Songs »Saucy Sailor > Black Freighter

Saucy SailorPoor Steeleye Span, always the Renn Faire bridesmaid, never the bride. This will be the second time a song of theirs has been a pick, but I've yet to be convinced by any of their full albums. Rivals of Pentangle and Fairport Convention (if hippie British folk bands are really rivals, I guess peers is a better word), I'm afraid their overall body of work is my least favorite of the three, it tends to sound a shade more Raffi than makes me happy. This live song however, is fantastic and as good as my favorite Fairport or Jim's favorite Pentangle songs. That's saying a lot, by the way.

It starts with one of the band's most popular ballads, a tale of a sailor who returns from sea to find the woman he loved only wants him for his money. Then the song transitions and we're in Kurt Weill/Bertolt Brecht country with the Black Freighter (aka Pirate Jenny) the wicked story of a lady pirate casing a town for razing. This might be a bit to theatery for some, but we've had it on repeat for days. Fans of the Mariner's Revenge will definitely want to take a listen.


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Posted on April 2, 2007

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