Nick Cave

MikeHoncho

I never paid Nick Cave much attention. People always told me how great he was but I convinced myself for some reason that I wouldnt like his music and thus have ignored him.

Ive been exposed to him a couple of times over the last few months and I just dont think I can carry on ignoring him anymore. But where to start? There is so much material out there. Im hoping some nice boardsies could tell me what the essentials are so I can my Nick Cave journey started.

John

Henry's Dream and Let Love In are my favourites, I'd recommend to start with one of those. The older stuff is great but a bit rougher, From Her to Eternity and The Firstborn is Dead are both amazing. Actually, everything up as far as Nocturama is amazing. Nocturama and The Lyre of Orpheus/Abattoir Blues are much weaker but both have some great songs on them. There's a best of but I think you're best going for the albums.

Burp Bleugh

Buy this and then what ever period you like work your way from there


But if you have to get an album then this is probably the most accessable

MikeHoncho

Sound lads. I really appreciate it. Was trying to avoid getting a greatest hits album so will start with the albums you have suggested.

DerekD Goldfish

MikeHoncho wrote: »

I never paid Nick Cave much attention. People always told me how great he was but I convinced myself for some reason that I wouldnt like his music and thus have ignored him.

Ive been exposed to him a couple of times over the last few months and I just dont think I can carry on ignoring him anymore. But where to start? There is so much material out there. Im hoping some nice boardsies could tell me what the essentials are so I can my Nick Cave journey started.

His back catelouge is a bit daunting alright my favorite Nive cave albums include
The Birthday Party-Junkyard (His previous band to Bad Seeds a complete mess at times but an interesting mess)
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds- From Her to Eternity (Debut "solo" album great record with plenty of progression from his BP days but still retaining plenty of the menace)
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds -Tender Prey (First "Classic" Nick Cave album)
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds-Let Love in (My favorite bad seeds album great from start to finish)
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds- The boatmans call (More mellow than his earlier stuff but stil a beautiful album)

Zaph

B-Sides and Rarities is a 3 CD box set that covers 21 years of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. It's a mix of different versions of songs that appear on other Cave albums, collaborations and stuff that has never been officially released elsewhere. It covers a wide variety of styles and IMO is a great place to start.

noby

Sorry, but I don't think B-sides and Rarities is the best place to start. Boatman's call will give you his mellow side, with a lot of piano based ballads. I would, for the sake of balance also get one of his earlier, rawer album, mentioned above. Henry's Dream and Let Love In are kind of somewhere in between, so might be your best bet. Personally I like Henry's Dream a lot.
Both The Lyre of Orpheus and Abattoir Blues seem to get knocked a bit, but to me they're a vast improvement on the couple of previous albums.

monkey9

I reckon the Boatmans Call is the best place to start. One of his most accessible and a really beautiful album. If you can get into that then try No More Shall We Part and probably The Best Of then.

DeadSkin

Don't forget 'The Good Son', excellent album as are Let Love In and The Boatman's Call.
He also released an album in the last year or so with another project under the name Grinderman, it's different from the albums above, but well worth checking out.

kmick

I liked Nocturama. Also liked the previous album in 2001 "No More Shall We Part" but one of my favourites of all is the 2nd cd 1998 "The Best Of Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds". its called 'Live at the Albert Hall' and contains

Lime Tree Arbour (May 20)
Stranger Than Kindness (May 20)
Red Right Hand (May 20)
I Let Love In (May 20)
Brompton Oratory (May 19)
Henry Lee (May 20)
The Weeping Song (May 20)
The Ship Song (May 20)
Where The Wild Roses Grow (May 19)

It'll make your hair stand up.

dudara

Boatman's call is a fantastic album. Very mellow and arguably his best. Murder ballads is great fun (with the exception of the last song). Get the greatest hits album also as it covers a great range of songs.

I do think Nick Cave is a god and a poet. He's not the best singer vocally, but what he does he does well, and he's so full of emotion and meaning.

loyatemu

I have most of his albums and surprisingly the one I find myself listening to most is "Kicking against the Pricks" - its a covers album but it is genuinely brilliant

apart from that "Let Love In" is probably the best overall, followed by "Henry's Dream", "Tender Pray" and the "The Good Son" His last album "Abbatoir Blues\Lyre of Orpheus" is pretty good, a bit more slickly produced than his earlier work, but still with some very wierd sh1t on it (like Fable of the brown ape)

noby

kmick wrote: »

one of my favourites of all is the 2nd cd 1998 "The Best Of Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds". its called 'Live at the Albert Hall'

There's also 'Live Seeds', which is pretty good too.

sweetie

dudara wrote: »

Boatman's call is a fantastic album. Very mellow and arguably his best. Murder ballads is great fun (with the exception of the last song). Get the greatest hits album also as it covers a great range of songs.

trying to persuade the (future) missus to have 'Into your arms' as the 'first dance' at our wedding this summer. Hope the priest is a fan!

