Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds Albums
Nick Cave is one of the best singer-songwriter figures to pop up in the 3rd decade of rock music. Starting with art-Punk rockers the Birthday Party in the London music scene by way of Australia (his native country) Cave has constantly swayed back n forth between some beautiful symphonic rock music ballads and some of the craziest, harsh screaming and mad preacher vibing music I have ever heard. Either way, his songs tend to be beautiful and really highlighted by his band The Bad Seeds featuring a former Birthday Party cohort (Mick Harvey on multiple percussion instruments), ex Einsturzende Neubauten main guitarist Blixa Bargeld, and later on in the 90s member of the Australian triad instrument group The Dirty Three – Warren Ellis on Violin. Cave does most of then singing and most of the writing for sure, but the Bad Seeds are a cohesive band unit and I would almost say properly they are more of a group than a Nick Cave ‘solo act’ …compared to say… Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Many Members of the band help compose the songs on the albums and arrange them which totally works in favor of great music.
The debate whether Cave is a Christian artist or not after the 1990’s output is one of the most interesting debates in popular music. He is definitely a Christian, has publicly stated that he believes in higher power, though I am sure he is not one to follow all rules or guidelines of a church (not to mention he swears in his songs all the time). A rock n Roll Christian, perhaps? Plenty of his music is sarcastic or blasphemous especially in the early days of his career, but even some later on too like his 2000’s side project Grinderman. Whatever Cave is or was as a whole, his lyrics are among the most fascinating as a poet and story tell, and the music conjured us by the Bad Seeds are the perfect settings for his fantastical tales: the western Australian landscape, the sewers of London, the crowded street of Melbourne, and somehow all of it is made very universal and approachable.
Of his amazing poetic ballads, “Straight to You”, “The Weeping Song”, “The Mercy Seat”, and “Where the Wild Roses Grow” are must hears and some of the best songs ever written. Of his oddball rantings, “From Her to Eternity”, “the Hammer Song”, “Jack the Ripper”, “Tupelo” and the interpretation of “Stagger Lee” are among the best ever written.
Band Members :
Nick Cave (vocals, piano, organ, harmonica), Mick Harvey (guitar, bass, drums, keyboards, percussion, vibraphone, xylophone, vocals, 1983-2009), Blixa Bargeld (guitar, keyboards, vocals, 1983-2003), Kid Congo Powers (guitar, 1986-90), Roland Wolf (keyboards, guitar, 1986-89), Martyn P. Casey (bass, vocals, 1991-present), Conway Savage (piano, keyboard, vocals, 1991-2018), Jim Sclavunos (percussion, drums, vocals, 1996-present), Warren Ellis (violin, accordion, mandolin, bouzouki, flute, tenor guitar, vocals, 1996-present), Many others…..
Biggest influences:
John Cale, Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Pere Ubu, Einsturzende Neubauten, Elvis Presley
Albums Chronologically:
1984 - 92% - From Her to Eternity
1985 - 85% - The Firstborn Is Dead
1987 - 77% - Your Funeral, My Trial
1988 - 72% - Tender Prey
1990 - 95% - The Good Son
1992 - 90% - Henry’s Dream
1994 - 80% - Let Love In
1996 - 84% - Murder Ballads
1997 - 75% - The Boatman’s Call
2001 - 64% - No More Shall We Part
2003 - 78% - Nocturama
2004 - 68% - Abattoir Blues / Lyre of Orpheus
2006 - 77% - Grinderman
2008 - 84% - Dig Lazarus Dig!
2010 - 54% - Grinderman 2
2013 - 58% - Push the Sky Away
2016 - 90% - Skeleton Tree
2019 - 78% – Ghosteen
2021 – 75% - Carnage
1984
From Her to Eternity - 92%
Great debut album, super dark and perhaps his bleakest record ever. Most songs are long, haunting dirges that are more rambling than his later ‘murder ballads’. Cave takes all of the dark souls of rock music so far and tries to go even deeper, as punk aspirations aside to something more in touch with sou-cursing gospel music. The album opens with a cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Avalanche”, but the only thing that remains is the menace- the majestic ghostly spirits have been removed and replaced with demons from hades. Highlights for me are the title track “From Here to Eternity” which is super edgy and riveting in all of its seven minutes, “Cabin Fever” which adds some randomness from the Pere Ubu vocal camp, a truly disturbing sort of spiral performance by rabid dogs; "Well of Misery" which ol Blixa has some vocals on adding much to the Bad Seeds sound via some tribal percussion a la Swans (to be fair, this album came out the same year as the Swans debut album, Filth (1984)).
