Mike Scott "Still Burning" 1997****

This is Mike Scott's second solo album - or, more precisely, the second album released under his own name. The lead singer and songwriter of The Waterboys had put his old band's name to rest after the uncharacteristically loud and electric Dream Harder - in essence also a solo album since it was really Scott backed by some session musicians. This was followed by Bring 'Em All In (1995) which was an actual solo album, a mostly acoustic affair with Scott singing and playing almost all instruments himself. Still Burning is yet different: for all intents and purposes it could be another Waterboys album: the electric guitars of Dream Harder are present, as well as the lyricism of his Big Music period. The influences remain the same: Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Van Morrison - the classic songwriters, filtered through Scott's personal vision. On the opener "Questions", with its horns and soulful backing vocals, he creates his own brand of Celtic Soul. "My Dark Side" is an alt-rocker with an insistent guitar riff, followed by a trio of songs reminiscent of The Waterboys circa mid-80's. "Open" is slower and semi-acoustic, while "Love Anyway" and "Rare, Precious and Gone" are lusher, with uplifting strings and vocals. Scott sings with the same passion he did on "The Return of Pan", even though the lyrics dwell on the personal rather than the mystical. The second half of the album is slightly inferior to the first: although none of the songs is bad or even indifferent, you wouldn't count on them getting a lot of radio play: "Dark Man of My Dreams" and "Strawberry Man" continue Dream Harder's Hendrix obsessions, while "Sunrising" is a pleasant mid-tempo piece, and the shortest songs "Personal" and "Everlasting Arms" are closer to acoustic folk. The U.S. release adds some bonus tracks which I haven't heard; according to reviews they are not essential. "Love Anyway" and "Rare, Precious and Gone" were released as singles; for the latter they made a promo video which must be among the cheapest ever: it was filmed for £5 in a booth at an airport, while Scott and the band were waiting for their flight. Still Burning's lack of success is puzzling: it's a strong collection of songs, the musicians (who include The Who's bassist Pino Palladino and Dylan's drummer Jim Keltner) are stellar, and the instrumentation and production manages to highlight it all in the best possible manner. Possibly a combination of bad timing, lack of promotion, and the public's unfamiliarity with the singer's name. Following this album, Scott would revert to releasing his records under The Waterboys moniker: his next one A Rock in the Weary Land (2000) would feature two former Waterboys in Anthony Thistlethwaite (mandolin) and Kevin Wilkinson (drums) but they're just two backing musicians among many, rather than full band members. 20 years later, Scott continues to make beautiful music and tour the world with everchanging lineups of The Waterboys: on last count, 85 musicians had passed through their ranks. Other than the singer, the only (almost) permanent band member is fiddler Steve Wickham who has now served in the band for 27 years. I believe I have a dozen or so of Mike Scott and The Waterboys' albums. Although they are all good, I listen to some more than others. Still Burning is among the ones that return to the stereo more frequently. 

**** for My Dark Side, Open, Love Anyway, Rare Precious and Gone

***for Dark Man of My Dreams, Personal, Strawberry Man, Sunrising, Everlasting Arms

The Waterboys "Dream Harder" 1993***

I recently saw The Waterboys at Paard van Troje in Den Haag. The band's new moto (or at least the subtitle of their new album) apparently is "an entertainment in sound", and aptly so as they once more put out a great show. Mike Scott of course at center stage, alternating between electric guitar and acoustic 12-string, singing and engaging in just enough between-song banter to make a connection with the audience but not too much as to appear self-centered or vain. He's not just a great songwriter, but also a great band leader and entertainer. Steve Wickham on violin is, of course, his trusted sidekick (no, let's be fair, he's more than that - a minor partner perhaps?) while the band seems to have found an equally important member in organist Brother Paul Brown: his Hammond is vital to the band's new R&B direction, and he's a natural showman to boot! The two lovely backing vocalists were also a nice touch, enhancing the band's performance with their voices and stage presence. Now, Scott may be currently living in Dublin, and half of his band may be Irish, but sound-wise his last 3 albums (since Modern Blues) derive inspiration from the American music tradition, just like Dream Harder did.

