The Waterboys were once quoted as being the only band to use trumpets in their music and get away with it. As this album opens you see what they meant, a long drawn out Spanish-esque wail of trumpets rising to a crescendo before being joined by earth-pounding beats and Mike Scotts all too distinctive voice. Power, imagery and emotion carry you off through the fantastic opener, Dont Bang the Drum, before landing you squarely into the more familiar territory of The Whole of The Moon. If you know any Waterboys song, its probably this one, and it fairly typifies what the band were about during this phase of life. The writting has a spiritual quality, very much about the soul rather than the flesh, and backed up by a wide variety of instruments, keeping each song original and varied.
The band were always based around Mike Scott, the frontman and song writer and the line up changed around him, so he was able to adventure in through various musical realms. This albums reflects the high point of their "big music" period, stadium rock for the soul. Songs such as the The Pan Within and the brief but poiniant Spirit explore the freedom of the inner self that Scott always seemed to hanker after. There is always a duality to his ideas on this album, a comparison between man and what man can become.
"Man seems spirit is man dreams the spirit lives man is tethered spirit is free what spirit is man can be"
Every song seems to have its trade mark that sets it apart from its fellow songs on this album, as if every song is there for a reason, not just to fill up the running time, an all too common feature of music today. Every song seems to explore a different mood or idea, both in its lyric and insrumentation. Gypsy violins scream across the album, to be followed by subtle piano refrains, full on rock guitar jostles for attention next to epic trumpet pieces and jazz saxaphones go hand in hand with vocal rhapsodies and all the time the words are taking you into the realms of philosophy and moral considerations. And just when you think its all getting too clever for its own good, Scott sticks his tongue firmly in his cheek and delivers
"ive got goons on the landing, thieves on my trail, nazis on my telephone, willing me to fail"
Its an album of moods, all are catered for, it sooths, enrages, makes you dance, makes you cry and seems to show you how small you are in the scheme of things. Finally at the end of it all the title track offers you the redemption that the album is telling you about.
"these things you keep you better through them away turn your back on your soulless days once you were tethered now you are free that was the river this is the sea"
This album was end of the Waterboys big sound, what followed was more folk based, simpler, and seemed to be less about soul searching, more about the human way, less about the spirit. It contains argueably their finest collection of songs, stirring, intellectual and spiritual and yet the ideas presented here seem to tap into all of us, we all recognise our selves in the songs. In a nutshell some of the most poiniant lyrics Scott was to write set to some of the most beautiful music the Waterboys ever produced.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
I played this Cd to death in the mid/late 80s....Have n't heard it for a long time...might just borrow it from someone..see how it sounds now....I saw Mike Sott on tour a few years ago...along with the Levellers....Nice mix......Roy
MAFARRIMOND 27.07.2004 14:52
I love the sound of this. The sound of trumpets in the song is intriguing. I will have to listen out for it. Maureen
waynehorrigan 27.07.2004 10:39
You've brought some memories there. I used to have this on vinyl and I might just pop out and get it again. Cheers. WH
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