bought this album in the late spring of 1994 when it came out -- at the old alternative records in tampa, where one of the boys who used to work there told me that if i didn't like the album, i could bring it back and get 5 different records on his dime... i laughed -- he knew me too well... of course i was going to love this record...
i've never understood why more people who like erudite, clever, intellectual songs don't like nick cave more than they appear to do. i understand his voice is a bit unique -- but i always feel like i can find 10 people who like tom waits for every one i find who gives a damn about nick cave. weird -- but this album is definitely the place to start. of all of his albums, it's clearly, clearly the most accessible -- the cleanest, the least quirky (lyrics to 'jangling jack' and 'red right hand' be damned), the most 'pure' nick cave... some of the earlier albums can be difficult (like 'from her to eternity', but it's an album you must listen to for the title track alone), and some of the later ones are just outright odd ('nocturama', that's you i'm talking about)... if someone came to me tomorrow and wanted to know which 3 nick cave albums to start with -- excluding the birthday party (a friend of mine loves peter murphy but really dislikes bauhaus -- i'm a bit like that with the birthday party and nick cave, but i think i can stomach more of the birthday party than she can bauhaus) and grinderman and all of the oddball one offs like duets with die haut, etc. -- i think i'd have to go with:
3. 'the good son'
2. 'abattoir blues/lyre of orpheus'
1. 'let love in'
for the past 18 years, i've listened to this album on a fairly regular basis, so no alarms and no surprises, so to speak, listening to it today... just much, much respect for the learning and lyricism of a true artist who SHOULD be much, much more appreciated than he is...
Would always recommend the Birthday Party Hits album to get the best of all worlds on that front.
ReplyDeleteThis album was for a long time in my Top 10 and has moments of sheer brilliance - the Do You Love Me? bookends are typical Nick Cave - highly visual lyrics, beautiful imagery and storytelling that almost masks the dark subject matter (child abuse in this case).
I would - and this is rare - recommend the Live Seeds as the best album to get introduced to Mr Cave. The live performances aren't poor versions of their studio ... are often superior but really cover the hits: the version of John Finn's Wife is amazing and worth the price of the album alone.
Sorely underrated. Each one of his albums seems to have a classic on it.