by Alex Goode
Hello! I have just accepted my role as the resident Anthony Fantano ripoff at this point, so I've decided to go back to a blog idea I had in November of 2018. Remember that blog I did where I ranked every Fall Out Boy album based on my personal preference? Yeah, I'm gonna do that again. This time, however, I'm gonna rank the studio albums of my current favorite band: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. Nick Cave is a criminally underappreciated artist, so I'm hoping that this blog will help get some of my friends and family into his music. I will be ranking all seventeen Bad Seeds studio albums in order from my least favorite to my most favorite. I'm opting to omit albums released by Grinderman or The Birthday Party, as well as Cave's soundtrack albums and that Distant Sky live EP, because there's already a lot to cover when we're just talking about Bad Seeds albums. Maybe I'll do the rest of them some other time, but I'm deciding to only focus on the studio albums for right now. There's seventeen of them, like I said, so I better go ahead and get started. Remember that this is just my opinion. It's not like many of my friends know who Cave is anyway, but still keep in mind that this is just my silly personal preference. Let's begin.
#17 - From Her to Eternity
Saying that a band's debut album is their worst is a cliche at this point, but it's a cliche that really holds true in the case of The Bad Seeds. From Her to Eternity was released on June 18th of 1984, and holy God does it reek. This album's bad. This album is really not good. It starts out strong with a pretty cool cover of Leonard Cohen's "Avalanche", but then "Cabin Fever!" comes along and completely sinks any momentum the first track built up. "Cabin Fever!" is probably the worst Bad Seeds song outright. It's annoying, the mix is trash, Cave's voice straight-up sound terrible. Then you have songs like "Well of Misery" or "Wings Off Flies", that start out promising but very quickly degrade into some of the most irritating songs I've ever heard. And I know that "Saint Huck" is a beloved song amongst Bad Seeds fans, but I really don't see it. Most of the instruments sound like they're playing out of time with each other, the lyrics are badly-written, Cave's vocals once again aren't mixed very well. The only thing I like about it is the flute part, which does sound very pretty. And, while I'm giving compliments to this album, I do like the title track quite a bit. It has Cave's best vocal performance, that piano riff is extremely catchy, the lyricism is also as its best here. Why couldn't every other song on here be like this? I feel completely indifferent about "A Box for Black Paul", too. I don't have an issue with long songs if the artist doesn't make it feel too long, Cave does this very well most of the time, but this instance really feels like it could've benefited from being shortened. Overall, this is not the album I think of when I hear the name Nick Cave. If I ever come back to From Her to Eternity, it's for the title track and maybe for "Avalanche". Thank God they improved from here. 2/10.
#16 - No More Shall We Part
Here's something I bet you all didn't think would be this low. But yeah, I don't care for No More Shall We Part all that much. It has more hits than misses than From Her to Eternity did, hence why it's above it, but I don't come back to this one very often either. And, unfortunately, one of the reasons for that comes right at the very start of the album. "As I Sat Sadly By Her Side" is not a good song at all. It has some of the most pretentious lyrics ever put into a Nick Cave song, Nick's vocals aren't very strong, the instrumental is kinda sloppy. The next track, the title track, is definitely better, but I'm still not too fond of it. The instrumental is much prettier, but I don't like the sound of Cave straining to hit those high notes. Like I said before, though, this album does have quite a few highlights. "Darker With the Day", "Hallelujah", "God is in the House", "Fifteen Feet of Pure White Snow", those are all very enjoyable songs. Yes, I am aware that "Fifteen Feet" is very likely about cocaine. That doesn't make it any less entertaining, though. However, I see most of the rest of the tracklist as either tolerable or just meh. For example, "Love Letter". The instrumental is beautiful, but it doesn't do much else for me. I have the exact same thoughts about "Sweetheart Come" and "Oh My Lord", as well. They're pleasant to listen to for sure, but there's not much about them that keeps me invested. "The Sorrowful Wife" has the same problems, aside from Cave's admittedly great vocal performance, but there's also the fact that this song, much like "As I Sat Sadly By Her Side", tries way too hard to be compelling with the lyrics. It hurts to say that because Cave is usually a top-notch storyteller, but this album is really not a good example of his skills most of the time. To end on a positive note, though: "Gates to the Garden" and "We Came Along This Road" are pretty decent songs. They don't blow me away, but I also wouldn't skip them if they came on a playlist. No More Shall We Part, in my opinion, is a mixed bag with slightly more misses than hits, but the hits do hit pretty hard. I can respect it for the risks Cave & Co. took with it, but it's not one I come back to very often. 4/10.
