Cave deals in the things that rattle around in the back of men's minds, out of sight of the rest of the world - deviant sex, gruesome murder, the evils of religion, lust, greed, and even hate. Early in his career, he had a tendency to alternate aggressive, evil albums with quieter, more introspective ones. His sound is clearly informed by Leonard Cohen (some have said that, without a Leonard Cohen, there wouldn't be a Nick Cave - he might still be making loud, abrasive post-punk with The Birthday Party). Cohen's influence is all over Cave's The Boatman's Call, No More Shall We Part, and parts of The Lyre of Orpheus - quiet, introspective affairs that show off Cave's trademark baritone and emotive songwriting. No song of this ilk is more beautiful than "Love Letter" from 2001's No More Shall We Part. Here's a beautiful live version on The Late Show with David Letterman with the McGarrigle Sisters singing back-up (the visual quality isn't great, but the performance more than makes up for it) :
Cave is not afraid to delve into pure rock and roll either - not that his version of rock and roll is anywhere near "pure". The cast of characters that have comprised his Bad Seeds over the years are a who's who of avant-garde talent - legendary guitarist Blixa Bargeld and violinist Warren Ellis among them. They add dissonant flashes to Cave's compositions and add a flair missing from 99% of the music out there today. Bargeld has since left the band, but Ellis' signature can be found all over recent masterpieces Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus and Dig!!! Lazarus, Dig!!!. He's also an integral part of the Grinderman project (who I've waxed poetic about in the past).
To truly appreciate the Bad Seeds' genius, they must be experienced live. If you can't find them in your town (they're not currently touring as Grinderman is), check out The Abattoir Blues Live tour document - overflowing with 2 live CDs and 2 live DVDs of Bad Seeds madness. For more, I've dug out some live bootleg tunes from the vaults for your enjoyment.
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Live from Copenhagen, Denmark on November 19, 2004:
"God Is In The House" - Another beautiful, quiet, introspective tune from No More Shall We Part. It's a song that pokes fun at religion, prejudice, and the denial that many of us live in.
"Easy Money" - More introspection, this one from The Lyre of Orpheus. I've thought about the meaning of this song a lot over the years - I've come to the conclusion that the subject of the song has chosen to do some unsavory (and likely unclean) things in order to allow his family to survive, but I'm always up for further interpretation.
"Babe, You Turn Me On" - This one's deviant. Also from The Lyre of Orpheus, "Babe You Turn Me On" seems gentle and loving on the surface, but upon closer inspection, the singer's "babe" is being hunted like prey, and the singer is NOT being invited to seduce the object of his desire.
"Red Right Hand" - The quintessential Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds song (mostly because it's the most recognized), I've always felt that the main character in this song would make a terrific Halloween costume (while Mrs. Cuddle claims that no one would know who I was - she's likely right). It has always been the chimes that make this song stand out from a sonic perspective, and the image of a Something Wicked This Way Comes-type protagonist, willing to give anyone anything (for a price), that make the lyrics stand out.
Live in Germany on May 21, 2008:
"The Lyre of Orpheus" - A terrific song that turns the Greek myth on its head, this version is most notable for the crowd singing along with Cave, creating an eerie choir.
"Moonland" - One of my favorite tracks from Dig!!! Lazarus, Dig!!!. I could imagine this song in lounge version, being sung in Vegas by Sinatra. Zombie Sinatra, but whatever.
"Deanna" - Legendary in the Cave canon, "Deanna" is from 1988's Tender Prey. It's raucous, pleading, and sexy. That it is still filling setlists 20 years after it's initial release is a testament to it's staying power.
"Into My Arms" - More tenderness, this time from The Boatman's Call.
Bonus Live Bad Seeds from various sources - each song is from Murder Ballads :
"Henry Lee (with PJ Harvey)" - I love this traditional song, manipulated to Cave's sensibilities. One of two duets on Murder Ballads (the other is just as beautiful - "Where the Wild Roses Grow" with Kylie Minogue), the voices of Cave and Harvey meld beautifully (as did, presumably, their bodies, as they were a couple for a while). The macabre pairing of Harvey and Cave was almost too perfect, and their relationship didn't last all that long. We still have this song to remember it.
"Stagger Lee" - Not for the faint of heart, this version of the traditional Stagger Lee is peppered with more f-bombs than almost every other song that I know of. Beyond the colorful verbiage is the violence - Cave doesn't spare any gruesome detail of the fateful night in The Bucket of Blood bar.
Until next time, enjoy the various moods of Nick Cave (check out his albums as well - Mute Records is in the process of re-releasing everything in the catalogue), and listen (but maybe not too closely if you're faint of heart)...
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