Customer Reviews

Rock in the Weary Land

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

At first I didn't get it. The feedback... the guitar with the long driven sustains blending with swirling organs and distorted vocals... then it started to come together, and when it finally did there was a dizzying whirl of color and light and dark. This new Waterboys album has some of Mike Scott's best songs ever .. including "Is She Conscious?", "It's All Gone" and "We Are Jonah". A couple of the songs reuse the same or similar chord progressions, and that can get a little long, but overall this is the New Waterboys in a New Direction with all their wit, wisdom and wild-eyed delirium intact.

I've been one of the Waterboy's most fiercely loyal fans since the mid 80's. With the exception of "Dream Harder", I've loved every album they've recorded. Unfortunately, The current album "A Rock In The Weary Land", is not one of their finer moments. The Waterboy's (Mike Scott) have apparently tried to update their sound this time around. Mike Scott produced this album and is apparently now into self mutilation. He uses vocal effects to distort his normally incredible voice into a ball of fuzz and static on several songs. The tragedy is that the material content of this album is pretty solid (except for the vocal distortion). There are some good songs here. The main strength of the Waterboy's has always been Mike Scott's magnificently passionate vocals. Why mess with perfection ? In the future, maybe Mike will let someone else produce his albums. Someone who has the good sense not to distort his vocals.

Another entry in Mike Scott's musical journey. He's never been gone, he's just changed. I don't view this as a return to anything, but another glorious incarnation of his vision.
Ignore the whining about distortion, just turn it up loud and enjoy the music that was made as Mike intended it to be. Think about what the lyrics are saying and you'll perhaps realize why it sounds that way.
The concerts supporting this cd have been filled with incredible energy. If you get the chance, go.
Also look for "Too Close to Heaven". It's part two of Fisherman's Blues and contains music from those sessions.
Watch for the remastered rerelease of The Waterboys and This is the Sea with new tracks coming in mid 2002.

Whether via solo efforts or under the band name Waterboys, Mike Scott consistently writes and records some of the finest compositions to be released in the last two decades. In a time where brilliant composers are a dying breed (or just plain burning out), Scott's flame still burns with intensity. Where each recording is different than the last (this disc is no exception) Scott's consistent strand from disc to disc is his inate melodic sense and his intelligent and creative lyrical ability. The thinking man's rock musician with a keen spiritual bent. More electric and energetic than his two solid solo efforts. Not a weak cut in the bunch. Put on your dancing shoes, your thinking cap and have a good time. Highly recommended...Simon

I couldn't disagree with quincyrich more....RITWL is a fantastic return to the best of the waterboys work, and so much more. The band has always been about progrssion, and although not every step has been necessarily "golden", they have all taken Mike somewhere forward. The new record is a solid, rock and roll record that, like all releases, deserves to be judged on it's own merit and not against it's predecessors. The title track, We are Jonah, and Is She Conscious? are stellar pop rock songs; Charlatan's Lament and Let it Happen also are amoungst the best Mike Scott compositions; the record flows beautifully, like back in the day when a record was meant to be listened to as a whole, instead of two singles and filler. All in all a happy, happy return to the form of excellance for the band.

From the time I was first turned onto the Waterboys in 1989 I've lived in anticipation of every Waterboys and Mike Scott release since. I've never been disappointed, and "Rock in the Weary Land" is the same. Perhaps even more than the great song writing and musicianship what keeps me in such a heightened state of anticipation is Mike Scott's willingness to experiment with his music. "Rock in the Weary Land" is no different. The music explodes and washes over the listener as powerfully as it does on "This is the Sea". This is an album that is as accessible to the casual Waterboys listeners I've turned on to it as other hardcore fans I know. Looking forward to the show.

Mike Scott has certainly found a way to reinvent himself. Even though he took the Waterboys name back to in his words "reach a wider audience", He is still pretty much a one man show. This album is a full sonic rock attack and a return to the big music sound. There are some great songs here. "Let it Happen", "Rock in a weary land" and "Is she concious" are some of the best stuff Scott has written. The sonic sound and distorted lyrics are a first and some of the older fans will be put off as they expect a crisp delivery from Scott. This is not a groundbreaking album and if you want the early 80's arena rock Waterboys or the late 80's folf/celtic Waterboys you may be disappointed. But if you like a full hard rock sound with some gadgetry thrown in. This is certainly as good as most of the big label stuff out there.

I've read the negative comments regarding this cd and it seems to me that most of the reviewers like Mike Scott/The Waterboys but dislike this album because it went in an unexpected direction. Just as Dylan disappointed some of his core audience by "going electric," "going country," and "going gospel," Mr. Scott seems quite willing to follow his Muse without allowing audience expectations to box him in. To be truthful, when I first bought this cd I listened to it once and abandoned it for over a year. Now, it's one of my favorites. I think a person's response to this music is more a reflection of the listener than the quality of the music-and I don't mean that in a negative sense. This is certainly the darkest Waterboys release to date (as of July 2005), and understandably not to everyone's taste. Kudos to Mr. Scott for following his Muse wherever she leads!

This is it! Not just for old 80's Waterboys fans - this is just great loud messy stuff that beats anything out today. Lots of heavy noise swirls around good solid songwriting. Don't miss this one chilluns!!

I love this album. I bought it about 2 months ago played it non-stop so much I quit, and now I'm playing it again. For those who are looking for the same as the early 80's it's time for a little change in your life. Open the cd cover and there is a story in the booklet. The cd is a soundtrack for the story, yet after listening to the tracks so many times.. they are about real situations. With this cd I found myself pulling out other "stories" such as Magical Mystery Tour, Sgt. Peppers, Around the World in a Day(Prince), Pink Floyd, ELO, Daniel Amos(Alarma Chronicles), Etc. Maybe one song misses the mark a tad, and I miss the trumpets, but the cd fits the story line so *****. I'm putting this album on par with the best the Waterboys have done. Fantastic! (This does not have a fiddle on it. The acoustic is used on 3 songs) Go to the show to hear the fiddle on these tunes.Thanks Mike - Yea this is a glowing review.