DeadSkin

sweetie wrote: »

trying to persuade the (future) missus to have 'Into your arms' as the 'first dance' at our wedding this summer. Hope the priest is a fan!

It's a beautiful song, love the opening verse.

JLemmon

The best of is a good place to start,
other then that boatmans, tender pray and let love in are great as well
then work around the others.
The Birthday party stuff can be rough so don't go there till your ready.
The B-side box is a fans thing wouldn't give it to a beginner.
Some of the live dvd's might get you in the mood too.

noby

sweetie wrote: »

trying to persuade the (future) missus to have 'Into your arms' as the 'first dance' at our wedding this summer. Hope the priest is a fan!

We had Ship Song played on the organ in the Chapel.
After that I didn't care what our first song was.

MikeHoncho

Im just as confused as ever. Seems everyone feels very strongly about which are their favourites.

Think im gonna start with the Best Of, Boatmans Call and Let Love In.

DerekD Goldfish

It depends what your looking for
If you want angry aggressive stuff go for early stuff
if you want sombre reflective stuff go for later
if you want in between go for mid era stuff

noby

The best of is a good starting point, even if it is about ten years old.

Great story about it actually: It was decided that each band member, past and present, would compile their personal favourite songs. Then they would sit down, debate, and wittle it down to the best of album. Only one person bothered to do the list, and it is his list, unaltered that makes up the best of. Well done Mick Harvey.

Pighead

Let Love In for me too. Bet you a hundred fake euros that you'll fall for Lay Me Low and play it continuously for the next 50 odd years that you reside on this planet.

ZappaFrank

I started with the Live Seeds album. There's some of his best versions of his songs on there!

Or the best place of all to get into Nick Cave is at a Nick Cave gig.

Grinderman

Hey Hey another convert, i hope this doesn't mean we are going to have to queue outside the Point Depot, behind hundreds of teenage Cave Heads.
For me, i first started listening due to an older collage flat mate. I think "Kicking Against the Pricks" (a cover version LP) or "Tender Prey" was my first. I then went backwards in his career (my dark days at college).
But i would suggest that you get The Videos (may now be on DVD), as i really think Nick has some class videos (Mercy Seat, Stagger Lee are class). The Videos covers a lot of his career since Mercy Seat days, s you can see where to jump in your self.
Trivai fact 1 - He once recorded under Nick yCave and the Cavemen
Trivia fact 2 - Grinderman was a side project last year.

Only Nick could record a song called "No Pussy Blues".
Happy Listening
Garry

monkey9

Pighead wrote: »

Let Love In for me too. Bet you a hundred fake euros that you'll fall for Lay Me Low and play it continuously for the next 50 odd years that you reside on this planet.

F*cking brilliant song. You're right, when you hear it once you just gotta keep listening to it again and again

rowlandbrowner

as somebody all ready said, the birthday party is pretty rough, its definitely his most inaccessible stuff, and probably some of the most inaccessible music you can some across (as far as bass/drums/guitar music goes anyway) I do believe myself that its his best work.

the most accessible bad seeds stuff is probably murder ballads. if your after a retrospective then live seeds offers a degree of retrospective and is a great live album, the best of is obviously the best retrospective and has some less obvious choices as far as best of cds usually go. There is no harm starting from the beginning with with Cave, From here to eternity still stands out as a great album, just beware of the albums following the boatmans call... they start to get...kinda...well, bad. The grinderman stuff is great though.

doonothing

He is god! Dyis ever read his letter to MTV when nominated for an award?

"
TO ALL THOSE AT MTV,

I WOULD LIKE TO START BY THANKING YOU ALL FOR THE SUPPORT YOU HAVE GIVEN ME OVER RECENT YEARS AND I AM BOTH GRATEFUL AND FLATTERED BY THE NOMINATIONS THAT I HAVE RECEIVED FOR BEST MALE ARTIST. THE AIR PLAY GIVEN TO BOTH THE KYLIE MINOGUE AND P. J. HARVEY DUETS FROM MY LATEST ALBUM MURDER BALLADS HAS NOT GONE UNNOTICED AND HAS BEEN GREATLY APPRECIATED. SO AGAIN MY SINCERE THANKS.

