Customer Reviews

Rock in a Weary Land

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The top contender for 2001 Surf Shop Album of the Year honors, "A Rock in the Weary Land" is every bit worthy of the Waterboys name.

After two solo albums (one great, one less so), Mike Scott has made another Waterboys record, but Anthony Thistelthwaite is missing, and so are most other names familiar from past renditions of the band. It's a new band and a new sound. "Sonic rock" they call it, and if the Waterboys you're familiar with is the late-80s Fisherman's Blues era, be prepared for a shock. This album's roots can be traced to '93's Dream Harder but it's even a leap from that album's measured cacophony. Over-produced and thickly layered by design, "A Rock in the Weary Land" takes some repeated listening to let its music percolate under the skin. Once that happens, brilliance and wisdom and passion take wing in the form of great songs. "Let It Happen" is one of the best Waterboys tracks ever, as are "Is She Conscious?" and "The Charlatan's Lament".

Mike Scott's been on a journey, a spiritual one, and he's been good enough to invite us along. At times he sounds like a candidate for Christian Rock radio, but then his cynicism resurfaces, or his devotion to Pan, or some other unwholesome uttering. Or he cries out something like:

"Emerging from under notions of god
In tears and in wonder I wander abroad".

It's an active, probing journey, by a pilgrim unwilling to overlook the divine possibilities of any powerful force - love, hate, a great wild storm, sex or rock and roll.

This isn't a sunny document of optimism; the songs are hard-edged and every triumph is hard-won. And balanced by deceit, or meanness of spirit, or folly, I might add. But the music carries it all and leaves no doubt that, though Mike Scott may be a poet, and may be a pilgrim (he is both) he is most surely what he's supposed to be when he writes rock songs, and records and performs them. Thanks, Mike, for sharing the journey.

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.

What do the "real" Wateboys sound like? Hard to pin down, really. From the moody, soulful rock band of the early 80s, to the Gaelic folk revivalists of late 80s-90s, and finally the sonic blitzkrieg of "Dream Harder" in '93... and then two Mike Scott solo albums (1 great, 1 not) and here we are in '01. I must admit, I was a bit suspicious of this release. It took a while to get to the US, it had a dumb cover, and it seemed like a pathetic last gasp for commerical viability to resurrect the The Waterboys name... but, suspicions are made to be banished! First of all, in the rare instance that "Dream Harder" is your favorite Waterboys record, do buy this right away. Stop reading. You'll love it. If however the "real" Waterboys for you are the acoustic-drenched troubadors of "Fisherman's Blues", you are going to need some convincing.

Mike Scott is back in Guitar God Mode-- even more so than on "Dream Harder"-- there are hooks, crunching, big fat hooks galore--- jumbo-size chords, surging feedback, beefy bass lines--- this is a ROCK band in full swing. When it comes to the vocals, this is where Mike really brings the pain-- God, he has never sung like this! It has to be his most passionate, nuanced performance. His throaty, gaelic wail defiantly rises above the cacophony. He sounds like a true believer! The last real Rock and Roll singer on earth... for the legnth of this album, at least, there is NO ONE I'd rather hear sing! The songs for the most point are great. Catchy, densely layered, tuneful and smart. Peppered with Scott's always complex, often ornate, occasionally opaque lyrical curiosities. From start to finish, it's a solid, rewarding listen. Great recording quality, great tunes, and at least one song, "We are Jonah" that instantly joins the ranks of the greates Waterboys songs. top-drawer release. Don't pass it up.

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.

This is the first Waterboys release in a decade....and it's worth the wait. Mike Scott is the nerve center for this band, and if you've heard either of his 2 solo releases of the past 5 years, you sense a man passionatley wrestling with new-found faith and how it effectes his world. The new Waterboys CD "Rock In A Weary Land' continues with the same passion....but this time coupled with the intensity of the Waterboys band at their absolute best. Of particular note, is the haunting, desturbing "Dumbing Down The World".....Mike Scott is clear about his worldview, and this effort is stunning! There's no 'fluff' here....A must have!

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.

Even though Mike Scott is the WAterboys (and this is called a Waterboys album due to lack of name recognition by the doltish record buying public) it is nice that the Waterboys are back on the shelf again. I got into the Waterboys in the mid 80's due to an intriguing song called Red Army Blues (I just had to hear what this was all about). It turns out it was a great story with layers of music. Once you get into the Waterboys, you are hooked. The transformation of the music over the years has been interesting to follow. From an overemphasis on the words to musical creativity, the waterboys (Scott) never ceases to amaze.
Let It Happen kicks the cd off (literally) with warped guitar bombasity (is this a word? it is now). We ARe Jonah has a catchy chorus, It's All Gone is over two minutes of the title repeated, but it works. My LOve Is My Rock IN the Weary Land is 8 minutes of guitar energy. Lucky Day has the lyrics "you can't spend all your life sitting on a cloud playing your twelve string"; but wouldn't it be nice if you could? These are all great songs. TAke a water break from the ho hum of corporate music and explore the fringes where the pioneers are lurking and you will discover great music. I can't wait til the release in early Jan. 2002 of the outtakes from Fisherman's Blues!

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.

Say Mike Scott at First Avenue supporting this album. The
songs were awesome but the album's production is truly annoying!!

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.