A Rock in the Weary Land

A Rock in the Weary Land
Studio album by The Waterboys
Released	25 September 2000
Recorded	1998–2000
Genre	Rock
Label	BMG International
Producer	Mike Scott
The Waterboys chronology
The Live Adventures of the Waterboys (1993) A Rock in the Weary Land (2000) Too Close to Heaven (2002)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	link
NME	Favourable link
Q magazine	6/10 link

A Rock in the Weary Land was an album released in 2000 (see 2000 in music) by The Waterboys. It was their first album after a seven-year break. The album cover photography is by Steve Gullick.

Critic John Mulvey, writing for NME, describes the album as "largely excellent" except for "We Are Jonah", which he describes as "appallingly cheery Christian rock".^[1]

Track listing

All songs written by Mike Scott, unless otherwise noted.

1. "Let It Happen" – 6:20
2. "My Love Is My Rock in the Weary Land" – 8:16
3. "It's All Gone" – 2:15
4. "Is She Conscious?" – 4:41
5. "We Are Jonah" – 5:08
6. "Malediction" – 4:16
7. "Dumbing Down the World" – 3:06
8. "His Word Is Not His Bond" – 3:59
9. "Night Falls on London" – 0:48
10. "The Charlatan's Lament" – 6:52
11. "The Wind in the Wires" – 5:33
12. "Crown" – 7:04

Extra tracks release

A North American version of the album with two extra tracks was released August 21, 2001.

1. "Let It Happen" – 6:20
2. "The Charlatan's Lament" – 6:52
3. "Is She Conscious?" – 4:41
4. "We Are Jonah" – 5:08
5. "It's All Gone" – 2:15
6. "My Love Is My Rock in the Weary Land" – 8:16
7. "Lucky Day/Bad Advice" (Grant, Scott) – 3:06
8. "His Word Is Not His Bond" – 3:59
9. "Malediction" – 4:16
10. "Dumbing Down the World" – 3:06
11. "The Wind in the Wires" – 5:33
12. "Night Falls on London" – 0:48
13. "Crown" – 7:04
14. "My Lord What a Morning" (Harry Belafonte, Cormun, Okun) – 2:27

Japanese Editions

The standard Japanese release of the album contains the songs "Time, Space and the Bride's Bed", "Trouble Down Yonder" and "Send Him Down to Waco", but not "My Lord What a Morning".

A limited two-disc edition was also issued in Japan by BMG International. The track list of the first disc is identical to the standard tracklist, above. The track list of the second disc, which is entitled "The Weary Land EP", is as follows:

1. "Lucky Day/Bad Advice" – 3:14
2. "Time, Space, and the Bride's Bed" – 5:38
3. "Trouble Down Yonder" – 1:05
4. "Send Him Down to Waco" – 7:34

Singles

Prior to the album's release, BMG issued a six-track EP containing the single "Is She Conscious?". The single also contained a video for the song.

1. "Is She Conscious?" – 4:51
2. "Sad Procession" – 7:22
3. "The Faeries' Prisoner" – 2:10
4. "Is She Conscious?" (Acoustic) – 4:31
5. "Savage Earth Heart" (Sound-Desk Recording) – 16:01
6. "My Lord, What A Morning" – 2:27

BMG also issued and almost immediately recalled two singles each (separately packaged) for "A Rock in the Weary Land" and "We Are Jonah". These are considered collector's items by some Waterboys fans and command high resale prices.

Personnel

• Gilad Atzmon – saxophone
• Paul Beavis – drums
• Jody Linscott – drums
• The London Community Gospel Choir
• Cameron Miller – bass guitar
• Richard Naiff – piano
• Dave Ruffy – tambourine, drum programming
• Mike Scott – organ, synthesizer, acoustic guitar, piano, electric guitar, vocals, bellzouki
• Robin Scott – vocals, background vocals
• Mark Smith – bass guitar
• Jeremy Stacey – drums
• Rowan Stigner – drum programming
• Thighpaulsandra – synthesizer, trumpet, keyboards, mellotron
• Anthony Thistlethwaite – mandolin, slide mandolin
• Kevin Wilkinson – drums

Notes

1. Mulvey, John (2000). "Waterboys:We Are Jonah". NME. Retrieved 2006-03-30.

External links

• Lyrics to the first half of A Rock in the Weary Land at the official Waterboys webpage
• Lyrics to the second half of A Rock in the Weary Land at the official Waterboys webpage
• Official forum Chord requests are often fulfilled at "Musician's Corner"