The Waterboys
Mike Scott
Vocals, Piano, Guitar
Location: London, England
Genre: Rock, Big Music, Folk Rock, Celtic Rock
Years Active: 1983 - 1993; 1998 -
Meaning of the Name: Inspired by a lyric from 'The Kids' by Lou Reed.
Way of Working: Led by Mike Scott
Associated: Another Pretty Face
Essential Releases
A Pagan Place (1984)
Developed their post-punk sound into Big Music.
This Is the Sea (1985)
The perfection of their Big Music era.
Fisherman's Blues
(1988)
The band reinvent themselves as a traditional Irish folk outfit.
As the creative force and only permanent member of The Waterboys, Mike Scott is a master of reinvention. From his early years playing post-punk with Another Pretty Face to the panoramic ‘Big Music’ of The Waterboys’ mid-eighties peak, as well as their later forays into Irish folk, Scott has infused every era of the band with a sharp literary sensibility.
Scott's love of language led him to study English literature and philosophy at university, only to drop out after a year to pursue music. However, his keen interest in poetry blossomed further as a songwriter, compelling him to create epic, wide-screen sounds capable of filling a stadium.
'The Whole of the Moon', from his third LP This Is the Sea (1985), was inspired by Scott's humble admiration for writers like C.S. Lewis and includes the self-effacing lyric: "I saw the crescent. You saw the whole of the moon." 'The Stolen Child' (1988) takes a more direct approach, entirely foregoing his own lyrics to recite the W.B. Yeats poem at length.
Although it can seen as if Scott required a pep-talk, his true musical ambition was to capture the sacred and the divine in a manner akin to the great poets. By positioning himself as their junior, he was still in their orbit. In pursuit of this great rapture, he quickly co-opted the cavernous sound of bands like U2 and combined it with the frantic delivery of post-punk to produce work that demanded immediate attention. After all, in Scott's world, if you received a letter from God, it would be foolish to leave it unread.
After fully realising his "Big Music" sound on the anthemic This Is the Sea, Scott retreated to the softer world of Celtic folk. While his previous work relied on meticulously layered guitars to build a grand sense of scale, Fisherman’s Blues (1988) embraced a more organic process.
In the place of towering walls of sound, Fisherman’s Blues uses "honest" instruments such as the fiddle, the mandolin, and the tin whistle to create an intimate atmosphere that feels "live in the room" and is, perhaps, even closer to God.
Skills
*This is a work in progress. Values are subjective.Emotional Impact
85
Mental Impact
65
Originality
90
Artistry
70
Authenticity
80
Live
80
Production
60
Musicianship
85
Singing
75
Songwriting
85
Danceability
40
Fun
40
Consistency
60
Range
90
Cool
45
Charisma
45
Commercial & Critical Success
Awards
Certifications >>>
- This Is the Sea: Silver in the UK
- Fisherman's Blues: Gold in the UK
- Room to Roam: Silver in the UK
- Dream Harder: Silver in the UK