If this all sounds like it might be a depressing ride, well, it is. Cave is not for the faint of heart and really reaches into his soul to find the true meaning of this earthly existence. “Saint Huck” is perhaps the scariest but also one of the better stories, taking from classic literature but also from the disturbing recitation of poets like Edgar Allan Poe story come to life. This is not quite a singer songwriter album but more of a band record, and everyone is still evolving into a form of their massive pool of influences. Most importantly there are no bad tracks, as even the last couple of songs “Wings off Flies” and “A Box for Black Paul” (all 9 minutes of it), the latter which is an impressive mad ramble to end all mad rambles, have their moments even they are not quite as stellar as the first five tracks. Cave vocal approach, the band’s instrumental approach, are very influenced by avant-garde traditions and theater, and this may be something people would prefer compared to his more traditional approach used later in his career. In any case, prepare to be amazed at this vast mix of genres and creativity on display. A masterwork for sure and a template for rock music going forward.
Best Songs: From Her to Eternity, Well of Misery, Saint Huck
Sidenote: Some editions have different bonus tracks though (my first cd copy of it had the short but amazing howl to the moon “The Moon Is In the Gutter” and a weird cover of Elvis’s “In the Ghetto”.)
1985
The Firstborn is Dead - 85%
His second album is more of a step into his singer songwriter phase. It's only 7 songs (my original cd version had 8 ), but most of them are great: "Say Goodbye to the Little Girl Tree" uses a bluesy background to tell the tale of getting of a past love; "Knocking on Joe" is a tender ballad outlining a more sad affair, harmonica and dreary voices taking full control; and "Black Crow King" is such an influential track, look to bands as diverse as The Grifters and Brainiac as bands that reaped the rewards its influence.
"Wanted Man" is an ace Cash cover, it's takes all the darkness inherent in that song and make it even more so. The epic, world weary tale of "Tupelo" of course dwarfs everything, but the rest of the album is more than up to the task of mapping out the vast Australian desert feel in its scope and bleakness; the way the back ground vocals howl in response to the manic beat of the percussive music is a joy to behold. Only on parts of “Blind Lemmon Jefferson” and the ‘hoot hoot’ train calls of “Train Long Suffering” does the record falter a bit. The Firstborn is Dead feels like the saga of the suffering of man played in slow motion, quite the unique perception for a mid-1980’s album. Cave’s contribution of the form of ‘murder ballad’ started here with many of these songs, but the album as a whole remains underrated by many of his fans.
Best Songs: Tupelo, Knockin On Joe, Say Goodbye to the Little Girl Tree
1986
Your Funeral, My Trial - 77%
The first thing to note about this record is the more laid-back feel, and very interesting atmosphere of haziness. Some people note this is the last record affected by cave’s drug addiction, but I only care about the music so I won’t be discussing that. Title Track “Your Funeral My Trail” contains piano as usual for his albums, but the way it is played is far more friendly. Certain songs do seem a bit lost in haze, still with the ‘western’ feel of the last album but also quite more melodic, “Stranger than Kindness” is a bit too lost but still interesting.
On the rock n roll front, “Jack’s Shadow” is under the influence of “Tupelo” or “Saint Huck” with a repeating chorus and pulsating instrumental background sort of like if Elton John became more verbose and unhinged. The other great success, “Hard on for Love”, uses Cave’s mad-preacher quotations over some repeating background vocals by Blixa, a proven successful strategy for the group. Unfortunately, there is a bit of inconsistency with the songs “The Carny” and “She Fell Away” proving Cave and co. need to start perhaps including more songs on the records in case some ideas are dead on arrival. The final two tracks are both interesting without being quite as great, “Sad Waters” is a timely sounding ballad, “Long Time Man” almost doesn’t sound like Cave at all, but could be a hit on 80’s college rock radio. In all, there is a transition to a more mainstream approach here and the music is never boring, though I am left wanting a little more at times.