#15 - The Firstborn is Dead
Released less than a week short of a year after From Her to Eternity, The Firstborn is Dead is an okay second outing for this band. It starts out great with the fantastic "Tupelo", which is still one of my favorite Bad Seeds songs outright. The drumline is perfect, Cave's unhinged vocals make the whole thing sound so creepy, the backing "TUPELOOOOOOO" vocals you hear throughout are great, the thunder samples used at the beginning and end are nice. This is a solid opening track, and the mood is followed up nicely by "Say Goodbye to the Little Girl Tree". I have no idea what that phrase means, nor do I want to know, but I really dig this song's funky instrumental. The bassline kinda reminds me of the Pink Panther theme for some reason. I'll also give praise to "Wanted Man". I know that it's based off of a song that Bob Dylan wrote for Johnny Cash, but I don't know how much that one relates to Cave's version, so I'll just stick to Cave's version for right now. I really like what Cave did here. The instrumental is nice, Blixa Bargeld's backing vocals are chilling, Cave's voice sounds nice. That is really where my compliments for this album will end, however. The rest of this record, to me, is just okay at best. "Black Crow King" and "Train Long Suffering" are good examples of what I mean by that. They aren't bad songs, they're definitely listenable, but I feel like that's all they are. Just passable. Not good, not bad, just average. I will admit that I love the vocal melody Cave uses for the chorus of "Black Crow King", however. That is a very catchy melody. I'm not too keen on "Blind Lemon Jefferson", though. I know it's based on a real person, and I do like the story the lyrics tell, but I just wish that story could have been told through better vocals and a nicer instrumental. "Knockin' On Joe" is probably the least memorable of the whole tracklist, as well. I just got finished listening to it a few minutes ago and I've already forgotten everything about it. This album is a big step-up from From Her to Eternity, but it's still just an okay project. Not great, not terrible. It exists. The hits on this record, while fewer in number, definitely land harder than the ones on the previous two, which is why I place this one higher than them. 5/10.
#14 - Your Funeral... My Trial
What a weird title. Setting that aside for a moment, this album is yet another "average at best" project. To start off on a positive note, this is the album that gave us the wonderful "Stranger Than Kindness". That song is great. The instrumental is lovely, the lyrics are solid, Cave's vocal performance is smooth and compelling. It's a highly beloved Bad Seeds track, and for good reason. And there's also a couple other good highlights from this album, such as "The Carny" and "She Fell Away". The title track is also pretty enjoyable as well, I really dig Cave's vocal melodies on that one. You know what isn't an enjoyable track, though? The opening track, "Sad Waters". The main problem I have with it is the mix. The backing vocals go all over the place, the instrumental sounds like all the band members were in the different rooms when they recorded it. It just feels sloppy. And then there's the track "Hard On for Love", I'll give you three guesses what it's about. People are out here screaming about how Cardi B's "WAP" is too vulgar, you should listen to this song. Half of it is Cave vividly describing people moving during sex. Maybe skip this one if you're listening with your family. I will say, however, "Jack's Shadow" surprised me. I had never heard of this song until today, but I ended up liking it quite a bit. It's got a nice groove to it, Cave's vocals are nice, it's decently-written. I'm willing to go as far as to say it's an underrated gem in the Bad Seeds discography. I can't say the same about "Long Time Man", though. That song is really annoying. This isn't a bad album, especially not as far as their earlier works go, but it is yet another record that I don't find myself revisiting very often today. "Stranger Than Kindness" is the first track I have on my dedicated Bad Seeds Spotify playlist, though, if that means anything. It probably doesn't. 5.5/10.
#13 - Kicking Against the Pricks
Going back in time from their fourth outing to their third outing, we arrive at Kicking Against the Pricks. This is a cover album, and, as far as cover albums go, I do enjoy a large portion of what is presented. There are really some really good renditions on here, such as Johnny Cash's "The Folk Singer" (re-titled as "The Singer" for some reason), The Seldom Scene's "Muddy Water", as well as my favorite cover of Lefty Frizzell's "Long Black Veil". That is a really good song, and Cave's version of it is amazing. Really pretty vocal harmonies, Cave's voice sounds clear and smooth, it has the best instrumental on the whole album. Really solid cover. There are some duds in the tracklist here and there, such as their badly-mixed rendition of John Lee Hooker's "I'm Gonna Kill That Woman", their overly-ambitious version of The Seekers' "The Carnival is Over", and that weird "Looky Looky Yonder"/"Black Betty"/"Yellow Woman's Doorbells" medley. That one was a little odd. Gotta give props to them for their take on "Jesus Met the Woman at the Well", it's easily the best version of that song I've ever heard. And I also really enjoy their versions of "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart" by David and Jonathan (I think), "The Hammer Song" by The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" by Jimmy Webb. There's a lot of good stuff on here, is what I'm saying. We've reached the portion of this list where I've already gotten past all the albums I dislike and am now operating based on "which one do I like more than the rest". Kicking Against the Pricks is a good album, easily one of the best cover albums ever recorded in my opinion, but it's not even close to being the best in the Bad Seeds discography, hence why it's this low on the list. 6/10.
