| Bring 'Em All In | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 18 September 1995 [1] | |||
| Recorded | Findhorn Foundation | |||
| Genre | Folk rock | |||
| Length | 43:16 | |||
| Label | Chrysalis | |||
| Producer |
| |||
| Mike Scott chronology | ||||
| ||||
Bring 'Em All In is the debut solo studio album by Scottish singer-songwriter Mike Scott, released by Chrysalis on 18 September 1995. The cover and album photography were provided by Niko Bolas, Stefano Giovanni, Jeff Mitchell and Scott. The song "What Do You Want Me to Do?" was later covered by Rod Stewart.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| The Guardian | [3] |
| NME | 2/10 [4] |
Upon its release, Music Week stated, "Not blues, not rock, not folk, but an agreeable mix of all three from the former Waterboys frontman. Occasionally beautiful." [5] Neil McKay of Sunday Life described Bring 'Em All In as Scott "back to form with his most consistent, most satisfying album since This Is the Sea" and one which presents him "stripped raw, both musically and lyrically". He noted the "gorgeously simple melodies" of "Wonderful Disguise", "She Is So Beautiful" and the title track, and considered "Long Way to the Light" to "partially explain the spirituality that imbues all 13 tracks". [6] Simon Evans of The Birmingham Post considered it an "intensely personal and courageous collection of songs" presented in a "simple setting". He did not feel that Scott "convey[s] his spiritual awakening as powerfully as Bob Dylan on 'Precious Angel' or even, in a different context, John Lennon's 'God', but considered the album, for "all its faults", including the "occasional lapses into lyrical naivety", to be a "brave and admirable [one] worthy of further investigation". [7]
Lawrence Donegan of The Guardian believed the Waterboys' transition from rock to folk music in 1986 had resulted in "sub-Chieftans offerings", whereas Bring 'Em All In indicates Scott "remains a folk music fan but at least he now appears to be obsessed with pre-electric Bob Dylan – a dated but praiseworthy musical reference point". He added, "Scott's lyrics are too soul-bearing for comfort but he can write a good tune – the album's title track, in particular, is deserving of a very wide audience." [3] Sylvia Patterson of NME summarised the album as "13 acoustic folk ballad strummers with occasional 'lecky geetar, piano doodles and mouth-organ puffin' Bob Dylan road-trip numbers" and one of "soporific glumness, introspection and hysterically romanticised literal 'poems'". She continued, "It's all searingly earnest and 'intimate' and, yes, you may be deeply moved by a rummage in the 'stuff' of Mike Scott, but these are mere dreary postcards from a big girl's blouse who still thinks 'bobbing sailing boats' is a stoatingly original emotional feast in the pop song of the day." [4] Dave Simpson of Melody Maker remarked that the album sees Scott present "the Small Music" in comparison to the Waterboys' early "Big Music" period, with a "mawkishness that conjures up images of Sunday schools and beards". He noted the album "has its moments", but, as Scott "flail[s] hopelessly around for self-revelation, some judgement and direction", is, "for the most part, as confused, navel-gazing and unsure of spirit as anything he's done". [8]
All songs by Mike Scott.
| Chart (1995) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Norwegian Albums Chart [9] | 14 |
| Swedish Albums Chart [10] | 21 |
| UK Albums Chart [11] | 23 |
Karl Edmond De Vere Wallinger was a Welsh musician, songwriter and record producer. He was best known for leading the band World Party and for his mid 1980s membership of the Waterboys.
The Waterboys are a folk rock band formed in London in 1983 by Scottish musician and songwriter Mike Scott. The band's membership, past and present, has been composed mainly of musicians from Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England. Mike Scott has remained the only constant member throughout the band's career. They have explored a number of different styles, but their music is mainly a mix of folk music with rock and roll. They dissolved in 1993 when Scott departed to pursue a solo career. The group reformed in 2000, and continue to release albums and to tour worldwide. Scott emphasises a continuity between the Waterboys and his solo work, saying that "To me there's no difference between Mike Scott and the Waterboys; they both mean the same thing. They mean myself and whoever are my current travelling musical companions."
The Best of The Waterboys 81–90 is a compilation album by The Waterboys, released on 29 April 1991.
Dream Harder is the sixth studio album by the Waterboys, released by Geffen Records on 24 May 1993. Led by Scottish singer-songwriter-instrumentalist Mike Scott, the album features none of the earlier UK-based band members and instead finds Scott backed by American session musicians. It was the last Waterboys album before Scott spent seven years pursuing a formal solo career, with Bring 'Em All In (1995) and Still Burning (1997). The album reached position 171 on the Billboard Top 200 charts, surpassing the previous Waterboys album Room to Roam, in spite of a less-than-enthusiastic response from critics to the album's sound.
This Is the Sea is the third studio album by the Waterboys, released on 16 September 1985 by Ensign Records. The last of their "Big Music" albums, it is considered by critics to be the finest album of the Waterboys' early rock-oriented sound, described as "epic" and "a defining moment". It peaked at number 37 in the UK Albums Chart. Steve Wickham makes his Waterboys recording debut playing violin on "The Pan Within" and subsequently joined the band. This Is the Sea is the last Waterboys album with contributions from Karl Wallinger, who left the group to form his own band, World Party.
