Universal Hall
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Universal Hall
| type = Album
| artist = the Waterboys
| cover = Universal Hall Waterboys Album Cover.jpg
| alt =
| released = 9 June 2003
| recorded = January – February 2003 at Findhorn Foundation, Scotland
| venue =
| studio =
| genre = Folk rock
| length = 43:58
| label = Puck
| producer = Mike Scott
| prev_title = Fisherman's Blues, Part 2
| prev_year = 2002
| next_title = Karma to Burn
| next_year = 2005
}}
{{Album ratings
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1Score = {{Rating|2.5|5}} [{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r643798|pure_url=yes}} link]
| rev2 = The Guardian
| rev2Score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite news|author=David Peschek |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2003/jun/06/popandrock.artsfeatures6 |title=CD: The Waterboys: Universal Hall | Music |work=The Guardian |date=6 June 2003 |access-date=2019-07-29}}
| noprose = yes
}}
Universal Hall is the eighth studio album by the Waterboys, released in 2003. It is named after the theatre and performance hall at the Findhorn Foundation, which is pictured on the album cover. The album shows much more influence from folk music than its predecessor, A Rock in the Weary Land. It is the first Waterboys album to feature Steve Wickham since Room to Roam, and therefore the first Waterboys album with all three core members of the post-reunion band.
Mike Scott describes the album as a "record containing one Irish reel and eleven spiritual songs that articulate - to the best of my ability - the vision that drives, challenges, sustains and transforms me"{{Ref|Scott}}. The cover was designed by art director Steve Manson.
James Christopher Monger, writing for Allmusic, describes "Every Breath Is Yours" as "simplified", and "Nick Drake-cloned"{{Ref|AMG}}. Scott thanks Liebe Pugh for the song.
"Seek the Light" is unique amongst Waterboys recordings for borrowing heavily from contemporary dance music, specifically electronica. It includes part of the song "Etheric Currents" from the album Cosmic Breath, by May East and Craig Gibsone, both of whom also appear on "Seek the Light". East plays an instrument, the sandawa, which the album's recording notes claims "reproduces the frequency of the speed of light"{{Ref|RN}}.
"The Dance at the Crossroads" is the "one Irish reel" mentioned by Scott. It is a short instrumental written by Wickham, who performs the song on fiddle. Scott plays both tambron{{typo help inline|date=November 2021}} and rotosphere, while Naiff plays piano and flute.
Track listing
Tracks written by Mike Scott, except as noted.
{{Track listing
| headline = Universal Hall track listing
| title1 = This Light Is for the World
| length1 = 3:31
| title2 = The Christ in You
| length2 = 3:18
| title3 = Silent Fellowship
| length3 = 4:59
| title4 = Every Breath Is Yours
| length4 = 4:28
| title5 = Peace of Iona
| length5 = 6:13
| title6 = Ain't No Words for the Things I'm Feeling
| length6 = 2:32
| title7 = Seek the Light
| writer7 = May East, Craig Gibsone, Scott
| length7 = 2:37
| title8 = I've Lived Here Before
| writer8 = Liam Ó Maonlaí, Scott
| length8 = 3:08
| title9 = Always Dancing, Never Getting Tired
| length9 = 3:16
| title10 = The Dance at the Crossroads
| note10 = instrumental
| writer10 = Steve Wickham
| length10 = 1:13
| title11 = E.B.O.L.
| length11 = 2:15
| title12 = Universal Hall
| writer12 = Scott, Wickham
| length12 = 6:23
}}
Personnel
- Mike Scott – vocals (all tracks but 10), guitar (tracks 1, 3–6, 9, 12), bass (track 1, 3, 5, 7, 9), piano (track 1–4, 8, 9), loops (track 1, 3, 5), acoustic guitar (track 2) harmonium (track 3, 9), electric piano (track 5, 12), organ (track 6, 11), keyboards, synthesizer (track 7, 9, 12), hand drum, tambourine (track 9, 10), 12-string guitar, crystal guitar (track 11)
- Steve Wickham – fiddle (track 1, 2, 5, 9, 10, 12), orchestra (track 1, 12), bass (track 7)
- Scott Gamble – djembe, djoon djoon (track 1), hand drum (track 4)
- Chris Madden – loops (track 1, 3), tambourine (track 3)
- Richard Naiff – flute (track 5, 10), piano (track 6, 10, 12)
- Finlay Grant – drums (track 5)
- Craig Gibsone – didjeridoo (track 7)
- May East – sandawa (track 7)
Ballet music
In 2007 British choreographer Christopher Bruce created a new work for the ballettmainz of the German Staatstheater Mainz{{Ref|Staatstheater}} using six songs from this album. The ballet premiered on 8 November 2007 in Mainz.
Order of the songs:
- I've Lived Here Before
- Always Dancing, Never Getting Tired
- Peace of Iona
- Seek the Light
- The Christ in You
- The Dance at the Crossroads
Charts
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Chart (2003)
!Peak |
|---|
| align="left"|Norwegian Albums Chart{{cite web|author=Steffen Hung |url=https://norwegiancharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=The+Waterboys&titel=Universal+Hall&cat=a |title=The Waterboys - Universal Hall |publisher=norwegiancharts.com |date=2010-02-23 |access-date=2019-07-28}}
| style="text-align:center;"|24 |
| align="left"|UK Albums Chart{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/20418/waterboys/ |title=WATERBOYS | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company |publisher=Officialcharts.com |access-date=2019-07-28}}
| style="text-align:center;"|74 |
Notes
- {{note|Scott}} {{cite web|title=Mike Scott, March 2003 |url=http://www.go-entertainment.com/gowebsite_011.htm |access-date=October 30, 2005 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041023161554/http://www.go-entertainment.com/gowebsite_011.htm |archive-date=October 23, 2004 }}
- {{note|AMG}} {{cite web | title=Review of Universal Hall | work=Allmusic | url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r643798|pure_url=yes}} | access-date=November 13, 2005 }}
- {{note|RN}} {{cite book | first=Mike | last=Scott | year=2003 | title=Universal Hall | chapter=Recording Notes | pages=11–13 | publisher=Puck Records }}
- {{note|Staatstheater}} {{cite web | title=ballettmainz PROGRAMM XXV | work=Staatstheater Mainz | url=http://www.staatstheater-mainz.com/sz0607/stuecke0708/stuecke/29.php | access-date=November 12, 2007 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071202104048/http://www.staatstheater-mainz.com/sz0607/stuecke0708/stuecke/29.php | archive-date=December 2, 2007 | url-status=dead | df=mdy-all }}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20060523001519/http://www.mikescottwaterboys.com/mikescottwaterboys/universalhall/lyrics.html Lyrics at the official Waterboys website]
- [http://forums.delphiforums.com/waterboys/messages Official forum] Chord requests are often fulfilled at "Musician's Corner"
{{The Waterboys}}
{{Authority control}}