HAVING SAID THAT, I FEEL THAT IT'S NECESSARY FOR ME TO REQUEST THAT MY NOMINATION FOR BEST MALE ARTIST BE WITHDRAWN AND FURTHERMORE ANY AWARDS OR NOMINATIONS FOR SUCH AWARDS THAT MAY ARISE IN LATER YEARS BE PRESENTED TO THOSE WHO FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE WITH THE COMPETITIVE NATURE OF THESE AWARD CEREMONIES. I MYSELF, DO NOT. I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN OF THE OPINION THAT MY MUSIC IS UNIQUE AND INDIVIDUAL AND EXISTS BEYOND THE REALMS INHABITED BY THOSE WHO WOULD REDUCE THINGS TO MERE MEASURING. I AM IN COMPETITION WITH NO-ONE.
MY RELATIONSHIP WITH MY MUSE IS A DELICATE ONE AT THE BEST OF TIMES AND I FEEL THAT IT IS MY DUTY TO PROTECT HER FROM INFLUENCES THAT MAY OFFEND HER FRAGILE NATURE.

SHE COMES TO ME WITH THE GIFT OF SONG AND IN RETURN I TREAT HER WITH THE RESPECT I FEEL SHE DESERVES - IN THIS CASE THIS MEANS NOT SUBJECTING HER TO THE INDIGNITIES OF JUDGEMENT AND COMPETITION. MY MUSE IS NOT A HORSE AND I AM IN NO HORSE RACE AND IF INDEED SHE WAS, STILL I WOULD NOT HARNESS HER TO THIS TUMBREL - THIS BLOODY CART OF SEVERED HEADS AND GLITTERING PRIZES. MY MUSE MAY SPOOK! MAY BOLT! MAY ABANDON ME COMPLETELY!

SO ONCE AGAIN, TO THE PEOPLE AT MTV, I APPRECIATE THE ZEAL AND ENERGY THAT WAS PUT BEHIND MY LAST RECORD, I TRULY DO AND SAY THANK YOU AND AGAIN I SAY THANK YOU BUT NO...NO THANK YOU.

YOURS SINCERELY, NICK CAVE 21 OCT 96.
"

He's the Christopher Walken of music

John

Grinderman wrote: »

Trivai fact 1 - He once recorded under Nick yCave and the Cavemen

Not quite, they only played one show under that name before changing the name to the Bad Seeds. No recordings were made.

rowlandbrowner

he has four sons, the man has the most masculine spunk in the southern hemisphere.

DeadSkin

MikeHoncho, how's the Nick Cave experience treating ya? What album/s did ya start out with?

BarryCreed

doonothing wrote: »

He is god! Dyis ever read his letter to MTV when nominated for an award?

"
TO ALL THOSE AT MTV,

I WOULD LIKE TO START BY THANKING YOU ALL FOR THE SUPPORT YOU HAVE GIVEN ME OVER RECENT YEARS AND I AM BOTH GRATEFUL AND FLATTERED BY THE NOMINATIONS THAT I HAVE RECEIVED FOR BEST MALE ARTIST. THE AIR PLAY GIVEN TO BOTH THE KYLIE MINOGUE AND P. J. HARVEY DUETS FROM MY LATEST ALBUM MURDER BALLADS HAS NOT GONE UNNOTICED AND HAS BEEN GREATLY APPRECIATED. SO AGAIN MY SINCERE THANKS.

HAVING SAID THAT, I FEEL THAT IT'S NECESSARY FOR ME TO REQUEST THAT MY NOMINATION FOR BEST MALE ARTIST BE WITHDRAWN AND FURTHERMORE ANY AWARDS OR NOMINATIONS FOR SUCH AWARDS THAT MAY ARISE IN LATER YEARS BE PRESENTED TO THOSE WHO FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE WITH THE COMPETITIVE NATURE OF THESE AWARD CEREMONIES. I MYSELF, DO NOT. I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN OF THE OPINION THAT MY MUSIC IS UNIQUE AND INDIVIDUAL AND EXISTS BEYOND THE REALMS INHABITED BY THOSE WHO WOULD REDUCE THINGS TO MERE MEASURING. I AM IN COMPETITION WITH NO-ONE.
MY RELATIONSHIP WITH MY MUSE IS A DELICATE ONE AT THE BEST OF TIMES AND I FEEL THAT IT IS MY DUTY TO PROTECT HER FROM INFLUENCES THAT MAY OFFEND HER FRAGILE NATURE.

