''Fisherman's Blues'' is a 1988 album by

The Waterboys The Waterboys are a folk rock band formed in Edinburgh in 1983 by Scottish musician Mike Scott. The band's membership, past and present, has been composed mainly of musicians from Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England. Mike Scott has remained ...

. The album marked a change in the band's sound, with them abandoning their earlier grandiose rock sound for a mixture of

traditional Irish music Irish traditional music (also known as Irish trad, Irish folk music, and other variants) is a genre of folk music that developed in Ireland. In ''A History of Irish Music'' (1905), W. H. Grattan Flood wrote that, in Gaelic Ireland, there we ...

, traditional Scottish music,

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

, and

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm a ...

. Critics were divided on its release with some disappointed at the change of direction and others ranking it among The Waterboys' best work. The album was The Waterboys' best selling album, reaching a number 13 placing on the

U.K. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

charts on release, and 76 on the '' Billboard'' 200.

Production history

The history behind ''Fisherman's Blues'' begins with Steve Wickham's contribution to "The Pan Within" on the preceding Waterboys album ''

This Is the Sea ''This Is the Sea'' is the third The Waterboys album, and the last of their "Big Music" albums. Considered by critics to be the finest album of their early rock-oriented sound, described as "epic" and "a defining moment", it was the first Water ...

''. Wickham joined the group officially in 1985 after ''This Is the Sea'' had been released. Mike Scott, The Waterboys' leader, spent time in

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...

with Wickham, and moved to

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

in 1986. That year The Waterboys performed "Fisherman's Blues" on The Tube, which was the first time the new musical direction the band was taking was demonstrated. The recording sessions for the album were lengthy and produced a great deal of music. The sessions began at Windmill Lane Studio in Dublin and lasted from January through March 1986. An additional session took place that December in

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...

. From March to August 1987 The Waterboys were recording in Windmill Lane again. Scott moved to

Galway Galway ( ; ga, Gaillimh, ) is a city in the West of Ireland, in the province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lough Corrib and Galway Bay, and is the sixth most populous city on ...

and another year passed as the band recorded at Spiddal House, where Scott was living. The entire second side of the original record is made up of recordings from this 1988 session. The album was released that October. Scott describes the process; "We started recording our fourth album in early '86 and completed it 100 songs and 2 years later". More songs from the album's recording sessions were released on ''

Too Close to Heaven ''Too Close to Heaven'' is a collection of outtakes, alternative versions, and unreleased tracks from The Waterboys' ''Fisherman's Blues'' period, released September 2001. The album was released as ''Fisherman's Blues, Part 2'' in the United St ...

'', or ''

Fisherman's Blues, Part 2 ''Too Close to Heaven'' is a collection of outtakes, alternative versions, and unreleased tracks from The Waterboys' ''Fisherman's Blues'' period, released September 2001. The album was released as ''Fisherman's Blues, Part 2'' in the United St ...

'' as it was titled in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

, in 2002 by BMG and Razor and Tie Entertainment, respectively. Other songs from the sessions were unreleased for years, including one of the defining tracks of sessions, "Higher In Time", a cover of

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

's "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight", "The Man With the Wind at His Heels", "Stranger to Me", "Saints and Angels", and "Born to Be Together". A remastered "Collector's Edition" with additional tracks was released in May 2006. A 7-CD box set, containing 121 tracks from the album sessions including all those on the original record and subsequent editions, plus a further 85 unreleased tracks was released on 14 October 2013.

Songs

The title track peaked at number three on the

Billboard Modern Rock chart Alternative Airplay (formerly known as Modern Rock Tracks (1988–2009) and Alternative Songs (2009–2020)) is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in ''Billboard'' magazine since September 10, 1988. It ranks the 40 most-played ...

. The

single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

for the song reached position 32 on the UK singles charts in 1989 and position 75, when re-issued in 1991.

