37 years. Well produced with catchy and lively tunes and a fair bit of variation. Echoes of Van Morrison at times but I think they'd be great in concert- everyone dancing around with drinks held aloft.

I honestly don't know how I've gone 30 years in this earth without hearing this album. Love the fusion of folk and rock. It's awesome.

3.75

I've obviously heard of The Waterboys and am familiar with a number of their bits from the eighties, but I hadn't listened to an album all the way through before. A nice mix of folk and rock with some familiar songs but nothing really special.

Happy St Patty’s Day

This album screams Boston. A lot of energy even in the slower songs. Favorite song - Fisherman's Blues

Ray Donovan did this

Tuneful but a bit of a cliche

þetta er insane plata

7/10 Best song - Fisherman’s Blues

It was fine

I really enjoyed this

Good vibes

“The album marked a change in the band's sound, with them abandoning their earlier grandiose rock sound for a mixture of traditional Irish music, traditional Scottish music, country music, and rock and roll.”

I loved the start and got lukewarm towards the end. Still overall enjoyable with many added to my liked list

Dunford Wave the tides beyond the sea. It’s a more folk album than it seems, you can bring 3 records before that, all summed up, mix everything in this one piece. Unfortunately this is the only Waterboys record on the list, it really makes wonder what’s come before and after the flood. C

A good laugh and some good tunes.

This is such a good record, haunting and lilting. I love the energy of and playing on the uptempo numbers and the poetry and quietude of the ballads and pausier tunes. It starts on such a high that there’s an inevitable dip on the backside but such a labor of love is a great listen.

One of the better Irish albums

Not awful but really not for me

A bit disappointing for such a well regarded album. I prefer the first half, I'm not so keen on the Celtic folk of the second half. It is well created even if I don't like it much. Low 3 out of 5

Really great celtic pub rock vibes, little bit of U2 coming through, maybe a few tracks too many, but the highs are very high- 2nd track in particular

Good vibes, energy and authenticity

Not a lot to either like or dislike about this. Totally safe. More fun to be had with a cardboard box. Average as they come this stuff.

Really unique great vocals, this could only be the Waterboys. Mike Scott from Edinburgh but he now lives in Dublin. Folky, sounds mid Atlantic somewhere between Ireland & America this was released in 1988 U2 Joshua Tree period. It’s really warm uplifting music violins, harmonica and bonhomie. The singer’s voice creates an atmosphere of uplifting energy and togetherness, I love the Waterboys when I hear them in pubs. It’s a bit middle of the road for me after a while though. I think the rhythm section is weak. I think I prefer side 2 actually some great stuff hidden away there.

Better than average, love the folk infuence

The songs are great but they seem a little to stretched out and repetitive.

Way better than anticipated. It’s like DMB, mid-70’s Dylan and the Decemberists all had some sort of Celtic love child. I wasn’t sure what to expect here, but I was blown away. Really enjoyed this one, have already revisited.

I love this album. Side 1 is by far the best moment of The Waterboys career. From the epic opening track to the dissonant fiddle that dominates We Will Not Be Lovers, to the beautiful accoustic turn of Strange Boat, the start of this album is as good as it gets. The band then rocks out with danceable World Party and closes side one with a gorgeous take on the Van Morrison classic Sweet Thing. Unfortunately side 2 pales in comparison (how could it not?) With the only standout track being And a Bang on the Ear. The underwhelming second half keeps this from being a 5 🌟 classic. 4.5 🌟

Pretty good background music, nothing extraordinary. 3?

Something new and a very different style of music for me. I feel the album starts off really strong especially the first 4/5 songs, but towards the end I feel the quality decreases and I started to lose interest. "Fisherman's Blues" and "Sweet Thing" my favourite songs on the album

If the Waterboys were playing a live show in a pub and I was walking by, I'd pay the cover, grab a pint and take in the ambience. A Celtic-rock jam band. Seems a bit obscure to me, but it's a fine thing to have on in the background.

