The Boatman's Call

Ok my faith is a little restored in this list

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Perfect

Legend. Allein wegen Shrek 2: 5

Amazing album, love it

Lowkey confessional.

Sublime.

so goooood

Classic

A wonderful album. Great music and interesting lyrics as always from Nick cave.

Great album. My first introduction to Nick Cave, an artist I’ve been curious about for a while. It did not disappoint. Has a Tom Waits sensibility. Has a nice baritone voice and delivery that remind of other artists like Leonard Cohen and John Hiatt. Favorite tracks include Into My Arms, Lime Tree Arbour, People Ain’t No Good, Brompton Oratory, There is a Kingdom, Are You The One I’ve Been Waiting For, Where Do We Go Now But Nowhere, Idiot Prayer, Far From Me.

Such a deep introspective album that I found personally relatable

The Boatman's Call ne fait pas partie de mon top 5 de Nick Cave mais tout ce qu'il fait est de l'or pour moi. Début de sa période mystique qui évolue depuis et qui commence à m'énerver. J'ai lu durant la dernière année le livre Faith, Hope and Carnage qui est une conversation sur plusieurs mois (années??) entre Nick et le journaliste Seán O’Hagan et qui expose plusieurs plusieurs aspects de sa vie. On réalise l'importance de son amitié et de sa collaboration musicale depuis le milieu des années 90 avec Warren Ellis. Guillaume aimerait ça je pense.

Je me rallie à Jean-Francois en affirmant que ce n’est pas mon préféré de Nick Cave, mais tout ce qu’il touche méritera 5 étoiles. C’est incroyablement beau et doux, le début de sa phase plus intimiste. De plus Into my Arms, quelle grande chanson d’amour. Au point qu’une version instrumentale a joué dans ma cérémonie de mariage. De beaux souvenirs ici.

Classic album of dramatic heartfelt ballads. Each one unique and interesting in itself.

Great.

I guess this marks the beginning of the really successful run of albums from Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, after the more boisterous early albums. I think this is fantastic, though I'd be hard pressed to choose this one over a number of his albums.

Absolute poetry.

It's Nick Cave with a broken heart more water images and an adaptation of a 16th century Louise Labbe poem and a song about an oratory in brompton what's not to like?