#12 - Nocturama
Nocturama. Oh, poor Nocturama. This album is somewhat infamous in the Bad Seeds fandom because a lot of people dislike it. I understand why people wouldn't like it, but I enjoy it quite a bit. I don't think this is a bad album at all. There are some really good highlights on here, I'm talking "Rock of Gibraltar", "Still In Love", "Bring It On", the latter of which is one of my favorite Bad Seeds songs in general. "Wonderful Life" acts as a pretty nice opener for the album, and the epic fourteen-minute "Babe, I'm On Fire" closes it out rather well. Yes, the lyrics on that song are absolute nonsense, but the instrumental and the overall manic vibe never fails to get me hyped up. Special mention should also go to "He Wants You", which I would also say is a hidden Bad Seeds gem. Cave hits a high note at the end and, unlike any of the ones he did in No More Shall We Part, it doesn't sound like he's hurting his voice to do it. This album does have it's flaws however, which is probably why the reception was so bad. I don't much care for the songs "Dead Man in My Bed" or "Right Out of Your Hand". The former has easily the worst mix of the whole album and it's borderline unlistenable, and the latter is one of the most bland and uneventful songs I've ever heard from Nick Cave. Neither are particularly memorable. I will say, though, I kinda like "There Is a Town". It's got a nice homely vibe to it. So yeah, unpopular opinion alert: Nocturama is a really overhated album. It isn't the strongest Bad Seeds record for sure, but it has more merits than people give it credit for. I like it a lot, and so does Nick. Give it another try, you might enjoy it. 6/10.
#11 - Tender Prey
Gotta be honest: This one almost made the top ten for me, but I think the ones I've placed above it all just slightly edge past it in terms of quality. That being said, though, Tender Prey is a classic. This album gave the world some of Cave's most well-known and beloved tracks, like "New Morning" and "Deanna". And even some of the lesser known cuts are still great, like "Sugar Sugar Sugar" and "City of Refuge". And, of course, how can I forget about "The Mercy Seat"? It's one of Cave's signature songs, it's the song the band performs live the most often according to their website, Johnny Cash covered it and it was great. "The Mercy Seat" is timeless. The piano hits are dark and chilling, the buzzing bassline makes my spine tingle, Cave's storytelling on this track is top notch, and the final moments of the song when the chorus repeats as the instrumental reaches peak intensity? Absolutely masterful. That's not to say there aren't some weaker tracks on this record, though. "Watching Alice" is one I'm not too keen on, for instance. I like the calm vibe of the instrumental, but the mix makes everything sounds so blown out that it's difficult to fully enjoy what I'm hearing. Another track I'm not a big fan of is "Sunday's Slave". The drum and piano patterns sound ever so slightly out of time with everything else. It's not immediately noticeable, but you won't be able to unhear it when you do. I more or less feel indifferent about "Mercy" and "Slowly Goes the Night". There's aspects of both that I enjoy, but they didn't leave that big of an impact on me overall. MVP award for Tender Prey goes to "Up Jumped the Devil" for sure, though. That song is awesome. I could easily see this song being used as the villain's theme in a movie. Tender Prey is a classic, but I do think Cave has released albums of higher quality, which is why is just barely scrapes under the top ten. 7/10.
