Black Sea

XTC | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 19, 1991)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Geffen Records
• ASIN: B000000OSA
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (51 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #209,080 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Respectable Street

2. Generals and Majors

3. Living Through Another Cuba

4. Love at First Sight

5. Rocket From a Bottle

6. No Language in Our Lungs

7. Smokeless Zone [*]

8. Don't Lose Your Temper [*]

9. The Somnambulist [*]

10. Towers of London

11. Paper and Iron (Notes and Coins)

12. Burning with Optimism's Flames

13. Sgt. Rock (Is Going to Help Me)

14. Travels in Nihilon

Editorial Reviews

This CD is an out of print collectible! It is the original 1991 Geffen release. Catalog GEFD-24376. There is a drill hole through the case.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars REFLECTIONS FROM MR. PARTRIDGE AND HIS MATES...., June 18, 2001

By 

Larry L. Looney (Austin, Texas USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Black Sea (Audio CD)

As this album starts, with Andy Partridge's composition 'Respectable Street', the listener hears what appears to be an old phonograph record begin to play, complete with scratches -- a gentle, nostalgic tune...'It's in the order of their hedgerows, it's in the way their curtains open and close, it's in the look they give you down their nose -- all part of decency's jigsaw, I suppose...' and then Andy Partridge's guitar slams into a series of his trademark jangly rhythm chords, and the band is off and running with a look at modern-day suburbia. Neighbors live in close-quartered isolation, peering at each other from behind drawn curtains, wretch over each other's fences, crowd their front gardens with caravans that never move, welcome the Avon lady to fill in facial creases on housewives...and the images go on and on, dead on target, fragments of our society for us to view.

Partridge's guitar style, instantly recognizable, always reminded me of shards of broken glass -- beautiful, vaguely dangerous. It's glass alright, but it's a mirror -- XTC hold up the pieces and we can see little bits of ourselves in each one, microcosms of our world...and what we see is sometimes humorous, sometimes foolish, sometimes beautiful, sometimes ugly. It's not as if Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding (the two songwriters in the band) are pointing fingers, but more like they're just reporting on what they see, allowing us the make the judgement call.

The album continues with Colin Moulding's 'Generals and majors' -- a view of war and carnage as a game played by humans, a worry about where it's leading us. Partridge's 'Living through another Cuba' is next, carrying this theme a bit further. Then comes another Moulding tune, 'Love at first sight' with a look at the eternal drama of the sexes' inevitable attraction -- and its consequences. Partridge responds again, with his love song 'Rocket from a bottle', a more personal view of the subject.

After these observations and outpourings have washed over us, leaving us to marvel at the abilities of these writers to express themselves, what does Partridge hand us but 'No language in our lungs', a song bewailing the writer's inability to find the words to convey his thoughts: 'There is no language in our lungs to tell the world just how we feel, no bridge of thought, no mental link, no letting out just what you think'. Lest we think that Andy is getting too serious, he lets us know otherwise by way of another clever line: '...the impotency of speech came up and hit me that day, and I would have made this instrumental, but the words got in the way...'

The songs go on to deal with such varied topics as the building of the city of London, the role of money in our society, self-analysis and growth, machismo, self-dependency...all done up nicely in quirky but memorable (you'll find yourself humming them) melodies, incredibly insightful and clever lyrics -- the inner rhymes and wordplay are simply amazing -- and the ability through it all not to fall into the trap of taking themselves too seriously. This is pop music, after all, accessable as anything on the radio -- why this album wasn't an instant hit when it came out in 1980 is beyond me...but then, Squeeze never clicked in the US like they deserved to, either (...but that's another story).

Three tracks have been added for the cd release that were not included on the original lp -- they're pretty good for the most part, and it's nice that Geffen chose to add them to the re-released package.

This band has made lots of incredibly high-quality music since their inception ...

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars there is no language in my lungs to tell the world..., December 6, 1999

By 

Randy Garibay "[e-mail]" (san antonio,tx . USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Black Sea (Audio CD)

I first heard this album in 1982 and ever since then it has never strayed far from my turntable, cassette deck or cd player(yes I have all three versions,) It has become one of what I call my desert island albums, as in "if I were stranded on a..." The moment you hear the opening chords of "Respectable Street",you will be hooked. Songwriter/guitarist Andy Partridge's quirky pop is so catchy you'll find these songs playing over and over again in your head. This album also contains the most MONSTER DRUM SOUND ever heard, each track is dominated by percussion and drums and will have your foot tapping and your ears ringing. If you like the Beatles, you will love this. Black Sea rules,total XTC.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The end of an era, December 22, 2004

By 

B (Rochester, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Black Sea (Lp-Facsimile) (Audio CD)

(4.5 Stars)

On 1980's "Black Sea" XTC continued their musical maturation that began with "Drums & Wires". This is pretty much their last real raw, rock album, as the band quit touring shortly after this, and started making quieter, more intricate albums.

After a faux-Victrola piano intro, an insanely catchy guitar riff kicks the listeners square in the crotch with the wonderful "Respectable Street", the best lead-off track on any XTC album (well, Nigel and River of Orchids come close).

Throughout the rest of the album, there's a little new wave pop ("Generals and Majors"), ska pop ("Burning With Optimisms Flames"), turbulent rock ("Rocket From a Bottle"), danceable political rants ("Living Through Another Cuba"), profound ballads ("No Language In Our Lungs"), breezy pop/rock ("Towers of London") industrious 6/4 timed stomps ("Paper and Iron"), and even disco-rock ("Love At First Sight").

The album closes with the eerie "Travels In Nihlion", the musical equivalent of traveling down a nightmarish Yangtze River, battling dragons. The rhythm section's spiraling bass lines and thunderous percussion create an extremely haunting atmosphere.

"Black Sea" is a pleasing album for everyone. Fans of XTC's later work will love the infectious hooks and strong melodies. Fans of early XTC will love rocking out to them. Fans of both incarnations will love the whole package. You can't lose on this one!

Best Songs: Respectable Street, Rocket From a Bottle, No Language in Our Lungs, Burning With Optimism's Flames, Travels in Nihlion.