Album Club: 22:11:2011: The Waterboys - An Appointment with Mr Yeats(2011) [Archive]

Bazil

23-11-2011, 21:37

The Waterboys - An Appointment with Mr Yeats

http://img543.imageshack.us/img543/6117/yeats.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/543/yeats.jpg/)

A band I liked during the 80's and very much enjoyed the track "Stolen Child" off the Fisherman's Blues album. That particular track was an adaptation of a W.B. Yeats poem and I was intrigued enough by a new project from Mike Scott (Mr Waterboy himself) to go and see a tour last year entitled An Appointment with Mr Yeats. The Album itself hadn't been released and the set consisted of some songs with words by Yeats and some Waterboys favorites.
The album released this year, Double vinyl (45rpm) and CD, consists of all new compositions with words by the poet.
In my opinion - wonderful album and easily the best Waterboys album.

Spotify http://open.spotify.com/album/4EStbTDHbaKdWUMs25Xbfa

keiths

23-11-2011, 22:08

That sounds interesting. I love Fisherman's Blues, but don't think I have heard much after that. Will give this one a go.

Reid Malenfant

23-11-2011, 22:12

Tomorrow night I'll give this a spin Barry ;) Cheers for dropping in at the drop of a hat :)

Well done fella :cool:

Thing Fish

23-11-2011, 22:16

Hmmm the waterboys 'An Appointment with Mr Yeats'

I have to say I loved 'Goodbye Jumbo' so will spin this with much gusto...:)

The Grand Wazoo

23-11-2011, 22:45

Funny thing, just this evening I finished off reading an article in Mojo from a couple of months ago about Mike Scott & the Waterboys. I saw them once in Sheffield or Leeds or somewhere, have a few of their/his albums, but not yet heard this one, so I'll be interested to give it a spin.
Cheers Barry

aquapiranha

23-11-2011, 22:51

I like the waterboys and have seen them live too and they were great. I will check this one out and report back.

Audioman

24-11-2011, 00:31

Waterboys did a great performance on Jools Holland a few weeks ago. Never got into them 20 years ago as I was never keen on that 'Whole of The Moon' track that got rather overplayed. This promises to be more interesting though.

Welder

25-11-2011, 12:20

Not for me this one.
I just don’t get it really. I can see the cabaret aspect of the album and telling stories in a tune can work well for some. I just don’t think these guys do a particularly good job of it.
I couldn’t cope with the over emphasized vocals that hover between talking and singing.

John

25-11-2011, 13:08

I am with John on this one. Not really for me I give it a 4 as being kind

The Grand Wazoo

25-11-2011, 17:37

There's a bonus for Alex on this album - flute solo on track 2!! I'll be checking it again later for some mallet madness.

Thing Fish

25-11-2011, 20:09

Well I gave it a listen and was optimistic as they have been around a while and I was expecting great things.

Oh dear! I was really disapointed. Mike Scotts voice is just so irritating! It just grates on me. I can't listen to the man.

I'm sorry but that's where it ended. If I can't listen to the lead singer then it doesn't matter how good the songs are.

I gave it 3 but it really should have been a 2 at most.

Alex_UK

25-11-2011, 22:43

There's a bonus for Alex on this album - flute solo on track 2!! I'll be checking it again later for some mallet madness.

:lol:

Not yet had the house to myself to give this one a spin - though I enjoyed them "back in the day" and saw them live then - 25 odd years ago :eek:

Vinyleyes

27-11-2011, 13:20

Been listening to this all afternoon. I do like the Waterboys vibe and without ever getting to the peaks of Fishermans Blues I can see myself returning to this album repeatedly. It not only provides easy backround listening for the office but can also survive being turned up and becoming the main focus .... Yes it was nice to return to the Waterboys .. :) ...... an easy 7 this afternoon has turned into an 8 this evening ... :cool: ..

Bazil

27-11-2011, 15:09

Thats great Brian I'm glad someone else enjoys it I was beginning to get a bit worried after being so enthusiastic about it.

Thing Fish

27-11-2011, 15:18

Bazil

27-11-2011, 15:33

I feel a bit guilty about being so negative now...:(
Especially as you were good enough to put it up in the first place.

Truth is the WaterBoys are a very talented band its just Mike's voice I can't take too much of.