This was surprisingly great, really reminded me of early dropkick murphys

I got the most of this album after like half an hour, did not need to be 2 hours long. Perfectly fine 80s bluegrass type stuff tho

De pronto agradablemente sorprendente, de pronto demasiado largo y experimental. Bueno, al final

Op zich wel leuke muziek. Viool-geluid is wel apart. Prima te luisteren maar niet iets wat ik snel bij mijn favorieten zou zetten. ***

Meh

Aight 2

Inma sucker for that Irish sound

Top album, echt van genoten

Having listened to American folk/traditional for a period of time, and going into this album rather blindly, the sounds and rhythm of The Waterboys on Fisherman's Blues was a delightful callback to that, although with remarkable differences that begs the question of why Fisherman's Blues provoked such connection to begin with. Playing the fiddle, in particular, might be that. Fisherman's Blues, as an introduction to The Waterboys will not necessarily say "Here's a Scottish folk band" but as their success here in the US varied vs. their success in the UK, the album is good enough to stoke curiosity. If folk is the flavor of the day, Fisherman's Blues is not a disappointing addition to that rotation and would in this instance be a worthwhile start of a foray into The Waterboys catalog as a whole.

-"Fisherman's Blues" be like a bluegrass country jam -"We Will Not Be Lovers" has some of the thickest country-bluegrass sound I have ever heard. Some bass thing is absolutely chugging and the violin is flying -"World Party" has got some jamming and a grooving bass as well -"Blackbird" references in "Sweet Thing" -"And a Bang on the Ear" and "When Will We Be Married" were catchy enough -Pretty strong, but kind of died out in the second half of the album

Some really good tracks

Interesting folk album

I mean...I enjoyed it but probably wouldn't revisit. Variety of genre was nice, and I will say it's a good album to relax to. Kind of a nice way to end a stressful day, though for me it was a bit forgettable. Fave track: title track.

Promising start. Goes downhill from there

Nice! A blend of alternative rock with Celtic instruments makes this a fun listen, especially in the first half. Favorites: "We Will Not Be Lovers", "Strange Boat", "Sweet Thing"

An interesting look into 80s Irish folk music. A splash of jazz was cool too.

I really enjoyed this. I was familiar with the title track but that's it. Strangely enough this reminded me a lot of Bob Dylan circa 1975/76 in his Rolling Thunder Revue and Hurricane era. The same driving fiddle sound and the edge to his voice. Good stuff - glad I discovered this. 4 stars.

Olis kaivannut ennemmän folkkia folk-rockin sijaan. Ei tää nyt ihan turha ollut, mutta vähän etäinen ehkä!

First few tracks were nice and interesting. Kinda became a more quick though. Great instrumentals though.

Pretty good! Not amazing.

This album was absolutely not what I was expecting, and I thought it was really cool to here. Mixing traditional Irish and Scottish folk music and instruments into a rock n roll sound actually worked really well. After listening to a few albums that didn't feel like anything special, this was a welcome change of pace 4/5

Really enjoyed this one, especially the first half. Intricate, well produced authentic folk rock.

Viulu on ihan jees. Tän tyylinen letkee rokkenroll folk-twistillä on tosi kakspiippunen juttu, toisaalta tykkään jostain Blind Melonista ihan sikana, mutta toisaalta voi ajatella että tää on jo nähty juttu. Mutta ehkä tää levy kokonaisuutena on enemmän meh kuin hyvä.

Ihan jees, mut ei mikään biisi erityisemmin iskenyt.

Aika jees tunnelmointia. Toivoisin että olis menny vielä enemmän kansanmusasuuntaan, nyt jää liian rock-tyylin johdosta vähän kädenlämpöiseksi. On tässä hyviäkin biisejä toki. Välihuomiona monissa näissä levyissä harmittaa, että Spotifyssa on lähinnä näitä remastered-deluxe-kokoelmia. Tässäkin levyllä 2 on vähemmän kiinnostavia biisejä ja uudelleenlämmittelyjä.

