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The Waterboys released their 4th album, Fisherman's Blues, on October of 1998. The Fisherman's Blues recording sessions were an epic undertaking that spanned cities, countries and even continents. The recordings took place from 1996 to 1998 and produced an insane amount of music. The sessions began at Windmill Lane Studio in Dublin and lasted from January through March 1986. From there they moved to San Francisco and recorded for a few more months before moving back to Windmill Lane and finally ending the recording sessions at the Spiddal house in Galway. Mike Scott describes the process; "We started recording our fourth album in early '86 and completed it 100 songs and 2 years later. There was a lot of indecision. I got too involved in the album and I lost perspective. We had blues songs, gospel songs, country songs, rock songs and ballads. I didn't know where to take it. It could've been a gospel or country album. It could've sounded more like This Is The Sea or it could've been a traditional album. It could've been anything."
14 years after the release of Fisherman's Blues came Too Close To Heaven or Fisherman's Blues Part 2 (with an extended tracklisting) as it was known as in North America. "Quite how 'Too Close to Heaven' – a song that is easily worthy of either John Lennon or Van Morrison - languished in the vaults for 12 years is a matter for Scott's conscience (and his accountants)" said the Guardian.
25 years after the release of Fisherman's Blues the Waterboys released a 7-CD box set which contained 121 tracks from the album sessions (including all those on the original record and subsequent editions) plus a further 85 unreleased tracks!
After years of taking stabs at creating an all inclusive best of the Fisherman's Blues boxset for my own listening pleasure I finally did it. I pared down the epic 121 track boxset to a 64 song four part listening experience.
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Part 3 is called Fisherman's Blues: Saints & Angels
Part 2 can be found here. Part 1 can be found here.
Tracklisting:
The Wayward Wind
I'll Be Your Baby Tonight
Fisherman's Blues [2nd Version]
Saints And Angels
If Jimi Was Here
Strange Boat/The Good Ship Sirius
Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Sleek White Schooner
When Will We Be Married [1st Version]
Lost Highway
Twa Recruitin' Sergeants
When The Ship Comes In
On My Way To Tara
Born To Be Together
I'm So Lonesome I Could Die
Thistlewaite's Declaration
Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band [Reprise]
Incident At Puck Fair
Many hearts to keep you warm
Many lights to guide you through the storm
And may the saints and angels
Watch over you