Best Songs: Jack’s Shadow, Hard On for Love, Your Funeral My Trail
1988
Tender Prey - 72%
With this record, the influence of Tom Waits is felt more than ever and Cave goes on his journey to outdo his own epics. Some songs such as “Watching Alice”, “Sundays Slave” are obvious tributes to Tom Waits and Leonard Cohen with the plodding “Up Jumped the Devil” being the most resounding take. Instead of blues rave ups as Waits does, Cave fares better on the gospel music front again with the sweet hearted “Slowly Goes into the Night” and the closing “New Morning.” As usual, the opening track “The Mercy Seat” is the best thing here by a long shot. This track uses a crescendo like few songs before it, cascading over and over eventually the same thing about the ‘mercy seat is waiting/and I think my flesh is burning…’ and it totally succeeds at sweeping us up in its whirlwind. The track “Mercy” isn’t far behind quality, as it is the best use of ‘murder ballad’ with a tale worth hearing.
There are some things about the record that have not really lasted the test of time. Production is murky as well, and not in a good way. Some tracks don’t work at all: the bad rave-up of “Sugar, Sugar, Sugar” definitely should have been left on the cutting room floor, and “City of Refuge” has a cool title but the song itself really goes nowhere. The issue is, affections and intentions mean nothing if the music is not up to par, and many negative criticisms hurled at Cave’s second album the Firstborn is Dead I would actually put toward this one: only a couple of songs hold up and as great and as they are the album as a whole is not that entertaining. Without great music behind it, lyrics and attitude doesn’t mean anything. But I do still like or love about six songs.
Best Songs: The Mercy Seat, Slowly Goes the Night, Mercy, Up Jumped the Devil
1990
The Good Son - 95%
The fifth record by Cave is his most grandeur and consistent listen. Everything about this album screams a fully enraptured experience, as Cave embraces the beauty of everything around him and his spirituality is confirmed through beautiful songs. Opened “Foi Na Cruz” (translating as ‘on the cross’ in Portuguese sighting Jesus’s eternal struggle) is one of the most shocking listens yet as Cave and the Bad Seeds sound like they have found the light, and the dominating instrument is a grand piano and orchestral strings. This song is as sweet as a lullaby sung to a baby, also demonstrated on the nursery rhyme chorus of “Lament” and the heartbreaking closer that is “Lucy”, which also has a lovely instrumental segment to close out the record.
But Cave and company have not completely given up rock n roll, as plenty of these songs demonstrate. “The Good Son” features even more of his terrifying mad preacher vocals even though he does find some light at the end of the tunnel during the chorus; the dynamics between verse and chorus here should not work at all but do. Best of all, “The Weeping Song” features a back n forth vocal wise between Blixa Bargeld and Cave as a father and son (perhaps Abraham and Isaac?) and might be the crowing achievement of the band so far, as the song cuts down to the core of our very souls. “The Hammer Song" and The Witness Song” also demonstrate a pounding sort of gospel presence to them, though the former is a little more successful than the latter at turning into something more cutting edge and galvanizing with timpani’s abound.
Lastly, Cave and BS's ballads have never been as forward thinking as the two best ones here: “Sorrows Child” is not quite a church hymnal sung by a demon, but its close; “The Ship Song” is his most loving ballad which shows Cave is not all about telling stories of hate but also of love. The well rounded use of new members of the band especially ex-Gun Club and Cramps guitarist Kid Congo Powers and the excellent percussion of Mick Harvey and recording source of Brazilian locale (similar to Paul Simon’s Rhythm of the Saints album of the same year (1990) make this album stand out as Cave’s best. I could see why some purists would NOT agree with that statement, especially how the band’s sort for crystalizes on the next record, but as far as originally goes- I have never heard an album with all of these influences merged together so well in my life. It is Cave’s most hopeful record and whatever coincidences helped it be created, like a beautiful and ugly painting colliding together at once. To truly understand Nick Cave’s outlook on life, this is the one album I would recommend be listened to over and over in its entirety.
