The new album from Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Has anyone heard it yet?
I have a friend in the UK that shipped me a copy when it hit the stores; I was jonesin’ to hear their new double-album, but it won’t ship to the US until the 26th. I love it, and I can say without hesitation that it’s one of his best releases. I was skeptical after being underwhelmed with his last album, Nocturama; well, all except for the punk-esque brawl of “Babe, I’m on Fire.” But this album is just stunning.
The songs range from heart-breakingly sorrowful (O Children and Easy Money), to post-punk growling and violence that brings about fond memories of when he played with The Birthday Party (Lyre of Orpheus), and the raw blues sound that lilts through most of his music. I’d hesitate to call it a masterpiece, but it’s easily one of my favorite albums of the year.
Had it for a few weeks now. Abbatoir Blues is easily the better of the two - theres a completely different feel to each disc. AB is Gospelly, for want of a better word - a lot of female backing singing, which is no bad thing here. Theres a different sound, less edgy (but no less uncompromising) now Blixa Bargeld left the Bad Seeds, its more Piano led. The productions fantastic as well. The thing that really kicks out is the rhythmn section - Martin P Casey has that Eric Avery thing of writing really simple catchy basslines.
The Lyre of Orpheus is more introspective and darker, but not as good. I haven’t listened to it as much as AB. Cave still hasn’t lost his sense of humour though.
And on November 12, me and Sir Doris are off to see him. Blam!
I assume your versions have the clothbound slipcover with the small photographs of blossoms on either side?
The version I got did, and it looks gorgeous…goes a long way to help reestablish album covers as something closer to art. Do you get the sense that the U.S. version will look the same way?
Still making my way through it, but I really, really liked “Babe You Turn Me On” right out of the box and got stuck repeating it. (I played The Lyre Of Orpheus first, to figure out whether I could mask the obscenity in the title track and play it on my radio show.)
My buddy at work bought this a few days ago and I popped in his copy today. Holy crap. I’m only a novice Nick Cave listener, but Abattoir really bowled me over, the songs and the rhythym arrangements- his drummer is fantastic. Lyre sounded good, but I think I was OD’ing on the old boy by about the third song. I’ll check out the rest of it next week.
Going out on a bit of a limb to say that, toe to toe with my man Tom Waits (whom I always hear mentioned in the same breath), I’m thinkin’ Cave may actually be the more talented. He’s definitely the more literate of the two–no mean feat–and he seems to vary his styles more adeptly. With Tom it’s generally “clang boom steam” or suicidal ballad. Cave gives me the impression of being able to blend varying degrees of menace and pathos in each song.
And geez, I’d kill to write lyrics this good.
I agree with paulberserker that Abattoir Blues is the better of the two (but not by much as they’re both excellent.
[a slight hijack]
Oddly enough with the timing of this thread, I just got an e-mail from musicroom.com that says that if you buy the songbook (sheetmusic) for this double album along with his anthology, they’ll come signed by Nick Cave. (I think you have to be signed up for the newsletter to get the autographed copies, but you can always try and sign up late).
[/a slight hijack]