Black Sails in the Sunset- Easily one of my favorite Elvis B-sides. Why this tune was left off Trust is a head scratcher. Steve’s keyboard playing is its usual sublime self. Black Sails is also another song that is perfectly suited for the Costello/Nieve duo. 4.5/5
Black Sails in the Sunset- Easily one of my favorite Elvis B-sides. Why this tune was left off Trust is a head scratcher. Steve’s keyboard playing is its usual sublime self. Black Sails is also another song that is perfectly suited for the Costello/Nieve duo. 4.5/5
Black Sails In The Sunset. A track that could’ve been on Trust. The soft vocal delivery is always welcome. I like the “black sails’ chorus vocal line…but I absolutely can't stand the “clue-oo-oo-oo-oo” vocal lick, which feels like an awkward add-on to make it more commercial sounding. Not sure what the song is about - “all the money in the world will never bring your body back” makes it sound like it’s about death. 3/5
Black Sails In The Sunset, always known the title and assumed it was a cover version of some trad song. Heard it for the first time due to this thread a few weeks ago, and listening again, I start off negative...oh it`s a bit Oliver`s Army melody wise; why is PThomas playing drums like the Clash before there`s some annoying drum part under a forgettable first verse but...once it hits the chorus...!! Great chorus, and the second verse feels better now, Steve Nieve is sorting that piano out (he sometimes reminds me of that underrated tinkler, Johnnie Fingers, of the Boomtown Rats). Maybe it wasn`t on Trust, due to its similarity to Oliver`s Army? Or maybe that`s just me hearing it. Definitely someone had a hit with something similar later in the 80s (`Mary`s Prayer` by Danny Wilson?). Great use of the phrase `yakety-yak`. 4/5
“Black Sails in the Sunset” - 4.8/5 Another of his best songs left in the reject pile (as with “Tiny Steps”). Not sure why he didn’t think much of it. I prefer it to maybe 2/3rds of what made it on Trust. It was only played live 13 times, and I caught it thanks to the Gramercy run. I think I read somewhere it’s about facing consequences for bad actions/decisions. I guess Elvis must like Gene Pitney. The intro to the released version sounds like a nod to the intro of “That Girl Belongs To Yesterday.” (Of course I might be imagining it…..or I’m weird).
Black Sails In The Sunset It's a nice song with a fine band performance and a smooth vocal. The melody seems to get slightly lost occasionally. It strikes me as another instance where Elvis gets caught up trying to take a tune the direction he has in his head, rather than letting the melody flow to a natural destination. I do see the slight melodic resemblance to "Oliver's Army". 3/5
The alternate version intro sounds more Gene Pitney, or that vibe, imo. I see that song was written by Jagger/Richards, Pitney`s cover was their first top 10, their version is awful.
Black Sails in the Sunset This reminds me of The Long Honeymoon in places. Nevertheless, I think it’s great. It has an excellent, emotive vocal and absolutely gorgeous piano. I like the verses more than the chorus. 4.25/5
Today’s song is “Black Sails In The Sunset” 1.0 I have not heard any of the Trust outtakes as I have the pre-93 CD. So it was with anticipation that I came into today. Lots of "thumbs up" from others saying it should have made Trust. I can't get over the oo..oo..oo..oo..oo..oo..oos' at the end of clue. Instant rejectection. I'd never get over it. I like the alternate version better but all the oos' came over to that as well.
"Black Sails In The Sunset" Can't decide if the ooo's or the rim clicks deserve to the most blame. 2/5
“Black Sails in the Sunset” should’ve made the album and it’s quite surprising that it sat rusting in the vault for 5 years before it was released on the b-side of a single from Blood & Chocolate. This is just a great song in every way. Steve is the star here with his lilting piano. Not really sure what the song is about but the title gives it a foreboding aura.
https://elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php?title=Trust_(1994)_liner_notes "This version was removed from the album sequence, as I believed we might still record a superior version. However the song never seemed to fit into any subsequent album."
