Customer Reviews

Pagan Place

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4 star:		(2)
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This was the first Waterboys album I ever bought, and I remember laying that slab of vinyl on the Dual and being blown away by the full envelope of sound. This remastered release sounds infinitely better than the original CD release, even if you're not a total audiophile. The new additions are pretty good, but frankly I find that "bonus tracks" tend to distract from the song cycle that was the original album. (Can you imagine Abbey Road with bonus tracks? Seems to cheapen the original effort.)

As for the two "restored" songs, however, I do take issue with Mike Scott on those. "All The Things She Gave Me" does appear to be a slightly longer, more satisfying version. However, "The Thrill Is Gone" replaces the original vocal track with a much more bluesy/meandering lead vocal which has a very different feel from the original sparse, haunting vocals on this song. I still have my original CD of this album for that reason: "The Thrill is Gone" here on this re-issue is not just an "unedited" version, as listed on the cover and in the liner notes. The original is probably my favorite Waterboys songs ever, so hearing it here with an overly self-indulgent vocal track bugs me. Perhaps you'll like it more, but it put me off.

(On a side note, "The Live Adventures of the Waterboys" has the most amazing medly of "The Thrill Is Gone" with "The Healing Has Begun" which is really terrific, as is the "Because the Night/Pan Within" on that same collection. Wow. Highly recommended.)

Overall, I'd give this re-issue a thumbs up for the excellent sound and most of the bonus tracks, which are fine songs,though it's unclear how they fit into the album concept. I just wish artists wouldn't use re-issues as a way of tinkering with classic works. (George Lucas should have kept his hands off the original Star Wars movies as well.)

A Pagan Place is light years ahead of the debut Waterboys, but not yet at the heights they would reach on This Is The Sea. The early sound of the band is formulating nicely, with some very strong songs here - the title track DEMANDS your full attention! The re-issue is essential for hard-core Waterboys fans who must own this for the full, unedited versions of The Thrill Is Gone & All The Things She Gave Me. The sound quality is much better on this disc than the original. The previously unreleased tracks generally are 'interesting - for collectors only'. However, great thanks go out to the people involved in making this re-issue - is there a "This Is The Sea" reissue coming?