Fisherman's Blues

This album has been added to 2 public lists:

• 

  1988

  James

  The grand “big music” sound gives way to something looser, warmer, and more rooted in traditional folk forms. Songs stretch out casually, letting fiddles, mandolins, and room noise become part of the atmosphere. Mike Scott sounds less interested in transcendence now than in community and physical place. The album feels open-ended in the best possible way.

• 

  1001Albums

  Neil Hopkins

  There was a brief fad for Celtic folk rock in the 80s and the Waterboys were a prime example with their biggest hit being The Whole of the Moon in 1985. For this album a couple of years later, they leaned back towards a more traditional, folkier sound with violins, mandolins and flutes coming to the fore. I’m guessing this may have put off some of their earlier fans, but it sounds like they’re having a lot of fun with this, especially on the final live burst of Woody Guthrie’s This Land is Your Land at the end.