The Waterboys 7 CD Fishermans Blues Box Set (October 2013 release)

Release of the Fisherman's Box set has been delayed a week due to unexpectedly high demand. Release date is now October 21st.

 

I get the feeling that this is going to be the best box set by any artist ever. Or have I lost my senses?

 

Likely.

Best ever? That's a whole lot to live up to. But I think it'll be one great boxset.

The one week delay gives them a bit more time to post some background information about the various disc. Like this update (from http://www.mikescottwaterboys.com/waterboys-news.php ):

The tracklist of CD4 is:

1. BILLY THE KID
2. TONIGHT THE BOTTLE LET ME DOWN
3. COME LIVE WITH ME
4. I MISS THE ROAD
5. HIGHER IN TIME (two pianos)
6. TOO HOT FOR CLEANHEAD (fast version)
7. HIGHER IN TIME (Scottish version)
8. HIGHERBOUND (3rd tune)
9. A GOLDEN AGE
10. YOU IN THE SKY
11. I WILL MEET YOU IN HEAVEN AGAIN
12. NOBODY 'CEPT YOU
13. (HE HASN'T BEEN THE SAME SINCE) JIMMY SHAND
14. RATTLE MY BONES AND SHIVER MY SOUL
15. THE SCOTSMAN'S DELIGHT
16. KILLING MY HEART
17. INDUSTRIAL MR BROWN
18. CUSTER'S BLUES
19. SHALL WE GATHER BY THE RIVER
20. HIGHER IN TIME SYMPHONY

CD4 was recorded between December 1986 & February 1987 and gathers together 20 recordings that showcase the developing Fisherman's Blues sound, including landmark tracks such as "Custer's Blues", the 11-minute "Higher In Time Symphony" and "I Will Meet You In Heaven Again", plus Anto's lead vocal version of "Billy The Kid". Tracks 10, 12 & 14 were on the 2006 remaster; different mixes/edits of 18 & 20 were on 2001's Too Close To Heaven; a different mix/edit of 16 was on 1991's "Best Of The Waterboys"; 3 & 7 were issued on 'b' sides; a different mix of 9 was the 'b' side of the 1991 Whole Of The Moon single; and 5 was on a bonus CD released in 2001. The other 10 tracks are previously unreleased.

 

Great album..but this is just crazy!

 

I was very fortunate enough to see them in in 85 open for 10,000 Maniancs..or it may have been REM. It was at Radio City Music Hall.

Great, great show.

 

If you feel that what's in the archives should determine how many discs are included in a deluxe edition, then it's certainly not crazy. What's crazy to me is when some album with virtually no interesting additional tracks still gets bloated up to a two-disc deluxe with a price tag to match.

 

I mean from the point of view that there is so much unreleased and apparently varied material in the box coming from the sessions for one album. It's that which renders it so fascinating.

 

true enough. often "bonus" tracks are the true bottom of the barrel. I don't consider a "radio edit' a bonus track for instance.

 

I saw The Waterboys live at the Barrowlands in Glasgow in '86-one of the greatest gigs I've ever seen.....FB was always something of a disappointment to me because the scope and power of the band got lost when Scott went to Ireland. I like the record better now and I think in general terms Scott has got his mojo back, the last record was a great songwriting return albeit interpretations of W.B.Yeats poety....with Cleanhead back in the band the gigs should be marvelous......I intend to go to both Glasgow gigs....they were dynamite live last year...oh and of course this is on pre-order from Amazon UK...a bargain.

 

UK pre-order for the 6CD set is current cheapest I believe at sainsburys.co.uk

(7CD + vinyl as well)

 

Went to see the band last night at the Nepture Theater in Seattle's U-District.

Nice 800-seat venue. I was sitting in the third row of the balcony, dead center.

The band was excellent. Very cohesive group put together for this North American tour. Steve Wickham was of course extraordinary.

Highly recommended if they are coming to a town near you through the end of this month.

A little bit of everything in the set list. Some old, some new, some Mr. Yeats, some Hank Williams.

As I recall these were the songs...

Strange Boat
Fisherman's Blues
A Girl Called Johnny
She Tried to Hold Me
Still a Freak
The Girl in the Swing
Song of Wandering Aengus
When Ye Go Away
Glastonbury Song
White Birds
Spirit
The Whole of the Moon
I Can See Elvis
The Raggle Taggle Gypsy
Mad as the Mist and Snow / The Second Coming
Don't Bang the Drum
Dunford's Fancy
How Long Will I Love You (Mike solo)
We Will Not Be Lovers
Your Cheatin' Heart
Be My Enemy

An in-studio performance/interview at KEXP earlier in the day is HERE.

 

Hey guys - the MP3's for this release just showed up in my Amazon account......... I bought the CD's, but of course you get the MP3's for free.

 

Oh, nice, well spotted. I didn't notice this morning when I was downloading the 14 discs of my Paul Simon boxed set, but you're quite right!

When I get a chance to listen to all this is a different matter.

 

now down to £22.22 at amazon.co.uk

 

Just downloaded mine. This lot is going to take a while to work through!!

 

Mine arrived too! Tremendous. Thanks for the tip

 

Fisherman's Box is now listed for pre-order at Amazon.com (as an import).

Link HERE

$58.70

 

On the "Too Close to Heaven" (aka Fisherman's Blues Part 2 in the U.S) there was re-recording of some of the vocals and instruments.

Will this new album have the original un-touched recordings, or re-use the tweaked versions, and offer further changes?

 

Oh my god, I'm so glad I heard about this box in time to score one. How thrilling! Not only do I love the hell out of this album, but it was one of the first CDs I ever bought, so it has special sentimental value. [skipping off to Amazon]

The Amazon.co.uk total for US buyers comes out to 21 GBP at the moment. Sweet deal.

 

when I heard about all the extra stuff that was floating around, I was on a mission to get every scrap I could, so much of this sounds magical to my ears. Like the Basement Tapes, there just seems to be so much unspoken symmetry in the playing with everyone in the same room (at least in W Hill). Great covers, really interesting searching for something new in the originals. And to my surprise, very little of it was crap. I think there was one song that everyone was obviously plastered whilst playing, but the bulk of it was just so interesting to me.

 

The Waterboys website has a pretty good description of each of the discs (so far up to disc 5) and what is on each one. Looks like many of the songs on the box will be different mixes/edits from the ones found on the "Too Close to Heaven" CD and the Collectors Edition of Fisherman's Blues. Hopefully this means they are the original untouched recordings.

http://www.mikescottwaterboys.com/waterboys-news.php

 

Thanks for the tip. Just ordered. $34.53 shipped from the UK for a 7 cd box set. None too shabby.

 

Well, 6 CDs since the regular edition doesn't include the extra "boots" disc like the deluxe box, but still quite bargainous (and $24 cheaper the current US Amazon pre-order).

 

Is there going to be an American iTunes or digital release of this?

 

I was wondering whether the Fisherman's Blues tracks would appear in their original mixes, or if every track on the set is newly mixed.