The Album Club: "Murder Ballads" by Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds

[Trollheart]

On to round four we go, and here's my contribution. Hopefully this will go down better than my previous selections, which would not be hard! Rate, comment, discuss and review here.

[OccultHawk]

The only discussion should be why this is unassailable.

[MicShazam]

Nothing is unassailable!

[Trollheart]

Originally Posted by MicShazam

Nothing is unassailable!

[OccultHawk]

[rubber soul]

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds- Murder Ballads (1996)


Best Tracks: Song of Joy, Where the Wild Roses Grow, The Curse of Millhaven

Weakest Tracks: O’Malley’s Bar (though hardly weak, just really long)

This is an interesting beginning to round four as I’m sure some of us here are familiar with Nick Cave. While I haven’t heard a full album of his (though that will eventually change), I have heard quite a few of his tracks, including at least two from this album. I can see why he has a devoted fan base, and his Mercy Seat rates as one of my favorite songs of the eighties.

As for this album, it starts off with the haunting Song for Joy. I especially like the chant at the end. This album also features duets with two very different women in PJ Harvey (who I happen to be a big fan of) and Kylie Minogue who, last I checked, was a pop star. Both of the duets are fairly impressive, particularly the one with Minogue in Where the Wild Roses Grow.

It’s typical Nick Cave in many ways as his music tends to be dark. This album is especially haunting. It likely isn’t for those who are into depressing music. For me, I’ve always liked a little mood in my music.

Almost every track is superior here. Even O’Malley’s Bar, which I rated as my weakest track, got points taken only because it was so long, yet Cave weaves a sordid tale much as he did on other tracks.

I would definitely recommend this album for those curious about later Nick Cave. I will almost certainly listen to this album again as well as most of Nick Cave's catalog.



9/10 (the Word has spoken )

[Trollheart]

If there's one thing that's synonymous with Nick Cave's music, it's death. From his first album (The Firstborn is Dead) to his latest (The Skeleton Tree) images of decay and death haunt Cave's discography, but not as a spectre, more as perhaps not a friend, but a companion you know there is no point avoiding: he's gonna be there whether you like it or not. So surely then the natural evolution for the Antipodean scribe of doom was this, an album of songs based on, about or concerning death, or specifically, murder. From the dour “Song of Joy”, with its chilling revelation right at the end to the manic, frenetic and quite hilarious slaughterfest that forms the centrepiece of the album, “O'Malley's Bar”, murder in all its forms is placed under the microscope and examined by Cave with the detached, cold interest of a scientist studying a bacterium. Not my favourite Cave album by a long way, it's definitely in the top ten, and for those getting into his music, a decent gateway album.

1. What were your VERY FIRST impressions on listening to the album, say from the first five minutes in?
N/A

2. What did you think of the opening track?
Love it personally, though I can see how some people might find it a little dull with its typical almost sotto voce vocal and what must be seen as somewhat monotonous melody. Great opener though.

3. What did you think of the next track?

One of two traditional songs covered by Cave on this album, it's not my favourite but it's pretty funny I guess. A little numbskull I feel.

4. Did you like the vocalist? Hate him/her? Any impressions? (see note 1)

It's Cave. I love the guy. Must give credit too to Kylie on "Where the Wild Roses Grow".

5. Did the music (only) generally appeal to you, or not? (see note 2)

Absolutely. Very dark and ominous for the most part, and deceptively upbeat when taken alongside the lyric on some other songs.

6. Did the album get better or worse as you listened to it (first time)?

n/a

7. What did you think of the lyrical content?

Love it. Some very different interpretations of murder. In “The Kindness of Strangers”, for example, you have the sad tale of a girl who goes looking for love in a cruel world that repays her desperation with rape and death, while as mentioned in “O'Malley's Bar” you have a guy killing everyone in sight, for no reason, and revealed as a coward in the end, unable to push his convictions to their natural conclusion. And in “Where the Wild Roses Grow” it's a tale of love that ends in betrayal and murder. Sweet.

