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| Track list: 1. Theme From Black Sails 2. Nassau Shores 3. L'Urca de Lima 4. The Banner of Captain Flint 5. Captain Kidd 6. On the Beach 7. Wondrous Love 8. The Wrecks 9. Silver Overboard 10. A Nation of Thieves 11. All Saints 12. Black Sails Theme and Variations 13. Streets of Nassau 14. The Andromache 15. Clamanda 16. Vane's Visions 17. Funeral at Sea 18. The Parson's Farewell 19. Pieces of Eight 20. Black Sails Main Title 21. The Golden Vanity Running time: 78 minutes Released: 2014 |
An impulse purchase. I have been watching Black Sails on Amazon Prime recently and really liking it. I also happen to really like the main theme of the show, I find the haunting tinge and the stridency a neat combination. Couple to that recognising The Parson's Farewell in the background scenes of season 1 (being a huge Bellowhead fan) and I think I will get on with this. It's good soundtrack fodder for gaming, too.
We launch straight into those bombastic main titles, which last a full 3 minutes and more. I have rarely skipped the titles because I love this piece so much. It is full of colour, threat and promise and that slightly off-sound to some of the major notes just adds the character of discomfort. Very apt. In here there is a clause that doesn't play on the episodes, so huh. Long middle section - with more recognizable electric guitars - gets chopped for TV. Probably for the best as this is actually quite weak and detracts from the end which works on screen but less so on record. Nassau Shores are built on fiddles that strike close to my heart. There is a jauntiness to it too - a good switch from the powerful opening.
This post has been a long time coming, but the run up to Christmas and general busy times have cut short my desire and availability to sit down for an hour plus for these posts. Right now I am waiting for some filler to dry, needing to go back to it in about 90 minutes or so, and this sort of long disc fills a natural gap. I don't want to divert too much into talking about the show here, but to frame the context of the music - and as can surely be guessed from the title - it's a pirate adventure of sorts. Captain Flint, pre-Treasure Island. Historical fiction. It is surprisingly good, rough edges in places, and plenty of dastardly action. The main theme is a perfect fit. It has its quieter, moments too, hopeful moments, so this is not one big long train of draining, endlessly taut pieces. L'Urca de Lima is an interlude of peace before the thumping and threatening Banner of Captain Flint strikes up.
I find myself surprised that the majority of these pieces are radio song lengths. There are a couple of monstrously long tunes later on the disc, but most are not far removed from popular music in duration. A smattering of tunes under 2 minutes reinforces that this is a soundtrack, but it is quite far removed from the machine gun of short tracks that can come with soundtrack discs (The Banner Saga, for instance). Captain Kidd sounds out of time; the twangy snap and guitars here place it about 100 years too late for the on-screed period by my reckoning (though as a recent game of Timeline showed, my knowledge of history is far from great). The tune recovers a bit from that dissonance and I rather like its fiddle and percussion structure by the end of the track.
It is no surprise to hear the ghost of the main theme haunting some of the other tunes. On the Beach is the first obvious example of this (read: that I noticed). I like this sort of technique. Like callbacks to earlier jokes in a comedy gig (Eddie Izzard was always good at this), it rewards the listener for paying attention and remembering what came before. The spectre of the title music only lasts a short while, and the tune is left to develop its own identity but it does so informed by a specific viewpoint. When it leaves it it replaced with a lonely fiddle tune, which is a little too stark and shrill for me to begin with, but which I warm up to as a greater depth of sound assembles around the leading part.
I am not disappointed with the general tension of the work, though absent the visual counterpoint I do find myself thinking more the Old West than pirates in the Caribbean which reinforces the timeline discrepancy that I first noticed a few tunes back. That is a minor quibble though, really as the period accuracy is of secondary importance to the ability of the tunes to evoke a sense of danger and threat. I feel they do this pretty well, so thus far I am well satisfied with picking this up. Nation of Thieves is perhaps surprisingly a breaker for the tension. This carries a lighter sound to it, provided by a wind-instrument (I can't tell what... flute maybe?) based theme. Not what I would expect from the title, but a good palette refresher. It isn't devoid of darkness, but it is removed from it in a way that the prior tracks were not.
All Saints is a dance tune. Guitar and fiddle, then pipes. It's cheery until the squeezebox brings a nautical edge to the party and reinforces the underlying dangers of a place built on piracy when it is audible. I find the tune wanders a line between celebration and reminding us of the situation, and id case we were in any doubt we then hit variations on the main theme full on. This theme is so darn good though. I don't usually like to do this, but here it is on YouTube for you. Enjoy. These variations explore the darker side of the theme, increasing the dangerous tones, emphasizing the bottom end and playing with the rhythm, ominous thumping percussion. Love it.
