Black&White&BlueMoon Town
Well-Known Member
Last week I listened to Astral Weeks multiple times because I realized my perception and appreciation of it was changing over repeated listens.
This week I have listened to The Waterboys - This is the Sea more times than any other selected album (this side of Frightened Rabbit) because I simply can't stop myself and I've enjoyed it so much – from the very first listen. Many of the sentiments I had on the songs, @RobMCFC already captured so well on page 1171.
The one thing that makes this album as a whole so strong is how the songs all tie together under a common theme - a search for the meaning of life, purpose, drive, moving on from the past, and respect for all around us, both on earth and in the skies. Brilliantly done, and each song seems to take on various aspects of this theme, with great success. I'm going to focus more on the best moments of my favorite 5 songs from the album that tie into this:
1. “The Pan Within” - you're probably wondering, why this song as #1? Because the fiddle absolutely shines on this one, with an amazing back and forth sound with Mike Scott’s vocals. The lyrics about the force within us, the god Pan, under the skin, are all amazing: All we gotta do, all we gotta do… is surrender!
Steve Wickham supposedly joined the band late to add in the fiddle in this song after it was mostly completed. Are you kidding me??? I can't even imagine this song without that instrument, as it simply carries the tune and overall strong sound of this one. My goodness, the fiddle gets the solo too, so file this one under better late than not at all. Check the vocals and fiddle back and forth at 4:40 onwards for the moment that really makes that song.
2. “Don't Bang the Drum” - loved this song as an opener, a fantastic minute and a half of trumpet and piano compliment of building expectations to transition into quite the album intro into the Big Music.
Well here we are in a special place
What are you gonna do here?
Now we stand in a special place
What will you do here?
What show of soul are we gonna get from you?
The deep message about not destroying what is special all around us resonates even more today than it did when this album came out mid-80s. Don’t bang the drum, indeed.
3. “Medicine Bow” – open to various interpretations, uses that area of Wyoming to symbolize a description of life’s journey and search for meaning, especially after pain and love lost.
There’s a man in my head, but he isn’t me anymore
A great sample of the search for inner peace in an all-out rocker – FAST AS WE CAN GO!
4. “Be My Enemy” – great mentions here on how the first 38 seconds of synths threw us off where this song was going - a clear 2 songs in 1. Once it gets going full speed down the tracks, it somewhat reminded me of vintage BoDeans from the mid-80s on their classic “Say About Love”, though the Waterboys were first on this album. The vocals and imagery created is second to none on this track. Again, Mike Scott really sells it with his delivery.
5. “This is the Sea” – nice acoustic guitar intro that reminded me a bit of George Harrison. This song uses the train and other strong metaphors to talk about the changes in life, and the train that takes you from here to there. It even cleverly works in this line that ties it all back to the opening song:
And you're trying to remember
How fine your life used to be
Running around banging your drum
Like it's 1973
Well that was the river
This is the sea!
I think this song is structured and played perfectly for what is needed to close out the album. It doesn’t have to be the loudest or fastest, as Mike’s vocals really shine here in describing moving past the pain of the past, as that was the river, and the now going forward is the sea. You still got enough time…
Thanks again to @Mancitydoogle for such an inspiring and thoughtful offering this week. I too listened to all of Fisherman’s Blues this week as I loved the single in the 80’s, and this album is much better on the whole on the sound and themes that tie it together. My original plan was to rate this an 8.5 as an homage to its release year, but the Deluxe Version bonus tracks with “Sleek White Schooner” bumps it up to a 9/10 for me.
On to their next album of many I haven’t heard!
This week I have listened to The Waterboys - This is the Sea more times than any other selected album (this side of Frightened Rabbit) because I simply can't stop myself and I've enjoyed it so much – from the very first listen. Many of the sentiments I had on the songs, @RobMCFC already captured so well on page 1171.
The one thing that makes this album as a whole so strong is how the songs all tie together under a common theme - a search for the meaning of life, purpose, drive, moving on from the past, and respect for all around us, both on earth and in the skies. Brilliantly done, and each song seems to take on various aspects of this theme, with great success. I'm going to focus more on the best moments of my favorite 5 songs from the album that tie into this:
1. “The Pan Within” - you're probably wondering, why this song as #1? Because the fiddle absolutely shines on this one, with an amazing back and forth sound with Mike Scott’s vocals. The lyrics about the force within us, the god Pan, under the skin, are all amazing: All we gotta do, all we gotta do… is surrender!
Steve Wickham supposedly joined the band late to add in the fiddle in this song after it was mostly completed. Are you kidding me??? I can't even imagine this song without that instrument, as it simply carries the tune and overall strong sound of this one. My goodness, the fiddle gets the solo too, so file this one under better late than not at all. Check the vocals and fiddle back and forth at 4:40 onwards for the moment that really makes that song.
2. “Don't Bang the Drum” - loved this song as an opener, a fantastic minute and a half of trumpet and piano compliment of building expectations to transition into quite the album intro into the Big Music.
Well here we are in a special place
What are you gonna do here?
Now we stand in a special place
What will you do here?
What show of soul are we gonna get from you?
The deep message about not destroying what is special all around us resonates even more today than it did when this album came out mid-80s. Don’t bang the drum, indeed.
3. “Medicine Bow” – open to various interpretations, uses that area of Wyoming to symbolize a description of life’s journey and search for meaning, especially after pain and love lost.
There’s a man in my head, but he isn’t me anymore
A great sample of the search for inner peace in an all-out rocker – FAST AS WE CAN GO!
4. “Be My Enemy” – great mentions here on how the first 38 seconds of synths threw us off where this song was going - a clear 2 songs in 1. Once it gets going full speed down the tracks, it somewhat reminded me of vintage BoDeans from the mid-80s on their classic “Say About Love”, though the Waterboys were first on this album. The vocals and imagery created is second to none on this track. Again, Mike Scott really sells it with his delivery.
5. “This is the Sea” – nice acoustic guitar intro that reminded me a bit of George Harrison. This song uses the train and other strong metaphors to talk about the changes in life, and the train that takes you from here to there. It even cleverly works in this line that ties it all back to the opening song:
And you're trying to remember
How fine your life used to be
Running around banging your drum
Like it's 1973
Well that was the river
This is the sea!
I think this song is structured and played perfectly for what is needed to close out the album. It doesn’t have to be the loudest or fastest, as Mike’s vocals really shine here in describing moving past the pain of the past, as that was the river, and the now going forward is the sea. You still got enough time…
Thanks again to @Mancitydoogle for such an inspiring and thoughtful offering this week. I too listened to all of Fisherman’s Blues this week as I loved the single in the 80’s, and this album is much better on the whole on the sound and themes that tie it together. My original plan was to rate this an 8.5 as an homage to its release year, but the Deluxe Version bonus tracks with “Sleek White Schooner” bumps it up to a 9/10 for me.
On to their next album of many I haven’t heard!
