Dream Harder
Encyclopedia
Dream Harder is an album released in 1993 credited to The Waterboys
, but recorded by Mike Scott
with session musicians. It was the last Waterboys album before Scott spent seven year 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.
The album art was provided by the photography of Michael Halsband and John Hardin and the painting of Pal Shazar
, under the direction of Frank Olinsky and Tom Zutaut.
Dream Harder was a return to a rock
, or even hard rock
, sound after the traditional Celtic
-influenced preceding two albums. It did, however, continue The Waterboys' tradition of arranging a William Butler Yeats
poem
, in this case "Love And Death". "The Return of Pan" is The Waterboys
' second ode to the Greek deity
, and the album contains a number of references to the romantic
Neopaganism
of Dion Fortune
and the mystical
Christianity
of C. S. Lewis
, as well as a tribute to guitarist
Jimi Hendrix
.
, contains a phrase "Are you under the mercy?", which Scott explains as "a phrase I nicked from a Christian
fan who wrote me a letter and signed off with "under the mercy", which I took to mean (and this is what I intended in the song) "under the mercy of spirit/the sacred/the presence of love" - though Christians would say under the mercy of Christ
".
"Glastonbury Song" was released as a single, backed by the songs "Chalice Hill", "Burlington Bertie And Accrington Stanley", and "Corn Circle Symphony". Scott, discussing the song in 2003, described the song as "one of the most commercial, radio-friendly songs musically that I've ever produced", and ascribes its lack of success to its theme, "..the chorus is 'I just found God where He always was'... In many countries it was successful, but in Britain, they wouldn't play it because of the chorus.". James Heflin, the interviewer, notes that the song reached the Top 30 in the UK and was performed live on the BBC
.
"The Return of Pan" was also released as a single, with the songs "Karma" (also the name of one of Scott's earlier musical projects), "Mister Powers" and an untitled track. "The Return of Pan"'s lyrics recount an episode from Plutarch
's "The Obsolescence of Oracles". Plutarch writes that, during the reign of Tiberius
, a sailor named Thamus heard the following shouted to him from land; "Thamus, are you there? When you reach Palodes, take care to proclaim that the great god Pan is dead." After retelling the story, the singer of "The Return of Pan" insists that "The Great God Pan is alive!". The single charted at position twenty-four on the UK singles chart May 1993.
"Love and Death" is a poem by William Butler Yeats
. It first appeared in the 1885 Dublin University Review.
Tracks written by Mike Scott
, except where noted.
The Waterboys
The Waterboys are a band formed in 1983 by Mike Scott. The band's membership, past and present, has been composed mainly of musicians from Scotland, Ireland and England. Edinburgh, London, Dublin, Spiddal, New York, and Findhorn have all served as homes for the group. The band has played in a...
, but recorded by Mike Scott
Mike Scott (musician)
Michael 'Mike' Scott is the founding member, lead singer and chief songwriter of rock band The Waterboys. He has also produced two solo albums, Bring 'em All In and Still Burning...
with session musicians. It was the last Waterboys album before Scott spent seven year pursuing a formal solo career, with Bring 'em All In
Bring 'em All In
Bring 'em All In was Mike Scott's first of two solo albums, the other being 1997's Still Burning. Dream Harder was recorded by Scott and session musicians, but was credited to Scott's band, The Waterboys...
(1995) and Still Burning
Still Burning
Still Burning is 1997's follow-up to Bring 'em All In , and the last of Mike Scott's solo albums before re-forming The Waterboys in 2000...
(1997). The album reached position 171 on the Billboard Top 200 charts, surpassing the previous Waterboys album Room to Roam
Room to Roam
Room to Roam is an album by The Waterboys; it continued the folk-rock sound of 1988's Fisherman's Blues, but was less of a commercial success, reaching one-hundred and eighty on the Billboard Top 200 after its release in September 1990. Critical response continues to be mixed...
, in spite of a less-than-enthusiastic response from critics to the album's sound.
The album art was provided by the photography of Michael Halsband and John Hardin and the painting of Pal Shazar
Pal Shazar
Pal Shazar is a US singer/songwriter. She was a founding member, with Andrew Chinich, of the 1980s New Wave pop group Slow Children, and married one of the band's producers Jules Shear in the late 1980s....
, under the direction of Frank Olinsky and Tom Zutaut.
Dream Harder was a return to a rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, or even hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
, sound after the traditional Celtic
Celtic music
Celtic music is a term utilised by artists, record companies, music stores and music magazines to describe a broad grouping of musical genres that evolved out of the folk musical traditions of the Celtic people of Western Europe...