Country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

song "The Lost Highway", featuring

Liam Ó Maonlaí Liam Ó Maonlaí (born 7 November 1964 in Monkstown, County Dublin, Ireland) is an Irish musician best known as a member of Hothouse Flowers. Ó Maonlaí formed the band in 1985 with his schoolmate Fiachna Ó Braonáin. Biography He attend ...

on piano, appeared on the B-side. "Fisherman's Blues" was used on the pilot episode of the TV series '' Lights Out'', and has appeared on the soundtracks of the movies ''

Good Will Hunting ''Good Will Hunting'' is a 1997 American psychological drama film directed by Gus Van Sant, and written by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. It stars Robin Williams, Damon, Affleck, Stellan Skarsgård and Minnie Driver. The film received positive r ...

'', ''

Waking Ned Devine ''Waking Ned'' (titled ''Waking Ned Devine'' in North America) is a 1998 comedy film written and directed by Kirk Jones and starring Ian Bannen, David Kelly, and Fionnula Flanagan. Kelly was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for his r ...

'' and '' Dream with the Fishes''. Actress Emilia Clarke performed a cover version for the film ''

Dom Hemingway ''Dom Hemingway'' is a 2013 British black comedycrime drama film directed and written by Richard Shepard, and starring Jude Law, Richard E. Grant, Demián Bichir and Emilia Clarke. It was shown at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival ...

''. " Sweet Thing" is a "surprisingly successful" cover of a song by

Van Morrison Sir George Ivan Morrison (born 31 August 1945), known professionally as Van Morrison, is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose recording career spans seven decades. He has won two Grammy Awards. As a teenager in t ...

, originally from Morrison's 1968 album, ''

Astral Weeks ''Astral Weeks'' is the second studio album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison. It was recorded at Century Sound Studios in New York during September and October 1968, and released in November of the same year by Warner Bros. Rec ...

''. The Waterboys' version on this album is a medley; the song ends with the unplanned addition of verses from

The Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developmen ...

' " Blackbird", which Scott impulsively sang on the spot. A different recording of the song appeared on the second compact disc of the re-release of ''This Is the Sea''. "Strange Boat" lends its title to Ian Abrahams' biography of Mike Scott and The Waterboys,Abrahams, Ian. ''Strange Boat''. SAF Publishing (2007) while the song "

World Party World Party were a British musical group, which was essentially the solo project of its sole member, Karl Wallinger. He started the band in 1986 in London after leaving the Waterboys. Career After a stint as musical director of a West End p ...

" was the inspiration for

Karl Wallinger Karl Edmond De Vere Wallinger (born 19 October 1957, Prestatyn, Wales) is a Welsh musician, songwriter and record producer. He is best known for leading the band World Party and for his mid-1980s stint in the Waterboys. He also wrote and origi ...

's band name. It reached position 19 on Billboard's Modern Rock chart, and was voted number 69 on the KROQ Top 106.7 Countdown of 1989. Jimmy Hickey, of the instrumental song "Jimmy Hickey's Waltz", was a member of the album's production crew. The track begins with a recording of some conversation and laughter, which continues in the background as a

violin The violin, sometimes known as a '' fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone ( string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument ( soprano) in the family in regu ...

begins to play a short

waltz The waltz ( ), meaning "to roll or revolve") is a ballroom and folk dance, normally in triple ( time), performed primarily in closed position. History There are many references to a sliding or gliding dance that would evolve into the w ...

. The recording ends with some applause. " And a Bang on the Ear", in which Scott summarises a past romantic attachment in each verse, finishing the song with a current "woman of the hearthfire", was released as the second single from the album. A live version of "

The Raggle Taggle Gypsy "The Raggle Taggle Gypsy" (), is a traditional folk song that originated as a Scottish border ballad, and has been popular throughout Britain, Ireland and North America. It concerns a rich lady who runs off to join the gypsies (or one gypsy). Com ...

" made up the B-side. A studio version of "The Raggle Taggle Gypsy" would appear on The Waterboys' next album ''

Room to Roam ''Room to Roam'' is the fifth studio album by The Waterboys; it continued the folk rock sound of 1988's '' Fisherman's Blues'', but was less of a commercial success, reaching #180 on the '' Billboard'' Top 200 after its release in September 1990 ...

