The Waterboys (album)
| The Waterboys | ||||
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| Studio album by The Waterboys | ||||
| Released | July 1983 | |||
| Recorded | December 1981 - November 1982 | |||
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| Genre | Post-punk | |||
| Length | 43:14 | |||
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| The Waterboys chronology | ||||
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| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |
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| Q |
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| Mojo | (Favourable) |
| Rolling Stone |
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This eponymously named debut album from The Waterboys was recorded in several studio sessions between December 1981 and November 1982.Allmusic describes the sound of the album as "part Van Morrison, part U2".
The album cover is a photograph of lead singer Mike Scott by Panny Charrington and designed by Stephanie Nash. The Waterboys logo appears in the pale blue box in the upper right-hand corner of the original album cover (pale pink on 2002 reissue). The symbol, which symbolizes water, continued to be used throughout the band's history. It was designed by Stephanie Nash of Island Records.
In 1981 Mike Scott was working in the punk rock band Funhouse, who had recently changed their name from Another Pretty Face. Signed to the record label Ensign Records, the group had moved to London to record their music. Scott had been unsatisfied with the group's sound, which he described as "similar to a jumbo jet flying on one engine", and in December 1981 decided to use Redshop Studio to record some of his own songs solo, after prompting from Ensign Records to consider a solo career. With the help of a drum machine, Scott sang, played the piano and guitar on each of five songs. Two recordings from this studio demo session would eventually make their way onto the first Waterboys album, "December" and "The Three Day Man". The quality of the session convinced Scott to leave Funhouse. Scott made further series' of recordings on his own at Redshop in February, April and August 1982, which yielded the following tracks: "Savage Earth Heart", "It Should Have Been You", "Gala" and "Where Are You Now When I Need You?".
In spite of his label's advice, Scott instead began forming a new band to work with. In early 1982 he recruited Anthony Thistlethwaite for the new project, which became The Waterboys. Scott first heard Thistlethwaite on a Nikki Sudden album. Thistlethwaite brought in a friend of his, Kevin Wilkinson, as a drummer. Sudden describes the events as Scott "stealing" the two away, but notes that Scott could afford to pay Thistlethwaite and Wilkinson, whereas Sudden could not. Scott and Thistlethwaite recorded "A Girl Called Johnny" in Spring of 1982, and with Wilkinson and bassist Nick Linden they recorded further new tracks in November 1982 at Redshop Studio, Islington, of which one, "I Will Not Follow", appears on this album.
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