FluxEuropa has suspended active
publication and no longer requires items for review. The site
is, however, being maintained as an archive and you can still
post to the Gigboard and order Amazon products which helps to
subsidise its continuation.
Murder Ballads (1996) differed from the previous releases because
there were numerous guest appearances including Kylie Minogue who
featured on the number eleven hit single duet, 'Where The Wild Roses Grow'
and Polly Harvey (of P J Harvey) on another included single,
'Henry Lee'. Other appearances included Katherine Blake (Miranda
Sex Garden), Shane MacGowan, James Johnston (Gallon
Drunk), and one-time Bad Seed and ex-Nick Cave girlfriend, Anita
Lane, doing a bit of crying on 'The Kindness of Strangers' - a personal
favourite of mine!
The final track 'Death Is Not The End' is the most interesting as far
as collaborations go as Polly Harvey, Shane MacGowan, Kylie Minogue, Anita
Lane, Bad Seeds Thomas Wydler and Blixa Bargeld, and of course Nick Cave
himself, all sing a verse of this Bob Dylan song.
Each song tells a gripping tale of killing and death. 'Stagger Lee'
is the most brutal song sung by Nick Cave so far and includes the words
Mother F***** quite frequently!
Nick Cave still cannot be pigeon-holed. He is often called a crooner,
but no crooner screams as Nick does on 'Stagger Lee'. Murder Ballads
has a Country feel to it but this is just one of many of Nick Cave and
The Bad Seeds' styles. Maybe there's been a bit of a gothic tag to the
image of Nick over the years and a lot of goths attend the gigs, but the
music does not fit the goth category in any way. After thirteen years
Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds stand out alone and that's the way it should
stay.
THE BOATMAN'S CALL
The Boatman's Call (1997) is a much more low key affair and all
of the songs tend to be pretty mellow. The depth in Nick Cave's voice
and his lyrics convey some powerful emotions, making his slower stuff
equally if not more mindblowing than the faster heavier material. This
is the first album of completely slow songs and, if you are in the right
frame of mind for it, prepare to be captivated for over fifty minutes.
It starts with the single 'Into My Arms' (where the only accompaniment
for Nick's voice is piano and bass) which is simply beautiful. Equally
so is '(are you) The One I've Been Waiting For'. There's even two tracks
about Polly Harvey: 'West Country Girl' and 'Black Hair' it seems she
certainly made some impression on ole Nick! The lyrics tend to be much
more personal and the usual chilling stories are absent but it's not venturing
into completely new terriorty as this was the case on stuff like 'The
Ship Song' (from The Good Son).
DISCOGRAPHY
From Her to Eternity CD/LP STUMM17, 1984 The First Born Is Dead CD/LP/C STUMM21,1985 Kicking Against The Pricks CD/LP/C STUMM28, 1986 Your Funeral My Trial CD/DLP/C STUMM34, 1986 Tender Prey CD/LP STUMM52, 1988 The Good Son CD/LP STUMM76, 1990 Henry's Dream CD/LP/C STUMM96, 1992 Live Seeds CD STUMM122, 1993 Let Love In CD/LP/C STUMM123, 1994 Murder Ballads CD/LP/C STUMM138, 1996 The Boatman's Call CD/LP/C STUMM142, 1997
Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds are with Mute
Records, 429 Harrow Road, London W10 4RE.
