The Boatman's Call
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
1997
Album Summary
The Boatman's Call is the tenth studio album by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, released in 1997. The album is entirely piano-based, alternately somber and romantic in mood, making it a marked departure from the bulk of the band's post-punk catalogue up to that point. The Boatman's Call remains one of the most critically acclaimed releases of Nick Cave's career.
WikipediaIf Tom Waits sang Leonard Cohen songs. Like Cohen, there's a deep spirituality entwined with male sexuality that I like in this. Such a smooth voice. Favourite track: "People Ain't No Good"
Probably my favourite Nick Cave record, as he goes with sparse production and really intimate and cathartic lyrics. Great piano work from Cave and the atmosphere from the Bad Seeds fits the mood of the songs perfectly. Fav Tracks: Into My Arms, Lime Tree Arbour, There Is A Kingdom, Brompton Oratory
Very interesting album, not what I expeected from Nick Cave (or the album cover). Has a very powerful mood.
I had heard some of these songs before, but a very different side of Nick Cave. Standout is "Into My Arms" but lots of great songs. Shout out to "There is a Kingdom" which replaced "Icky Thump" by The White Stripes in the Snyder Cut
Not bad, but not really for me. Feels like the music equivalent of those oscar-winning movies that people like because they feel like they should. Honestly was a bit of a slog.
One of my favourite albums from one of my favourite people on the planet that I am more than a little obsessed with. I am totally biased. This album is beautiful, full of wonder, peaceful and just lovely. This album and I are friends.
A diamond in the rough, a postman in the buff. A lolly left unlicked, a vote card left unticked. A raging bull, a rotting skull, a local paedo on the pull. A twisted nipple, a raspberry ripple a coked up alchy having one more tipple. A brutal rape, Professor Snape, a broken world we can't escape. Goodnight my dear. Goodnight.
The Boatman's Call is the tenth studio album by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, released in 1997. The album is entirely piano-based, alternately somber and romantic in mood, making it a marked departure from the bulk of the band's post-punk catalogue. The Boatman's Call remains one of the most critically acclaimed releases of Nick Cave's career. Cave performed "Into My Arms" at the 1997 funeral of INXS vocalist Michael Hutchence, an old friend from Cave's youth, and requested that the TV cameras be shut off for his performance out of respect for Hutchence.
I get the appear, sad songs are sad. Not sure if I needed a whole CD of this though. Much like Leonard Cohen, I'm sure there's lots of good lyrics here but don't have the patience to keep track of it.
Series Scott Walker Vibes. Pretty dark and broading album. It fely like a heavy blanket on the ears. No uplifting or quick beats; just there.
The first song was pretty good, which got my hopes up. The rest of it was /r/im14andthisisdeep dominionist bullshit sung slowly with a piano
I like Nick Cave when he rocks, but I found this balladeering album pretentious crap (I feel un-australian saying that!). Into my arms is lovely, the rest of it I could do without
4/10. I had the soundtrack for Shrek 2 on CD in my car for a while, and almost always skipped "People Ain't No Good" because it was so damn long and mopey. And this album was a good deal longer than that song. Lyrically I don't mind it, but it's just not fun to listen to.
This is the most boring album that I’ve ever been punished with. Every song had the same formula: 1/2 BPM + sad piano + snare + be boring.
Just utterly pathetic. Dog water shit trash fucking ugly Nick Cave making me irrationally angry on a Tuesday afternoon. Still somehow doesn’t deserve a one because Korn was that bad. 2/10
I love this album so very much. Into My Arms is one of my favourite songs ever, it's magnificent. People Ain't No Good and Far From Me are also perfect songs. WHAT AN ALBUM
Incredible deep voice. Light jazzy backdrop. Fave songs: There is a Kingdom, West Country Girl
Großartig! Mit Kompensation für eine 1sterne Bewertung für das Punk Projekt von Bock Cave reicht es für
One of my favourite albums from one of my favourite people on the planet that I am more than a little obsessed with. I am totally biased. This album is beautiful, full of wonder, peaceful and just lovely. This album and I are friends.