Best Songs: The Weeping Song, Sorrow’s Child, The Ship Song, The Good Son
1992
Henry's Dream - 90%
After the abstract, symbolic painting of The Good Son, this album served more as the template for the remainder of Cave’s career. Here, he created a perfect vehicle for his ritualistic speeches somewhere between preaching, singing, and narrating. Like Bob Dylan, he could repeat the same style musically while reciting poetry above it. He had always sort of done this before, but after Henry’s Dream would constantly try to recreate this same scenario over and over. That’s perfectly normal for great artists, it happened with The Rolling Stones with Begger’s Banquet (1968), with Dylan with Blonde on Blonde (1966), Springsteen with Born to Run (1975), Tom Waits with Swordfishtrombones (1982), Van Morrison with Moondance (1970), etc.
The record opens with “Papa Won’t Leave Ya Henry”, a tale that could be interpreted in many ways but is sort of a travelling tale, a popular theme repeated on “John Finn’s Wife” and “Brother My Cup is Empty” to a little lesser but similar effects. Cave stands on top of his steeple and tells his amazing fantastical tales, and the band chugs along while we listen. Exceptional tunes include the horrifying background chanting in “Jack the Ripper”, one of his most Chilling tales; the majestic violins that make the crescendo of “When I First Came to Town” moves us to tears; the shuffling that takes on the loss and struggle of life in “I Had a Dream Joe.” Do not overlook “The Loom of the Land” either, the romantic side of the closing track, the vocals enchant rather than haunt, and it could have been a beside from the last album but still totally works here. Only in “Christina the Astonishing” does he slightly falter, a mid-point song on the album that sort of stalls the record in its track (maybe a much needed respite?). Only difference in consistency between this album and the last, as there was not a single song I don’t like on the Good Son (nit picky I know).
Finally we come to “Straight to You”, it gets all things about Cave right: the pathos of his lyrics and the heart ache he feels as he rants on and on; it is a song that could possibly go on forever and my pick for his best song ever. Cave and the Bad Seeds have become a full unit here, they can now effortlessly produce classic songs in a vein unique to them no matter the fashions and trends of the time (only the production determines how you can tell when it was recorded). Henry’s Dream is probably his quintessential album.
Best Songs: Straight to You, When I First Came to Town, Jack the Ripper
1994
Let Love in - 80%
While not as strong as the previous two records (but hey, what is) this album continues more in the same vein- big sounding, pounding gospel rock (“do You Looooove Me?”) and many majestic sounding orchestral driven ballads. The production is far more crisp, the overall sound is more confident, and that runs through all the songs. “Nobody’s Baby Now” is more Christian yearning turned into songs, as the Elvis influence shines, though many other singers have flown through this same pattern.
“Red Right Hand” channels Dylan, with a verse longer than it should be but somehow never get old and features an exotic instrumental mid section that is worth hearing and new to the band showing some zydeco influences. Perhaps the end of the album could have trimmed some, “Thirsty Dog” and “Lay Me Low” as well as pulling the trick of Neil Young’s tonight’s the Night by repeating the opening track in slightly different ways, but the majority of this is good to great- others fun ones are “Loverman” and title track “I Let Love In”.
Best Songs: Red Right Hand, Let Love In, Nobody’s Baby Now, Do you Love Me
1996
Murder Ballads - 84%
Murder Ballads is a recovery from the last one and one of his best 90s records. I personally listened to it after hearing all of his other 80’s and 90s work and some of his 2000’s, so it’s not my absolute favorite like so many of my friends. IT does expand at least in song length on what he is now defining as his version of ‘murder ballads’. It's hard to argue with this fan favorite album being great, and it really is! "Where the Wild Roses Grow" is a genius idea for a brooding back n forth between the more pop oriented Kylie Minogue and was a big success in his native Australia. The duet with Pj Harvey is quite different, "Henry Lee", with its delicate folk oriented stylings. Basically, both of these are versions of The Good Son’s “The Weeping Song” but with females doing the call and response.
