I suspect “Black Sails In The Sunset” also didn't make Trust because it would have made too many mid-tempo songs. Bruce and Pete are merely good here (instead of great), but Steve's piano makes up for what they miss. Maybe it's too much of an "Art Song" the way Steve plays it? The Trust outtake is less grandiose than the alternate version recorded during the sessions for Get Happy!!! (extra exclamation mark to make sure there are enough to go around for everyone.) Even though the vaguely specific lyrics include the usual nastiness aimed at easy targets (vain boys, Cinderella with a ball and chain), I like it a lot. 4.4/5
Yeah for me, for all the "transitional" opinions doesn't counter there are no great songs here... (for me). Not to mention where he's transitioning to.. But that's another story.
EC vocals + The Attractions and the sort of Trio Cocktail Rock Noir approach that I find in the best of Trust is also part of Sails appeal for being on the album as well as it being great on its own terms. When I decided if I like it due to not always hearing it as part of the album proper, after listening to the song about six times in a row I think I answered my own question. 5/5 Do you make me sick or was I just force-fed? I like how clue has the effect of reverberating and echoing as if searching for an answer to its own question and confusion. 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 Almost looks and sounds a little bit like a Jackson Browne verse and vibe to me. Made me think of For a Dancer or Late For The Sky.
Black Sails In The Sunset I wasn't nearly as happy with Out Of Our Idiot as I was with Taking Liberties. Black Sails is an example of why. It's very forgettable until you get to the chorus. Great chorus. Dramatic build up. 3/5
I think that's an interesting point. I've been thinking Costello including Sails would have been both wise imo and artistically err brave as it would have more clearly and definitively given Trust a more specific direction and concept. Instead imo whether by intent or happenstance what was left was half-in and half a grab bag with the bag imo being closer to a compilation than an album. It was as if, no, let's not go all-in with this approach. Because the arrangement of Hoover Factory (alt version Trust disc) is also very much in this vein and would have also musically supported and buttressed Sails, Clubland, You'll Never Be A Man, Pretty Words, New Lace Sleeves, and Watch Your Step.
Black Sails in the Sunset: Great b-side that should've & could've been a great addition to Trust. 5/5
Black Sails In The Sunset: 3/5 I'm surprised no one had mentioned that the title and theme of "Black Sails In The Sunset" is likely a dark take on the old standard "Red Sails In The Sunset." That song was a Depression Era hit for Bing Crosby, but E.C. might have been more familiar with Nat King Cole's 1950s cover version. (The Beatles also used to play this song live. Its chorus also seems to have influenced Ersel Hickey's "Bluebirds Over The Mountain," best known for the Beach Boys' cover version, but I digress...) The original "Red Sails" was a romantic "bring my baby back home" tale. Elvis' song seems to be about someone who is never coming back home, because they've died. At least that's how I interpret the "all the money in the world can never bring your body back" line -- unless he's talking old age and plastic surgery, which I doubt since this was 1981 not these Karsashian times. Musically speaking, this song's verses always reminded me of Robert Knight's "Everlasting Love." Elvis takes it in a more folky direction, though. This might have been a more effective song with a busier arrangement. The version from Out Of Our Idiot sounds like a basic run-through with some embellishments.
"Black Sails in the Sunset": I understand Elvis's explanation of why this was cut from the album. My own feeling when listening is that it needed more work on the arrangement and more authority in the performance. There's something fragile about it, which is perhaps part of the point, but at times one feels it might all fall apart. 3.8/5 It's not just you hearing it. Meanwhile, Steve's intro is eerily reminiscent of some record I can't recall from the late '60s or early '70s. Maddening. (If I'm just imagining things and it's Steve's invention, then it's brilliant.)