#10 - The Good Son
I don't know if there's any relation to the Macaulay Culkin movie of the same name, but, either way you spin it, The Good Son is a very good album. This was the first album Cave made after he kicked his heroin addiction, and the triumphant vibe of the project is fantastic. Right from the very first track, "Foi Na Cruz", you know this is gonna be a very different style of album. As far as that song goes: I do like it, but I feel like the amount of chorus repeats makes it feel really repetitive. And then there's "Lament", which has the same problems. The amount of chorus repeats becomes a little monotonous, but the fact that this particular chorus is easily the best one in the whole album makes me able to look past it this time. Now, the main thing of note with this album is the amount of "The ____ Song" songs. You've got "The Witness Song", which is a really groovy tune that sounds like something you'd hear in an old Disney movie. You've got "The Weeping Song" (easily my favorite of the four), which features Blixa Bargeld joining Nick for a very lovely duet. Then there's "The Hammer Song" (not to be confused with the "Hammer Song" they covered in Kicking Against the Pricks), which tells a pretty interesting prodigal son story, but once again falls into the "too many repeating choruses" trap. And, arguably the most well-known of the four, there's "The Ship Song", which is easily one of the most beautiful love songs Cave has ever written. Speaking of beauty, the title track of this album is absolutely immaculate. The strings you hear occasionally throughout are gorgeous, the chanting of "one more man gone" has just drilled itself into my brain, and Cave's vocals are at their best in this track. It's just a shame that I have no strong feelings one way or the other about the tracks "Sorrow's Child" and "Lucy", because that, along with the repetitive chorus bug that bit most of the songs on here, is the only thing stopping me from putting this album any higher on the list than right here. 7/10.
#9 - The Boatman's Call
And now, we come to one of the more iconic releases in the Bad Seeds discography: The Boatman's Call. This album gave us two of the most beloved songs of Cave's career. You have "People Ain't No Good" (you've heard it on the Shrek 2 soundtrack), which features a soft and moody piano melody, an almost depressed-sounding drum pattern, and one of Cave's best vocal performances to date as he sorrowfully sings about fake friends. And then there's "Into My Arms", which is a hauntingly beautiful piano ballad that tells the story of an Atheist that falls in love with a Christian. Nick has written about God, Jesus, and religion quite a lot over the years, but this is definitely the most intimately he's ever touched the subject. As for the lesser-known tracks (i.e. the rest of them), I really enjoy a lot of them. "(Are You) The One That I've Been Waiting For?", "Far From Me", and "Where Do We Go Now But Nowhere?" are all examples of how great Cave's songwriting abilities can be. To be honest, though, I don't like the songs "Black Hair" and "Green Eyes" at all, the latter of which is easily one of my least favorite Bad Seeds songs altogether. It's really annoying. I feel very indifferent about "Brompton Oratory" as well. The instrumental is very nice, and the vocal melody is catchy as well, but the lyrics aren't the strongest, and Nick sounds bored out of his mind while singing it. It's not bad at all, but I'd be fine with never listening to it again. I do find "There is a Kingdom" to be interesting, though, mostly because it directly contradicts "Into My Arms" multiple times. Pretty decent song, though. And, to end on a positive note, "Lime Tree Arbour" and "West Country Girl" are both really good. Lyrically, vocally, and instrumentally, these two tracks are awesome. Into the playlist they go. 7.5/10.
#8 - Ghosteen
The most recent Bad Seeds outing as of the day this blog went up, 2019's Ghosteen is up next. It is the third in a trilogy of albums (the other two being Push the Sky Away and Skeleton Tree), according to Cave himself, and it's also a pretty good album on top of it all. I liked it a lot. Having said that, I don't think it starts off with its best foot forward. "Spinning Song", the opening track, isn't too bad. It's a nice spoken word passage about Elvis and his legacy, but the annoying instrumental and the fact that Cave never rhymes a single time brings it down heavily to me. The next track, "Bright Horses", is very good, though. I love the vocalizations heard in the background in the middle of the song, the lyrics are well-written (save for the lack of rhymes for the most part), the piano sounds nice. This song is gorgeous. And that's a running theme with Ghosteen: For the most part, every song is absolutely beautiful to listen to. There's a really raw sense of grief present with this album that would normally make a project hard to listen to, but thankfully the pretty instrumentals don't turn me away. There's also not a whole lot of drumming present on this album, which I like, and I'm assuming that the title is referring to Cave's late son Arthur? Ghost-teen? Ghosteen? It makes sense, if it is. If that is the case, then I get the feeling that "Ghosteen Speaks" might be an attempt to communicate with Arthur one more time? Whatever the case is, it's a really pretty song. I love the lyrics and the backing choir vocals a whole lot. The tracks "Waiting for You", "Fireflies", and "Sun Forest" are also just breathtaking to listen to. This album, overall, is wonderful, but I do have some gripes: For starters, "Leviathan" is pretty repetitive, at least lyrically. I also think that "Hollywood" goes on a bit too long. Don't get me wrong, the emotion in Cave's vocals and his lyrics are great, but there's not much else about it that makes the 14 minute runtime justified. The falsetto he goes into for the ending portions also sounds kinda bad, in my opinion. The track does tell a very interesting story, though. The instrumental on "Galleon Ship" is a little annoying, I think. That's really where my criticisms end, though. The title track is wonderful in every way. I really like "Night Raid", too. Ghosteen is a gorgeous LP from front to back and, even though it has its flaws, I think it is very much worth checking out. 7.5/10.