''. The single was chosen as a Radio One "Single of the Week", but failed to chart. Confusion amongst listeners about what a bang on the ear might be about prompted The Waterboys' Frequently Asked Questions page to note, more than ten years later, that it was "a term of affection". A "bang" means a

kiss A kiss is the touch or pressing of one's lips against another person or an object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely. Depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sexual attraction, ...

and this Irish phrase of "bang on the ear" can best be considered equivalent to the more common phrase "peck on the cheek". "Has Anybody Here Seen Hank" is a country music tribute to Hank Williams, listening to whom Scott described as "a life-changing experience". The Waterboys had previously paid tribute to a different influence on Scott,

Patti Smith Patricia Lee Smith (born December 30, 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, poet, painter and author who became an influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album ''Horses''. Called the "punk poet ...

, with the song "

A Girl Called Johnny "A Girl Called Johnny" is a song from Scottish-Irish folk rock band The Waterboys, which was released in 1983 as the lead single from their debut studio album ''The Waterboys''. The song was written by Mike Scott and produced by Rupert Hine. It re ...

" on their first album, ''

''. "Dunford's Fancy" was written by Wickham for Steve Dunford, brother to Waterboys producer John Dunford. "

The Stolen Child "The Stolen Child" is an 1889 poem by William Butler Yeats, published in ''The Wanderings of Oisin and Other Poems''. Overview The poem was written in 1886 and is considered to be one of Yeats's more notable early poems. The poem is based on I ...

" was the first

William Butler Yeats William Butler Yeats (13 June 186528 January 1939) was an Irish poet, dramatist, writer and one of the foremost figures of 20th-century literature. He was a driving force behind the Irish Literary Revival and became a pillar of the Irish liter ...

poem that The Waterboys put to music. Another Yeats poem "Love and Death" appeared on ''

Dream Harder ''Dream Harder'' (1993) is the sixth album by The Waterboys. Led by Scottish singer-songwriter-instrumentalist Mike Scott, the album features none of the earlier UK-based band members and instead finds Scott backed by American session musicians. ...

'' in 1993. "The Stolen Child", spoken by traditional Irish vocalist Tomás Mac Eoin with backup vocals by Scott, remains the group's "most famous poetic rendition". The final song is only a brief snippet of the

Woody Guthrie Woodrow Wilson Guthrie (; July 14, 1912 – October 3, 1967) was an American singer-songwriter, one of the most significant figures in American folk music. His work focused on themes of American socialism and anti-fascism. He has inspired ...

folk song "

This Land Is Your Land "This Land Is Your Land" is one of the United States' most famous folk songs. Its lyrics were written by American folk singer Woody Guthrie in 1940 in critical response to Irving Berlin's "God Bless America", with melody based on a Carter Fam ...

" with some of the American place names replaced with Irish ones.

Critical reception

''Fisherman's Blues'' was included in the book ''

1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die ''1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die'' is a musical reference book first published in 2005 by Universe Publishing. Part of the ''1001 Before You Die'' series, it compiles writings and information on albums chosen by a panel of music critics ...

''.

Track listing

Fisherman's Blues (1988)

Fisherman's Blues ''Fisherman's Blues'' is a 1988 album by The Waterboys. The album marked a change in the band's sound, with them abandoning their earlier grandiose rock sound for a mixture of traditional Irish music, traditional Scottish music, country music, an ...

" ( Mike Scott, Steve Wickham) – 4:26 # "We Will Not Be Lovers" (Scott) – 7:03 # "Strange Boat" (Scott,

Anthony Thistlethwaite Anthony "Anto" Thistlethwaite (born 31 August 1955, Lutterworth, Leicestershire, England) is a British multi-instrumentalist best known as a founding member (with guitarist Mike Scott) of the folk rock group, The Waterboys and later as a long ...

