Retro Spins: The Waterboys - Fisherman's

  

Today, my journey through The Waterboys sadly ends. It's been an incredible series of listening sessions, and I would go so far as to say I'm a fan at this point. The big music sound of Mike Scott and his band has been a unique and fantastic trip. I'm hoping they finish strong with today's album.

By 1986, Scott had become discouraged by the stadium rock path he was on. This was contributed to by the fact that he wasn't able to recreate the full sound of their studio album on stage. Further, his own personal interests were shifting to that of the country, gospel, Cajun and blues sound of American roots music, leaving him wanting to try new ideas. He'd ultimately settle on a Celtic sound.

At the invitation of Steve Wickham, he'd relocate to Dublin, specifically to explore these new musical concepts. However, this would come with a shift in lineup from members who wouldn't follow him. Though this is not surprising. As noted in my post on their debut album, lineups were frequently changing, and to date, Scott remains the only consistent member.

The band would record extensively, eventually selecting the tracks that would become 1988's Fisherman's Blues. It would become their biggest album of all time, peaking at gold in the UK, and charting in several countries.

Probably the biggest change I encountered was the overall length of songs, and the number of them. Whereas its predecessor's featured around seven tracks, each running between five and seven minutes, this one is bloated to thirteen, with runtimes all over the place. Some tunes are as little as two minutes. Others as long as nine. The loss, as a result is those musical rich tracks that have room to breathe, grow, and invest you.

Though a lot of aspects from the big music days carry over, for me, it's not a superior album to the previous three. Further, I'm not a big fan of the Celtic sound. It's okay in moderation, but I definitely don't need an hour straight of it. Good songs are fewer and further between as a result, and very little actually stood out to me. The honorable mentions go to And A Bang On The Ear, and World Party.

Sadly, for me, it's a poor note for them to go out on. I get it. Bands change, evolve sound, and in general shift with the times. However, when that is too drastic, it can often times have the opposite effect. Wherein the band isn't staying relevant to its fanbase because it no longer sounds like what drew them to it to begin with. That's the unfortunate aspect of what happened for me. It's just not what I wanted from them.

The Waterboys would release 1990's Room To Roam, and following this, Scott would relocate to New York. It was here that the band would record and release 1993's Dream Harder. However, further frustrations would set in for Scott as he struggled around this time to put together a solid touring band, while also dealing with the transition away from the Celtic sound he had enjoyed so much putting together since 1986. As a result, he opted to disband the group and relocated to Scotland, focusing on a solo career for the remainder of the decade.

When the new millennium rolled around, The Waterboys were reformed. A reinvigorated Scott now focused their sound on a psychedelic elemental roar, aided by effects pedals, harmonicas, and even a theremin. This was followed by the 2000 released, A Rock In The Weary Land.

Ever experimenting, their sound would continue to change and evolve, with nine more albums coming between 2003 and 2025. Further, by the time this post goes live, the band will be on the second of their two-month 2026 tour, which warps up on September 12 in London. The point being, they remain very active to this day.

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