Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Like many of the greats, Nick Cave’s rise to fruition as both a solo-artist in his own right and collaborator with his eventual guise – a super-group, no less – followed a spell in another iconic, cult act, The Birthday Party.
Yet, after acclaimed albums and performances, the Australian act ended their rule in 1983, Cave prompted to collaborate with former Party guitarist Mick Harvey, ex-Magazine bassist Barry Adamson, and Einsturzende Neubauten six-stringer Blixa Bargeld in the new ‘Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’ ensemble, varying formations to ensue in time. Foreboding, brooding tales of dark introspection and dramatic, sparse arrangements followed, prompting one of the greatest, prolific run of contemporary classic records, perhaps, ever, both solo and with the accompaniment of The BS.
Let’s track a list: the legendary debut, ‘84’s ‘From Her To Eternity’; ‘The Firstborn Is Dead’; covers-album ‘Kicking Against The Pricks’; ‘Your Funeral… My Trial’; ‘Tender Prey’; then two years of ultra productivity – a knock-on to Cave kicking his smack addiction – inclusive of the penning of books, ‘King Ink’ (lyrics/prose), and ‘And The Ass Saw The Angel’ (a novel); ‘The Good Son’ followed in ’90; then ‘Let Love In’; ‘Murder Ballads’; ‘The Boatman’s Call’ in ‘97; a spoken-word effort, ‘Secret Life Of The Love Song’; ‘No More Shall We Part’ two years later; ‘03’s ‘Nocturama’; and – the latest, in 04? – a double-LP no less, ‘Abattoir Blues’ / ‘The Lyre Of Orpheus’.
Consistently enthralling, recklessly unrelenting, and intense to degrees unrivalled, Nick Cave remains one of the most important, compelling solo talents of our time.
Photo-Credit: Solo / Polly Borland; Band / Steve Gullick
OFFICIAL WEBSITE: Fittingly thematic to the wildlife-eking artwork that adorns his latest double-LP, Cave’s official online space is comprehensive, and – refreshingly – somewhat straightforward.
MUTE RECORDS: Continuing to slay the world in a subtly bizarre way, Mute remains unequalled in its sway of peculiar alt and unique artistic temperament (any label that can number Depeche Mode, Einsturzende Neubauten and Moby all under one roof can’t be deemed anything other than ‘eclectic’).
SINGLE REVIEW – ‘HE WANTS YOU…’ 2003: a double A-side unveiled in the period of Cave’s airy last, ‘Nocturama’ LP.
SINGLE REVIEW – ‘NATURE BOY’ 2004: the radiant, first 45 to be unleashed from his most recent double-album.
ALBUM REVIEW – ‘NOCTURAMA’ 2003: another four-star release. What a surprise.
ALBUM REVIEW – ‘ABATTOIR BLUES’ / ‘THE LYRE…’ 2004: who said ‘less is more’? Cave and co. have struck pay-dirt on their latest – one of the year’s finest.
DVD REVIEW – ‘GOD IS IN THE HOUSE’ 2003: live in France from 2001, this features greatest hits and a dashing of exertions from his and the band’s expansive career.