And at last, I come full circle. I'm sure I'm not the only one who discovered Nick Cave because of 'Shrek 2'. It's a great movie and a great soundtrack, even putting aside how I grew up with them. Nothing but straight classics, front to back ... and "People Ain't No Good" was one of them. One of the big ones, as a matter of fact. I may not have played it as much as "Accidentally In Love", the cover of "Changes", or the film's big take on "Holding Out For A Hero", but I've never quite felt the same for any song in the film as I had for this one. It's by far the most melancholic song on the soundtrack, and by goodness, it always just ... got to me. Y'know? Like, every time I heard it, I'd hafta sit quietly and stare off with a stone expression on my face. Just really take in the words and the atmosphere it evokes. I was so drawn in by Nick Cave's voice, and I loved the piano ... it's an incredible tune, plain and simple; a cut and a half above everything else on that soundtrack. I truly do love it, and although I never did until this list, it made me want to listen to Nick Cave, just to see if I could find more songs like this. Which is what made actually going through some of his early catalog via this Randomizer so weird. If I had to make assumptions, I really would've thought he was a sad piano guy. Not this guy who made over-the-top, cinematic tunes like he did on 'Henry's Dream', or someone who could pull out something as badass as "Stagger Lee" like he did on 'Murder Ballads'. Or, for that matter, someone who could be involved in an album like The Birthday Party's 'Junkyard'. Jus' — post-punk. Nick Cave, for a good chunk of his early career, worked in **post-punk**. And he was good at it! (I mean, I think the point of 'Junkyard' is that people are supposed to dislike it, so I can't rag on 'em too hard.) Like, damn, he's got **range** on 'em. It's particularly evident on 'Murder Ballads', where he whizes through a bunch of styles, including sad piano songs. I know most people on this website hate Nick Cave's guts for how many of his albums are on this list, but I gotta say, I appreciated the chance to widen my respect for him before getting to **the big one**. Yes, at last — we're finally here. 'The Boatman's Call'. The one with "People Ain't No Good". And, y'know, I never really expected or wanted too much from this album. As long as there were songs that could live up to the decades-long admiration I'd had for "People Ain't No Good", I'd be perfectly satisfied. That ain't much, right? Given his skills elsewhere, it shouldn't be that difficult. And indeed — it isn't. He's **good** at this. Oh, he is **so good** at this, and I'm **so happy**. Y'know, despite it being such a melancholic record, anyway. I've seen some reviews on this website remarking that Nick Cave comes across as overdramatic. Y'know, he's "the kid who wanted the lead in every play, but he's less suited for Hamlet and more for Rosencrantz." But to me, it's like ... that's what makes this so good? That there **is** a level of overdramatics to this album? I mean, if you were to ask me where this album takes place, it's the same place where you hear "People Ain't No Good" in 'Shrek 2': a tavern. Or I guess in my mind it's more specifically a piano bar, but either way. It's the kind of place, maybe a little dirty, where you can go drink your troubles away, while someone at the piano sings a sad song. And I'd maybe want him to be a little dramatic — it's more interesting than if he tried to undersell the melancholy, anyway. And as a collection of melancholy ... I am sort of amazed that I reacted the same way to these songs the way I've done to "People Ain't No Good" all these years. It's the same sort of stone faced contemplation, soaking in each and every word. There are even a number of parts where I feel moved to sing along with him, just like with "People Ain't No Good". It's truly sort of remarkable. And I think it truly is a testament to Nick Cave as a writer, player **and** singer that he can pull this off over 50 minutes. There's nearly never a moment where I'm not feeling it. If I'm not, it's only because it's hard for anyone to sustain that melancholy if you're not really down in it. Jeez, though, imagine being down there and listening to this thing. Must be a hell of a trip... Honestly, this might be one of my favorite albums I've heard in a **long** while. I really can't think of the last one that hit me and impressed me as hard as this one did. And I know I came in with the bias of loving "People Ain't No Good", but that was no guarantee. I could've thought this didn't live up! And yet, it did, and then some. I mean, what can I say? I'm a sucker for a sad piano song sometimes. So, there it is. My full circle moment with Nick Cave. It'd be a better one if there weren't still two more albums after this (one of them is an ambient pop record? Huh?), but I won't let that spoil the moment. Without having heard either of the ones that're left, or having listened to his full discography, yet having heard both 'Henry's Dream' and 'Murder Ballads', I can safely say that this is his best album. Bar none. It's a tall order to top, and I'm not gonna blame any of the rest of his work for not being able to. I've heard some good things about 'The Skeleton Tree', so maybe...? But it doesn't have the 'Shrek 2' seal of approval. And believe me, that matters.

