31/03/2004

This Is The Sea - new re-issue of the Waterboys' masterwork, with bonus CD

by Mike Ollier

This Is The Sea is the third re-master from The Waterboys vaults, compiled by Mike Scott with a generous helping of extra tracks and a good booklet. TITS (as it is affectionately known by Waterboys fans) is often cited as The Waterboys' masterwork (though I personally would plump for Fisherman’s Blues, which is rumoured to be in the re-master planning stage) and is an important '80s musical artefact and perhaps the band's most accessible album.

The album features the only big Waterboys hit single, The Whole Of The Moon (bizarrely sung by Jonathon Ross’s house band, Four Puffs And A Piano, last week), as well as many other standout tracks that still feature heavily in the Waterboys' live sets today. Starting off with the still startling Don’t Bang The Drum, a rock track par excellence, and finishing with the superb, lilting anthemic title track, there isn’t too much to complain about on the original album. Only Old England, seeming hackneyed back in the '80s, doesn’t survive cross-examination and is the weakest track on the album, but everything else passes muster. All in all, an album that would be at home in most record collections.

So, to the 60mins+ CD2, of unreleased material. Nice for a Waterboys fan, perhaps, but for anyone else? There are five lengthy instrumentals which define the word rambling, some sounding like try-outs for other tracks on the album. Interestingly, though, there is an early non-vocal version of one of last year's Universal Hall stand-out tracks, Always Dancing Never Getting Tired.

Of the other tracks, it’s easy to see why the uninspired Beverley Penn was left languishing in the vaults, ditto the lyrically laughable Sleek White Schooner. Previously a B-side, Medicine Jack is an exercise in trying to rhyme Jack with a succession of words (Scott should have tried cack) and quickly outstays its welcome (after about 30secs). A version of Sweet Thing pales badly in comparison with the later, masterly version on Fisherman’s Blues, as does the uninspiring first live performance of This Is The Sea. Worst of all is the indulgence of including one of Mike Scott’s answering machine messages. Thank you, Mike.

The better news is the inclusion of two familiar tracks: full-length versions of Medicine Bow and Spirit. Medicine Bow, in particular, rocks like a rocky thing rocking to a rocky beat. Excellent. Also very welcome are the informative sleeve notes written by Scott, with some nice photos, all lyrics and full recording information - for the anal reader (like me).

So, the fourth time I have bought this album in various formats and the sixth version residing in my house. I think that the extra tracks on all three reissues would struggle to make a decent album, but hey... what are fans for?

(C) Mike Ollier 2004

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