Description

Scottish folk-rockers the Waterboys started out in the '80s as proponents of what came to be known (after the name of one of their songs) as "the big music," an anthemic, widescreen vision replete with earnest statements and grand-scale production. By the time of 1988's FISHERMAN'S BLUES, the Waterboys had rediscovered their Celtic folk roots and reinvented their sound accordingly. By the '90s, the band was rocking harder, but leader Mike Scott broke up the group after '93's DREAM HARDER and made a couple of quiet, acoustic records before reconvening the Waterboys at the start of the next decade.

Biography

Formed by former fanzine writer Mike Scott (b. 14 December 1958, Edinburgh, Scotland; vocals), the Waterboys evolved from Another Pretty Face, which included John Caldwell (guitar) and a frequently changing line-up from 1979-81. A series of failed projects, including the two-piece Funhouse, followed before Scott formed the Waterboys. Borrowing the name from a line in "The Kids" from Lou Reed's Berlin, Scott began advertising in the music press for suitable personnel. Anthony Thistlethwaite (b. 31 August 1955, Leicester, England; saxophone), Nick Linden (bass) and Kevin Wilkinson (b. 1958, d. 17 July 1999, Swindon, England; drums) were recruited and work was completed on "A Girl Called Johnny", a sterling tribute to Patti Smith that narrowly failed to become a big hit. The band's self-titled debut, recorded with a number of additional musicians, was also a solid work, emphasizing Scott's ability as a singer-songwriter. "December", with its religious connotations, was an excellent Christmas single that again narrowly failed to chart.
Augmented by musicians Karl Wallinger (b. 19 October 1957, Prestatyn, Clwyd, Wales; keyboards/percussion/vocals), Roddy Lorimer (trumpet) and Tim Blanthorn (violin), the Waterboys completed 1984's A Pagan Place, which confirmed their early promise. The key track for many was "The Big Music", which became a handy simile for Scott's soul-searching mini-epics. For the following year's This Is The Sea, Scott brought in a new drummer, Chris Whitten, and added a folk flavour to the proceedings courtesy of fiddler Steve Wickham. The attendant "The Whole Of The Moon" only reached number 28 in the UK but later proved a spectacular Top 10 hit when reissued in 1990. It was a masterwork from a band seemingly at the height of its powers.
Despite their promise, the Waterboys remained a vehicle for Scott's ideas and writing, a view reinforced when Karl Wallinger left to form World Party. At this point Wickham, who had previously played with In Tua Nua, U2 and Sinéad O'Connor, took on a more prominent role. He took Scott to Eire and a long sojourn in Galway followed. Three years passed before the Waterboys released their next album, the distinctively folk-flavoured Fisherman's Blues. Scott's assimilation of traditional Irish music, mingled with his own spiritual questing and rock background coalesced to produce a work of considerable charm and power. Back in the ascendant, the band completed work on Room To Roam, which retained the folk sound, though to a lesser extent than its predecessor. Within days of the album's release, Wickham left the band, forcing Scott to reconstruct the Waterboys' sound once more. A revised line-up featuring Thistlethwaite, Trevor Hutchinson and new drummer Ken Blevins toured the UK playing a rocking set, minus the folk music that had permeated their recent work. After signing an US/Canadian contract with Geffen Records, the Waterboys line-up underwent further changes when, in February 1992, long-serving member Thistlethwaite left the band (he went on to play with the Saw Doctors and release solo albums). During this rebuilding of the Waterboys, former Wendy And Lisa drummer Carla Azar took over the spot vacated by Ken Blevins, and Scott Thunes was recruited as the new bass player.
Mercurial and uncompromising, Scott has continued to steer the Waterboys through radically different musical phases, which have proved consistently fascinating. Following the release of the disappointingly mainstream Dream Harder, he concentrated on his solo career for several years, before re-forming the Waterboys to record 2000's excellent comeback album, A Rock In The Weary Land. The follow-up Universal Hall was the first release on Scott's Puck Records label, and was recorded by a line-up featuring both Wickham and Thistlethwaite.
DISCOGRAPHY: The Waterboys (Chicken Jazz 1983)***, A Pagan Place (Ensign 1984)***, This Is The Sea (Ensign 1985)****, Fisherman's Blues (Ensign 1988)****, Room To Roam (Ensign 1990)***, Dream Harder (Geffen 1993)**, A Rock In The Weary Land (RCA/Razor & Tie 2000)****, Universal Hall (Puck 2003)***, This Is The Sea expanded edition (EMI 2004)****.
COMPILATIONS: The Best Of The Waterboys 81-90 (Ensign 1991)***, The Secret Life Of The Waterboys 81-85 (Ensign 1994)**, The Live Adventures Of The Waterboys (New Millennium 1998)***, The Whole Of The Moon: The Music Of Mike Scott And The Waterboys (EMI 1998)****, Too Close To Heaven: The Unreleased Fisherman's Blues Sessions (RCA 2001)***.

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