Scott has had quite a few stylistic changes over the last 35 years: from the new wave of his debut to the so-called Big Music of A Pagan Place, Celtic folk of Fisherman's Blues and Room To Roam to the more mainstream American rock sound of this album. And, although stylistic changes rarely go well with fans, this album was especially disparaged by critics and fans alike. It certainly marks a turning point for the band - or, to be literal, for Mike Scott, since he was the only original Waterboy left at that point. He had left the rest of the band back in Ireland to move to New York, where he recorded this album with the help of session musicians. Gone are the fiddles and mandolins, in comes screeching electric guitar. To be honest, Scott turns out to be really good at it - as if he really was visited by the ghost of Jimi Hendrix just like he sings about here, and it bestowed some of its powers to him. If the music is often more grounded than usual, the same isn't true for the lyrics which are more than ever pre-occupied by the mystical. Case in point "The Return of Pan", a sort of sequel to 1985's "The Pan Within". It successfully combines his newlyfound hard rock tendencies with paganistic elements evident in the tribal drumming and clarinet solo: the latter, played by the (obviously Greek) George Stathos, wouldn't sound out of place in a village festival of modern-day Arcadia. Before that, the album opens with "The New Life", a rollicking alternative rocker in tune with the grunge sounds that were so in vogue in the 90's. Next up, we have the "Glastonbury Song", an upbeat tune with exuberant lyrics about "finding God" (presumeably not the God of any established religion, though). "Preparing to Fly" and "Corn Circles" are country-ish folk rock with more mystical lyrics, while "Suffer" is a welcome return to earth: with its funky rhythm and lyrics about relationships, it sounds like a precursor to his current style. "Spiritual City" features sitar and a guest vocal by British singer/comic Billy Connolly. I like the goofy chorus and 60's psychedelic aura lent by the sitar, but honestly I've had enough with the Western nonsense notion of India as a "spiritual" place when it's a real country with everyday people mostly suffering from huge inequality and poverty. "Winter Winter" is a half-minute acoustic snippet, while "The Return of Jimi Hendrix" is the weirdest track here, if not the weirdest in all of The Waterboys' discography. It's a delirious spoken word piece with psychedelic ambient guitar, all about Hendrix's ghost visiting the writer and taking him on a tour of its New York haunts. Well, at least it seems to have given him a few tips on the use of guitar fuzz, sustain and distortion. There are tributes to Scott's literary idols, to C.S. Lewis (the quasi-mystical Christian writer of "Narnia") on the short atmospheric "Wonders of Lewis", and to Irish poet W.B.Yeats whose "Love and Death" poem he turned into a nice ballad. Closer "Good News" is a mid-tempo song with a sax solo that somehow reminds me of Chris Rea. Its (and the whole album's) good vibes did not convince everyone though and, despite good sales, Scott decided to temporarily put The Waterboy's name to rest. The name of the band was resurrected in 2000, with violinist Wickham from their 80's lineup rejoining a couple of years later. I've seen them perform in various incarnations quite a few times post-2000 and they've always been great, while what I've heard from their recent albums is also consistently good. So what if they never made another This Is The Sea or Fisherman's Blues? Few bands can sustain that kind of quality for long. Seen from a 25-year distance, Dream Harder is not the disappointment it initially seemed to be, rather just another station in a beautiful journey through music.

**** for The New Life, Glastonbury Song, Preparing to Fly, The Return of Pan, Suffer

*** for Corn Circles, Winter Winter, Love and Death, The Return of Jimi Hendrix, Spiritual City, Wonders of Lewis, Good News

The Waterboys "Cloud of Sound" 2002-2012(rec) 2012(comp)***

When asked about my favorite groups, I usually don't mention The Waterboys. Why, I don't know. They slip my mind, I guess: I do love their albums, I've played them to death for almost 30 years. I've seen them live three or four times, and each time they were fantastic. After yesterday's concert at the Ancienne Belgique, I decided to upgrade them to one of my favorites. They've got tremendous songs and two fine frontmen in singer Mike Scott and violinist Steve Wickham, who strode the stage in a hat and coat out of a Dickensian BBC drama. Their latest incarnation is a tight and funky blues rock combo, with half of them coming from the American South: the guitarist comes from Austin (TX), organist from Memphis (TN) and on bass you have Muscle Shoals (AL) veteran David Hood. Then you have an English drummer they call The Professor, Steve Wickham who comes from Dublin, Ireland and, of course, the founder of the group Mike Scott is a Scot from Edinburgh. After the concert, feeling exhilarated, I looked at the T-shirt counter for a souvenir and came away with this CD. It may be a bit plain to look at but that's not the point. It's one of those tour-only CD's and comprises studio outtakes and a few live recordings from the 2002-2012 period. It's limited edition of 5000 copies - all supposed to be autographed by Mike, but I guess he got tired after signing a few hundred, because the ones on the counter weren't. Recording details are available on the official website.