кайфоый голос, кайовые гармонии, особый вайб, немного альтернативные аранжировки, лёгкий романтический звук
that was a really cool album I don’t think I have any complaints? plenty of diversity, beautiful compositions, great vocals, just an all around awesome album 10/10
De unieke stem van Nick Cave past volkomen bij dit type songs. Ik zong ook mee met nummers die ik nog nooit hoorde en genoot van de muziek tegelijkertijd. Topalbum
At the time I would rated this album as a 4. Excellent but not as good as other Nick Cave albums. Now after relistening to it, I think it is a clear 5.
I don't believe in an interventionist God But I know, darling, that you do But if I did I would kneel down and ask Him Not to intervene when it came to you Not to touch a hair on your head To leave you as you are And if He felt He had to direct you Then direct you into my arms
My favorite album from one of my favorite musicians. Truly a gifted artist at his best.
It may have first come to my attention in a silly rom-com film about time travel, but Into My Arms always hits me in the feels. The same applies to much of this album thanks to its poetic lyrics over sparse, piano-led instrumentation. Other favourite tracks are Lime Tree Arbour, People Ain't no Good, and Far From Me. These have a thematic link of Cave considering unpleasant truths about humanity (suffering is inevitable and people have an inherent badness), and being able to accept these thanks to feeling love and goodness in another person. The vulnerability that results from relying on personal happiness and love to block out the drakenss in the wider world is an interesting theme to explore. I get less from the rest of the album, which comprises more insular songs of heartbreak. However, these remain heartfelt, poetic and bleakly beautiful. 4.5/5
Of sorglet ekki búinn að hlusta en það þyði að þetta se gott (fyrsta lagið: hyd coverið - funny coinkidink)
This album sounds like an old fashioned under a tree, feeling the breeze of a hot summer day.
One of my favorite albums, one of my favorite artists. Highlights: Into My Arms, People Ain't No Good, Brompton Oratory, Where Do We Go Now But Nowhere?, Idiot Prayer. Special mention to the video for (Are You)The One That I've Been Waiting For? as an excuse to make heart eyes at Blixa.
An absolutely gorgeous album, capturing Nick Cave at his poetic, melodic best. Into My Arms is my favourite Nick Cave song and one of the best piano ballads in music history. Beautiful beautiful beautiful. And there are many strong, gorgeous song on this masterpiece. 5 🌟
A complaint I've seen pretty regularly in these reviews is that the songs on a given album are "samey" and I've made that complaint before myself. Sometimes though that's not such a bad thing and in this case I wouldn't even think about changing anything. Maybe the best thing Cave's ever done.
This album gives us a more stripped down Nick Cave with the focus clearly on the voice. The album in contemplative and centers around themes of relationships, spirituality, and the loss of both. There is a rawness that makes listening to this album somewhat of a voyeuristic experience. The lyrics are repetitive and obsessive (Black Hair), reflecting the disordered thinking that occurs in the wake of an ended relationship. It is uncomfortable at times to listen to, but it's real, and that is no small feat. The biggest drawback is its length, but it feels appropriate for the ruminating nature of this album.
J'avais toujours résisté à Nick Cave (pourquoi?), mais force m'est d'admettre que cet album est exactement dans mes cordes et que j'ai adoré la musique, la voix, les paroles.
In the context of nick cave's discog this is not my fav but even middle of the road nick cave album is great.
6/4 Beautifully somber. Standout Tracks: Into My Arms, Brompton Oratory, Where Do We Go Now But Nowhere?, Black Hair, Idiot Prayer, Green Eyes
Love Nick Cave. "Into my arms" and "Are you the one that I've been waiting for" are classics.
After all the ups and downs of complying to the list, along comes Nick Cave to make me feel at home again. I love him, I love this album, though he has many that are superior to this. Beautiful album, full of little works of art. It's like being held by an old friend.