SHE COMES TO ME WITH THE GIFT OF SONG AND IN RETURN I TREAT HER WITH THE RESPECT I FEEL SHE DESERVES - IN THIS CASE THIS MEANS NOT SUBJECTING HER TO THE INDIGNITIES OF JUDGEMENT AND COMPETITION. MY MUSE IS NOT A HORSE AND I AM IN NO HORSE RACE AND IF INDEED SHE WAS, STILL I WOULD NOT HARNESS HER TO THIS TUMBREL - THIS BLOODY CART OF SEVERED HEADS AND GLITTERING PRIZES. MY MUSE MAY SPOOK! MAY BOLT! MAY ABANDON ME COMPLETELY!

SO ONCE AGAIN, TO THE PEOPLE AT MTV, I APPRECIATE THE ZEAL AND ENERGY THAT WAS PUT BEHIND MY LAST RECORD, I TRULY DO AND SAY THANK YOU AND AGAIN I SAY THANK YOU BUT NO...NO THANK YOU.

YOURS SINCERELY, NICK CAVE 21 OCT 96.
"

He's the Christopher Walken of music

I do like a lot of his music, but that letter is just out of order. what a w*nker. who does he think he was/is? I'd imagine he wasn't of the same opinion when he was starting out trying to sell records. So, MTV will support you, play your videos, give you publicity, nominate you for an award, and you have the cheek to ask to be "withdrawn" from the nomination? Well, why didn't old Nick jack it in and just get a day job?

It's kind of like Radiohead releasing their last album for free. All well and good when you're loaded with dosh, have a fan base to sell records to etc.

I'm not totally disagreeing with Radiohead either (shows you don't need a label to release an album on) , but what of a relatively new band releasing an album without a label (hard bloody work innit!!!), or "declining" a meteor award nomination....

Grinderman still rocks though!!

noby

Talk about missing the point. So people only make music to win awards, and those that don't want to be involved in award ceremonies may as well pack it in?

If you listen to any of Nick Cave's early stuff you would realise that commercial success was the furthest thing from his mind. You know, back when MTV wouldn't touch him with a barge pole.

I have only one criticism of that letter: TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK, NICK!

BarryCreed

noby wrote: »

Talk about missing the point. So people only make music to win awards, and those that don't want to be involved in award ceremonies may as well pack it in?

If you listen to any of Nick Cave's early stuff you would realise that commercial success was the furthest thing from his mind. You know, back when MTV wouldn't touch him with a barge pole.

I have only one criticism of that letter: TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK, NICK!

ok, point taken, but imagine you played in a band, and you couldnt care less either way about MTV, say you were getting along nicely without them. If they got in touch with you saying they had nominated you for an award, what would you do? Even though 99% of MTV music is drivel, why refuse an acknowledgement such as an MTV nomination? What harm would it do?

I just think it's a slap in the face for people who were prepared to support him, as MTV seemed to doing around this time....
I dunno, am I missing the point???

rowlandbrowner

Cave is a firm believer in the muse; he feels that he could anger his creative spirit and loose his ability to write music if he entered it into a competitive or commercial forum. How ever you feel about that belief, the point is that he doesn’t feel comfortable with awards and competition.

There are lots of “unknown” bands who’d turn down a meteor award, or an MTV award, or whatever. Not everyone gets into music to achieve awards, record deals and big sales (and as a result, money). An MTV award would open you up to a larger audience, but that can also compromise what you’re trying to do, Nick is somebody who makes music aimed at like-minded people not the general music buying public, he has only become commercially viable in recent years and probably doesn’t what to start worrying about the expectations that come with opening your self up to a large audience.

Radiohead releasing their album for free is completely different, I don’t where you are trying to draw parallels, your clearly suggesting that Nick Cave – as an established star – has an unfair advantage over lesser known acts in so far as turning down award nominations, Cave is simply a very esoteric singer who has ended up uncomfortably in the mainstream.

Anyway, briefly on the subject of Radiohead, Anyone can release their music/art/writing for free if they choose (as long as they own the rights), Radiohead has no more right than anyone else to do that, it’s when charging large amounts of money for live performances that Radiohead use their success unfairly.

