A A Rock in the Weary Land [Expanded Edition]

by The Waterboys

Overview

Through the years, the Waterboys have adopted whatever persona or fancy Mike Scott held at a given point in time. Hence, this band has fluctuated from the pop/rock of the early- to mid-'80s to the ensuing folk period to the aimless early '90s, which yielded Dream Harder. That was their swan song, which alienated Waterboys fans who grew to cherish the previous two releases, Room to Roam and Fisherman's Blues. That apparently didn't concern Scott too much, since he equates the individual (himself) with the band in no uncertain terms: "[T]o me there's no difference between Mike Scott and the Waterboys; they both mean the same thing. They mean myself and whoever are my current travelling musical companions." Appropriately, A Rock in the Weary Land fuses the complexity, grandeur, and simplicity that have characterized Scott's music in the past. This is the recording that the homogenous Dream Harder failed to become. It's ambitious, moody, surreal, and relevant. Scott terms the renewed sound of the Waterboys as "sonic rock," in which he incorporates all of the elements and possibilities of modern rock (which he finds compatible) into a uniform, technically updated body of work. Various distorted and synthesized effects are utilized throughout this album, but typically so are the psychedelic tendencies that Scott has always held dear. John Lennon influences seem to surface frequently, both vocally and compositionally, most notably on "Is She Conscious." And, as virtually all Mike Scott projects (both solo and group) will reveal, much of the content revolves around the struggle, confusion, and inspiration that his growing faith elicits. ~ Dave Sleger

Product Details

Release Date:	05/26/2023
Label:	Cooking Vinyl
UPC:	0711297525830
Rank:	74717

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Waterboys   Primary Artist
Steve Orchard   Echo
Paul Beavis   Drums
Kevin Wilkinson   Drums
Jeremy Stacey   Drums
Robin Scott   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Mark Smith   Bass
Mike Scott   Organ,Piano,Vocals,Bellzouki,Synthesizer,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Roland Synthesizer
Thighpaulsandra   Trumpet,Keyboards,Mellotron,Synthesizer
Gilad Atzmon   Saxophone
Jody Linscott   Drums
Nick Wollage   Leslie Pedal
Anthony Thistlethwaite   Mandolin,Slide Mandolin
Richard Naiff   Piano
Dave Ruffy   Tambourine

Technical Credits

Steve Orchard   Mixing,Engineer
Ben Kape   Engineer
Mike Scott   Mixing,Composer,Producer
Chris Blair   Mastering
Ben Darlow   Engineer
Nick Wollage   Mixing,Engineer
Phil Tennant   Management
Rowan Stigner   Drum Programming
Chris Madden   Engineer
Steve Gullick   Photography
Dave Ruffy   Drum Programming
Alex Clark   Engineer
Rupert Allison   Engineer