8. Did you like the instrumental parts? (see note 3)

Oh yeah.

9. What did you think of the production?

As ever.

10. Did you know of this artiste prior to listening to the album, and if so, did that foreknowledge colour your perception of this album?

Yes, I love all of Cave's work.

11. Is this, generally, the kind of music you listen to or not?

See above.

12. Assuming you listened to the album more than once, on repeated listens, did you find you liked the album more, or less?

n/a


13. What would you class as your favourite track(s), if you have any?
“O'Malley's Bar”, “The Kindness of Strangers”, “Where the Wild Roses Grow”, “Death is Not the End”, “Lovely Creature”

14. And the one(s) you liked least?

“Crow Jane”, “Stagger Lee”

15. If the album in question is a debut, did that fact allow it, in your mind, any leeway, and if so, was that decision justified or vindicated? (see note 4)

n/a

16. Are you now looking forward to hearing more from this artiste, if you have not heard any of their other material?

n/a

17. Were you surprised by your reaction - positive or negative - to the album?

n/a

18. Did the album end well?

Yes, I like the sort of promise of hope in the song, even if it is a cover.

19. Do you see any way the album could have been improved?

Not really no

20. Do you think the album hung together well, ie was a fully cohesive unit, or was it a bit hit-and-miss?

Hung together very well I feel.

A solid 9/10 from me.

[MicShazam]

Of course I know about Nick Cave, but I haven't ever really tried to get into it. The only album that I'm certain I've heard front to back is The Boatman's Call, which I remember leaving me feeling bored to death.

Murder Ballads is of course way more of a "canon" Nick Cave album, so I was interested in hearing if this could soften my view on his music.

Turns out it's not half bad. I certainly liked the general sound of the album and there's some pretty good songwriting on display here.

I can't shake the feeling that Cave is a lot in the same ballpark as Tom Waits. They're both (especially earlier in their careers) affecting these larger than life personalities; telling tales of people from the gutters and back alleys of society. In both cases, it can feel sort of cartoony, but I think Nick Cave puts in enough energy and bite that it feels more interesting than annoyingly contrived.

Still... I suspect I might like something like his newest album better. Something more grounded and heartfelt. A darkness more connected to the real world (the actual death of his son), as opposed to these over-the-top, fictional tales of assorted madmen and scum.

Notably, both Kylie Minogue and PJ Harvey make appearances on the album. I'm a fan of both, so that's neat.

For whatever reason, the song on this album that I seemed to like the most was also the longest (O'Malley's bar).

I voted "liked".

[Trollheart]

I can definitely recommend the following:
The Good Son
Henry's Dream
Let Love In
No More Shall We Part

I happen to love The Boatman's Call, but yes, it is generally low-key and quite monotonous so I could see how some people might not like it. And you're spot-on with the Waits comparison: I also feel this to be the case, though Waits tends to view things more though a beer glass (for his writing) or through grimy windows, whereas Cave is I feel a bit more detached, a bit more clinical and nihilistic in his lyrics.

[OccultHawk]

When I was thinking what I wanted to write about this record I decided the main point I wanted to get across is why this record was Cave’s to make. Fortunately, in some of the finest writing I’ve ever seen on MB, Trollheart already did that for us. If you haven’t check out this for genre origins

I was surprised Stagger Lee was listed a song TH liked least. I think it’s the go to track if you were making a mix tape back in the day. Also, even before it came up I was going to mention Boatman’s Call as my personal NC record.

Nocturama is the only NC record that chaps my ass and only because he had no business making Babe, I’m on Fire 15 minutes long.

Sorry that I’m rambling off the subject of this record but for those who maybe haven’t yet explored Nick Cave: It’s essential to go through his discography. From the Birthday Party to the Bad Seeds he’s a crucial reason punk redifined rocknroll and he has aged incredibly well. His brilliance never wanes. He’s one of the most important figures in modern music.

This record is an unassailable five star masterpiece.