You can’t win ’em all, nor should you. In this case, I didn’t even try, as these just weren’t anywhere near the Buttsteak wheelhouse. Still, my mind was spinning on ’80s related music and I’d listened to a LOT from these particular bands back in the day, starting with the “big music” era of Mike Scott’s Waterboys, and especially their 1985 opus “This Is the Sea”.
After that album, founding bassist/ keyboardist Karl Wallinger stepped out to man his successful one-man project World Party and really let his Brian Wilson/ Beatles/ Zombies flag fly with chiming guitars and harmonies and poppy, spiritual, soulful gentle psychedelia. “Goodbye Jumbo” came in 1990 and sported the sunny gem “Put the Message In the Box”, one of my all-time favorite songs. If you’re wondering why I didn’t record a version of “Way Down Now”, well… now so am I…
In the meantime, the Waterboys had taken a surprising hard turn into a traditional Celtic folk meets Van Morrison lane and come out sparkling as well. “Fisherman’s Blues” is off their 1988 record of the same name, as is the affectionate “And a Bang On the Ear” (basically meaning a kiss on the side of the head).
Been hoping for years to take a stab at these songs, and hopefully did ’em some justice.
JK
Put the Message in the Box (World Party, Goodbye Jumbo, 1990)
Fisherman’s Blues (Waterboys, Fisherman’s Blues, 1988)
And a Bang on the Ear (Waterboys, Fisherman’s Blues, 1988)
Roadkill Buttsteak 