It's fine. Not bad, just didn't excite me. 2/5

Beautiful and soothing folk music rooted in Gaelic traditions with a contemporary touch. A tad too long of a run time with a lack of highly memorable individual independent pieces makes prevents the album from standing out more.

Nice rock with Celtic influences which are not too overwhelming or too much, just the right amount. Makes for a enjoyable, happy listen, albeit a bit too long

* bits sound like Razorlight. It was fine, I didn't hate it.

Nice Irish folk/rock. Currently watching The Witcher, so I've got this theme going on in my life right now lol.

Boring crap

Enjoyed it

Shiiit et langt album. Og så ret meget halbals/øltelt stenning.

Irsk folkrock, masser af stryger, lidt for landligt

I have literally never heard of The Waterboys in my life. Ended up enjoying it more than I thought i would based on the name and cover.

interesting sounds, it's good for background

pretty good. haven't heard of them before but quite pleasant!

Irish folk or idk? Reminds me a bit of bluegrass

I guessed "80's Celtic pop rock" from the cover. It was fine.

2.5/5. This album was strange. It is folky, but also a little 80s, which isn't the best combination. I liked some of the instrumentals, partially the violin in some of the songs. However, the vocals are off-putting and there is the occasional '80s sound' that I don't really like.

Fiddle diddle dooo jag vill spela i det här bandet (men också Waterboys är världens sämsta namn???)

Otroligt mysigt album, bra spännvidd, lyckas blanda coola rocklåtar och riktigt bra folkmusik. Jättebra sound stage och allmänt kompetent utförande. Det fulaste albumomslaget jag någonsin har sett dock. Bra blandning mellan Bob Dylan och Dire Straits

Vilken vemodstripp. Tyckte de första två låtarna var kalas, men folkmusikutsvävningarna mot mitten av plattan blev lite tradiga (lol). Inte hundraprocentigt såld, men uppskattar verkligen att de vågar gå för det, och jag kommer lyssna på början av plattan många gånger till tror jag.

För gubbigt för min smak.

Du vrai bon folk. Des gros bangers et des pièces plus calmes qui font plus country, mais aucune pièce mauvaise en soi. Définitivement à rééccouter

Probably beats The Pogues for my favorite Celtic rock album of 1988. Some surprisingly great songs near the beginning, and the others are good too. Nothing overwhelming, but also aesthetically pleasing despite their lengths. Found the Sweet Thing / Blackbird mashup to be interesting, yet it worked. My favorite tracks were probably the first two. "World Party" was also a highlight for me, the one you could really dance to.

i like the lead singer's voice

really fun!

The Waterboys' fourth album and best selling album. This album was a change in music for the band, from classic rock sound to traditional folk rock (more specifically Scottish folk rock based on the band's country of origin). This change divided critics over the album, but the music still holds up as a good listen. Not personally my type of music, but I enjoyed it while working.

This album was sweet. Will be making a re-appearance around St. Paddy's day.

Still listening

Sort of liked this and sort of didn't. Sometimes his voice got a bit much. Kind of over emotional. But it was good anyway.

An unexpected collection of instruments. Oh they are signing wonderfully, should look into the genre later! Bang on the ear: ear kiss. They have weird like ratios.

Folk rock with some Scottish and Irish traditional sounds. Lead singer is sort of Dylan-esque. Liked it!

Sembra un live senza esserlo. We will not be lovers pieno di virtuosismi inutili Sonorità Irlandesi, qualcosa di Fiorella Mannoia, molto che non mi convince. Si avverte in ogni canzone la sensazione che stia per accadere qualcosa, ma l'aspettativa non viene mai soddisfatta. Non male When we will be married, forse perché il folk me lo aspetto esasperato

Liked it.

Some nice tunes, found it very middle of the road though

Bits of it were OK, but folk music and rock drumming don't really mix. The singer also trying a bit to hard to sound like Bob Dylan. Some nice quiet nice songs, but not enough to save it.

