The Waterboys Album: “Rock in the Weary Land [Razor & Tie]”

I, like so many other reviewers, also miss the Waterboys "big music" sound of the "Pagan Place," "This Is The Sea," and "Fisherman's Blues" days. And if that's what you're looking for here, you're unlikely to find it. However, you will find "big music," of a more guitar-driven, synth-echoing sound. Mike Scott still knows how to capture emotion with the bigness of his sound - with or without the violin, sax, and troubadours of yesteryear. "Let It Happen," "We Are Jonah," "My Love Is A Rock . . .," and "Crown" especially pay homage to Scott's ability to bring feeling to his sound.

He also succeeds in making a concept album. If one reads the liner notes and then proceeds with the music, the mood is captured of life and musical odyssey through years of ups and downs, ins and outs, goods and bads. But in the end the victory is triumphantly proclaimed with "Crown" and "My Lord, What A Morning." I sense that I've been allowed a taste of Scott's musical journey. I really feel that with the flow of the disc.

So it's pretty good . . . but . . . it's also pretty strained at points. "The Charlatan's Lament" and "Crown" in particular seem to take too long to get to the creamy center. "Lucky Day/Bad Advice" does nothing for me, other than breaks the mood, flow, and enjoyment of the first 6 tracks and seems to introduce a continuation of other weaker moments on the album, until "Crown." "The Wind In The Wires" has something about it that recollects earlier Waterboys, but not in the "big music" way. "Malediction" is an argument for saying that this is a Mike Scott project and not a Waterboys output.

All in all, I must say that I've been listening to this CD exclusively for the past 2 weeks and I'm going to keep listening. But I still want Wickham and company back. Make it a 3 1/2 to 4 stars. It grows on you quickly once your realize that Scott, like the rest of us, should be allowed to grow, experiment, expand, and dabble where he wants to. Come in . . . 15 years is a long time ago. Let him try some other things and let's not hold it agains him.

I had this on my wish list for a long time, then took it off after I read a number of negative reviews of the import version. Then I noticed that many who panned it also expressed their dislike for "Dream Harder", which had been perhaps my favorite previous Waterboys album; thinking that this probably meant that the tastes of the reviewers were substantially different from my own, I took the plunge and bought a copy.

Well, there isn't a large resemblance to "Dream Harder", but I love this album! This is not the Waterboys' folk music of ten years ago, but powerful, energetic rock. Sure Mike Scott's vocals on this album are idiosyncratic; they always have been. This is, in many ways, a dark album, but it's beautiful, nonetheless. I don't know what "We are Jonah" is about, but it is an unmistakably joyous song. It seems like Scott includes at least one song slamming his enemies on each of his rock albums (e.g., "Be my Enemy", "Suffer", etc.). Usually I program my cd player to skip those, but I won't be doing that on this album. Even the slam songs are too exquisite to pass up.

Finally, those, like me, who have been following Scott's spiritual odyssey with some interest for years will find a number of hints on this album about its recent progress. Hopefully, it will lead him home one day.

Mike Scott has created a new style and sound, which is very different from earlier Waterboys efforts. I love Pagan Place and This is the Sea, and this new one is just as good, but very different. Scott has combined eras--60s folk and Beatles-pop, 70s arena rock power chords, 80s new wave, and 90s grunge to create a truly imaginative but also very listenable style. The songs are passionate and deeply layered musically and lyrically, but still catchy and entertaining. In my view, it is Scott's best work yet.

The highly charged songs on this cd go beyond what The Waterboys have presented in the past-at least in their studio work. An interview promo cd was released with Mike Scott discussing his experiences and the making of the cd. While it's not for everyone (those who want to pigeonhole Scott into "This is the Sea" or "Fisherman's Blues" mode may not like it, those of us who "get it" and richly rewarded.

Come on Mike, stop taking yourself into places you know you should not go. Go into the wild places where you play your heart out with your friends. Fisherman's Blues and This is The Sea places. Or, maybe just you and a guy on fiddle. Kinda like Nebraska from a Scottish perspective. Something from the spirit and the darkness. Where redemption can spring forth and change us all.

Peace.