"O'Malley Bar" is the longest song of Caves career so far at 14 minutes but honestly all the mad ramblings and captivating storytelling totally works; I’m not gonna lie and say it’s my favorite thing he has ever done, but I do enjoy it on most listens. “Song of Joy” is definitely and epic of an opener, with its sparkling piano playing and creepy lyrics harking back to Cave’s 80s work. “Stagger Lee” is like Cave’s attempt to rewrite history, as the story of a murderer/pimp is redone with many foul expletives abound, where “the Curse of Millhaven” is maybe trying too hard to be scary (also it sounds exactly like “Henry Lee”, right?). "Kindness of Strangers" and "Crow Jane" aren’t awful, but an argument could be made that all 3 of these songs could be regulated to b-sides. It all ends as all the guest stars on the album come together to sing a cover of Dylan's Death is not the end”, a nice group invite of a song that makes the album feel complete.
How complete is it? I guess that’s up to personal opinion. Like usual, Cave is very consistent, and there is a lot of love here. But strangely its also his longest, most drawn out album at about an hour in length- The Bad Seed’s have always kept it short up to this point. It’s a turning point in a way, because each subsequent album by Cave is too long in my opinion; but should I be complaining about too much good music to love? Probably not, at least not in this case, it’s an endlessly entertaining record. When it shines, it shines as bright as anything Cave has ever done.
sidenote– a moment here though- the type of song Cave is referencing to is as old as time and I think he knows that. I would argue that Cave did not invent this style, but perfected a version of it. Richard Thompson, Leonard Cohen, Waits, Donovan, even Woody Guthrie could make claims to this or even a writer of gothic hymnals from the Middle Ages.
Best Songs: Where the Wild Roses Grow, Song of Joy, Henry Lee, Stagger Lee
1997
The Boatman's Call - 75%
Skreeetch! put on the breaks! This is where there is a total departure in the hard rock, musically ambitious Cave, as he goes into ballad and dreary mode. The hardest rocking thing here is “There Is a Kingdom”, one of his most conventional spirituals that barley has more than one instrument going at a time. Cave falls back on tradition here, even different than before and older than anything he has tried before. The only thing I don’t like about this record is you can barely tell the Bad Seeds are on it, it is almost Nick Cave solo over piano or electronic cheap percussions (though Warren Ellis of Australian instrumental trio Dirty Three is on here and adds a lot).
It can work and to be objective it does often work here- whether how this is you like Christian spirituals or not, some of these songs are really good. “Into My Arms” is a simple song, but a powerful one. “Brompton Oratory” has a very soothing quality to it, like putting a child to sleep. Fatherhood may have created a new version of Cave, a way far more tender one. “West Country Girl” is an underrated gem, one of the shorter more beautiful worded tunes. A couple of them are kind of boring, and the album is too long at 12 songs for sure (honestly, just take off the last 3 or 4 songs on the album). It’s my least favorite album of his 80’s and 90s output, but its still pretty good.
Best Songs: There Is a Kingdom, Into My Arms, Brompton Oratory, West Country Girl
2001
No More Shall We Part - 64%
Just like the bible says: “God dam! This is some bleak shit!”
Staying in the pensive mood of the last album, Cave starts the 21st century with a true double album and one of his most audacious. Gone are the angry feelings of the past, the is existential yearning out the yin yang (“As I Sat Sadly By Her Side”) and some stabs and more upbeat songs ( “Oh My Lord “ the seven minute plus song that has some of the verve of The Mercy Seat, but you know….more outright Christian rock ) but a 70 minute album full of dirges is….just what I just said it is. When it’s beautiful, it really is beautiful- “Love Letter” is one of his better love songs that gets emotions across with a simple chorus, “Love Letter/ go get her.”
