Burl Ives - Down to the Sea in Ships

Down to the Sea in Ships

By YogiOnefromObie  Dec 31, 2005 | 2 out of 2 found this Down to the Sea in Ships review helpful

Pros: One of Burl Ives' best collections of songs

Cons: Out of print and can only be found on ebay for a price

This was one of my favorite albums of my childhood. I remember my father explaining the double entendre in the line from Haul Away Joe:"King Louie got his head cut off, which spoiled his constitution." I had heard that the guillotine produc...ed some indirect results but I hadn't thought of it that way, and the whole implication might have gotten by me had my dad not explained. This album seemed the quintessential collection of the finest sea chanties from Ives' repertoire. I'll archive it digitally if I can find a copy for a reasonable price. I may just spend the money to do so. I saw one copy on ebay a while back, and I suppose the price was not unreasonable given the element of scarcity. I didn't go for it, hoping an alternative might be available that I haven't found yet. I doubt there is an alternative. Through song, Ives enbodied the feeling of Melville's Moby Dick, covered the whole history of sailing from the Armada to the Colonies and told tales of how sailors used to be impressed into duty sometimes with a dance hall girl as the instrument, getting him drunk enough to be knocked on the head from behind by her accomplice, and for the sailor to wake up on a ship already heading out to sea - a fact of life for sailors that continued well into the nineteenth century. These are the songs that made maritime history possible. Without them a sailor would not have been able to keep the pace. Many of the songs are arranged with other voices lending a rare authenticity with Burl's fine and famous tenor voice taking the lead. If you can find this one, it's a gem! Read more Less