7/10

This album has what was probably the first song I ever heard from the Waterboys, "Fisherman's Blues", which was part of the "Waking Ned Divine" soundtrack. I may have listened to this album before, because of that movie, but nothing else sounded very familiar from the album. I like the mix of folk and celtic elements to the Waterboys' music. With rounding, this album probably slips into the 4 star range -- I'd probably listen to the album again.

New band for me, opening tune pulled me right in. Very East-Coast folk-rock, right up my alley. Some of the songs are very energetic, fast strings. Then some are more melodic and mellow. Some of it was a bit too folksy, like The Stolen Child. Overall good though. The first two songs really had me excited for this album but it did keep getting slower and slower and never got back to that energy of the first two tunes; would love to hear more from them like that.

A lot like listening to a soundtrack.

A little too country for me

Lovely.

Ирландский фолк. Норм, но скучно.

Great folk-rock with sounds of traditional Irish and Scotish music. Waterboys' best selling album. Must be listened!

Didn’t get to finish this album, but I enjoyed what I heard. Definitely a product of the late 80s and it shows, but the 80s had the best pop music of all time so that’s not a bad thing at all. A unique sound that’s easy on the ears.

Like a sober the Pogues.

Stvarno okej album, mada bi ga skratio sigurno za 15tak minuta, neke pjesme traju dost dugo, a nema potrebe. We Will Not Be Lovers je najjača sa albuma. Može i bolji album biti, ali je ovo solidna trojka.

Folksy and timeless fishing town tales with impressive fiddle/banjo and rough worn vocals. Fisherman’s blues, strange boat, the stolen child.

“Fisherman’s Blues” by The Waterboys (1988) This is a good eclectic mix of Irish/Scottish/Welsh/Celtic folk, with a solid grounding in rock. It’s as if their rock sensibilities provide the rhythmic backbeat structure for folk flavorings, with lyrics that evoke proletarian themes—love songs for simple people. If you ain’t simple, feel free to go back to Steely Dan or Kanye West. Melodies are static and weak, sometimes painfully delivered, by a Bono-channeling lead vocal. But the arrangements are wonderfully laid out with a pleasant variety of instrumentals (violins, mandolin, accordion, and even some horns) and a few really fine moments for backing vocals. “World Party”, however, seems out of place on this album. The sound gets more ‘folky’ as the record progresses, giving it nice forward (backward?) movement. It gives the serious world-aware listener a clue as to where American country/Western music came from. I wish “Dunford’s Fancy” were a lot longer. But not necessarily more fancy. There’s very expansive cover of Van Morrison’s “Sweet Thing”, perhaps better than the original, with an entrancing violin/mandolin duet throughout. And W.B. Yeats’ “Stolen Child” is given a beautiful interpretation, which, in my opinion, would have been a better ending to the album than the sloppy and out-of-tune cover of Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land” on the closing track. Well worth a listen. Or two. Or three. 3/5

Some ok music in there, but as is often the case they’re all too similar; as the album went on and on, I was getting sick of it.

Quite a string of 3-star albums here. Once again, fun but forgettable.

Starts really strong with the first couple of tracks, then falls off fast. It's some nice folk in places, but not sure why its on this list

I'm really conflicted by this album. How can you not love an Scotch-Irish folk rock band singing Yeats? Well, what if they bastardize Woody Guthrie? And what if their Hank Williams tribute sucks? I guess you give them a 3 and move on. Best track: The Stolen Child

Didn’t like…. A little Bob Dylanish

Upon first blush, I see a bunch of boys just trying to fish. That’s probably why they are blue. But when you have ten people in your band (one more than slipknot) and your music sounds like this, I’d say there’s some rotten fish in the barrel. If I’m trying to fish, I would never listen to this band. I wish id have casted and caught a different group cause I’m tossing these tossers back out to sea. Makes me sad that ten men can just decide to start a band and get by sounding like this. I had a biggun on the line but turns out all I caught was a boot.