) – 3:06 # "

" (Scott, Trevor Hutchinson,

) – 4:01 # " Sweet Thing" (

) – 7:14 # "Jimmy Hickey's Waltz" (Scott, Wickham, Thistlethwaite) – 2:06 # " And a Bang on the Ear" (Scott, Wickham, Thistlethwaite) – 9:14 # "Has Anybody Here Seen Hank?" (Scott) – 3:19 # "When Will We Be Married?" (Traditional, adapted: Scott, Thistlethwaite) – 3:01 # "When Ye Go Away" (Scott) – 3:45 # "Dunford's Fancy" (Wickham) – 1:04 # "

" (Words: W.B. Yeats, Music: Scott) – 6:55 # "

" (

) – 0:56 ''Jimmy Hickey's Waltz'' not present on 1988

Ensign An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be diffe ...

vinyl Vinyl may refer to: Chemistry * Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a particular vinyl polymer * Vinyl cation, a type of carbocation * Vinyl group, a broad class of organic molecules in chemistry * Vinyl polymer, a group of polymers derived from vinyl ...

release. Though it is not listed at the back of the 1988 CD box, it features on the Ensign disc and in the booklet with full credits..

Personnel

The cover displays a number of the contributors. From left to right, back to front, are: Jake Kennedy (crew), Colin Blakey, Pat McCarthy (recording engineer), Jimmy Hickey (crew), John Dunford (co-producer), Trevor Hutchinson, Fran Breen,

, Mike Scott, and Steve Wickham. * Mike Scott —

vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or withou ...

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected strin ...

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keybo ...

, hammond organ, drums,

bouzouki The bouzouki (, also ; el, μπουζούκι ; alt. pl. ''bouzoukia'', from Greek ), also spelled buzuki or buzuci, is a musical instrument popular in Greece. It is a member of the long-necked lute family, with a round body with a flat top and ...

—

saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of Single-reed instrument, single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed (mouthpi ...

, mandolin, harmonica, Hammond organ * Steve Wickham —

* Trevor Hutchinson —

bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...

double bass The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox additions such as the octobass). Similar i ...

Roddy Lorimer Roddy Lorimer (born 19 May 1953) is a Scottish musician who plays trumpet and flugelhorn. He has performed with a wide array of artists, including Blur, Gene, the Rolling Stones, Draco Rosa, the Who, the Style Council, Eric Clapton, Suede, ...

—

trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard ...

Kevin Wilkinson Kevin Michael Wilkinson (11 June 1958 – 17 July 1999) was an English drummer, who was based in Baydon, Wiltshire, England. Career Born Kevin Michael Wilkinson in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, he is credited as a former official member of s ...

— drums * Peter McKinney — drums * Dave Ruffy — drums * Colin Blakey — piano, flute, border horn * Fran Breen — drums * Vinnie Kilduff — guitar *

Noel Bridgeman Noel A. 'Nollaig' Bridgeman (28 April 1946 – 23 March 2021) was an Irish musician, best known as the drummer and co-founder of the blues rock band Skid Row. Biography Bridgeman enjoyed a long career after emerging from the Irish blues boom i ...

—

tambourine The tambourine is a musical instrument in the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zills". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, though ...

, congas *

Jay Dee Daugherty Jay Dee Daugherty (born March 22, 1952) is an American drummer and songwriter most known for his work with Patti Smith. As a member of the Patti Smith Group, he has been nominated twice to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Biography Moving to N ...

— drums *

Máirtín O'Connor Máirtín O'Connor is an Irish button accordionist from Galway, Ireland, who began playing at the age of nine, and whose career has seen him as a member of many traditional music groups that include Skylark, Midnight Well, De Dannan, and ...

— accordion * Alec Finn — bouzouki * Charlie Lennon — violin * Brendan O'Regan — bouzouki * Tomás Mac Eoin — vocals * Paraig Stevens — bells * Jenny Haan — vocals * Ruth Nolan — vocals * Rachel Nolan — vocals * The Abergavenny Male Voice Choir — vocals * Tomás Mac Eoin - spoken voice

Charts

References

External links

''Fisherman's Blues''
(

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) at

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(streamed copy where licensed)
''Fisherman's Blues'' (2006 Digital Remaster)
(

) at Myspace (streamed copy where licensed)
Lyrics at mikescottwaterboys.com
{{Authority control 1988 albums The Waterboys albums Albums produced by Bob Johnston Chrysalis Records albums