I’m at a 4.5; I’m gonna bump it up to a 5 on the strength of its first 7 tracks, but the last 5 really had me contemplating a 4. I’m a little stretched for time, so I can’t go as in depth as I’d like to here, but I really, really loved this album through its first 7 tracks. I think the choice to go with more minimal, moody & somber piano-driven soundscapes for the whole album works very well, and save for a few tracks near the end, generally do a great job of capturing the emotional vibe Nick is going for. Nick Cave’s writing feels deeply vivid here, and the emotions he’s able to pull out, with a strong sense of empathy for the guy’s philosophically waxed heartbreak & his relationship with religion, is remarkably well done. He’s opening himself up on this album, writing less about the murder ballads of the past, and taking the first person perspective that other great songwriters inevitably grasp control of. The ideas of a non-intervening God, the defeatist attitudes towards the goodness of people, the sudden belief of destiny & the heartbreaking shattering of inevitability play really nicely through the first 7 tracks, and if this album had been just those tracks, I think I’d be at a 10. They’re that good. After that point though, I think the album hits a bit of a PJ Harvey-adjacent snag for its final 5 tracks; when he’s on point with his writing, as on “Idiot Prayer” & “Far from Me”, the album still shines brilliantly. “Idiot Prayer” being about a murderer seeking forgiveness on his way to death row struck a nice chord with me, and “Far from Me” does a great job of capturing the slow deterioration of something full of deep devotion, taking as long to write as his relationship with PJ Harvey lasted. It’s a fantastic track, and it should have ended the album. The other 3 tracks… well, two of them aren’t bad; “West Country Girl” is honestly fine, it just didn’t hook me for whatever reason. “Black Hair” is needlessly repetitive, sure, but I like the idea of an obsessive focal point on a track meant to proclaim love. He’s obsessed with the black hair, just as much as he’s obsessed with the rest of her. It’s just brought down by an accordion that’s deeply distracting and ends up going nowhere, which sort of ruins the attempt at a more intimate vibe. “Green Eyes” is just useless. The spoken word echo doesn’t work, the “twinkling cunt” is an insane two-word phrase, and it just feels like it’s rehashing “Black Hair”, but in a worse & needlessly trite way. It doesn’t need to be on the album, and its presence here as the closing track to the entire package feels like a backbreaker that, if it weren’t for the strength of the first 7 tracks, would bump this all the way down to a 4. That said… man, I really, REALLY connected with the first 7 tracks here. I had to actively stop and pause after “Where Do We Go Now But Nowhere?”, because it got me really fucking good. I think those first 7 tracks are brilliant. It might just be that break in between that caused the last 5 tracks to not hit as nicely (though “Green Eyes” is definitely useless). They’re good enough that I feel like this still deserves a bump up to a 5. Hell, if “West Country Girl” or “Black Hair” click nicer in the future (though it’s unlikely for the latter), I might be even a little higher than a 5. No matter what, it’s a damn good album, it deserves to be on the list, and I highly recommend it.

This was my #1 at my very incomplete 1997 dive . And was absolutely my favorite Discovery from that dive. I do like the dark emotional delivery on this album It's just absolutely amazing it almost fits hand in hand with the Leonard Cohen *Songs of Love and Hate* album I also listen to yesterday. I think I slightly prefer the Simplicity of the production of the Leonard Cohen but both of them are just absolutely amazing albums 9.85

A masterpiece. I'd give it 6 stars out of 5 if I could. Listening notes follow. ~~~ Into My Arms is a simple yet lyrically fearless introduction to the album. Damn. Lime Tree Arbour — Simply lovely. People Ain't No Good — How did I not know NCave was such a master lyricist!? Brompton Oratory is the point on the album that I got mad that I've not been enjoying this stuff for years... There Is a Kingdom — This record generally, and this piece specifically, is lyrically similar to or reminiscent of Jeff Buckley's "Grace". The highest compliment. (Are You) The One... — Something simmers beneath the surface. Haunting. Where Do We Go Now But Nowhere? —I'm getting Neil Young with this one. Masterful. I realize that I'm 6.5 tracks into this record, but I'm thinking it's going to vault to the top of my favorites list. West Country Girl uses triplets over quarter notes — classic western structure — and it just plain works. Toe-tapper. Black Hair — Wait wait wait... Is this a concept album?? Themes repeating themselves... JFC. Idiot Prayer — A seether. Kinda wish it went a little harder, but it's still very solid. Organ is a nice addition / touch. Long outro is a good choice. Far From Me — Heartbreaking. Another master stroke. Green Eyes — A weird one. The spoken-word portion is off-putting for me. Not sure what he was trying for with this one. Lyrics remain stellar ("Then leave me to my enemy'd dreams / And be quiet as you are leaving, Miss").

