The Waterboys

The Waterboys - Atlantic Rain: The Lost Fisherman's Blues Recordings - (3LP Box Set)

When a batch of "lost" vintage material from The Waterboys was discovered the band and Chrysalis Records decided to do something really nice for fans and release the trove on vinyl as a triple record box set. The collectible features more than two hours of music drawn from the beloved band's Fisherman's Blues sessions of 1986-88 with 17 of the included 24 tracks never having been released before with the other seven tracks having been released only in incomplete form. So Atlantic Rain: The Lost Fisherman's Blues Recordings really gives fans something "new!" And these are not cuts that were shelved because they were deemed not good enough back in the day; this is good music that listeners will cherish. Each of the three LPs has its own title with the first disc called Atlantic Rain. The first thing you hear on the side is the saxophone intro to "Too Close to Heaven (soul version)" played by Anthony "Anto" Thistlewaite. Anto's horn adds highlights to lots of songs here but it is the instantly-recognizable vocals of Mike Scott that is the main hallmark of The Waterboys and he pushes his voice into falsetto range for part of "Too Close to Heaven (soul version)," a buoyant rocker that begs for a trip to the dance floor and possibly a sing-along. Scott's voice drips with yearning on "Come Back to Galway" and on "The Man With the Wind at His Heels" violinist Steve Wickham's playing gives the song a distinct Irish flavor. Other notable songs on the Atlantic Rain disc include the instrumental "And Then the Gods," again featuring Wickham on fiddle, the rollicking "Light Shine on Me" and a take on Woody Guthrie's "This Land is Your Land" that includes some lyrics changed to reflect Ireland. The second disc is called Indian Summer and it begins with a raved-up version of the gospel oldie "I Can't Feel at Home in This World Anymore" before moving into more covers, Bob Dylan's "Knockin' On Heaven's Door," Hank Williams' "Honky Tonkin'," the Rolling Stones cut "No Expectations" and even a take on the Prince song "When Doves Cry." The third disc is called Fisherman's Jam and that's a good indicator of some of what lies within, particularly the lively instrumental jam "The Good Ship Sirius/The Ship in Full Sail." Surprisingly, "The Last Jam," while a lengthy groove, is performed in a somewhat understated mode, with drums powering its more upbeat moments. The record closes with an interesting 13-minute-plus take on the Beatles chestnut "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" and a nearly seven-minute reprise of the song. To top the whole thing off an awesome 40-page booklet with credits and commentary is included too.

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