#7 - Henry's Dream
I'm sure this will be a sorta controversial placement if any Bad Seeds fans comes across this, given how Henry's Dream is widely regarded as the best of the discography. And, you know what? I can definitely see why that is! This album is great. This is the album that gave the world "Straight to You", which is a song I hold very dearly to my heart. I love the organs heard throughout, it features some of Cave's best lyricism to date, the guitar sounds really nice, Cave's vocal performance is great. I love this song a lot. "I Had a Dream, Joe", "When I First Came to Town", and "Jack the Ripper" are also really good songs, they're highlights of Cave's entire career. I will say, though, as beloved as this album is, "Papa Won't Leave You, Henry" is not a good start to it. I'm really not too keen on that song at all, and I feel absolutely indifferent towards "Christina the Astonishing". The story is nicely-told and I like the guitar part, but the song doesn't do much else for me. And, as far as the lesser known tracks go, they're very hit or miss for me. "Brother, My Cup is Empty" is definitely a hidden gem from this record. I love the drumming a lot, the chorus is catchy, the whole song has a really nice upbeat vibe to it, the lyrics are nice. This song rocks. Alternatively, "Loom of the Land" is kinda bland. The instrumental is nice, and so is Cave's vocals, but there's not much else that I'd say is memorable about this track. "John Finn's Wife" is a decent track, I think. I have no idea who John Finn is, but the story is pretty interesting and the strings sound lovely. I can easily see why Henry's Dream is so highly regarded, it's a very enjoyable record. It has some very good legacy tracks on it, and most of the more underground songs are fun as well. I would've probably never heard of "Brother, My Cup is Empty" had it not been for me binging the album to do this blog, so that's good. I really enjoy this album. 8/10.
#6 - Let Love In
Another of the more iconic releases in the Bad Seeds lineup, Let Love In is next on the list. Just to get it out of the way, since it's easily the most popular track on here, "Red Right Hand" is great. It's arguably Cave's signature song, it's been used in movies and TV shows like Scream and Peaky Blinders, it doesn't sound like anything else on this album. It's as popular and recognizable as it is for a reason, that reason being that it's an awesome track. It's dark, it's eerie, Cave sounds great on it, the lyrics tell a very creepy story, it's got a really cleanly-produced instrumental. This track is awesome, and the rest of the tracks are pretty good for the most part as well! For example, "Loverman" is a very groovy slice of rock and roll. I love the more chilled out, slowed down vibe of the verses, but then it explodes into this grand, heavy chorus, and I think the blend of the two differing sounds is done really nicely. "Nobody's Baby Now" and "Ain't Gonna Rain Anymore" are both pretty decent tracks that have similar themes. The first of the two has a really good vocal performance by Cave, but, ultimately, these two tracks are just okay. I really like "Thirsty Dog", though. I don't know who that one is about, but I would hate to be them right now. I felt the "I'm sorry that I exist" lyric in my soul, also. And then there's the two-part "Do You Love Me?" that starts and ends the album respectively. I really enjoy part one. The instrumental is nice, the chorus is catchy, Cave's voice sounds good, it's decently-written. It's a good start to the album. Part two has a very weird mix, the guitar sounds like it was recorded from behind a thin wall and then they just left it like that when it came time to mix and master it. Apart from that, though, it's a pretty solid continuation, and a nice way to end the record. I'm not too keen on "Jangling Jack", to be honest. I think it's the weakest track on the album by far. The title track is pretty good, though. It has a really good instrumental, some catchy vocal melodies, well-written lyrics, a clean mix. It's a good song! "Lay Me Low" is okay. I don't really have any strong feelings one way or another towards it, I just think it's okay. It doesn't hurt the album by being on it, but it also doesn't do much for it. It's decent. All in all, Let Love In is a super solid album. I'll forever love it because it gave us "Red Right Hand". 8/10.
