Sunday, August 2, 2015

Episode #15 - Songs of the Sea


Sailing. Was there ever a more popular theme or motif in pop and rock music of the 70s and 80s. Crosby Stills & Nash released Southern Cross in ‘82. Lionel Richie sang “Sail On” in ‘79. Who can forget Jimmy Buffet’s “Son of a Sailor” - one could say that he even pioneered sailing rock. Do you remember Loggins & Messina? They belted out the chorus to Vahevela on their album Sittin’ In… a song that romanticized the life of island hopping Caribbean pirates. Later they released an album titled “Full Sail.” The cover to this album left such an impression on me as a kid. Two suntanned dudes at the helm of a sailboat. The fully bearded Kenny Loggins holds a pipe and his bare-chested captain, Jimmy Messina, holds the wheel with his Hawaiian shirt slung over his shoulder.

These modern sea songs painted a picture of luxury and romance. As Christopher Cross sang,
Well, it's not far down to paradise, at least it's not for me
And if the wind is right you can sail away and find tranquility
Oh, the canvas can do miracles, just you wait and see Believe me”

The canvas can do miracles, that’s true Mr. Cross. But the canvas can also fill the heart with longing and cast dreams into oblivion. In fact, most sea songs and shanties preceding the cocaine and merlot-fueled yacht-sailing fantasies of the 70s and 80s, dealt with the dreams, feats and tragedies of hard-working sailors.
Today on Sonic Latitudes, I’ve put together a playlist that explores sea songs and shanties of old from around the globe. Coming up in the next 90s mins you’ll hear songs from Nova Scotia, the British Isles, Australia, Cape Verde, Portugal, Brazil and the Bahamas.

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