“Darker with the Day” is an interesting closer that has nice features for Dirty Three member and soon to be frequent collaborator, Warren Ellis (on violin). But there are just to many lame songs that go nowhere- “Hallelujah” isn’t even close to what the title demands, “15 ft of Pure White Snow” might be his worst song yet, and the majority of the second half of the record. The future for Cave is not looking bright if he stays in the mood of a sad monk drunk in a jazz club, with some ramblings about god and a lot of songs about lost love.
Best Songs: Oh My Lord, As I Sat Sadly By her Side, Love Letter
2003
Nocturama - 78%
So....before people label me a "contrarian" on this or the next several of Cave's albums I just wanna go on record saying I am just giving my honest opinion, and I try to really be objective. I find Nocturama to be his most underrated record, and one where he really gets the balance just right between all side of his songwriting. On this album, he actually makes a cohesive statement with his new found ‘stately’ sound. “He Wants You” sounds like Warren Zevon as a televangelist (in a good way), “Bring it On” and “Right Out of Your Hand” is sublimely catchy with those dual vocals from Bad Seeds back up again, “Wonderful Life” is an optimistic Cave opener in the vein of “Foi Na Cruz” or “Song of Joy” from his heyday. “Rock of Gibraltar” is one of his best direct ballads, in the vein of “Straight to You” and nearly as good! “Still in Love” is a love song by way of Tom Waits.
On the other end of the musical spectrum, there are some surprisingly upbeat rock songs (finally!) book ending the end of both sides of the album, they at first seem uncharacteristic but honestly it is a good thing they are there: “Dead Man in My Bed” is a blast of bluesy rock that let’s The Bad Seeds run wild, and it’s a joy to behold; even more so for closer “Babe I’m On Fire” a return to the fifteen minute length of “O’Malley’s Bar” but maybe even more rambunctious and wild. Risk taking with some rock n roll once more, even with that the album has a sense of unity to everything it does, and this is actually a highlight in Cave’s career and supremely underrated. There is just something about his album that makes me think Cave is at peace an smiling at us for once. Also, this is the last album with Blixa Bargeld (bye Blixa! We love ya man!) It's not perfect, but to my ears (who yes favor the 80's and 90s Cave above all) it is damn consistent.
2004
Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus – 69%
Oh, the longer Cave goes on the more he tries to make longer albums, and that is not necessarily a good thing. So much of this real double album (hour and a half) sounds derivative of Cave’s old songs I would actually call it his least successful album. However, there are some of his best moments on here, so it’s worth going through for the die hard fans. I don’t want to sit here and trash one of my favorite artists, I will just say this is not where I go to get my Cave fix at all. It’s still Cave at the helms people, there is still plenty of stuff worth hearing here. Also, Gallon Drunk’s main man James Johnson joins on guitar and that does make the music a bit more interesting.
1st album, Abattoir Blues is the superior listen for sure and by no coincidence the more rock n roll one. The addition of gospel choirs on most songs for example on “Hiding All Away” is interesting but doesn’t make the song any better, and opener “Get Ready for Love” is one of the more generic songs Cave has ever made, feels uncharacteristic. The Heavenly sounding “Messiah Ward” and title track short song “Abattoir Blues” I like, “There She Goes MY Beautiful World” has a nice lyric about Johnny Thunders, and “Nature Boy has to be some sort of career highlight for its soaring chorus again worthy of amassing church hymnal and also a careening pop melody. “Let the Bells Ring” is more in that vein, though a little bit of past Cave doom and gloom shines through the glossy textures. However, Fable of the Brown Ape” and “Cannibal’s Hymn” are failed attempts at ‘harder’ songs that could have been cut.
2nd album, Lyre of Orpheus: Many songs here (“Babe You Turn Me On”, “Spell” )try to exist as poetry read over AOR style music backgrounds and when the music doesn’t matter as so many forget….the lyrics don’t work either. “Breathless” is one of the sweetest Nick Cave song’s but honestly I don’t like him being so folksy, I don’t think it works here at all. “Easy Money” does work, because it puts musical expression first and uses interesting alternate instruments and the gospel choir sparingly. “O Children” is the second standout here, a moderately paced final call of arms to his gospel choir to take action, and one of his longer songs that really makes something different sounding like his version of Blur's "Tender". Musically, I don’t see a lot of difference between the two records as they are on of the same piece, which Lyre’s ideas simply not matching the Abattoir’s fervor. Take the best of each album, and you have an interesting 8 or 9 song record…..
but there are 17 songs total on here, and this probably could have been an EP given the amount of quality tunes present. Most songs are too long for what they have to say too, like an attempt to make a double album by making the songs overlong- that whole thing. Ditto for the rest of the experience, I don’t want to sit here and trash one of my favorite artists, I will just say this is not where I go to get my Cave fix at all. It’s still Cave at the helms people, there is still plenty of stuff worth hearing here.