"Black Sails in the Sunset" Never heard this before. Trying to get into a "brand new" 1981 Costello song 43 years after the event is surprisingly difficult! No doubt had I got this on a b-side at the time, or even when it did eventually come out, I'd have loved it. Listening now, it's a bit like trying to get into The Boy Named If without the luxury of the time I used to have to absorb these things properly. It sounds decent enough without anything that would really put me off, but it does sound like a lot of other Costello songs of the time. 3/5.
4/5. I'm starting to get frustrated at Elvis's lyrics, and never knowing what they are about. I love the title and individual lines, but it fairly consistently brings what I think is five star songs down to four.
Someone attempt to analyze the song……. Meaning of Black Sails In The Sunset by Elvis Costello and The Attractions - Songmeaning
Black Sails In The Sunset Another great b-side left off an album, 2nd only to "Girls Talk" in the head-scratching 'what was he thinking?' list. I love Steve's piano work and the melodic detours taken in the chorus. 5/5
I love the oo-oo-oo's. That's the hook for me. My quibble is with the word yakety-yak in the chorus. I expect the Coasters song to kick in. The other highlight for me. 3.75/5
The sun never set on the British Empire until it did. I think, at least in part, that he has the same target here as he does in "Big Sister's Clothes". Particularly the line about the truth.
“Black Sails In The Sunset” 3.5/5 I have the 1994 one CD extended version of Trust which has a nice little group of additional tracks at the end and while it's mostly downbeat and minor material it's a nice little listen, starting with this track.
Black Sails In The Sunset - I first met this song on Out Of Our Idiot. And I loved it ever since. I have rated it as one of the best songs of all time since then. The only question is whether it is top tier or second tier (I have 5 tiers). The last Ooo Ooo and then Steve does his keyboard answer is just great. All the parts fit together so well and the lyrics definitely are cathartic if you are feeling depressed - you want to hear this song or another one that's on Out Of Our Idiot (Withered And Died) or maybe go listen to some Grunge (like Don't Follow by Alice In Chains). The lyrics are great especially this part White noise going yakety yak All the money in the world will never bring your body back Is it some mysterious dance nobody can do? Thought I knew all the steps quite clearly I don't have a clue You're Cinderella with a ball and chain And the shoe seems to fit you Elvis started out on his first album wanting to know the Mystery Dance, then he thought he learned it, but things have gone very wrong and now he realizes he never had a clue. Gives extra meaning to Watch Your Step too. You might be doing the wrong steps of life and it will lead to your figurative (or maybe even literal) death. Its hard to imagine getting lower than Cinderella, but instead of a glass slipper and one great night, you get a ball and chain and you deserve it. For me, Elvis sails off into the sunset here with a 5.
This song has the sort of structure that gets the people who are paid to convert tunes into sheet music angry. It's Verse Chorus Verse Chorus but the second verse is different from the first by only one chord, thus not allowing them to merely use a "repeat" symbol, and instead, use up a whole other page. The Grateful Dead's "Sugar Magnolia" is like that, and The Beatles' "Across The Universe" actually has three verses, each with a slightly different chord setup. Anyhow, in the first verse we hear a Cm chord on the words "Pride" and "Crime." In the second verse, it switches to a regular old C chord for the words "Chain" and "You." Count me among the people who first encountered this tune on "Out Of Our Idiot," and I could immediately, upon hearing it the first time, discern that it dated from the "Trust" period, simply by the sound of the piano. It's one of his best songs, and I can think of numerous cuts it could've switched places with on "Trust" to make it a stronger album.
Trust is an oddity in the early catalog. In context it sounds like a dress rehearsal for Imperial Bedroom but not nearly as focused or successful. (It will be a very interesting discussion when we tackle that one). A few people mentioned the Taking Liberties part two grab bag nature of the included tracks. I never looked at Trust that way before but there's truth to that assessment. It feels like diversity for the sake of diversity, which is why I referred to some tracks as genre exercises. In that way, I feel somewhat distanced from some of the songs in a way that I hadn't been one any previous albums. Finally, to my ears, there is no obvious standout track, no Accidents Will Happen. Like Bnk, my highest rating for any track was a 3, with many rating lower. The best of the album is middling. 2/5