#5 - Murder Ballads
Released a few months shy of two years after Let Love In, next up we have the wonderfully-titled Murder Ballads. The title is a very accurate description of the contents of the record. Nick writes about death and killing a lot in his songs, but this LP houses some of the darkest examples of it. Every song tells the story of some sort of death, most of the time being in the form of a murder. For example, "Stagger Lee". I really, really like this song. The eerie instrumental, the darkly comedic lyrics, Cave's quasi-rap vocal delivery, the outro with Blixa's unhinged screaming. It's a perfect song to describe the tone of this record, that tone being chaos. Another very good one is "O'Malley's Bar". This is a good example of a long Nick Cave song done well. It's fourteen-and-a-half minutes long, but it doesn't drag. I'm captivated enough by the story and the lyrics that I want to keep going and see what happens next. Honestly, someone could probably make a really interesting short film about this song's story. This album is also a very rare example of the Bad Seeds collaborating with other artists. Firstly, there's "Henry Lee" with PJ Harvey. This is a very good duet! Their voices blend together nicely, the lyrics are well-written, the music video is perfect campy goodness. The instrumental is a little bland, but that's the only thing wrong with it. Secondly, and most famously, is "Where the Wild Roses Grow" with Kylie Minogue. This might honestly be my favorite song on the whole album. The strings are beautiful, Cave and Kylie have very good vocal chemistry, it's very well-written, and God is it dark. It's super dark, but that's why I love it. And lastly is the cover of Bob Dylan's "Death is Not the End" that closes the album out. Not only does this track being back Harvey and Kylie, but it also adds on Anita Lane and Shane MacGowan, as well as (at the time) Bad Seeds members Blixa Bargeld and Thomas Wylder. I think it's a very fun cover. A little sloppy in execution at times, but I do enjoy it for what it tries to do. It's a really good way of ending the record, so that's good. There aren't a whole lot of songs on here that I don't think are some form of good. Just to get them out of the way, I'm not too big on "Crow Jane" or "Lovely Creature". The former admittedly has a very fun, bouncy groove to the instrumental, but it doesn't leave that big of an impact on me. Same goes for "Lovely Creature", honestly. It's not a bad song at all, it's just not one of my favorites. Alternatively, "The Kindness of Strangers" (not to be confused with "Stranger Than Kindness") is very good. "The Curse of Millhaven" is also very enjoyable, if a little muddily mixed. Major props to the choir backing vocals, though, y'all killed it. And "Song of Joy" is the perfect opener for this album. The dark, eerie vibe sets the tone for the album wonderfully. Murder Ballads, all in all, is a very solid addition to the Bad Seeds lineup. "Where the Wild Roses Grow" turned 25 years old recently, apparently, which makes me feel very old. 8.5/10.
#4 - Skeleton Tree
From one dark album to another, welcome to Skeleton Tree. This 2016 release came directly off the heels of a tragedy that struck Cave's family: On July 14th of 2015, Nick's son Arthur unfortunately lost his life in an accidental fall from a cliff. He was only 15-years-old. At the time of his death, most of Skeleton Tree had already been written and recorded, but Cave ended up rewriting a lot of it to reflect his state of mind following his son's demise. Because of this, this album is one of the most difficult things I've ever had to sit through in my entire life. There's only eight tracks, it just barely scrapes under forty minutes in length, but good God. The emotion that this album brings forth in such a relatively short runtime is nothing short of incredible. The minimalistic artwork, the more ambient production, the heavier reliance on synthesizers and loops than previous Bad Seeds albums had, Skeleton Tree is not trying to hide anything. It wants you to feel, and I can't think of a song where that feeling is better emulated than "I Need You". Jesus line-dancing Christ, this song is not easy to listen to. The gorgeous "ooh" backing vocals, the punchy symbols in the drum section, the obvious pain in Cave's voice. It's absolutely harrowing. I think I prefer the way the song sounds in the music video, which is a live performance of the song taken from the One More Time With Feeling documentary, but still. This is a wonderful song. "Distant Sky" is my favorite song on this record by far. The synths sound great, Else Torp's guest appearance is amazing, the lyrics are well-written. Mark my words, I'm going to cover this song one day. One of the few tracks that I'm not really a fan of with this album is "Magneto". The piano is lovely, but it doesn't really mix into the rest of the instrumental all that well and really sticks out because of it, and Cave once again gives his all into the vocals, but it ultimately just doesn't grab me as much as the rest of the album does. The emotion is definitely very much apparent, however. And I have the same feelings towards "Anthrocene". The quick drum pattern is annoying and sounds very off-tempo, the piano once again sticks out due to the kind of wonky mix, but, again, the emotion is clear as crystal. Even in the songs I don't come back to all that often, I still find the depressing tone incredibly effective. You can feel how destroyed Cave is with every lyric, with some more good examples of this being "Girl in Amber" and "Rings of Saturn". The opening track, "Jesus Alone", is a solid starting point. I think the high-pitched backing vocal passage heard throughout is very annoying, and the word salad lyrics kinda get in the way of the mood at points, but it sets the tone of the album perfectly. From the very beginning, you know what you're in for. And the title track, which is also the closing track, is great. It's the most upbeat-sounding of all the tracks, which I like. I'm glad that this monster of a depression ride ends on a somewhat hopeful note. It's almost cathartic to hear those upbeat synths after seven tracks of pure dread. Skeleton Tree, as a whole, is not a perfect album, but I don't really think it needed to be. It does exactly what it sets out to do, which is make the listener cry. I recommend checking it out, but, if you're gonna listen to it, definitely have some tissues ready. You're gonna need them. 9/10.