Best Songs: Nature Boy, Let the Bells Ring, Easy Money, Messiah World
2007
Grinderman - 77%
I’ve always held this album at a distance a little, as I feel it is trying VERY hard to be relevant and edgy. But I’ve come to terms with this fact: it WAS both of those things! Listening to it years later, there are a lot of styles on here that yes hark back to Nick Cave’s more punk rock late 70’s days, and that’s the thing: The Birthday Party were not a normal punk rock band at all, they really offered a variation of the music of the time a sort of insane and unhinged one. So this album is Cave’s first in 3 years and quite the variation on his sound: “Grinderman” itself is hardly a hard rock song, it’s a noise rock ballad of pure poetry that totally works. “Electric Alice” plays around with different instruments and sounds to create sounds that are futuristic, while “Set Me Free” is a straight more word Cave rocker and thumps and grinds in all the good ways.
The final two songs are some of the most interesting as well: “When My Love Comes Down” channels the energy of Henry’s Dream’s “When I First Came to Down” but now Cave is more learned and less wide eyed and hopeful, you see the world has worn him down and now he has seen a darker side and its dreary and horrifying. “Love Bomb” is in itself is a perfect summary, lyrics sample: “Two thousand Years of Christian History/ and you ain’t learned to love me yet?” It’s straight-ahead blues rock that is meant to make you dance and insight some violence. Some other tunes here, well we have “No Pussy Blues” (what a risqué title! Ugh) and “Honey Bee” which are two songs that Cave uses to quote many vile things about love and lust and while that is fine (and typical of his early work) it doesn’t always have the music to back it up. Ditto for “Depth Charge Ethel” or “Go Tell the Women”, some interesting sounds come out, but I want to listen to it again?
The songs I didn’t mention here, yeah, still not super keen on all of this but what works, and Cave could definitely have not made a follow up to Abattoir Blues/Lyre (2004) without sounding a bit senile, so he was wise to forge this little side project. He’s at his unhinged best AND his controlled best, he is a wiser preacher at this point and still capable of making some great music.
Best Songs: When My Love Come Down, Set Me Free, Grinderman, Electric Alice
2008
Dig Lazarus Dig - 84%
Nick Cave needed a couple of years off for some nice reflection, and with his side project Grinderman (2007) and this record he seemed to really be rejuvenated. Since The Boatman’s Call, Cave seemed to go into a funk of sorts, but it is important to note it was not because of any kind of religious focus. His run from Good Son (1990) to Let Love In (1994) was all soaked in the same religious themes, it was just better presented in my opinion on those records. Here, he seems to finally having fun again and it really shows. The basic soul of rock n roll is found again, even though as usual the Bad Seeds are there to howl behind him (the ruckus of opener “Dig Lazurus Dig”, “Albert Goes West” which is almost as successful).