Never heard of this group or album, but I was very impressed by this album. Right off the bat, the Waterboys hit us with some fantastic songs. The first three really got the ball rolling. I also loved the "Sweet Thing" cover, including some lyrical references to Blackbird. Wikipedia notes this album as a blend of pop rock with some traditional Irish and Scottish sounds. I could definitely hear notes of that throughout, and I can honestly say I'd enjoy more of this, either in the form of another album or one of the various extended versions of this album. Excellent record. Favorite tracks: Fisherman's Blues, We Will Not Be Lovers, Sweet Thing, And a Bang on the Ear, Stolen Child, Strange Boat. Album art: Nothing special at all. Picture looks a lot like the last Crosby/Stills/Nash/Young album we had, with an added frame. Made for an unsuspecting listen (and a pleasant surprise). 4.5/5

Not bad not bad

Folky, Irish music. You can hear the joy of these sessions in the music. Best Tracks: Fisherman's Blues, Sweet Thing, When Ye Go Away

Look, it's fine but you all knowy feelings on the fiddle, banjo and folk music in general by now

Kolejny wyspiarski pick, waterboys brzmi jak nazwa diskowej bandy rodem z hameryki, dodatkowo zastanawiajcy tytul plyty, fishermans blues, pierwsze skojarzenie nawiazuje do nazwy bandy i okresla jaki material bedzie na tapecie, nic bardziej mylnego, jedynie eponimowy song ma w sobie cos z bluesa, natomiast reszta plyty to folk, nie jest to zadna tragedia, ale tez niczym nie potrafi zaskoczyc, 4 kawalki to covery znanych juz trakow, jak this land is your land woodiego guthriego, ktory zamyka cala plyte, oczywiscie song zawiera twisty irlandzkie, bo to jest motyw przewodni albumu pod wzgledem muzycznym, mozna uslyszec instrumenty bardzo typowe dla szkocko irlandzkich klimatow, wiec smyczki, dudy o dziwacznych nazwac i dziwne trabki, niby wszystko fajnie na bogato, ale jednak czuc bardziej jarmarczna atmosfere gdy sa one laczone z synthami na tym samym traku, jak w przypadku world party, tak samo ma sie z wokalem, ktory jest piescia do nosa tej plyty, chcialbym uslyszec tylko pierwszy trak i takie zostawic sobie wspomnienie o tym krazku, ale pozostale 13 trakow, z wyjatkami jak the stolen child, ktory jest raczej poezja na instruentalnym podkladzie, a nie songiem, czy chocby wolniejszymi balladami typu has anybody here seen hank, za duzo tutaj niespojnosci i sztucznosci w granej muzyce, to moje pierwsze sluchanie tej bandy, ale ich poprzednie materialy nie brzmia w ogole jak nic z tej plyty, wiec to byl ogromny skok na komercyjne sprzedanie sie, bo to ich najlepiej sprzedana plyta, tak randomowa, ze musiala przypasc komus do gustu, akurat nie w moim wypadku, na plejke leci jedynie tytulowy kawalek, ktory naprawde robi robote jako hajp na plyte, niestety hajp nie dozyl do konca 54 minutowego odsluchu

Was unfamiliar with this band. Solid jams.

Eh, again, it's fine. Not my jam, but inoffensive.

3/5 - DMB meets CCR? The album feels muddled to me; the tracks all kind of blend together...

Até se identifica como um pop de qualidade. Só não me agradou.

So good 4.5

This is pretty cool. Really interesting instrumentation, bright clear production, good lyrics & vocals.

- fucking long - nice balence of trad / modern - strong themes, emotive. - some overly trad songs - odd flow of the album --> meet me at the station into soon as I get home. - good variety of styles and vibes

Their "big" song was okay.

boss

Fisherman's Blues

Esta bueno el disco pero no me mato Igualmente a la banda no la conocía. 2 efes

First song is a classic. Rest of the album just ok.