Yes Cressey the first track was very very good. Rest was pretty good as well. Think I preferred the murder ballads though
i didn’t know what to expect, really. It came out left field for me, but i found it emotional and harrowing.
The boatman’s call is a sexy seagull singing one kiss by Dua Lipa. This album is still a solid 4. Low-key falls off but cmon.
It’s good. The songs are strong. I just wish there were more changes in tone. It gets a little samey after a while.
Loved this album so much more than the last Nick Cave. A lot less strange and much more mellow.
Angrer fortsatt på at jeg ikke kom meg på Nick Cave i Oslo Spektrum i 2017. Flott album, men ikke helt på murder ballads-nivå.
"No God up in the sky No devil beneath the sea Could do the job that you did, baby Of bringing me to my knees Outside I sit on the stone steps With nothing much to do Forlorn and exhausted, baby By the absence of you" (Brompton Oratory) "Out of sorrow entire worlds have been built Out of longing great wonders have been willed" ((Are you) The one that I've been waiting for?) Este disco es súper cursi y súper de querer tirarse por la ventana, pero supongo que una cosa se complementa con la otra y me gusta un montón.
Probably the most Gorgeous album from Nick Cave. Most of the songs could have been a single. Wonderful Sunday morning listening. Only Criticism is it’s a little one paced and maybe a touch long. 4/5
Thoroughly enjoyable Sunday afternoon listening. I was completing a 500 piece puzzle listening to the boatman’s call. Nice. 4/5
Really enjoyed. Thought his voice might grate on me after a while but it didn’t. Class lyrics.
First time listening to a Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds album and it was surprisingly good.
The album overall is very laid back and melancholy. I like most of the songs but some of them bother me for basically no reason. I don't like the melody on Lime Tree Arbour or the spoken part on Green Eyes. I also found it a bit boring at parts. I can see why people love it but it it's not my favorite. That being said there are still songs like Where Do We Go Now But Nowhere? are really good and overall it's a good album. I liked it more on the second listen but I'm not in the mood for it right now so it is probably better than I'm giving it credit for. Favorite Songs: Into My Arms, Brompton Oratory, There is a Kingdom, Where Do We Go Now But Nowhere?, Idiot Prayer Least Favorite Songs: Lime Tree Arbour, Green Eyes Strong 7/10
Mooi, indrukwekkende nummers vol verdriet en een sprankje hoop. "Where do we go now but nowhere"
I liked this. A lot. It appeals to like the 10% goth in me. How have I been sleeping on Nick Cave dude?
This is the first time hearing this album for me and I was struck by the minimalist approach of which beautifully put the focus on the lyrics that seem to focus on a difficult time in Cave's life and relationship. The piano based album combined with his singiing set somewhat of a romantic mood to the songs. Really enjoyed this album. Very sparse. Very raw. Very beautiful. Loved the first song.
I like this alot idk why i jsut do the second track is pretty cool and jazzy but the whole album is good 8/10
The Boatman's Call has extremely strong parts, with hauntingly beautiful songs about love, religion, grief, and resentment. I love how the focus is on the intimacy of Cave's vocals, accompanied by a slow tempo and piano, which makes me never lose my focus on the story Cave is trying to tell. This changes a bit on the middle part of the record, where it changes towards a slightly less "epic' sound. Where minimalism is it's greatest strength, it also is this record's greatest weakness at times. While the first half of the record is significantly better than the last, it is enough to warrant a 4/5.
Look, it has some real bangers but it's bleak as shit and that just wasnt my vibe on that day.
I’m not the best guy to give you a rating for this. Because I FUCKING LOVE Nick Cave and the Seeds baby! 4 stars all day long and I’m taking one star off because I know some of you will listen and think “the fuck is this!”
Heard of this band several times. Yesterday I found out that I like them (or at least this version of them). I will have to checkout more of their discography as I understand they're pretty experimental.
Not a Nick Cave album that I have listened to fully before now - I really wanted to love this... but only liked it. I think it probably needs another few listens. The piano throughout is beautiful and the build up to strings towards the end create a cool musical narrative to the album. Into My Arms is the stunner, of course. Really enjoyed the Bass in Far From Me.