Above all, there is a kind of tameness to his madness that seems to make songs of supreme focus: the bad ass music behind “Today’s Lesson”, the dark passages of “Moonland”, and above all the raging pathos of We Call Upon the Author” which is one of his best songs ever. “Hold On to Yourself” should be mentioned as well, a dark atmosphere is conjured for one of Cave’ most heartfelt songs channeling Bob Dylan and Jim Morrison all at once. He also makes some of his great moody ballads though they are few and far between this time around- the meaningful “Jesus of the Moon” with sort of an REM influence, and the epic closer “More New From nowhere” which is another I don’t know if many remember living through the mid-2000’s but some nice rock n roll was needed in any form, and this album was a very welcome surprise and reminds a star among his discography. There a couple tunes that don’t do it for me which holds it back form being in his top tier- “Midnight Man” and “Night of the Lotus Eater” come to mind, and “Lie Down There” has a nice energy but not sure its exactly as genius as the rest. I really don’t feel any pop music aspirations on this album, it’s just Cave and Company being themselves and that is why it works. It’s his best album since Murder Ballads (1996) and a great return to what makes him a vital musician. 8.5 / 10
Best Songs: We call Upon the Author, Jesus of the Moon, Today’s Lesson, Hold On to Yourself
2013
Push the Sky Away – 65%
This album has a good sound to it, very well produced and played, but many of the songs lack something musically. Cave seems to be back in a pensive mood, reciting the usual poetic prospects though it is lot as strong as the past. There is a line about “girls shaking their asses” in “Water’s Edge” that is pretty embarrassing, and really the first three songs together don’t do too much for me, maybe the chorus of “Wide Lovely Eyes” is a positive. However, “Jubilee Street” is a majestic song that makes the album worth a listen all by itself: owing something to late 90’s REM, Cave talks about a girl name Bea and her sad journey, over music that constantly soars and flows in a great way like all great Cave ballads can do.
Still, the album has some other nice moments namely “Mermaids” with its vivid sexual imagery back by a superb melody, and “Higgs Boson Blues” another epic length track that stand up with “Jubilee St” except its maybe a bit more ragged and rough. Besides the two epic songs and "Mermaids" though, the rest is mere filler to me, though it’s decent sounding filler. Case in point there is a song called “finishing Jubilee Street” that has no reason to exist at all, it’s a song pointing out how epic the main song on the album is? What is that about?
Best Songs: Jubilee Street, Mermaids, Higgs Boson Blues
2016
Skeleton Tree – 90%
I've tried to write a review avoiding the obvious, but Nick Cave suffered an awful loss during the making of this album, and it is so apparent because the album is his most grief stricken yet. That is saying A LOT of course, and fans of Cave since the late 1970's know this man has some harrowing stuff in his impressive repertoire. Maybe a better thing to say about the man is that this is his most sympathetic album yet, the record on which the listener is pulled into his personal anguish and feels the pain of losing a child at a young age in full effect. "Girl in Amber" contains some of his most telling lyrics in his current state, and it exemplifies how grave Cave is being by sharing his tragedy with all of us. I’m not sure what “Magneto” is about exactly, but the imagery works and I could see Cave casting himself in the role of misunderstood villain.
Some songs really stand out as harrowing trips: "I Need You" sounds like Cave is actually crying each word, while "Jesus Alone" demonstrates his tactic in setting up 'mood' brilliantly. "Rings of Saturn” is a ghostly number haunted by spirits of the neither world but it a catchy way; its one of his most effective ballads. The title track “Skeleton Tree” connects the themes of personal and universal yearning like no other Cave album before it, and “Distant Sky” features guest vocalist Else Torp and its one of his more laid back and interesting songs, sounding like a lullaby sung to the lost child. If anything good can come out of tragedy, Cave has bravely done it , and crated a supreme work of art here. It’s one of Cave's best albums ranking with The Good Son (1990) and Henry's Dream (1992), though very different in tone, its like what he was trying to do in the late 90’s and early 2000’s but here he actually succeeds (in my opinion, I know many people like that era more than me!). The trick of the album is a hard one to pull off and it is what makes it one of Cave and The Bad Seeds most unusual and outstanding albums- the listener almost feels guilty for enjoying the haunting music.
Best Songs: Rings of Saturn, I Need You, Anthrocene
2019
Ghosteen - 74%
Quite a few of these ‘ghostly’ Cave rock songs deserve to exist and it is a nice addition to his discography. But the fact remains, it should be about half as long as it is. Remember when Cave albums where nice and succinct? I long for those days,.
Best Songs: Ghosteen Speaks, Night Raid, Hollywood, Waiting for You
2021
Carnage - 75%
church hymnals….? Cave’s quest for the perfect hymnal to god continues
Best Songs: White Elephant, Balcony Man, Carnage