Black Sea (album)

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Black Sea
Studio album by XTC
Released	September 12, 1980
Recorded	June–July, 1980 at The Town House, London, England
Genre	New Wave
Length	48:55
Label	Virgin Records
Producer	Steve Lillywhite
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link Pitchfork Media (9.2/10) link Q Robert Christgau (B+) link Rolling Stone link
XTC chronology
Drums and Wires (1979) Black Sea (1980) English Settlement (1982)

Black Sea is an XTC album released on September 12, 1980. It spawned five singles - "Generals And Majors" (released August 9, 1980 and reached No. 32 on the UK singles chart and No. 104 on the Billboard Pop chart), "Towers Of London" (released October 10, 1980 and reached No. 31 on the UK singles chart), "Sgt. Rock (Is Going To Help Me)" (released December 5, 1980 and reached No. 16 on the UK singles chart), "Love At First Sight" (released January 23, 1981 in Canada only) and a re-recording of "Respectable Street" (released March 13, 1981). The band re-recorded the song to change a few words as per the BBC - who ended up never playing the clean version anyway.

The album reached No. 16 on the UK album chart, No. 41 on the Billboard U.S. Hot 100 album chart and No. 1 on the New Zealand album chart.

Considered one of the more consistent albums by the group, Black Sea is not as raw as its predecessor, Drums and Wires, although it is still focused on big drums and sharp guitars. Early copies of the album came with the sleeve enclosed in a lime-green paper bag.

Virgin media mogul Richard Branson appeared in the "Generals and Majors" video.

[edit] Track listing

All songs written by Andy Partridge, except where noted.

1. "Respectable Street" – 3:37
2. "Generals and Majors" (Colin Moulding) – 4:04
3. "Living through Another Cuba" – 4:44
4. "Love at First Sight" (Moulding) – 3:07
5. "Rocket from a Bottle" – 3:30
6. "No Language in Our Lungs" – 4:53
7. "Towers of London" – 5:24
8. "Paper and Iron (Notes and Coins)" – 4:17
9. "Burning with Optimism's Flames" – 4:15
10. "Sgt. Rock (Is Going to Help Me)" – 3:56
11. "Travels in Nihilon" – 7:04

[edit] CD bonus tracks

1. "Smokeless Zone" (Moulding) – 3:50
2. "Don't Lose Your Temper" – 2:32
3. "The Somnambulist" – 4:38

[edit] Personnel

• Terry Chambers - Tama drums, Snyper drum synthesiser, free form vocals
• Dave Gregory - guitars, synth, piano, vox humana
• Colin Moulding - vocals, Epiphone Newport bass
• Andy Partridge - vocals, guitar, synth

v • d • e XTC Andy Partridge • Colin Moulding Dave Gregory • Terry Chambers • Barry Andrews Studio albums White Music • Go 2 • Drums and Wires • Black Sea • English Settlement • Mummer • The Big Express • Skylarking • Oranges & Lemons • Nonsuch • Apple Venus Volume 1 • Wasp Star (Apple Venus Volume 2) The Dukes of Stratosphear releases 25 O'Clock • Psonic Psunspot • Chips from the Chocolate Fireball Related articles Discography