THE WATERBOYS : THIS IS THE SEA

 

Disc One (42:08)

  1. Don't Bang the Drum
  2. The Whole of the Moon
  3. Spirit
  4. The Pan Within
  5. Medicine Bow
  6. Old England
  7. Be My Enemy
  8. Trumpets
  9. This Is the Sea

Disc Two (Bonus Disc) (60:02)

  1. Beverly Penn
  2. Sleek White Schooner
  3. Medicine Bow
  4. Medicine Jack
  5. High Far Soon
  6. Even the Trees Are Dancing
  7. Towers Open Fire
  8. This Is the Sea
  9. Then You Hold Me
  10. Spirit
  11. Miracle
  12. I Am Not Here
  13. Sweet Thing
  14. The Waves

Label : Island

Release Date : September 16, 1985 / 2004 (remastered and expanded version)

Review (Wikipedia) : This Is the Sea is the third The Waterboys album, and the last of their "Big Music" albums. Considered by critics to be the finest album of their early rock-oriented sound, described as "epic" and "a defining moment", it was the first Waterboys album to enter the United Kingdom charts, peaking at number 37. Steve Wickham makes his Waterboys recording debut playing violin on 'The Pan Within' and subsequently joined the band, appearing on the video of "The Whole of the Moon". This Is the Sea is the last album with contributions from Karl Wallinger, who left the group to form his own band, World Party. Mike Scott, the album's principal songwriter and leader of The Waterboys, describes This Is the Sea as "the record on which I achieved all my youthful musical ambitions", "the final, fully realised expression of the early Waterboys sound", influenced by The Velvet Underground, Van Morrison's Astral Weeks, and Steve Reich. Regarding the end of the groups sound being tied to "The Big Music" after completing the album, Scott stated, "I finished with that kind of music to achieve whatever it was I was trying to achieve with that album. That overdubbed big sounding music, I didn't need to do it anymore. The album was recorded between March and July 1985, and released that October (see 1985 in music). A remastered and expanded version was released in 2004. This Is the Sea contains the best-selling Waterboys single, the song "The Whole of the Moon". The album cover is a photograph taken by Lynn Goldsmith.

Review (Allmusic) : Expanding the epic, multi-layered sound of A Pagan Place, This Is the Sea is a more ambitious yet more successful record, since it finds Mike Scott at his melodic peak. Consequently, the album has enough strong, accessible moments to make his indulgences forgivable.