Fisherman's Blues - The Waterboys (1988)

note: When I picked this record, I had no idea how hard it was gonna be to find an unlawyered version of it on Youtube that was allowed to play in the US. Somebody’s paralegals are getting overtime submitting takedown notices.

Update: it wasn’t just me

Mike Scott has recorded under the name The Waterboys pretty much continuously for 40 years. In the 80s, however, The Waterboys was a more cohesive band and more of a household name, thanks to some massive records.

This was the first of many changes of direction for Scott, pivoting from bigger and bolder arena rock to much more folk-influenced tunes. That’s not to say this isn’t a rock record, however. You still get plenty of guitars and sing-along choruses and epic proportions.

Tracks I Liked

World Party - I don’t know the story behind this one. Karl Wallinger had been a member of the Waterboys for a few years and left just before this record to form his own band, called World Party. This doesn’t seem to be a kiss-off song, or even an advertisment. I don’t know how closely Scott and Wallinger got along, and you don’t get a sense from this song, either.

And a Bang On The Ear - a fun tune.