What's with that white CD? I've never seen it in the shops

"Winter Blows" is a great, lyrical, opener. It was written 30 years ago but left out of the "This Is The Sea" album because it supposedly was too similar to "The Pan Within". This version was recorded in 2002 and overdubbed later. "Girl In The Swing" is a live song that reminds me very much of latter-day Nick Cave. The reason, I'm sure, is that Wickham's violin here is very loud and distorted, recalling the sound of The Bad Seeds' violinist Warren Ellis. Scott uses his singer/narrator voice. "Siochain Iona" is fan-ta-stic. I liked it back when it was called "Peace of Iona". Now that it's sung in Gaellic and the violin comes more to the fore, I absolutely love it. "Killing My Heart" is a fiery live version of that Waterboys classic, featuring some ripping Hammond organ. "Barbara Allen" is an olde English folk ballad and "Vigilante" a bluesy piece with an outlaw theme, culminating in a dramatic violin solo. If Tarantino makes another Western, he could use it for the soundtrack. "The Serpent's Head" is a Celtic-style instrumental which leads to "The Seven Woods", the reading of a WB Yeats poem with a backdrop of atmospheric synths. If you've heard The Doors' "An American Prayer", it's kinda in the same vein. "Silent Fellowship" is a serene melodic piece, previously released in different form as part of the "Universal Hall" album. "Straight With the Medicine" is a fast acoustic demo with a strong Bob Dylan-circa-2000 vibe. "The Passing of the Shee" is a poem by John Millington Synge, inspired by Irish lore. The music sounds like a failed reprise of Tom Waits' more experimental moments. "Mr. Wickham Composes" is some live improvised fiddle tunes and "Seek The Light" is the full length version of a "Universal Hall" track. It's characterized by electronic beats, synths and effects, the kind of studio noodling that often ended up on single B-sides, back when they actually released singles. Same with "Vampire’s Head". "Savage Earth Heart" is an improvised, hard-rocking live version of this early Waterboys track which they routinely used as a set closer. All in all, this CD is as good as can expected from an odds-and-ends compilation not destined for wider release. Rather fine as a concert souvenir or for the Waterboys completists, not so great as an introduction to the band.

The Waterboys at the Ancienne Belgique, Brussels 06/10/2015

Before and after:
Because, as everyone knows, French Fries are actually a Belgian invention and the obligatory late-night snack after a Brussels concert. Best enjoyed with Jupiler beer and Sauce Andalouse.


**** for Winter Blows (2012 mix), Siochain Iona
*** for The Girl in the Swing, Killing My Heart (Live), Barbara Allen, Vigilante, The Seven Woods, Silent Fellowship (2012 mix), Straight With the Medicine, Savage Earth Heart (Live)
** for The Serpent’s Head, The Passing of the Shee, Mr. Wickham Composes, Seek the Light (Extended), Vampire’s Head

World Party "Egyptology" 1997****

There are master painters and master forgers. Some forgers can paint a perfect Van Gogh copy by duplicating every last stroke of the brush. A master forger can create a new painting in the familiar style and fool critics into thinking they're looking at a hitherto unknown Van Gogh. Former Waterboy Karl Wallinger belongs to the latter category. What he's done in "Egyptology" is really impressing: He's created an original album which sounds like a compilation of hidden gems from the 60's and 70's and not only does he play almost every instrument himself but the quality of the results is stunning: If "Call Me Up" was an outtake from the Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper", it'd be a collector's dream and the centerpiece of another "Anthology" collection. Opener "It Is Time" is pure Byrds circa 1965-66. "Beautiful Dream" is garage in Troggs/Stones mode and "Vanity Fair" orchestral 60's pop (imagine the Walker Brothers or the Monkeys singing an imaginary James Bond song). "She's The One" is a piano ballad and the first song that doesn't sound like it comes straight from the 60's: instead it sounds like one of those million-sellers Oasis singles from the 90's. And, although World Party did not have a hit with it, Robbie Williams did pick it up and took it straight to No.1 of the charts. "Vocal Interlude" is a short Renaissance choral piece and "Curse Of The Mummy's Tomb" sounds like Dylan covered by George Harrison. "Hercules" is a soulful number (I had to re-check if it's a cover of Aaron Neville's song of the same name-it isn't). It sounds a bit like Stevie Winwood's Traffic or that other retro-rocker Paul Weller (a.k.a. The Modfather). "Love Is Best" is another beautiful ballad and "Rolling Off A Log" is the first song that reminds me of The Waterboys and in particular of the epic orchestral "Red Army Blues". "Strange Groove" is psychedelic funk with oriental flourishes and "The Whole Of The Night" another Oasis (or Beatles?) sound-alike. "Piece Of Mind" is funk, "This World" an orchestral ballad and the album closes with "Always", a song that reminds me a lot of Beck. As far as I'm concerned, this album is just short of perfect. A lot of other reviewers seem to disagree, as they say they've heard it all before. Sure, by The Beatles, Stones, Kinks, Beach Boys, Sly Stone etc. But they don't make them like that any more, so hang this beautiful forgery on the wall and don't concern yourself with the authenticity: It didn't cost you millions, after all (actually, it only cost me 1 euro)...

**** for It Is Time, Beautiful Dream, Call Me Up, Vanity Fair, She's The One, Curse Of The Mummy's Tomb, Hercules, Rolling Off A Log

*** for Vocal Interlude, Love Is Best, Strange Groove, The Whole Of The Night, Piece Of Mind, This World, Always