Fisherman's Blues is the fourth studio album by the Waterboys, released by Ensign Records in October 1988. The album marked a change in the band's sound, with them abandoning their earlier grandiose rock sound for a mixture of traditional Irish music, traditional Scottish music, country music, and rock and roll. Critics were divided on its release with some disappointed at the change of direction and others ranking it among the Waterboys' best work. The album was the Waterboys' best selling album, reaching a number 13 placing on the U.K. charts on release, and 76 on the Billboard 200.
Michael Scott is a Scottish singer, songwriter, and musician. He is the founding member, lead singer, guitarist and songwriter of rock band The Waterboys. He has also produced two solo albums, Bring 'Em All In and Still Burning. Scott is a vocalist, guitarist and pianist, and has played a large range of other instruments, including the bouzouki, drums, and Hammond organ on his albums. Scott is also a published writer, having released his autobiography, Adventures of a Waterboy, in 2012.
Anthony "Anto" Thistlethwaite is an Irish multi-instrumentalist best known as a founding member of the folk rock group, The Waterboys and later as a long-standing member of Irish rock band The Saw Doctors.
Room to Roam is the fifth studio album by the Waterboys, released by Ensign Records on 2 October 1990. It continued the folk rock sound of 1988's Fisherman's Blues, but was less of a commercial success, reaching #180 on the Billboard Top 200 after its release in October 1990. Critical response continues to be mixed. AllMusic describes it both as "not quite as [musically] successful" as Fisherman's Blues, but also as a "Celtic rock classic". The front and back covers were designed by Simon Fowler based upon photography by Stefano Giovannini and Sean Jackson.
Still Burning is the second solo studio album by Mike Scott, released by Chrysalis in 1997. It followed Scott's 1995 solo debut, Bring 'em All In, and was the last of Scott's solo albums before re-forming The Waterboys in 2000. Photography was provided by Andrew Catlin and Mary Scanlon. Although well-received critically, sales of the album were poor and Scott was subsequently dropped from Chrysalis Records. This led directly to Scott's decision to revive the Waterboys' name in order to achieve wider marketplace exposure. Scott describes the making of and commercial failure of the album in detail in his 2012 autobiography, Adventures of a Waterboy.
"A Girl Called Johnny" is a song by British band the Waterboys, released in 1983 as the lead single from their debut studio album The Waterboys. The song was written by Mike Scott and produced by Rupert Hine. It reached No. 80 in the UK Singles Chart and remained in the Top 100 for three weeks.
"The Big Music" is a song by British band the Waterboys, released in 1984 as the lead single from their second studio album A Pagan Place. The song was written and produced by Mike Scott.
"And a Bang on the Ear" is a song from Scottish-Irish folk rock band the Waterboys, released as the second single from their fourth studio album Fisherman's Blues. It was written by Mike Scott, and produced by John Dunford and Scott. The song reached No. 1 in Ireland and No. 51 in the United Kingdom.
"The Return of Pan" is a song by British band the Waterboys, released in May 1993 by Geffen Records as the lead single from their sixth studio album, Dream Harder (1993). It was written by Mike Scott, and produced by Scott and Bill Price. The song reached No. 24 in the UK Singles Chart and No. 10 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.
"The Whole of the Moon" is a song by Scottish band the Waterboys, released as a single from their album This Is the Sea in October 1985. It is a classic of the band's repertoire and has been consistently played at live shows ever since its release. Written and produced by Mike Scott, the subject of the song has inspired some speculation.
Modern Blues is the eleventh studio album by the Waterboys, released on the independent label Harlequin and Clown in 2015. It was produced by Mike Scott, with two tracks being co-produced with Paul Brown. Modern Blues reached No. 14 on the UK Albums Chart and No. 2 on the UK Independent Albums Chart.
"A Life of Sundays" is a song by the Scottish-Irish folk rock band The Waterboys, which was released in 1990 as a track on their fifth studio album Room to Roam. It was written by Mike Scott and produced by Barry Beckett and Scott. In the United States, the song reached No. 15 on Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and remained on the chart for nine weeks.
"Building the City of Light" is a song from Scottish singer-songwriter Mike Scott, which was released as the second and final single from his first solo album Bring 'Em All In. It was written by Mike Scott, and produced by Scott and Niko Bolas. The song reached No. 60 in the UK Singles Chart and remained in the top 100 for two weeks.
"Bring 'Em All In" is a song from Scottish singer-songwriter Mike Scott, which was released as the lead single from his first solo album Bring 'Em All In. It was written by Mike Scott, and produced by Scott and Niko Bolas. The song reached No. 56 in the UK Singles Chart and remained in the Top 100 for two weeks.
"Don't Bang the Drum" is a song by British band the Waterboys, released as the opening track on their third studio album, This Is the Sea. It was written by Mike Scott and Karl Wallinger, and produced by Scott. The song was released as a single in Germany and was also issued as a 12" promotional vinyl in the United States.
