Life, Death and Dennis Hopper

Life, Death and Dennis Hopper
Studio album by The Waterboys
Released	4 April 2025 (2025-04-04)
Length	60:37
Label	Sun
Producer	Brother Paul Famous James Mick Puck
The Waterboys chronology
All Souls Hill (2022) Life, Death and Dennis Hopper (2025)
Singles from Life, Death and Dennis Hopper
"Hopper's on Top (Genius)" Released: 10 January 2025 "Letter from an Unknown Girlfriend" Released: 21 March 2025

Life, Death and Dennis Hopper is the sixteenth studio album by Scottish folk rock group the Waterboys, released by Sun Records on 4 April 2025. The title refers to the actor and director Dennis Hopper. ^[1] The album features guest appearances from Fiona Apple, Steve Earle, Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes, and Bruce Springsteen.

Release and promotion

The album was announced on 6 January 2025 ^[2] along with its lead single "Hopper's on Top (Genius)", which was released on 10 January. ^[3]

The second single, "Letter from an Unknown Girlfriend", features Fiona Apple and was released on 21 March 2025. ^{[4] [5]}

Track listing

Life, Death and Dennis Hopper track listing ^[6]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Kansas" (featuring Steve Earle)	Mike Scott Steve Earle	2:14
2.	"Hollywood'55"	Scott Ralph Salmins	1:34
3.	"Live in the Moment, Baby"	Paul Brown Aongus Ralston Scott Salmins Steve Wickham	2:28
4.	"Brooke / 1712 North Crescent Heights"	James Hallawell Scott Simon Dine	1:30
5.	"Andy (A Guy Like You)"	Hallawell Scott Dine	2:23
6.	"The Tourist" (featuring Barny Fletcher)	Ralston Scott	4:01
7.	"Freaks on Wheels"	Scott Dine	0:58
8.	"Blues for Terry Southern"	Hallawell Scott	2:45
9.	"Memories of Monterey"	Scott	1:16
10.	"Riding Down to Mardi Gras"	Hallawell Scott	2:20
11.	"Hopper's on Top (Genius)"	Hallawell Ralston Scott Salmins	3:09
12.	"Transcendental Peruvian Blues"	Hallawell Ralston Scott Salmins	2:24
13.	"Michelle (Always Stay)"	Hallawell Scott	3:07
14.	"Freakout at the Mud Palace"	Scott Benjamin Talbott	3:04
15.	"Daria"	P. Brown April Brown	1:09
16.	"Ten Years Gone" (featuring Bruce Springsteen)	Scott	3:32
17.	"Letter from an Unknown Girlfriend" (featuring Fiona Apple)	Scott	2:08
18.	"Rock Bottom"	Scott	1:16
19.	"I Don’t Know How I Made It" (featuring Taylor Goldsmith)	Ralston Scott Salmins	2:34
20.	"Frank (Let's Fuck)"	Hallawell Scott Dine	2:00
21.	"Katherine" (featuring Anana Kaye)	Irakli Gaprindashvili Anana Katsadze	1:31
22.	"Everybody Loves Dennis Hopper"	Scott	3:02
23.	"Golf, They Say"	Hallawell Scott	3:31
24.	"Venice, California (Victoria) / The Passing of Hopper"	Scott Talbott	4:04
25.	"Aftermath"	P. Brown Scott	2:37
Total length:			60:37

