Nick Cave - where to start?

[Diamond Dog]

There seems to be alot of his stuff available on sales at the moment, for around £3 each.

What can you recommend - I'm looking at maybe his best three?

[The Slider]

What can you recommend?

Spending your 3 quid on something else.

[Diamond Dog]

A Who fanclub membership, maybe?

[the masked man]

Well, I think there's something of interest in almost all of his albums. The albums he recorded in the 80s tend towards overwrought, noisy melodrama; of these the best is probably Tender Prey, as it contains the mighty 'The Mercy Seat'.

Towards the end of the 90s, he opted for a quieter, more reflective sound, and the standout of this period is The Boatman's Call, a cycle of regretful and poignant songs inspired by his stormy relationship with P J Harvey.

I think these two albums would help give you a picture of both aspects of Cave's post-Birthday Party career.

For a third choice, you might enjoy Murder Ballads. Detractors of his work had complained that he wrote too many grisly songs about killers and killing - so he responded by recording an entire album of such songs, with tongue stuck firmly in cheek. This includes his biggest single, 'Where The Wild Roses Grow', an unlikely duet with Kylie Minogue.

[Insouciant Western People]

I started with Henry's Dream, and it's still my favourite of his albums. A good mix of his trademark grotesque Southern Gothic tales, gory murder ballads, and sentimental love songs.

After that, if you prefer the dark brooding love songs go for The Boatman's Call and The Good Son. For noiser stuff, Let Love In and Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus would be good choices.

I don't think he's ever made a really bad album though, so you're on fairly safe ground whatever you get.

[The Prof]

I'd start off with the Best Of.



and take it from there.

[Bungo the Mungo]

I'd start off with the Best Of.



and take it from there.

Wise advice.

[hookfinger]

Listen to the Masked Man

[Diamond Dog]

I'd start off with the Best Of.



and take it from there.

I already have that. I'm looking for a little more detail.

[Mr Maps]

The best place to start with the recent era is Let Love In.

[Jumper k]

The best place to start with the recent era is Let Love In.

Thats the one I play the most of all. There is a little of everything in it. After that his cover versions lp Kicking Against The Pricks is good fun.

[BARON CORNY DOG]

By definition, Literature Rock can be no better than Christian Rock.

[Bungo the Mungo]

The best place to start with the recent era is Let Love In.

Yep.

I'd say get that, either The Good Son or Tender Prey, and that great double album from 2004 that I can never remember the name of.

The recent MOJO has a 'how to buy' but they put the slightly dull The Boatman's Call at number one. They recommend you avoid Nocturama and Henry's Dream, tho', with which I concur (they're not bad but far from his best).

[Doctor Jimmy]

I'd start off with the Best Of.



and take it from there.

I already have that. I'm looking for a little more detail.

The obvious thing to do would be to see which songs you like best and buy the albums from that period. Alternatively you could just get Tender Prey, Murder Ballads and Let Love In; you can't go wrong with those three.

[This Here Dream Machine]

By definition, Literature Rock can be no better than Christian Rock.

That's really fucking true. And as someone who partly shares Baron's sentiment that Cave is a class A Jive Turkey I'm tempted to say, "Why start with Cave at all?" The truth is, once in a while he hits the spot with me however. Oddly, I'd recommend starting with that three-disc B-sides collection (which retails for something like the price of a single disc anyway). It surveys the whole career, interpolates some lovely alternate (acoustic, etc) versions of the "hits," some great covers, perhaps his most beautiful late ballad ("Come into My Sleep") and--most significantly--includes "Scum," the greatest revenge song ever written by someone other than Dylan. I remain on the fence about Cave, but this is a shockingly pleasurable and consistent listen, far more than most of his albums, and more varied than any of them.

[Bungo the Mungo]

By definition, Literature Rock can be no better than Christian Rock.

and yer man Bob Dylan invented both.

[Harry Worthless]

Greatest Hits, Boatmans Call, Dig! Lazarus Dig! are all good starters.

There is a good article in this months Mojo on where to go next.
http://www.mojo4music.com/blog/2008/10/ ... _cave.html

[Insouciant Western People]

I'd recommend starting with that three-disc B-sides collection (which retails for something like the price of a single disc anyway). It surveys the whole career, interpolates some lovely alternate (acoustic, etc) versions of the "hits," some great covers, perhaps his most beautiful late ballad ("Come into My Sleep") and--most significantly--includes "Scum," the greatest revenge song ever written by someone other than Dylan. I remain on the fence about Cave, but this is a shockingly pleasurable and consistent listen, far more than most of his albums, and more varied than any of them.

Mmm, it is very very good. The highlights for me are the cover of What a Wonderful World with Shane McGowan and the b-side of the Kylie duet, The Ballad of Robert Moore and Betty Coltrane. A rocking barroom murder ballad, and one of the funniest lurid tales he's ever written.

[Bungo the Mungo]

...the b-side of the Kylie duet, The Ballad of Robert Moore and Betty Coltrane. A rocking barroom murder ballad, and one of the funniest lurid tales he's ever written.

Cracking song - one of my favourites.

[Jeff K]

I would start with Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus. It's probably his most listenable and it's full of actual pop songs. Tender Prey is his best album but maybe not the one you'd want to start off with. After those two, I would choose The Good Son. He was really starting to mature as a songwriter with that album and it also contains The Ship Song, still his best ballad.