A couple more tunes drift by, veering from the olde-timey folky sound that supports the onshore scenes and the more nautical and darker music to support the seas. Funeral at Sea is the first of the two long pieces. As you might expect from the name it is tinged with sadness and regret. There are a couple of times in the series (thus far; I am nearing the end of season 2) that show funerals. They are poignant and humanising moments and this tune has a lot of space to breathe, supporting that notion. I find myself switching off a bit though as mammoth tracks like this rarely contain enough to hold attention for their full length. Attention wanders then snaps back with a change of tone or movement. Overall it seems like a good effort, although largely at odds with the tone of the rest of the disc, but I fear my wandering thoughts - turning towards the sales - caused me to miss too much.
The rendition of the Parson's Farewell is a little tinny and twangy for my liking, but then I am royally spoiled on this tune getting a full big band treatment. This version picks up when the squeezebox rounds out the sound more. This hides the worst of the tinniness behind the starker sound of the accordion, and that neutering is welcome. We do get a bit more of a large sound as the piece progresses, along with hints of the main theme to the show, which is a nice counterpoint and meld, though it then brings in electrics and utterly ruins the sense of time and place, murdering the utility of the track. Funnily enough, I don't remember the screaming guitar from the background music on the show. It is sandwiched between the long tracks, and I actually miss the transition to Pieces of Eight because of the hints of the main theme that were added to the parson's parting.
I think I need to view these 10+ minute epics as experiences rather than tracks to listen to - I just find it impossible to sustain an avid attention for that length. This one rumbles around. It clearly has distinct movements. From echoing the theme, to a sort of calm interlude, to thumping, trembling expectation, though that latter lasts too long. The tension fakes you out a bit, as the tune seems to become more about anticipation than action or resolution. It's a pleasant set of sounds, but I can't help but feel it would make a better piece if it moved on to the action phase faster or sooner. Of course, it was composed to suit a specific purpose, but I find it hard to imagine that the 10+ minute piece was used in full on the show.
Into the closing stages of the piece and it still seems more about tension than release. A wasted opportunity. There is a crescendo... but after it soothing sounds, not rushing hectic ones. The whole epic feels like a tease - an enjoyable one with pleasant sounds, but a tease nonetheless. I feel a bit let down.
We get the theme again - this time the cut from the show titles and then a final number to close us out. This is an oddly sung song with accordion backing. It's not a great closer, it's not a great track. I don't like the voice - its more growl than singing voice, and the jaunt of the piece is irritating. I think I will ditch that, but the rest is pretty much what I would have expected.
We launch straight into those bombastic main titles, which last a full 3 minutes and more. I have rarely skipped the titles because I love this piece so much. It is full of colour, threat and promise and that slightly off-sound to some of the major notes just adds the character of discomfort. Very apt. In here there is a clause that doesn't play on the episodes, so huh. Long middle section - with more recognizable electric guitars - gets chopped for TV. Probably for the best as this is actually quite weak and detracts from the end which works on screen but less so on record. Nassau Shores are built on fiddles that strike close to my heart. There is a jauntiness to it too - a good switch from the powerful opening.
This post has been a long time coming, but the run up to Christmas and general busy times have cut short my desire and availability to sit down for an hour plus for these posts. Right now I am waiting for some filler to dry, needing to go back to it in about 90 minutes or so, and this sort of long disc fills a natural gap. I don't want to divert too much into talking about the show here, but to frame the context of the music - and as can surely be guessed from the title - it's a pirate adventure of sorts. Captain Flint, pre-Treasure Island. Historical fiction. It is surprisingly good, rough edges in places, and plenty of dastardly action. The main theme is a perfect fit. It has its quieter, moments too, hopeful moments, so this is not one big long train of draining, endlessly taut pieces. L'Urca de Lima is an interlude of peace before the thumping and threatening Banner of Captain Flint strikes up.
I find myself surprised that the majority of these pieces are radio song lengths. There are a couple of monstrously long tunes later on the disc, but most are not far removed from popular music in duration. A smattering of tunes under 2 minutes reinforces that this is a soundtrack, but it is quite far removed from the machine gun of short tracks that can come with soundtrack discs (The Banner Saga, for instance). Captain Kidd sounds out of time; the twangy snap and guitars here place it about 100 years too late for the on-screed period by my reckoning (though as a recent game of Timeline showed, my knowledge of history is far from great). The tune recovers a bit from that dissonance and I rather like its fiddle and percussion structure by the end of the track.