I suppose life would be boring if we all liked the same thing...:)

This has got me thinking what comes first with an artist the voice or the music that I like. There are quite a lot of distinctive vocals, Dylan,Cocker,Stewart would their songs have been the same without them?

Bazil

27-11-2011, 15:37

Mike Scott is Scottish and yet most of his music is about Ireland , I wonder if he wishes he was Irish and tries to develope an Irish accent? Just a thought.

Thing Fish

27-11-2011, 15:39

I really struggle with Cocker and Dylan even though he writes some really special songs his voice grates on me as well.

I suppose for me the voice is the main thing as it tops the cake so to speak.

Anywho we digress...;)

Bazil

27-11-2011, 15:45

The Grand Wazoo

28-11-2011, 00:38

Well, I quite liked it!
I recognise one or two musical themes from earlier Waterboys albums but that's no crime. As a rule I'm not particularly enamoured with poetry, but this makes me want to take a fresh look at the original subject matter. I found the album needed a few plays before it started to work it's way into my consciousness, so I could see how folks might think it to be OK as background music & no more.
The sing-speech style is a little odd (FZ used to do it quite a bit on his 80's albums).
I gave it a solid 7/10

keiths

28-11-2011, 01:43

I'm not going to vote just yet as I've only heard it through twice so far and I think it'll need a couple more listens before I get to form a real opinion. Certainly an interesting listen that I feel will gain more depth on subsequent plays. I recognise some of Yeats' poems - I worked in Ireland for a couple of years and got into their literature, music and history during that very enjoyable time, and it's interesting to hear them anew in this setting.

WAD62

29-11-2011, 14:03

Mike Scott is Scottish and yet most of his music is about Ireland , I wonder if he wishes he was Irish and tries to develope an Irish accent? Just a thought.

Indeed, born in Edinburgh, brought up in Ayr, and spent quite a bit of time in London...plastic paddy would be my thought, especially with his 'affected' singing voice ;)

I quite liked the early days of the Waterboys, but this is more a solo Mike Scott record. I expected to dislike it more, particularly due to Mr Scott's 'celtic' troupe-adore pretensions...but it's not too bad, I'd not buy it but I can certainly see why some would :)

5/10 for me...begorra!!! ;)

keiths

29-11-2011, 14:48

Went for 7/10 in the end as there are a couple of songs that am not too keen on, but overall it's very good

Audioman

29-11-2011, 16:22

Enjoyable listen and quite impressed as I was never that keen on The Waterboys. The musical arrangements to poetry work very well except on a couple of tracks. Overall I have to give this a 7/10.

The Grand Wazoo

29-11-2011, 18:39

Indeed, born in Edinburgh, brought up in Ayr, and spent quite a bit of time in London...plastic paddy would be my thought, especially with his 'affected' singing voice ;)

Between about 1986 & 1991 he was based in Ireland - 'Fisherman's Blues' & 'Room To Roam' were both recorded there.

WAD62

30-11-2011, 16:08

Between about 1986 & 1991 he was based in Ireland - 'Fisherman's Blues' & 'Room To Roam' were both recorded there.

Between '86 & '91 I was based in New York, but there's no way I acquired any semblance of an American accent ;)

However plenty of my colleagues did, probably because they wanted to...:)

The Grand Wazoo

30-11-2011, 17:01

Between '86 & '91 I was based in New York, but there's no way I acquired any semblance of an American accent ;)

I thought we were discussing the Irish influence on the music.
Funny, but I don't hear Irish in his accent. Maybe I'd better take another listen.

MartinT

09-11-2012, 07:15

Well I completely missed this the first time around. The Waterboys were an unknown for me and I've enjoyed listening to this album. Reminds me of Pink Floyd's The Wall in places. 8/10.

sq225917

09-11-2012, 08:10

the three albums are good, FB is a return to form and RTR continues the theme. i find the rest of there stuff patchy. Defo better when it when Mike and karl. Seen them quite a few times over the years. First heard them on Annie Nightingale show on t'radio.

Tim

09-11-2012, 10:25

Here's one that has slipped through the net, but as it was posted on my birthday I'll take that as my excuse . . . I'll give it a spin later ;)

Audio Al

09-11-2012, 13:48

Sorry , not my cup of tea , as they say

Track one was OK then just ended , a bit like the tape run out

Track two started with talking over music then I though it had ended as it burst into life , I thought it was the next track but it was not

Strange composition and editing

I gave it a 5 out of 10 ;)