-influenced preceding two albums. It did, however, continue The Waterboys' tradition of arranging a William Butler Yeats
William Butler Yeats
William Butler Yeats was an Irish poet and playwright, and one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature. A pillar of both the Irish and British literary establishments, in his later years he served as an Irish Senator for two terms...
poem
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
, in this case "Love And Death". "The Return of Pan" is The Waterboys
The Waterboys
The Waterboys are a band formed in 1983 by Mike Scott. The band's membership, past and present, has been composed mainly of musicians from Scotland, Ireland and England. Edinburgh, London, Dublin, Spiddal, New York, and Findhorn have all served as homes for the group. The band has played in a...
' second ode to the Greek deity
Pan (mythology)
Pan , in Greek religion and mythology, is the god of the wild, shepherds and flocks, nature, of mountain wilds, hunting and rustic music, as well as the companion of the nymphs. His name originates within the Greek language, from the word paein , meaning "to pasture." He has the hindquarters, legs,...
, and the album contains a number of references to the romantic
Romanticism
Romanticism was an artistic, literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Europe, and gained strength in reaction to the Industrial Revolution...
Neopaganism
Neopaganism
Neopaganism is an umbrella term used to identify a wide variety of modern religious movements, particularly those influenced by or claiming to be derived from the various pagan beliefs of pre-modern Europe...
of Dion Fortune
Dion Fortune
Violet Mary Firth Evans , better known as Dion Fortune, was a British occultist and author. Her pseudonym was inspired by her family motto "Deo, non fortuna" , originally the ancient motto of the Barons & Earls Digby.-Early life:She was born in Bryn-y-Bia in Llandudno, Wales, and grew up in a...
and the mystical
Mysticism
Mysticism is the knowledge of, and especially the personal experience of, states of consciousness, i.e. levels of being, beyond normal human perception, including experience and even communion with a supreme being.-Classical origins:...
Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
of C. S. Lewis
C. S. Lewis
Clive Staples Lewis , commonly referred to as C. S. Lewis and known to his friends and family as "Jack", was a novelist, academic, medievalist, literary critic, essayist, lay theologian and Christian apologist from Belfast, Ireland...
, as well as a tribute to guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
.
Songs
"The New Life", one of many Scott songs which are both optimistic and touch upon spiritualitySpirituality
Spirituality can refer to an ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality; an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his/her being; or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live.” Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop...
, contains a phrase "Are you under the mercy?", which Scott explains as "a phrase I nicked from a Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
fan who wrote me a letter and signed off with "under the mercy", which I took to mean (and this is what I intended in the song) "under the mercy of spirit/the sacred/the presence of love" - though Christians would say under the mercy of Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
".
"Glastonbury Song" was released as a single, backed by the songs "Chalice Hill", "Burlington Bertie And Accrington Stanley", and "Corn Circle Symphony". Scott, discussing the song in 2003, described the song as "one of the most commercial, radio-friendly songs musically that I've ever produced", and ascribes its lack of success to its theme, "..the chorus is 'I just found God where He always was'... In many countries it was successful, but in Britain, they wouldn't play it because of the chorus.". James Heflin, the interviewer, notes that the song reached the Top 30 in the UK and was performed live on the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
.
"The Return of Pan" was also released as a single, with the songs "Karma" (also the name of one of Scott's earlier musical projects), "Mister Powers" and an untitled track. "The Return of Pan"'s lyrics recount an episode from Plutarch
Plutarch
Plutarch then named, on his becoming a Roman citizen, Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus , c. 46 – 120 AD, was a Greek historian, biographer, essayist, and Middle Platonist known primarily for his Parallel Lives and Moralia...
's "The Obsolescence of Oracles". Plutarch writes that, during the reign of Tiberius
Tiberius
Tiberius , was Roman Emperor from 14 AD to 37 AD. Tiberius was by birth a Claudian, son of Tiberius Claudius Nero and Livia Drusilla. His mother divorced Nero and married Augustus in 39 BC, making him a step-son of Octavian...
, a sailor named Thamus heard the following shouted to him from land; "Thamus, are you there? When you reach Palodes, take care to proclaim that the great god Pan is dead." After retelling the story, the singer of "The Return of Pan" insists that "The Great God Pan is alive!". The single charted at position twenty-four on the UK singles chart May 1993.
"Love and Death" is a poem by William Butler Yeats
William Butler Yeats
William Butler Yeats was an Irish poet and playwright, and one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature. A pillar of both the Irish and British literary establishments, in his later years he served as an Irish Senator for two terms...
. It first appeared in the 1885 Dublin University Review.
Track listing
Mike Scott (musician)
Michael 'Mike' Scott is the founding member, lead singer and chief songwriter of rock band The Waterboys. He has also produced two solo albums, Bring 'em All In and Still Burning...
, except where noted.
- "The New Life" – 5:08
- "Glastonbury Song" – 3:43
- "Preparing to Fly" – 4:34
- "The Return of Pan" – 4:19
- "Corn Circles" – 4:05
- "Suffer" – 3:49
- "Winter Winter" – 0:33
- "Love and Death" (words: William Butler YeatsWilliam Butler YeatsWilliam Butler Yeats was an Irish poet and playwright, and one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature. A pillar of both the Irish and British literary establishments, in his later years he served as an Irish Senator for two terms...