Black Sails In The Sunset This is, to coin a phrase, a heartbreaking work of staggering genius. That beautifully understated piano intro is just SO lush, and then the melody is untouchable as well. In the alternative Trust I have painted in my head, this would be the closer and “Big Sister’s Clothes” would go to side 1 in place of either “Luxembourg” or “Lover’s Walk” (probably the latter). It would be this gorgeous sunset of a send off… 5/5
Black Sails In The Sunset Nice midtempo song, with textured vocals from Elvis. But Steve is the star here. Everytime he does his flourishes, my ears perk up. 3./5
Black Sails In The Sunset - quite pleasant but meandering vocal line, charming delivery and Steve's piano is marvellous: 3/5
Black Sails In The Sunset, I picked up the Out Of Our Idiot on vinyl recently because of this thread. I haven't cross checked it, but most titles seem to be also on the extended Ryko CDs. It's a great collection, but doesn't hold up as well as a collection as Taking Liberties. Perhaps I need a few more listens, after I have lived with TL for years. This song is album worthy and would have been a good fit. Arguably it could have replaced a few tracks, but it's short enough at three minutes to be in addition to the forty one minute album. It's a great b-side that Steve really shines in. Elvis is in fine vocal form singing the great melody very well. Score 4.1/5
"Black Sails in the Sunset" - The verse melody is reminiscent of "Oliver's Army", a much better song. The very end of the chorus (the "clue-oo-oo" part) is nice, though. 3/5
Black Sails In The Sunset 2.6 I love the piano and the 'oos', pretty good melody all round really and as commonly acknowledged, could, perhaps should, have made the album. A link to the ryko liner notes was posted above. In the Rhino 2003 notes he acknowledges its omission, believing a better take could still be found, and so it remained shelved for 5 years until eventual release as a b side in 86. Several songs recorded during these sessions were not included on the final album, although it is now hard to imagine why this is the case. "Black Sails At Sunset," a sort of slower melodic variant of "Oliver's Army," had been written during my first visit to Berlin and certainly denoted a further disenchantment with the rewards of pop life. It had a similar lyrical theme to "New Lace Sleeves": the less attractive aspects of the triumph of supposedly civilized culture over instinct and passion—just yer usual pop song nonsense. This tune had been originally cut shortly after the Get Happy!! Sessions in a piano and voice rendition which pre-dated even "Shot With His Own Gun" but was re-recorded during the DJM sessions. With hindsight it might have been a better addition to the album than one or two of the lighter but faster pieces that were included. https://elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php?title=Trust_(2003)_liner_notes I can only imagine he wasn't yet happy with the vocal, because the arrangement seems fine to me. The vocal is an improvement on the alternative take featuring his sneery caricature vocal style, which ruins it a little for me. Interesting comment upthread about a possible connection in the lyrics to the Empire and to Big Brother (or rather Sister). Costello talks about another lyrical connection above, so I'm still no wiser! It could have been placed on the album, but perhaps only at the expense of Shot With His Own Gun as an almost like for like replacement. Perhaps Big Sister is a better swap for Luxembourg, but I like the end track as it is. There's a case for including Sad About Girls too, although listening to the lyric, it's quite obviously a cover, so it might have seemed out of place. Anyway, I've no desire to change the album, much less 40 years after the fact. There's always playlists.
I'm actually fully anticipating that I will like the next album - so far, I've actually liked the Elvis country style songs. And I guess maybe preferentially I would lean more towards the Hank Williams style of country than say modern country in terms of genre.
Black Sails in the Sunset Love the piano in this song. And that verse melody does sound like Oliver's Army. I like the vocal and the lyrics even if a coherent meaning doesn't really leap out at me. It does seem like this song should have been on Trust, but I definitely feel like it's somehow not quite finished. I'm not sure if it is that the lyrics feel a bit awkward in parts or that perhaps the music isn't as fully fleshed out as it could be (although the piano is doing a lot of heavy lifting in this song - it is superb). 4/5
Good attitude, Elvis has proven himself by this point in the country genre, no question. But I don't think it's Hank so much, more 70s Nashville with all that might imply.
"Black Sails in the Sunset" is a pretty good Joe Jackson song (I know I've said it before). It's a really easy song to listen to - it's comfortable on the ears. That said, it's yet another EC song that just doesn't really mean a ton to me lyrically, so it's just music in the background, but it's really good sounding background music vs. stuff that sort of inoffensively fades into the distance. 3.9/5
Black Sails in the Sunset I'm in everyone's boat here and is that wordplay worthy of Elvis himself or what? Anyway, this is better than half of the songs on Trust and I would have included it, yet I sense they never got a take they were entirely happy with. Steve Nieve's piano is not only reminiscent of Oliver's Army (good spot) but also Shot With His Own Gun, furthermore the song's general arrangement and vibe puts me in my mind of New Lace Sleeves. It may have needed a re-working to make the album. All that said, I've long considered it a quality Elvis off-cut. 4/5.
Good observation, generally agree. Also significant that Trust would be the last album Nick Lowe produced for him for a while, even after he returned to London. Based on the results that was the right call by Elvis.
Today’s song is “Big Sister” Written by Elvis Costello Elvis Costello Wiki entry – Big Sister Personnel Elvis Costello – vocals, guitar Steve Nieve – keyboards Bruce Thomas – bass Pete Thomas – drums This was a bonus track on 1994 and 2003 reissues of Trust. It was also a b-side to the 1982 “You Little Fool” single from Imperial Bedroom. The song shares lyrical passages from the Trust song, “Big Sister’s Clothes”.
`Big Sister` 4/5, my kind of ska, Trojan basis, Specials rebore a la `Human Touch`. I thought I knew the bass from somewhere, and the liner notes confirm it`s `borrowed` from The Stones` `Under My Thumb`. Somehow BT makes it more bluebeat,really works a groove. The alternate take is slower without the Stones part..pretty unlistenable imo. Without the right arrangement and instrumental hooks, it sinks into overwrought bellowing about totally meaningless lyrics.
Big Sister. Costello at his yelping and screeching worst - ugh. Totally unlistenable. So glad he reconfigured this to Big Sister’s Clothes. There’s probably some good lines in this version but I just can’t stomach listening to it. 1/5
