BCB 100 - Nick Cave

[Jeff K]

Mick Harvey just might be the most underrated person in all of rock.

Just thought I'd throw that in there.

I completely agree, he is one of the most talented guitarists around. As I've said before, Cave may be the star, but Harvey is clearly the conductor, when it comes to song arrangements, how they get played live, etc.

Also, yeah, that dvd is called God Is In The House and the bit of Blixa throwing a wobbly becasue his head-phones aren't working is hilarious.

Regarding their live shows pre and post-Blixa, I've seen one of each (unfortunately they don't tour NZ very often) and James Johnston is just as impressive onstage, IMHO. He's more involved in the playing of the songs, playing keyboards on some, guitar on others, whereas Blixa was only every so often.

James Johnston from the excellent Gallon Drunk, it needs to be said.

Mick Harvey was also one of the first people to sing the praises (and songs) of Serge Gainsbourg before it became trendy.

[marios]

Mick Harvey was also one of the first people to sing the praises (and songs) of Serge Gainsbourg before it became trendy.

Pink Elephants and Intoxicated Man are pretty good.

[Jumper k]

Let Love In for me.
I love all of the lp but Loverman is just fantastic. Loverman it is.

[Geezee]

Do you even hear a difference with Bargeld no longer there ? I don't.
Don't miss his stage persona much either.

Music-wise, there's not too much difference since Cave has been moving into a more song orientated direction the last few years. But his stage persona is definitely missed. He was the perfect foil to Cave - standing in the corner, lighting up a cigarette and looking bored until it was time to let loose with one of his skronky guitar bits.

Blixa's gone ( Blixa's gone places. Don't know where......Yes, he's still alive) since the concerts Cave did after Abbatoir Blues./LoO.
As a person Blixa's probably closest to Cave. Musically though he leans more on Harvey and Ellis.

he left after the And No More Shall We Tour i think- the Nocturama tour was the first where he wasn't there. you might not notice his exclusion so much on record (except the lack of atonal backing vocals), but on stage the Bad Seeds are a very different beast without him....people kept on shouting "bring blixa back" on the first post-blixa tour, and all nick could do was to look bleakly and say "yeah, it's a fucking tragedy"- you could really feel it as well. happily- and crucially i think- it coincided with the inspired introduction of warren ellis into the bad sees, he fills the void very nicely and brings that added dimension which makes And No More such a fantastic record in my opinion.

didn't someone here (female) say they actually got an orgasm from nick looking intensely at her at one of the '93 concerts!?

[Bungo the Mungo]

Have you seen the DVD from a couple of years ago? It features - as well as rather routine live footage - lots of film of Nick and the Bad Seeds recording 'And No More...' at Abbey Road.

It's fascinating and funny, and unlike most studio footage, can be seen again and again. Pure entertainment. His kid on the drums; the humour in the realisation that the backing vocals on 'Sweetheart Come' sound uncomfortably close to something else, something rather rude; the part that shows Cave, Bargeld and Harvey (?) standing in line to do backing vocals; the scene with Bargeld bothered by his guitar part; and the part where Cave gets prickly with the dude doing a tambourine rhythm. Strongly recommended. I think it's called 'God Is In The House' - I know that's the name of one recent Cave DVD - entirely possible it's not the one I'm talking about.

And there's the inter-video on-the-couch moments with the band on the collected videos comp from years back. Funny as hell, at times. 'I just thought it was shit' - Harvey's perfectly-timed comeback to analysis of the dodgy video for 'Red Right Hand'.

Cave's a good man - droll, intelligent, bullshit-free and likeable. I really like him more and more.

Not riffy. No meaningless lyrics. It's his suits, right ?

No-one can carry off a pin-stripe - with waistcoat - like Nick.

The hairdye should be left on the shelf, tho'.

[This Here Dream Machine]

The Good Son is my definite Cave favorite of the one's I've heard. It's Cave at his most beautiful, with enough of that underlying sinister to please.

I can go along with that judgement. It's a great record.
On the whole I find Nick Cave himself exceedingly hard to swallow, largely on account of the seriousness with which he evidently takes himself, and a faint whiff of unspeakable pretension is never too far away from his work. Mind you, when he hits it, he hits it good...

I never understand why people dislike music because of how an artist takes himself. If Cave didn't take himself that seriously, but the music stayed the same, would you all of a sudden like his music better?

Sometimes it rubs off in the grooves.