Very chill Good to relax to Nice piano Last song would be perf without that bad voice on top Cound listen to again
In the past, I've tried to get into Nick Cave and could not. I am delighted(?) to report that I am now world-weary and sad enough to really have enjoyed this album! The religious imagery poured out in the dreary drawl of Cave's voice makes for a collection of songs that feel important - sacred even.
Wow, this is absolutely lovely. Beautiful arrangements, minimalist and restrained. Striking lyrics, worth reading all on their own. It is a bit of a mood though to listen to, but today happens to be a gray, snowy day. It sounds pretty perfect. Fave Songs: West Country Girl, Lime Tree Arbour, Into My Arms, People Ain't No Good, Where Do We Go Now But Nowhere
Oh man this is one of those records I really liked, but also have to be in the mood for
Pretty good album with beautifully arranged ballads to dream away on. Cave's vocals are living dangerously at times when he is reaching for the higher notes, but there is a vulnerability and emotion in his performance that I can appreciate.
I had a depressed housemate that loved Nick Cave, I always found his voice drab & harsh. But it's good to revisit - he's a songwriter and a half. 'Into My Arms' is amazing. An entire album of his voice is challenging though.
Menee mulla samaan kategoriaan kuin Leonard Cohen = synkkä mies laulaa synkkyyksiä. Ihan hyvä siis.
Tämä iskeekin lujempaa nyt kuin teininä. Kauniit sanat ja sovitukset, joissa upeita yksityiskohtia. Lempparit Into My Arms, Lime Tree Arbour, Idiot Prayer ja Far from Me. Ja ah, harvoin on yhtä turvallinen olo kuin Nickin ääntä kuunnellessa. Varmaan muutaman vuoden päästä 5/5, nyt 4.5/5.
I really enjoyed this album. Seems like Nick Cave sang his heart and soul out. Very sad songs, and might be a great rainy day record.
Might have given it a 5 if he was still rocking his '80s mullet. He's Australian, why is he not wearing a mullet the flaming galah.
Moody. Direct, yet has many textures, from blues to jazz, which offer a revealing and sympathetic bed for the best, most affecting songs. The Boatman's Call is one of Cave's finest albums and arguably the masterpiece he had been promising throughout his career. Great face too.
Nick Cave immer Depri schön. Into my arms hammer Nummer. Zwischendurch ähneln sich die Lieder schon recht, Songs wie West Country Girl lockern auf. Toll
Nije među najboljima, ali definitivno je na mjestu dobrih albuma Nikice Špiljarića. Laganica piano sa lijepim laganim tonom glasa. Znam se često vratiti na: Into Your Arms, People Ain't No Good, West Country Girl i Brompton Oratory.
this is the album-for-dinner-parties album, and it's none the worse for it. Accessible, sensitive with a depth of lyrical content belying its accessible instrumentation. Still prefer him when he's angry though
TIL folk albums are (personally) more enjoyable as background music. I enjoyed this 52 minute set of moody songs. I guess it's so calming after listening to heavy metal and rave music in the past two days. I love the great voice, and the generic piano thingy. Another entry in the short (2 entries long, to be exact) list of folk (?) albums that I actually enjoyed.
