An Appointment with Mr Yeats Proper***

This is a valiant and fascinating attempt by chief Waterboy Mike Scott to fuse, in his words, “two unwilling disciplines together”. When it works, this edited selection of Scott’s acclaimed stageshow has passion and drama. However, on record the 14 tracks never totally transport this listener beyond the borders of Yeats’s poetry and Scott’s sprawling, occasionally clichéd musical vision.Rather than creating a convincing new space, Yeats’s poetry seems welded on to these random musical settings, big and small, ornate and intimate. We see and hear the joins. Scott’s bravery in finally wrestling this long- cherished goal into shape is impressive, as are many of the performances, notably from longtime sidekick Steve Wickham, Irish singer Katie Kim and Irish guitarist Joe Chester. But equally, their efforts seem just a little misplaced. See mikescottwaterboys.com

Download tracks: A Full Moon in March, Mad as the Mist and Snow