It is no surprise to hear the ghost of the main theme haunting some of the other tunes. On the Beach is the first obvious example of this (read: that I noticed). I like this sort of technique. Like callbacks to earlier jokes in a comedy gig (Eddie Izzard was always good at this), it rewards the listener for paying attention and remembering what came before. The spectre of the title music only lasts a short while, and the tune is left to develop its own identity but it does so informed by a specific viewpoint. When it leaves it it replaced with a lonely fiddle tune, which is a little too stark and shrill for me to begin with, but which I warm up to as a greater depth of sound assembles around the leading part.
I am not disappointed with the general tension of the work, though absent the visual counterpoint I do find myself thinking more the Old West than pirates in the Caribbean which reinforces the timeline discrepancy that I first noticed a few tunes back. That is a minor quibble though, really as the period accuracy is of secondary importance to the ability of the tunes to evoke a sense of danger and threat. I feel they do this pretty well, so thus far I am well satisfied with picking this up. Nation of Thieves is perhaps surprisingly a breaker for the tension. This carries a lighter sound to it, provided by a wind-instrument (I can't tell what... flute maybe?) based theme. Not what I would expect from the title, but a good palette refresher. It isn't devoid of darkness, but it is removed from it in a way that the prior tracks were not.
All Saints is a dance tune. Guitar and fiddle, then pipes. It's cheery until the squeezebox brings a nautical edge to the party and reinforces the underlying dangers of a place built on piracy when it is audible. I find the tune wanders a line between celebration and reminding us of the situation, and id case we were in any doubt we then hit variations on the main theme full on. This theme is so darn good though. I don't usually like to do this, but here it is on YouTube for you. Enjoy. These variations explore the darker side of the theme, increasing the dangerous tones, emphasizing the bottom end and playing with the rhythm, ominous thumping percussion. Love it.
A couple more tunes drift by, veering from the olde-timey folky sound that supports the onshore scenes and the more nautical and darker music to support the seas. Funeral at Sea is the first of the two long pieces. As you might expect from the name it is tinged with sadness and regret. There are a couple of times in the series (thus far; I am nearing the end of season 2) that show funerals. They are poignant and humanising moments and this tune has a lot of space to breathe, supporting that notion. I find myself switching off a bit though as mammoth tracks like this rarely contain enough to hold attention for their full length. Attention wanders then snaps back with a change of tone or movement. Overall it seems like a good effort, although largely at odds with the tone of the rest of the disc, but I fear my wandering thoughts - turning towards the sales - caused me to miss too much.
The rendition of the Parson's Farewell is a little tinny and twangy for my liking, but then I am royally spoiled on this tune getting a full big band treatment. This version picks up when the squeezebox rounds out the sound more. This hides the worst of the tinniness behind the starker sound of the accordion, and that neutering is welcome. We do get a bit more of a large sound as the piece progresses, along with hints of the main theme to the show, which is a nice counterpoint and meld, though it then brings in electrics and utterly ruins the sense of time and place, murdering the utility of the track. Funnily enough, I don't remember the screaming guitar from the background music on the show. It is sandwiched between the long tracks, and I actually miss the transition to Pieces of Eight because of the hints of the main theme that were added to the parson's parting.
I think I need to view these 10+ minute epics as experiences rather than tracks to listen to - I just find it impossible to sustain an avid attention for that length. This one rumbles around. It clearly has distinct movements. From echoing the theme, to a sort of calm interlude, to thumping, trembling expectation, though that latter lasts too long. The tension fakes you out a bit, as the tune seems to become more about anticipation than action or resolution. It's a pleasant set of sounds, but I can't help but feel it would make a better piece if it moved on to the action phase faster or sooner. Of course, it was composed to suit a specific purpose, but I find it hard to imagine that the 10+ minute piece was used in full on the show.
Into the closing stages of the piece and it still seems more about tension than release. A wasted opportunity. There is a crescendo... but after it soothing sounds, not rushing hectic ones. The whole epic feels like a tease - an enjoyable one with pleasant sounds, but a tease nonetheless. I feel a bit let down.
We get the theme again - this time the cut from the show titles and then a final number to close us out. This is an oddly sung song with accordion backing. It's not a great closer, it's not a great track. I don't like the voice - its more growl than singing voice, and the jaunt of the piece is irritating. I think I will ditch that, but the rest is pretty much what I would have expected.
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