Three stars, maybe? Four stars ? A landmark album for many but I'm not sure I'm totally sold on this one. I'm quite a fan of Nick Cave's middle period, and I remember that everyone was struck by this delicate record at the time it came out. But I think Cave has since "refined" his game when it comes to melancholic songs or performances on the piano. For the first, listen to *No More Shall We Part* (a longer and more meandering record, but far more satisfying overall). Or listen to the more recent *Skeleton Trees* and *Ghosteen*. And if you want to enjoy Cave as a piano performer, you can always spin that last solo live album of his. *The Boatman's Call* is still a nice record, though, with some very memorable tracks here and there ("Into My Arms" is a small gem, for instance). And it's well-produced and well-performed, of course. But I can't help feeling that the whole thing is a little too tame and rigid, and that not much is happening in a large chunk of these songs. Maybe this bareness is what draws people to the album (both Cave's admirers and more casual fans). It's just that, in my opinion, Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds are always better when they're using "treatrical" tricks to explore emotional moods. Those moods can be anger, lust, fear or infinite grief, it doesn't matter. What matters is that Cave and his pals have enough space to let their histrionic instincts guide them through such emotions. *The Boatman's Call* doesn't use those theatrical tricks at all, save for a few rare exceptions. It's more like watching Cave working those songs at his desk. A gorgeous desk, with all sorts of nice objects on it. But a desk nonetheless. Albums that will end up on my list of favorites: more than a third so far, I've temporarily lost count here. Album that I *might* include on my list: approximately a quarter (including this one) Album I won't include on my list: less than a quarter so far.
I don't actually know much Nick Cave, shame on me, but both from what I do know and the album name and cover, I'm expecting pretty and depressing. This lovely spring day with happy kids playing on the playground in front of my window might not be an entirely appropriate backdrop, but here we go. Yep, very pretty. Quite somber. Lime Tree Arbour is really quite sweet. Which sums up the whole album. Brooding but romantic. And easy on the ears. Normally I would like more variety but this got into its groove and stayed there and I liked it.
Was going to be a 3 as in yeah nice but it didn't grab me. Currently on my 4th repeat playthrough and happy to let it just keep washing over me. Great album. A new artist for me to look into.
Hadn't listened to this album for a long time - forgot how good it was. And to note in passing that Nick Cave is one of the best live shows you'll ever see. Last time I saw him, he sang People Ain't No Good - during the song I was thinking to myself that the lyrics sounded a little juvenile. Then at the end of the song he said that he'd changed his views since that song was written and now he things "people are alright"!
Beautiful, incredibly written album that, in my opinion, goes on a bit long. But that’s just my opinion as someone who thinks most albums should be a max of 40 minutes.
I’m happy I gave this album a chance. I had a deep dislike of Ghosteen and Nik Cave’s sound in that album, but I find that all that album lacks is more than present here. The Boatman’s call is a fantastic album and I really loved listening to it.
feels like every song is a good book that i pick up and read a few words and think i will read that at some point and then don't
Another solid Nick Cave album. I’ve not recently listened to many until recently and they’re all decent.
Maybe I'm becoming a Nick Cave fan? Maybe... Altough a little bit repetitive, these piano sessions are a great piece of music!
bonitas melodías, me sorprendió ver que comúnmente hacen punk, la voz de Cave parece existir para cantar este género no presté atención a todas las letras de todas las canciones pero lo que alcancé a escuchar me gustó, es bonito también
Loved this one. Never listened much of Nick Cave's work, but the melodies here are light but never understated and an interesting compliment to Nick's somber delivery. Poor man without his girl.
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds is a band that everyone should have at least heard of, like in my example. I would often reach for any song from Murderballads period, or go for something funkier, like 'Dig, Lazarus, Dig!'. But I have never approached 'TThe Boatman's Call' before, and if I did, I quickly dismissed it as boring, because it is so much different from the other albums. This record is very austere. Up to two instruments at the same time and the neverending 'wailing' from Nick. This album feels like a private confession, unloading of his small secrets or just deeper feelings. Apparently he admitted, that one of the songs is about his ex, PJ Harvey. This only amplifies the general atmosphere of the album. I think that intimate aesthetics of it can only be fully appreciated in a specific mood of melancholy and posiibly sadness. As an average fan, looking for another crazy Nick Cave's album, I found a really interesting gem, that I would have to revisit once more in a better suited time.
