Title: Fisherman's blues
Artiste: The Waterboys
Year: 1988
Chronological position: Fourth album
Previous experience of this artiste?: Pretty much just the singles really
Why is this considered a classic? It was where they changed their sound, bringing in more celtic influences. It was also their most successful album.
My thoughts
One minute (or thereabouts in) ---- Good, great, bad, meh, still waiting or other? Great
One track in --- Great
Halfway through --- Great
Finished --- Great
Comments: I know the opener of course, as anyone does, but I haven't heard this album all the way through: I may have dipped into it around the time it came out, again via my boss but I certainly didn't take any real notice of it. The violin is a little grating at times on "We will not be lovers", but I do like it. It's probably the mark of a good, even classic album that as you wait for the tracks you know, you hear others which are as good, or even better. And that's how I'm feeling, listening to this album. There's no sense of "when does song X come on?" It's more a sense of an overall experience, and when the songs come that I know, it'll be great but it's no trial to wait, as there is plenty of other good music to keep me entertained till then.
And speaking of what makes a good thing great, a song that goes on for nine minutes and doesn't become boring, in fact you wish it was longer? "And a bang on the ear" has long been one of my favourite Waterboys tracks, not that I know that many, and it's great to hear it again. Okay, I stand corrected: it's totally overstretched from about the seventh minute: there's no need for it to be this long, not that I'm complaining, but it does seem a little pointless to drag it out to these lengths. Oh well.
"Has anybody here seen Hank?" has a real Waits vibe about it, and I love the traditional "When will we be married?" Using poetry from Yeats for "The stolen child" would later lead to a whole album centred around the celebrated Irish poet's work, and the closer "This is your land" is one of my favourite Woodie Guthrie songs. All right: it's the ONLY Guthrie song I know. Happy? Love the Irish slant they put on it. Super.
Favourite track(s): Fisherman's blues, And a bang on the ear, Has anyone here seen ... ah feck it! Just everything again!
Least favourite track(s): See above
Final impression --- Great album that makes me want to listen to more Waterboys, though I am concerned that this was seen as a change in their musical direction, so that previous albums might not give me the same payoff...
Do I feel, at the end, A) I wish I had listened to this sooner
B) I'm sorry I bothered
C) I might end up liking this
D) Have to wait and see
E) Bit underwhelmed; was ok but a classic?
F) Definitely enjoyed it, but again would I consider it a classic?
It's another A!