Personnel

Waterboys

• Mike Scott (Mick Puck) – lead vocals (track 2–6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 16, 21, 22, 25), organ (track 2, 7), "Sundries" (track 2, 6), guitar (track 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 14, 16, 19, 21, 22), effects (track 4, 9, 20, 21, 24, 25), Mellotron (track 6, 20, 22, 24), tenor guitar (track 16), choir (track 22), guitar solo (track 23)
• Ralph Salmins – drums (track 2, 3, 4, 11, 12, 14, 19, 20)
• Aongus Ralston – bass (track 3, 6, 11, 12, 17, 20, 21, 25), rhythm guitar (track 19)
• Greg Morrow – drums (track 3, 5, 10, 13, 16, 20, 22, 23)
• Brother Paul (Brown) – Hammond B3 organ (track 3, 10, 19, 20), wah-wah keys (track 5), Mellotron (track 6), slide guitar (track 10), "Funk Interventions" (track 14, 22), piano (track 15), Wurlitzer (track 19), synthesizers, programming (track 22), pedal steel guitar (track 23), programming (track 25), guitar (track 25)
• Steve Wickham – Fuzz fiddle (track 3)
• Famous James (James Hallawell)– "Sundries" (track 4), slide guitar (track 4, 8, 10), bass, orchestra (track 8, 10, 13), guitar, drums (track 8), backing vocals (track 8, 23), acoustic guitar (track 10, 23), piano (track 10, 11, 12, 13, 23), organ (track 11, 12, 13, 23), Wurlitzer (track 15), lead guitar (track 20)
• Eamon Ferris – drums, tambourine (track 6)
• Jeremy Stacey – drums (track 13)

Additional personnel

• Steve Earle – lead vocals and guitar (track 1)
• Mickey Raphael – harmonica (track 1)
• Barny Fletcher – backing vocals (track 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 11, 13, 16, 22, 23)
• Mike Brignardello – bass (track 2, 5, 14, 16, 20, 23)
• Simon Dine – keyboard theme, "Archaeology" (track 5), synthesizers, programming (track 20)
• Sugarfoot, Bent Sæther, Hogne Galäen, Roar Øien, Thomas Henriksen, Øyvind Holm – backing vocals (track 6)
• Jim Murray – nylon string guitar (track 10)
• Patti Palladin – "Prototype Woman" (track 11)
• Charles Lapham – voice (track 12)
• Benjamin Talbott – orchestra (track 14)
• Kathy Valentine – "Hippie Girl" (track 14)
• April Brown – Native American Style Flute (track 15)
• Bruce Springsteen – voice (track 16)
• Fiona Apple – piano, vocals (track 17)
• Taylor Goldsmith – voice (track 19)
• Frank Booth – lead vocals (track 20)
• Anana Kaye – piano, keyboards (track 21)
• Irakli Gabriel – guitar (track 21)
• Jess Kav – voice (track 22)
• Benjamin Talbott – trumpet, low horns, guitar, percussion, bells (track 24)

Charts

Chart performance for Life, Death and Dennis Hopper

Chart (2025)	Peak position
French Rock & Metal Albums (SNEP) [7]	57
Irish Albums (IRMA) [8]	65
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) [9]	57
Scottish Albums (OCC) [10]	4
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [11]	48
UK Albums (OCC) [12]	72
UK Independent Albums (OCC) [13]	4

References

1. Anagricel Duran (6 January 2025). "The Waterboys announce new album 'Life, Death And Dennis Hopper' with Bruce Springsteen, Fiona Apple and more". NME. Retrieved 31 March 2025.
2. Tyler Damara Kelly (6 January 2025). "Bruce Springsteen, Steve Earle and Fiona Apple feature on new album from The Waterboys". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 31 March 2025.
3. Daniel Kreps (10 January 2025). "See the Waterboys Take Psychedelic Trip in Video for 'Hopper's on Top (Genius)'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 31 March 2025.
4. Larisha Paul (21 March 2025). "The Waterboys Deliver 'Letter From an Unknown Girlfriend' Through Fiona Apple on New Single". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 31 March 2025.
5. Eddie Fu (21 March 2025). "Fiona Apple Guests on The Waterboys' New Song "Letter from an Unknown Girlfriend": Stream". Consequence. Retrieved 31 March 2025.
6. Abby Jones (6 January 2024). "The Waterboys Announce Dennis Hopper Concept Album Feat. Bruce Springsteen, Fiona Apple, & More". Stereogum. Retrieved 31 March 2025.
7. "Top 100 Rock & Metal Albums du semaine 20, 2025" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique . Retrieved 19 May 2025.
8. "IRMA – Irish Charts (Week 15, 2025)". Irish Recorded Music Association . Retrieved 12 April 2025.
9. "Album 2025 uke 15". VG-lista . Retrieved 11 April 2025.
10. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 April 2025.
11. "Swisscharts.com – The Waterboys – Life, Death and Dennis Hopper". Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 April 2025.
12. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 April 2025.
13. "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 April 2025.