XTC - Black Sea
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Free Music Notes for Black Sea
Free Music Review: A Transition To Musical Maturity
Hit: 5 Stars
From 1980, a transition album, of sorts. The group still displays its angular melodies and new wave chops, but the songwriting begins to show a newfound eloquence and some great harmonies. "Respectable Street", "Generals And Majors", "Love At First Sight", "Towers of London", and "Sgt. Rock (Is Going To Help Me)" were all great hit singles...in the U.K., at least.Free Music Review: Extremely Fun, Catchy, Varied, and Musical
Hit: 4 Stars
If XTC IS New Wave (when it genres, I am quite stingy, sometimes loose in classification), then I know comes to where so many bands synth pop bands get there inspiration. Thanks XTC! Of course, they didn't really take their strengths and made garbage. What does this have to do with the review? Absolutely nothing.
XTC's Black Sea absolutely glows with pop perfection-ambitions, and it works to great effects for the most part (not for the all part, though). This album has it all. Those drums, check them out. You can find bits of disco, but Terry Chambers plays with rock energy and doesn't become timid and I love the South American like drums on LIving Through Another Cuba, the Pounding Tribal Drums on Travels in Nihilon, the plodding drums. The Guitars are catchy, the bass throbs, just listen to this band play! There are some layers or subtle playing that you might have to listen to closely. Highly, highly dance-able. And Andy Partridge's vocals (along with backing), well, you can't go wrong with his cool, catchy voice. He isn't totally 100% sane, either, Living Through Another Cuba always makes me laugh.
Here's an overview of the songs on this record.
1.Respectable Street-Catchy stuff, and a great opening for Black Sea. I love the beginning as well, sets the tone nicely. Great drums, who can complain. The lyrics, poking fun at the rich, well, I think most could easily like this.
2.Generals and Majors-The chiming guitar is catchy beyond belief, it will have you marching along singing at the top of your lungs, and it even has Making fun of the people in the title, it pretty much mocks their ways.
3.Living Through Another Cuba-I'd say this song seems to be based around a cuban or South American groove, with lot's of shouting and singing. Andy does some of his most obnoxious vocals here, and I mean that in a good way.
4.Love at First Sight-Straight up great pop, XTC style, and extremely catchy (what else?). The guitars are some of the best (I like the one that goes out of control), and
5.Rocket From a Bottle-Well, this is where it goes downhill a bit. This one isn't that bad, I find it to be alittle boring and doesn't really always sound that great. Still a good pop song, just not as good as the rest. Love the guitar solo!
6.No Language in Our Lungs-This ballad sometimes drags on kind of long, but a good ballad. Still, not great all the way.
7.Towers Of London-Why the ______ was this a big hit? This one wears out it's welcome toward the end, though it sounds great at a lot of the points. SOmetimes repitive, but it's a good song and I always enjoy most of it.
8.Paper And Iron (Notes and Coins)-The Drums start up, and it sounds like a work anthem, especially with those drums, and explodes into a raw chorus ending with a dance passage. Great song.
9.Burning with Optimism's Flames-The verses have Andy going off a lot, and I think that's hilarious. The reggae/tropical style are great, and it goes on to the chorus. Gotta Love it.
10.Sgt. Pepper-A stupid song, but an absolute blast. To me, it's about using rock music to boost your masculinity, or using it to get girls.
11.Travels in Nihilon-FOr me, kind of a showcase of atmosphere for this band, and those drums are deep, booming, tribal. Though it may be a little long, it still is worth more than a few listens.
12.Smokeless Zone-Can't stand this song.
13.Don't Lose Your Temper-This one may be a bit farfetched, but I absolutely love this song. I really don't know why, but it's dang good.
14.The Somnambulist-A drone, but soothing song, perfect at the end. Quite minimalistic, but that's one reason why it's a great listen.
That's about all I got for this record. The remastered version sounds great, loud, clean, crisp. This record owns. All I can say is that I hope you own a copy.
8.5/10
Free Music Review: GREAT MUSIC SHAME ABOUT THE PACKAGING
Hit: 4 Stars
A great album by the underrated XTC-- all of the remasters are excellent, except it would've been better if they'd carried the extra tracks at the end of the disc. Also, the packaging is flawed, and 'Black Sea' is one of the worst offenders. Why reproduce the original album covers if the liner notes and lyrics are printed so small that they're virtually unreadable? Is this another attempt by the members of XTC to highlight their view that packaging is inherently worthless? The reproductions should've been made user-friendly. Free Music Review: Best Guitar Solo Ever
Hit: 5 Stars
XTC has about 6 truly great CD's, and this is one of them. Guitar solo in "Love at First Sight" is brilliant... you have to hear it to believe it, and I don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't heard it.
This is a decent XTC starter CD. Don't buy a greatest hits collection... you need to buy this as well as Drums & Wires, English Settlement, and Skylarking, then you can tiptoe into their other brilliant work (Mummer is an undiscovered masterpiece, and many good moments on Oranges & Lemons).
Free Music Review: May be their best album.
Hit: 5 Stars
This one has held up beautifully over time. What fun! Along with Drums & Wires, probably my favorite XTC.