Didn't hate it, but I wavered between 'this is great' and 'this is annoying' regularly throughout. Appreciated the blending of genres, but didn't necessarily love any of them. Some pretty catchy tunes in there though. I feel like it's one I'd love after several listens. Edit: I ended up listening three times and by the end I really loved it. Think it took me a while to get into what they were doing, but by the end I even enjoyed the more twee folky ones like Carolan's Welcome (felt like the soundtrack to a really great playstation game). Agree with Stef, Fisherman's Blues and And a Bang on the Ear were highlights.

Flotter Folk Rock. Kinda gud

Very good! This was my first time listening to The Waterboys, and I liked them and this record more than I expected. Side A is more rock oriented, side B more traditional/folk, both very good and a nice contrast. HIghlights: Fisherman's Blues, We Will Not Be Lovers, Sweet Thing, And a Bang on the Ear, When Ye Go Away

I like the album.

Couldn’t get through it

Demasiado pantano de New Orleans. No me gustó. Dos discos de ésto ademas? No se como hice para terminarlo.

No estuvo mal pero tampoco lo encontré destacable. 2/5

Stats strong....

Quite enjoyable

Interesting album. Not huge into traditional British/Celtic music, with a few exceptions, but their more rock oriented songs were cool. This Land is a classic with a great spin, and some of the more instrumental interludes were cool. World Party and Sweet Thing were a good couple of songs at the beginning.

Surprised in many ways by this album - I didn't pay attention at all to the date on the album and figured this was something from the late 60s / early 70s before it started up. Lots of energy here, but not a lot of it grabbing me. Solid work, no doubt.

Very nice example of British skittle music.... Good fiddle, decent lyrics

Meh album but fishermans blues a very good song. Might have to relisten

pretty good vibe

Went into this with low expectations but really enjoyed it, some excellent songwriting

cant even finnish i hat eit Final Thoughts: 2/5

I bailed out after the first song.

I enjoy folk and folk-influenced music -- "folk" in the sense of the term meaning music particular to or reflective of a culture or geographic region -- and this album has some good tracks on it. I've listened to a fair amount of Irish and Scottish folk music, so it's hard for this album to stand out very much for me (not the album's fault; just happens to be a style of music I've heard a lot).

Not my cup of tea I'm afraid. So much going on at once through most of the songs and it's hard to enjoy for me.

Really great, like Fairport and Flogging Molly made an album. (I know, this predates that, just sayin'...)

Meh. Doesn't stick with me at all, I remember literally none of the songs

So good! Had to find out what a “Bang on the Ear” was from my east coast friend - one of my favourites on the album

It's fine but quite boring

Never got around to listening to the Waterboys before, so I was looking forward to hearing what I've missed. Sadly, I found the album very uneven. Some amazing tracks like "Sweet Thing", which turns into a weird Beatles cover (and itself received an odd hardcore punk cover by Comadre, which sadly isn't on the site). Some tracks that are at least memorable, if not my cup of tea, like "We Will Not be Lovers". However, from track 6 on it's mostly generic Irish folk-rock that any pub rockers in Ireland could probably play equally forgettably. I'm not a huge folk-rock fan (or a big listener of Irish music), but I don't think I'm being biased in saying the album falls drastically short of the standards set by its own high points. Edit: also a shit album title, since there's nothing nautical or bluesy here. 2.5

Bien pero no lo acabe

22 tracks, some of them bangers.

Ja, ganz nett - gute Melodien, sollte ich mir vielleicht merken?

Gefällt mir, wenn es aber mehr in Richtung Irish Folk geht wie "When we will be married" wird es mir etwas viel Geige.

Irish folk

Interesting. I had never heard of them or their story

3.5/5 it might have potential

Leuke muziek met veel vrolijk fiddle-deuntjes! Zeer mooie verrassing!

🤠

jajaja. ¿es una broma esto?

Tja, The Waterboys maken fijne liedjes. Ideaal voor een gezellige avond thuis of in het café.

Average album in general, nothing really stands out but it's consistent.

Very nice mixture of irish, country and rock ballads.

I really got into this. There were some great riffs and the tracks were quite variable. Consequently a rare ****

Liked it.

Fine