Deep Dark Ocean

Oysterband | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 26, 2001)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Cooking Vinyl
• ASIN: B00000020Q
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #505,384 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Sail On By

2. Little Brother

3. Only When You Call

4. Native Son

5. Not Like Jordan

6. North Star

7. Milford Haven

8. The Story

9. Be My Luck

10. No Reason To Cry

11. Drunkard's Waltz

Editorial Reviews

(COOKCD128)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars the word "mellow" even comes to mind, August 6, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Deep Dark Ocean (Audio CD)

These "Oysters" have always been on the raw side - an English band playing folkish rock with an urban, punk-influenced edge. "Deep Dark Ocean" therefore comes as something of a surprise. The word "mellow" even comes to mind, as the band winds back the roughness and comes out with some more accessible, melodic material.

It's not that they've gone soft - there's still plenty of anger in their lyrics, and the bass, drums and guitar still growl and rumble as before. But the fiddle, melodeon and an occasional bit of cello rise to the surface on tracks like "Native Son", and the positively sunny "Sail On By". There's even a gospel/country feel to "Not Like Jordan", though the effect is probably for irony as much as anything.

Other songs either have nautical themes or a shanty jaunt to them, giving a salty tang to the whole album. At times it even had me reminiscing about middle-era Steeleye Span. Of course John! Jones' voice is a mile from Maddy Prior's. And the Oysters maintain that determined north English toughness. But when in "No Reason to Cry" they sing "we make a mess of tenderness", why am I not totally convinced?

Peter Grant co-presents "Mostly Folk" on 7THE FM in Hobart, Tasmania

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Step Sideways for the Oyseters, July 4, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Deep Dark Ocean (Audio CD)

Even after listening to this album for many months, I'm not quite sure of it. I've been a fan of the Oyster Band since before the beginning of time (which, according to the band these days, is their album _Step Outside_). Their previous album, _Shouting End of Life_, was their most raucous yet, and it was truly a masterpiece.

Here, they've retrenched. The music is quieter, the lyrics are much more personal and much less political. As much as I adore the band, it didn't have the punch, for me, of their previous two albums. If you've never heard them, I would start with either the previously-mentioned _Shouting..._ or its predecessor, _Holy Bandits_ (in my opinion, their best to date). If you already enjoy the band, of course, this is a must-have.

5.0 out of 5 stars Oysters Mellow Out, March 5, 2006

By 

W. Smith (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Deep Dark Ocean (Audio CD)

Each Oysterband CD has its own flavor; this one is beautiful, melodic, and simply enjoyable. As usual, the guitar work is outstanding, the drumming brilliant, the vocals melodic and harmonious, and the songs all alligned along the seafaring theme.

For more raucous Oysterband, check out "The Shouting Side of Life".