#3 - Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus
Up next is a much happier project: The 2004 double album, Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus. Being a double album, this LP exists in two parts. Part one, Abattoir Blues, is much heavier in production, and part two, The Lyre of Orpheus, is much softer in production. With some exceptions, of course. Harry Potter fans might recognize the "O Children" song from the tent dance scene in Deathly Hallows: Part 1. Remember that weird song about trains that played while Harry and Hermione slow-danced? Yeah, that's Nick Cave. "O Children" is the song that closes the entire project out, and I think it's a very fitting closer. The punchy drums, the lovely piano, Cave's moody vocals, the story, all of it comes together to produce a great song. I also really like "Easy Money" for that catchy up-down-up-down piano loop, and the mix on "Nature Boy" is spot-on. "Breathless" is beautifully-written, although the flute part is a little too ambitious at times. "Spell" easily has the catchiest chorus out of the whole album, and "There She Goes, My Beautiful World" is also a marvel to listen to. "Cannibal's Hymn" is very loud, a bit too loud at times, but still massively enjoyable. I would say the exact same thing about "Get Ready for Love" as well. "Fable of the Brown Ape" feels like a pretty cool Blixa tribute to me, given how this album is the first one released after he left the band, and I think the song is okay. The metaphors are pretty neat at times, and I really love how the instrumental crescendos at the "so long, farewell" parts, but I otherwise feel somewhat indifferent towards the song. "Supernaturally" is another song I have no strong feelings one way or the other about. The lyrics are a little corny at times, the instrumental is weirdly mixed at times. It's not a bad song, but it's one of the weaker tracks for sure. I gotta say, though, I was pleasantly surprised by "Let the Bells Ring" and "Hiding All Away". I had never heard of these songs until now, but I ended up really enjoying both of them. "Messiah Ward" is also a pretty catchy tune, I like the mixture of the backing choir and the distortion guitar, it's very intriguing lyrically, Cave's vocals are nice. Yet another hidden gem that I wouldn't have known about if I hadn't done this blog. I have the exact same feelings, minus the guitar bit, about "Carry Me", and I also find "Babe, You Turn Me On" to be pretty enjoyable. As far as the two title tracks go, I think "Abattoir Blues" is more enjoyable than "The Lyre of Orpheus", but that's honestly like comparing green apples to red apples. I like them both, is what I'm getting at. Overall, this album is wonderful. It features one of Cave's most popular tracks, as well as some really strong deep cuts. This is also the first album of his I ever listened to in full, so it has a special place in my heart for that alone. This is a great LP. 9/10.
#2 - Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!