Nick Cave is the master of vibes. Crazy how, even in this case with just a piano and his voice, he is able to literally paint pictures with his music. No song really stood out to me but it was overall a album full of high quality songs
Well I gave Ghosteen a 2 so I don’t have great expectations for this album… The album opens with into my arms, a rather slow song for an opener but still a brilliant opener for the album. Lime tree arbour is a nice little short piano track nothing amazing but very listenable. There is a nice little story in people ain’t no good and yeah it’s a true statement to how good cave is as a lyricist. Brompton oratory is the first song with a guitar ( very minimal guitar) but it’s still a great song with great lyrics. There is a kingdom is a proper banger to be honest the chorus is simple but brilliant and the instrumental work here is amazing. ( are you) the one that Ive been waiting for is another banger to be fair brilliant all over. Where do we go now but nowhere is insanely gloomy yet really interesting as the song unfolds. The album goes folky with West Country girl, not my favourite but the most unique so far. Black hair is a rather dreary display and to be honest feels a bit filler. Idiot prayer is a very good song one of the most interesting on here. The penultimate track far from me works as the prefect climax to an album. The album closes with green eyes the wired singing/ talking style somehow works really well so that’s cool and as a closer it is a nice comedown. It’s really good but there is nothing that pops up all too much so it’ll have to be a 4.
This contains one of my favourite Nick Caves. Also, it's 25 years old this year, another 1997 classic. Into My Arms. Oh god... Just stunning. The ultimate spiritual love song for unwashed heathens such as myself. (Although 'There is a Kingdom' does confuse this somewhat) The rest of the album is great, understated, sad. Doesn't quite hit those early heights again for me but a good listen.
para nick cave este album fue el que lo "curo" de su pronta ruptura con su pareja (pj harvey). nick cave siempre tuvo un inclinamiento hacia la musica mas gotica y hasta abarcar por completo el movimiento del post punk y varias de sus variantes. Hasta el llegar este album, quizas su album mas lugubre, sombrio o introspectivo. este album de la carrera musical de nick tiene la particular de desligarse de todos los generos anteriormente nombrados y apegarse al "piano rock", un genero el cual intenta separarse completamente del factor primario del rock clasico (las guitarras) y dar protagonismo al piano, el cual en este album cumple el valor de dar ese ambiente que con otro instrumento no se hubiera conseguido. El album arranca con una balada la cual habla de una supuesta "discusion" entre el y su ex pareja sobre si existe o no un "dios intervencionista". Esta da una vibra de inicio ultra relajante y te suma al pensamiento de introspeccion del cantante. La formula de finalizacion sigue el mismo patron terminando con "green eyes". fav songs: into my arms where do we go now but nowhere? ✰ west country girl idiot prayer ✰ far from me ✰ 3.7 / 4.0
I almost feel as though I shouldn't be listening in to these songs because of how personal they can get, but I'm glad I can. Although I do find some songs kind of funny (such as Black Hair) I can still respect the message behind these songs, as well as the emotion. Into My Arms obviously being a standout performance that alone deserves the praise the whole album gets.
The National has some explaining to do. Another deep pitched singer with religion-laden lyrics and instrumentation.
Nick Cave's music has always been out on the periphery for me. Always kind of there for the listening, but I just very rarely did. The odd song might come up in random satellite radio listening, and it was always I could get into. Same with this album. It was a nice enjoyable listen but not even remotely what I've come to expect from Nick Cave. I was expecting something raw and energizing and heavy. This was none of that. But that's not to say it was bad, because I really liked it. I'm definitely going to back and listen to this one again at a later time when I'm in the mood for something just just listen to in the background.
Such a mournful, somber, blue album. Lots of sadness, makes me wanna slump in a puddle while listening. Also, that one song from Shrek 2!
Bit too downbeat and depressing for me. Appreciated that it was really well crafted music though.
Quite enjoyed that, although it felt like stories not songs do can't see myself listening again.
Unexpectedly chill, thought it would be another punk rock album from the album cover. Pretty mellow and melancholy. I can see myself being in the mood for this.
It always feels like I am supposed to really like Nick Cave but I consistently react to the studio stuff as just OK. Reminded during this listen of that Chris Knox line "Leonard Cohen used to bend his words this way... to try to make a song out of a speech."