Monday, January 14, 2019

The 1983 Listening Post - The Waterboys - The Waterboys

The Waterboys - The Waterboys

July 1983
The Waterboys
The Waterboys
3 out of 5
Highlights:
December
It Should Have Been You
The Girl in the Swing
I’ve never heard any other Waterboys songs except the one mentioned below. I recall reading that they didn’t care for the comparisons to U2 (that might be apocryphal) but some of their songs seemed to be named to live in contrast with that megaband. So, this is really the first listen.
The trouble I have here is that, since I’ve read that much of this was recorded by Scott with a guitar, piano and drum machine, there’s little to reign in his impulses. Short of an editor, he does tend to not know when to stop. “The Three Day Man” is an example of this. Followed by the laborious 9 minute gala, “Gala”.
This album contains one of my absolute favorite songs of the era, “It Should Have Been You”. For some reason, when I heard it, I couldn’t stop thinking about a friend with whom I lost touch but who was very important to me. One whom I believed was going to set the world on fire with their talent and, although this person has had a spectacularly interesting life ever since, at the time, I thought…I’m pursuing this dream in the golden land of entertainment and I’m beginning to find some modicum of success…but…it should’ve been you…

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