Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds Album by Album Discussion

hi all
I am just getting into Nick Cave, who anyone like to start a discussion on his Bad Seeds and other side project's and soundtracks albums,
Thanks

 

Ooooh..... ambitious. But: Great idea! Since I wanted to revisit his stuff anyway I'd contribute.

 

From her to Eternity. Sheer genus. It's not possible to do a better track than St Huck.

 

Thanks I hope you guy would like it, I love reading everybody's posts on here

 

I'd suggest you also include Boys Next Door and particularly The Birthday Party, the latter a very important period in Cave's career.

 

Sure, I leave it up to you guys who know his history ,
If someone could please start it,

 

there is/was a thread on this already but it seems to have died out.

 

You can't go wrong, he's one of those rare artists who have never really made a bad album. The Boatman's Call in particular is a contender for best album of the 90s.

One of the best live performers I've ever seen too, utterly mesmerising.

 

A little list as a reference.
I'll be lurking too

The Boys Next Door
1979 : Door, Door

The Birthday Party
1980 : The Birthday Party
1981 : Prayers on Fire
1982 : Junkyard

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
1984 : From Her to Eternity
1985 : The Firstborn Is Dead
1986 : Kicking Against the Pricks
1986 : Your Funeral... My Trial
1988 : Tender Prey
1990 : The Good Son
1992 : Henry's Dream
1994 : Let Love In
1996 : Murder Ballads
1997 : The Boatman's Call
2001 : No More Shall We Part
2003 : Nocturama
2004 : Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus
2008 : Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!
2013 : Push the Sky Away
2016 : Skeleton Tree

Grinderman (Does this count too?)
2007 : Grinderman
2010 : Grinderman 2

3, 2, 1... GO!

 

indeed and let start with that incredible cover of These Boots are made for walking

 

already been done. but hey, can't have enough Nick Cave!

Tupelo is better. WAY better.

 

The idea that a decade - that's ten years - should have produced a single best album always struck me as ridiculous.

 

Im definitely following this thread and looking forward to reading comments, reviews and opinions when we get the actual thread to start. Surely I will participate and try to add something worthwhile here.

 

A magnificent artist and band which created and create Glorious music ----- Dark and mesmerizing , powerful and beautiful.

I highly recommend on Tender Prey ,The Good son , From Her To Eternity , The Firstborn Is Dead,
Henry's Dream.

One of the Best Nick Cave and the Bad seeds songs: The Mercy Seat
the song could be a soundtrack to A horror western movie,
The music and vocals sound like the eruption of a volcano.

 

Ok, if someone wants to start with the following album which I know nothing about please do,
The Boys Next Door
1979 : Door, Door

 

Grindermans No Pu&&y blues has got to be a contender for modern mad blues classics

 

Would anyone who knows his music like to start this discussion please

 

The first single of The Boys Next Door, out of 1978, so one year before their album 'Door, Door'. This is a cover of Lee Hazlewood's 'These Boots are Made for Walking', with a 21 years old Nick Cave:

 

I've seen a few of these album-by-album discussions going around, but don't really know how they work... What do we do, listen to a new album each day? Or do we just discuss the artist's work in general? Either way, I'm in! Big Cave fan over here.

 

From what I've seen.

[In Theory]
One album at a time is listed, and a reasonable amount of time is left for member to give their opinion about it. Generally is for people who know the work already, but I guess nobody is forbidding first listen impressions.

[What happens for real]
People comment about previous albums, or about new releases, or about everything artist-relevant at the time, or just ask and answer random questions like we are, and the thread becomes quite a mess.

 

My thoughts on From Her to Eternity:

As far as Bad Seeds albums go, I'd consider this transitional. There's elements leftover from The Birthday Party, brief moments of raucous mayhem. It's like Cave knew the direction he wanted take the band in, but they hadn't yet refined themselves beyond their wild habits. It's as if the raw elements of punk were broken down and spread thin.

Big emphasis on pounding rhythms, especially the piano parts. They definitely treated the piano as if it were intended to drive the rhythm as much as the drums. I guess that could be Blixa's background from Einstürzende Neubauten leaking through, only instead of jackhammers on cement, it's fingers smashing piano keys. In fact I'd venture to say that all the instrument parts are performed with rhythmic emphasis.

The transitional nature of the album is also reflected in the lyrics. I think Nick mentioned he wanted the Bad Seeds to have more emphasis on it's lyrical content, and you can hear that he's put a lot of effort into these. One thing I love is the gothic humour mixed with blues influences, not just on this album but a lot of Cave's output. That said, he's not quite there yet. As much as I love the lyrics on this album, I find in general it's not as obviously engaging as say an album like Murder Ballads. But hey, that's to be expected.

I'd have to consider the title track my favourite song. I think it exhibits this iteration of the Bad Seeds firing on all cylinders. It's also one of the most melodic songs on the record, twisted and deformed melodies they may be.

That's just some of my quick thoughts on the album. On it's own, it's a great album. That said, I think when you consider all the albums released over the Bad Seed's 30+ years, there's definitely more inviting and easier records to invest yourself in. Generally I have to be in a particular mood to listen to it, and once I have I can shelve it for a while and go listen to other Bad Seeds releases repeatedly before coming back to it.

Looking forward to hearing what other people think!

 

Well, this died quickly. People around here obviously know only his later more commercial stuff.

Personally, I am also not a big fan of his preSeeds music. But still at least the Bad Seed/Mutiny or Hits by Birthday Party should be in every Bad Seeds fan's collection, shouldn't it?

 

It's a weird thread. Unbalanced, I'd say.
The thread starter is prompting a discussion about a topic he doesn't know much about.
Usually, this threads are moderated or started by fans.
Maybe that is not enough to fuel a conversation?
Does it feel like lurking?

Too bad, anyway.

 

Well to me this thread is worthy just for this clip! Thanks for posting, Echo!

 

A shame this thread died a death. Maybe the reason is that some of the best albums came later on.

When I come round to playing my NC albums again I usually start with Tender Pray, which begins with one of his most enduring songs, The Mercy Seat. Your Funeral.. My Trial, which preceded it sounds almost like a twin to Tender Prey.

For me, these albums start a run of incredible albums which lead to Murder Ballads. That album seems to be the final installment of the obviously character based, theatrically dark period.

Since then his songwriting seems to have followed a different, more confessional path, although I love them all.