Hedgepig

That Nick Cave letter is class. He is a total legend... have you read "And the Ass Saw the Angel"? Anyone who laughed with appreciation at the MTV letter would love this book.

noby

BarryCreed wrote: »

ok, point taken, but imagine you played in a band, and you couldnt care less either way about MTV, say you were getting along nicely without them. If they got in touch with you saying they had nominated you for an award, what would you do? Even though 99% of MTV music is drivel, why refuse an acknowledgement such as an MTV nomination? What harm would it do?

Ok look at it this way: you have the option of the publicity of being a nominee at an MTV award ceremony, or the publicity of releasing a press statement declining the invitation, which might give you more credibility? Bearing in mind you are not a Robbie Williams type artist.

Not that I think, by the way, that the letter was anything but sincere.
I mean, didn't Woody Allen do something similar with his oscar nomination? Didn't do him any harm.

Hedgepig

noby wrote: »

Ok look at it this way: you have the option of the publicity of being a nominee at an MTV award ceremony, or the publicity of releasing a press statement declining the invitation, which might give you more credibility? Bearing in mind you are not a Robbie Williams type artist.

Not that I think, by the way, that the letter was anything but sincere.
I mean, didn't Woody Allen do something similar with his oscar nomination? Didn't do him any harm.

I believe that a lot of what Nick Cave says and does is mildly taking the piss. He has a very strange sense of humour and sometimes the joke is on us. Having said that, I think the letter is just about genuine (very slight tongue in cheek) and doesn't really care all that much about publicity. He has lots of credibility - I'm not sure if he cares about that, but if he does then he would lose some by showing up on MTV awards. The "Nick Cave" thing to do is to reject it for the reasons mentioned in the letter rather than getting on stage with the Spice Girls et al and selling your soul.

BarryCreed

noby wrote: »

Ok look at it this way: you have the option of the publicity of being a nominee at an MTV award ceremony, or the publicity of releasing a press statement declining the invitation, which might give you more credibility? Bearing in mind you are not a Robbie Williams type artist.

Not that I think, by the way, that the letter was anything but sincere.
I mean, didn't Woody Allen do something similar with his oscar nomination? Didn't do him any harm.

I would have accepted the award, and not turned up! nay, riled me up reading it as I used to play with a guy who sent out these types of letters to people, in an unsigned band!!!! seriously.
No such thing as bad publicity I suppose

noby

Hedgepig wrote: »

"And the Ass Saw the Angel"

A good read. Also his biography is interesting, to say the least.

noby

BarryCreed wrote: »

I would have accepted the award, and not turned up!

But he was only nominated. He would be the one smiling awkwardly into the camera while George Michael (yes, I googled) went up to pick up his award.

Robbo

rowlandbrowner wrote: »

he has four sons, the man has the most masculine spunk in the southern hemisphere.

2 twins and 2 so close in birthday (but with different mothers) that they may as well be twins. And he's had a skip at PJ Harvey.

A king amongst men.

BarryCreed

noby wrote: »

But he was only nominated. He would be the one smiling awkwardly into the camera while George Michael (yes, I googled) went up to pick up his award.

true enough, but such are the hassles of being in the music business...
would it not be an achievement for nick cave to actually be as "popular" as george michael while not changing his music...i dunno...anyways...

i picked up Let Love In on the recommendations here last week, and tis great.

Grinderman

Want a fight?
I do have a recording and am 99% sure it is not live, it's a cover of "I put a spell on you"., does that count.

John wrote: »

Not quite, they only played one show under that name before changing the name to the Bad Seeds. No recordings were made.

John

My bad, I just googled that cover and it was from a compilation given away with an issue of the NME. It's the one and only release under that name (and oddly it came out after the first Bad Seeds album, I wonder was it an error on the NME's part?).

They definitely only did one show under that name, my friend was at it!

Grinderman

John wrote: »

My bad, I just googled that cover and it was from a compilation given away with an issue of the NME. It's the one and only release under that name (and oddly it came out after the first Bad Seeds album, I wonder was it an error on the NME's part?).

They definitely only did one show under that name, my friend was at it!

I have the NME tape.
Your mate was at the gig.
So i guess we are both jealous

Garry

Grid.

A legend!!! Many goin to the gig????

Love the groove to this!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l05j8hNiCjk

Grinderman

Gridlock wrote: »

A legend!!! Many goin to the gig????

Love the groove to this!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l05j8hNiCjk

Love that song, reminds me of 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins, ie when the song finishes you just want to play it again and again.
Im going to see Nick in Dublin, Birmingham and Stockholm. Really regret not going to ATP in Butlins last year.
Garry