XTC Black Sea CD

XTC's fourth album showed the full flower of their two-guitar lineup, begun on the previous DRUMS AND WIRES. Perhaps their most powerfully rocking work, the songs were no less compelling live. Unfortunately, as touring began in support of the release, leader Andy Partridge's long-standing stage fright blossomed into immobilizing panic, forcing the band to permanently retire from the stage. Their palette was continuing to expand sonically and Steve Lillywhite's production made the most of every towering beat and rhythmic nuance. Several singles were drawn from the record and charted in Britain, most notably the dazzling "Respectable Street" and "Towers Of London." BLACK SEA marked the close of the band's first era and stands as one of their peak works, filled as it with the stunning and unmistakable flavors that are the band's character.

XTC continue on with the big drum sound of Drums and Wires, adding more polish and an even heavier-hitting approach for Black Sea -- their arrangements are fuller and they rock harder than ever before. Where Drums and Wires implied social commentary, Black Sea more directly addresses sociopolitical concerns, handling them not strictly in a theoretical sense, but rather showing a human response to the circumstances. Of course, the band's skewed outlook and mid-'60s pop sense keeps things from becoming too heavy -- included are some of their finest songs, like "Respectable Street," "Generals and Majors," and "Towers of London," as well as the thoroughly enjoyable pop fluff throwaway "Sgt. Rock (Is Going to Help Me)" to keep the mood light. All in all, there isn't a bad song in the bunch -- Black Sea is their most consistent album to date -- and although XTC always operated on the fringes, the album is their most commercial-sounding, fitting in perfectly with the new wave of the late '70s/early '80s. [The 2002 CD reissue appends three bonus tracks: "Smokeless Zone," "Don't Lose Your Temper," and "The Somnambulist."] ~ Chris Woodstra

Remastered reissue of 1980 album features the classic 'Generals And Majors'. Virgin Records. 2001.Q (7/01, p.139) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...Love, insecurity and the evils of the city began to creep into a monolithic pop-sound.... XTC were a motherlode of rampant imagination..."