Having come off the heels of the debut Grinderman album, Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! definitely feels like a collection of Grinderman b-sides. That is in no way a bad thing, though. This album is awesome! Right from the opening track, which is also the title track, this album rocks. "Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!" is a banger of a rock song, complete with punchy drums, a snazzy organ loop, Cave's spoken word delivery, a very catchy refrain that acts as a chorus. I love it. It's followed up beautifully by "Today's Lesson", which has one of the coolest riffs I've ever heard in a song. I also really like the parts where it sounds like the guitarist flails his hands across the strings, and the outro is so good. Another massive highlight for me is "We Call Upon the Author". It sees Cave delivering his lines almost like an auctioneer or a preacher, and I love the breaks in-between the verses where it sounds like the band recorded traffic passing by. It's a really solid way to transition from one section to the next. "Night of the Lotus Eaters" features a very creepy vibe that I love a lot, but I'm not too keen on how repetitious the bass loop is. It'd be different if it were more than four notes, but it's not. It lasts like two seconds, and it plays non-stop through the entire nearly five-minute track. It's especially awkward at around the 4:00 mark, when the drum pattern clashes with the loop in a way that sounds almost arrhythmic. That's the only thing holding this song back, though. Another one that I feel doesn't quite hit the mark is "Albert Goes West". I love the electric guitar that you hear throughout, but a lot of the lyrics are a little weird. It's almost made up for with Cave's great vocals, though. This is another song that only has a single objective thing holding it back. I love "Moonland", though. The speedy cymbal hits that almost sound like hihats, the guitars on the chorus, Cave's vocals. This song is great. Also, I really feel the "it must be nice to know that somebody needs you" lyric, probably a bit too much. "Midnight Man" is also one I enjoy quite a lot, and I found myself liking "Lie Down Here (& Be My Girl)" a bit despite having never heard it before. Conversely, "More News from Nowhere" is a song I find to be just okay. Not good, not bad. It's the weakest track of the bunch, which is a little bit of a disappointment considering it's the closing track. I do enjoy "Hold On to Yourself" a lot, though. The (what sounds like a) sitar is a nice addition to the instrumental. And "Jesus of the Moon" is definitely a highlight as well. The structure is a little basic, but everything else is very enjoyable. The chorus, the flute, Cave's voice, the lyrics. This is a good track, and Dig is a great album. There's very little things wrong with it, this record rocks. 9.5/10.
#1 - Push the Sky Away
And, finally, we arrive at what I firmly believe is the Bad Seeds album to date: Push the Sky Away. Released in early 2013, breaking a nearly five-year-long new music silence after the release of Dig (not including the 2008 live album they did), this LP is absolutely breathtaking to listen to. It's been my personal favorite Bad Seeds studio album for quite some time. It isn't the first one I listened to from front to back, but it is the one that means the most to me, and that all starts with the opening track. "We No Who U R" is easily one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard, at least sonically. With it's calming bassline, the plucky bells that you hear as the main melody, Cave's subdued vocals, and the creepy yet oddly soothing lyricism. This has been one my favorite Bad Seeds song for a long time, and for very good reason. The chilled out vibe is followed up perfectly by the second track, "Wide Lovely Eyes". The piano is pretty, the synths that play when the chorus hits are lovely, and I'll even give credit to the piece of percussion that sounds like something is being scrubbed against a washboard. It's just about the same length as the bass loop in Dig's "Night of the Lotus Eaters", but it's just varied in melody and tempo enough that it doesn't become annoying. Easily the biggest highlight from Push is "Jubilee Street", with it's low-fi guitar chord progression, the simple yet effective drum pattern, an explosive outro, Cave's always compelling storytelling and worldbuilding he does with his lyrics. I would kill to see this song played live. Alternatively, arguably the strangest addition to the tracklist, there's "Finishing Jubilee Street". What makes this song different from the majority of Cave's previous discography is that it seems to be written from his own perspective as opposed to a character he's created. In it, he muses about finishing the writing process for the "Jubilee Street" track, falling asleep, and being very effected by the dream he has. It's a little weird, but the way Cave presents the lyrics makes it very compelling. This is the part of this section where I tell you that this album has zero bad tracks. "Water's Edge" is a very eerie tune that reads like an attempt to raise awareness of sexual assault, "Mermaids" is a soothing look into Cave's spiritual faith and the joys of young love, the title track is a lovely track about living your live to the fullest even if you feel lie you've done everything. "We Real Cool" is yet another track about faith and religion, although this one seems to come from a more nihilistic standpoint. "Higgs Boson Blues" is another longtime favorite of mine. I will say that I prefer the version of the song heard in the music video, but the album version is also great. I love the backing vocals, the simple yet groovy guitar pattern, and Cave's unhinged vocals that sound like he didn't have a melody in mind and he's just winging it are also appreciated. I genuinely have no idea what Cave is trying to say with the lyrics, but I can't ignore the presentation and uniqueness of the whole thing. It's word salad, but it's tasty word salad. And it's not like Cave always has a clear and concise message when he writes. This more unusual, almost random collage of lyrics is right at home with Cave's style. I welcome it either way, cause I usually really enjoy the mental images he paints with his lyrics. That's honestly a good way to describe this whole album, now that I think about it. Push the Sky Away doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but the presentation makes it one of the most fascinating and beautiful pieces of music I've ever had the joy to listen to. I'm a sucker for a good ambient record, also, and this certainly is that. I understand why people wouldn't like it, but I love it. 10/10.
