Karma to Burn released one of the most original hard rock albums of 1997 with its fantastic self-titled debut. The West Virginia combo is usually associated with the "stoner rock" scene because of its reliance on '70s-style hard rock riffs, but unlike most bands in that genre, Karma to Burn merely dabbles in fuzzy distortion and psychedelia. When guitarist William's somber tone and minor chords are combined with songtitles like "Bobbi, Bobbi, Bobbi -- I'm Not God" and "Waltz of the Playboy Pallbearers," the result is both cryptic and hilarious. Singer J. Jarosz was only brought aboard as a compromise, and it shows, as his contribution is both unspectacular and largely unnecessary. In fact, the most interesting vocal contribution comes from the female voice on "Patty Hearst's Closet Mantra." The double parting shot of "Twin Sisters and Half a Bottle of Bourbon" and "Six" helps make this album a must-have for enthusiasts of original and challenging hard rock. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, All Music Guide
Steve Haigler (Producer), Steve Haigler (Engineer), Tracy Schroeder (Assistant Producer), Karma to Burn (Producer), Karma to Burn (Main Performer), Michael Wilson (Photography), Daniel Wise (Producer), Daniel Wise (Engineer), Daniel Wise (Mixing), J. Jarosz (Vocals), J. Jarosz (Illustrations), Nathan Limbaugh (Drums)
Karma to Burn is the first official live album from The Waterboys. It also contains tracks from Mike Scott's solo career: "Bring 'em All In," "Long Way to the Light," "My Dark Side," and "Open."
Scott explains the name of the album as "experiences yet to be undergone in order to balance past actions" [1], a reference to the tenet of karma in Hinduism. This is not the first reference to the concept made by the group; a song named "Karma" appeared as part of the single for "Return of Pan" from Dream Harder. Karma to Burn was one of a large number of titles that the band considered for the album, including "A Long Way to the Light," after the song about The Waterboys' break-up after Dream Harder.
The album cover was created by Toshifumi Tanabu.
"Long Way to the Light" was recorded in Warwick on October 16, 2003. "Peace Of Iona," "Bring 'em All In," and "The Whole of the Moon" were recorded in Belfast two days later. "Glastonbury Song" is from a concert at Plymouth on October 29 of that year. "Medicine Bow" was recorded in Basingstoke on October 13. "The Pan Within" is taken from a Dublin show on 21 October. "Open" is taken from two concerts, one in Liverpool on October 26, 2004, and from a later concert in Galway on November 23. "The Return of Jimi Hendrix" is from November 25 in Cork. Both "My Dark Side" and "Fisherman's Blues" were recorded in Cheltenham on October 30, 2003. "A Song for the Life" is from a November 27, 2004 show in Athlone. "Come Live with Me" is also from two separate concerts, the same Galway show as "Open," and the same Cork show as "The Return of Jimi Hendrix."