, music: Scott) – 2:44 - "Spiritual City" – 3:11
- "Wonders of Lewis" – 2:04
- "The Return of Jimi Hendrix" (words: Scott, music: Scott / Anthony ThistlethwaiteAnthony ThistlethwaiteAnthony "Anto" Thistlethwaite is a British multi-instrumentalist best known as a founder member of the folk-rock group The Waterboys and later as a long-standing member of Irish rock band The Saw Doctors.After a year busking in Paris, playing tenor saxophone around the streets of the Latin...
/ Jim KeltnerJim KeltnerJames Lee "Jim" Keltner is an American drummer known primarily for his session work. He has contributed to the work of many well-known artists...
) – 5:48 - "Good News" – 3:35
Personnel
- Kenny AaronsonKenny AaronsonKenny Aaronson is an American bass guitar player.- Early life and career :He started playing drums at the age of eleven, following in his older brother's footsteps. Kenny switched to electric bass at the age 14 after becoming enamored by the bass on Motown records and was strongly influenced by...
- bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, drumDrumThe drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s - Tawatha Agee - background vocals
- Laura Lee Ash - background vocals
- Carla AzarCarla AzarCarla Azar is a musician and a member of the band Autolux. Azar is a multi-instrumentalist but is known primarily for playing the drums. She also plays glockenspiel, xylophone, mellotron, piano, and bass guitar.-Career:...
- bass guitar, drums - Chris Bruce - guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, rhythm guitar - Darwin Buschman, M.D. - background vocals
- James Campagnola - saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
- Billy ConnollyBilly ConnollyWilliam "Billy" Connolly, Jr., CBE is a Scottish comedian, musician, presenter and actor. He is sometimes known, especially in his native Scotland, by the nickname The Big Yin...
- voices - Roger Greenawalt - background vocals
- Steve Holly - bass guitar, drums
- Bashiri Johnson - congaCongaThe conga, or more properly the tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed Cuban drum with African antecedents. It is thought to be derived from the Makuta drums or similar drums associated with Afro-Cubans of Central African descent. A person who plays conga is called a conguero...
, drums, tambourineTambourineThe tambourine or marine is a musical instrument of the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zils". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, though some variants may not have a head at all....
, shakerShaker (percussion)The word shaker describes a large number of percussive musical instruments used for creating rhythm in music.They are so called because the method of creating sound involves shaking them—moving them back and forth rather than striking them. Most may also be struck for a greater accent on certain...
, talking drum - Jim KeltnerJim KeltnerJames Lee "Jim" Keltner is an American drummer known primarily for his session work. He has contributed to the work of many well-known artists...
- drums - Caroline LaVelle - celloCelloThe cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
- Cindy Mizelle - background vocals
- Jerry Peters - percussion
- Fiona Prendergast - background vocals
- Thommy PriceThommy PriceThommy Price is a rock musician from Brooklyn, New York. He's played drums in numerous bands, including Billy Idol, Blue Öyster Cult, and Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, and is an in-demand session drummer.-History:...
- bass guitar, drums - Ljubisa "Lubi" Ristic - sitarSitarThe 'Tablaman' is a plucked stringed instrument predominantly used in Hindustani classical music, where it has been ubiquitous since the Middle Ages...
- Mike ScottMike Scott (musician)Michael 'Mike' Scott is the founding member, lead singer and chief songwriter of rock band The Waterboys. He has also produced two solo albums, Bring 'em All In and Still Burning...
- guitar, percussion, rhythm guitar, keyboardKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
s, vocals - Pal Shazar - background vocals
- Jules ShearJules ShearJules Mark Shear is a US singer, songwriter, and guitarist born in Pittsburgh in 1952. Although he has had only one minor hit as a performer , he has recorded almost 20 albums to date...
- background vocals - Brian Stanley - bass guitar, drums
- George Stathos - clarinetClarinetThe clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
- Fonzi ThorntonFonzi ThorntonFonzi Thornton, is an American singer, song writer/producer, stage performer and radio personality.Thornton has provided background vocals on albums by artists which include Aretha Franklin, Luther Vandross, Diana Ross, Ray Charles, Chic, Sheena Easton, Mariah Carey, David Bowie, Michael Jackson,...
- background vocals - Scott ThunesScott ThunesScott Thunes is a former bass player with Frank Zappa, Wayne Kramer, Steve Vai, Andy Prieboy, Mike Keneally, Fear, The Waterboys and others....
- bass guitar, drums - Terry Wetmore - background vocals
External links
- Lyrics at mikescottwaterboys.com
- Official forum Chord requests are often fulfilled at "Musician's Corner"