And even if that's true, why are people so against seriousness in music? Music has to be the only "art" where there is a sizeable group of knowledgable and intelligent purveyors who actually feel that seriousness is something to be avoided. Certainly, you wouldn't find a movie elitist who is absolutely averse to dramas. What's wrong with having both the fun and the serious?

I like a lot of bands that are "serious," but Nick Cave's brand of seriousness rubs me the wrong way.

There's seriousness and then there's self-seriousness. (I think this may be the distinction that's being drawn here.) Nothing wrong with the former but I sometimes think Nick Cave--like Tom Waits and Leonard Cohen (to say nothing of Bob Dylan)--is venerated for all the wrong reasons.

Not to say there aren't right ones of course. I listened in the car this weekend to the first disc of his three-disc rarities set and found it utterly fucking wonderful, witty and devoid of self-seriousness and just great from end-to-end.

Favorite song (of the moment): Scum.

Baron, you might like that one. It's both Birthday Party-esque and one of the great put-down songs of all time. Directed, I believe, at the NME's Mat Snow (?)

[BARON CORNY DOG]

Baron, you might like that one. It's both Birthday Party-esque and one of the great put-down songs of all time. Directed, I believe, at the NME's Mat Snow (?)

Thanks for saving me there and for the hint.

For what it's worth, I once saw Cave with the Bad Seeds at one of the Lollapallooza things (I went to two, the first one and that one) and he was, like, the first act on in the middle of the day in the disgustingly hot Houston summer and, though he looked like a fish out of water, the show was so hostile and the slack-joweled yokels so . . . confused . . . that it was a great experience.

[doctorlouie]

Not read the thread.

Top track: Into Your Arms

LP: Hmm, not sure. I laughed a lot when I heard Murder Ballads.

[petulant clarksville]

I'll have to get back to you on the Nick Cave favourite. I can't just go flying in there with a Boatman's Call (Is that the one I took into the Maternity ward?) or an Into Your Arms without giving it the lengthy thought it deserves. I know there is a word in Red Right Hand that is one of the most perfectly chosen words in the whole history of the English language. Can't remember which word it is offhand, though.

[petulant clarksville]

I thought I'd get back to you here in the dust of Nick Cave Corner because I know you're hanging on my every word. Seems the word in question wasn't even in Red Right Hand at all. So I don't know whatword it was or what song it was in, but it was something about a hand. I THINK. hOW PITIFUL IS THAT? AND NOW I'M IN CAPITALS. SAINTS PRESERVE US!

iF I ever find out what the hell I'm talking about I'll make my way back here through the cobwebs and let you know.

I'll just leave you with this thought:

I throw myself down before the beauty of Nick Cave's lyrics.

[Bungo the Mungo]

Isn't 'Nature Boy' off the last album just a great song?

[petulant clarksville]

Isn't 'Nature Boy' off the last album just a great song?

Yes it's great, it's so easy. I love The Lyre of Orpheus, from track 2 onwards pretty much as much as the Boatmans Call.

[petulant clarksville]

Nick Cave's Western is on Film4 tonight at 10.45

[petulant clarksville]

I'll have to get back to you on the Nick Cave favourite. I can't just go flying in there with a Boatman's Call (Is that the one I took into the Maternity ward?) or an Into Your Arms without giving it the lengthy thought it deserves. I know there is a word in Red Right Hand that is one of the most perfectly chosen words in the whole history of the English language. Can't remember which word it is offhand, though.

Hey, look, saints preserve us, I'm back with the answer. It wasn't red right hand. It was Loverman ...

'...there's a devil crawling along your floor,
with a trembling heart he's coming through your door,
with his straining sex in his jumping paw...



and I just think that if you get a word like jumping in a line like that, it's beyond the call of duty. It's my idea of genius. Most writers would have been content with the impact of 'straining sex' and would have let the other words look after themselves, but Cave goes right for the absolute killing word. perfect word, jumping. He's a God!

[Tom Violence]

Just starting off with Cave. He's done a lot of acclaimed work by anyone's book, nevermind someone who seems to have used heroin for much of his career from what i've read.

[petulant clarksville]

Just starting off with Cave. He's done a lot of acclaimed work by anyone's book, nevermind someone who seems to have used heroin for much of his career from what i've read.

Can't figure it out. Do I have to reconsider my opinion of Cave or of heroin?

[Magilla]

More specifically, he was on smack for the early-mid part of his career; late-'70s to about '89 or so.

[Tom Violence]

Album - Let Love In
Song - The Carny