The first 2 times I listened to this, I was pretty disappointed. Very slow and boring. But that all changed on this listen. It finally clicked. This is truly beautiful. Each lyric hits hard and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds put on a great emotional performance. Wow. Love love love this

Really nice to listen to and relaxing

It’s really good. I love his voice and his authenticity. It’s emotional and compelling. At first I was dismissive but every song is better than the last. Nick Cave is a cross between Bukowski, Leonard Cohen, and Tom Waits.

Nice

Masterpiece, as always! Nick Cave forever!

An all time classic: romantic and dark and beautiful. Im an unapologetic fan of nicks voice, the complexity of the lyrics and his simple melody.

I don’t believe in an interventionist God, But I know darling that you do 5 ⭐️ rating secured with the opening line

Just Nick Cave, a piano and songs about love and loss. The very moment Wangaratta's "good son" completed his transition from a wild, cathartic orator to a sensitive, laid-back second coming of Leonard Cohen. While Nick Cave had already hinted at his sensitive side on prior records [The Good Son's 'The Ship Song', Henry's Dream's 'Straight To You' and Murder Ballad's 'Where the Wild Roses Grow' and 'Henry Lee' come to mind], The Boatman's Call sees him double-down on the sensitivity for what was [at that time] the most personal album of his career. And it opens with 'Into My Arms': one of the greatest songs ever written. Also one of the saddest. He played it at the funeral of INXS's Michael Hutchence [and requested the TV cameras be turned off]. A very religious-sounding song about believing in "love" above an "interventionist God", and it seemed that Nick Cave had written the perfect sad song....at least, until the release of 'Skeleton Tree' and 'Ghosteen' records [AKA his 'dealing with his son Arthur's death' records] two decades later. Much of this album is Nick Cave dealing with his break-up from PJ Harvey, evident on a number of the songs ['Black Hair', Green Eyes', 'West Country Girl', 'Where Do We Go Now But Nowhere'], and he's also searching for enlightenment ['(Are You) the One That I've Been Waiting For'] and looking towards spiritual guidance ['Brompton Oratory', 'There Is A Kingdom']. With that said, Cave's classic penchant for exploring the ugliness of reality [a staple dating back to his Birthday Party days] is still there in 'People Ain't No Good', which made the Shrek 2 soundtrack. I can't express how much joy I feel that the music of Nick Cave came into my life when it did. It was a time where I felt lost and unsure of myself, and his music helped me begin to find myself again. I definitely felt like I grew up a lot as a person getting into Nick Cave, and he's still one of my favourite musicians. I saw him live in Melbourne last year, just him and a piano [much like this album], and he played four songs from 'The Boatman's Call'. I love The Bad Seeds, they're brilliant in their own right, but there's just something about Nick Cave on his own at a piano that has become very endearing to me. His music is comfort to me, and I'll never not be delighted by anything he releases. Best Songs: Into My Arms, People Ain't No Good, There Is A Kingdom, Idiot Prayer, (Are You) The One That I've Been Waiting For

This album paints the picture of a wealthy elderly man sitting at his dinner table, his wife opposite him. There is a decadent feast on the table in front of them. The gentleman knows that he doesn’t have much longer on earth, so he takes the time to recollect his time with his wife. Falling in love with her at high school. Marrying young and leaving school, against the wishes and advice of everyone they knew. Running away from home to chase the dreams of big city living. Facing the difficulties of trying to find their feet as a poor young couple in a new unforgiving city. The fresh love that parenthood brought, and the gut wrenching heartbreak of losing their second child. Throughout everything though, he was maintained by the love of his beloved wife. The conversation ends when he reaches the final sadness he has experienced, the death of his wife. Suddenly, he snaps back to reality and realises he is at the table alone. While his plate has nothing left on it aside from a chicken drumstick bone and half a roasted parsnip that he couldn’t finish, there is an untouched meal in an empty setting across from him. As he is jolted from his blissful daydream, he gets up and solemnly heads to bed. He doesn’t take his suit off, and doesn’t bother to brush his teeth. He gets into bed and closes his eyes, hopefully for the last time.

I am a fan of his as a matter of fact. Oh you aren't? You might reconsider you life choices.

What a lovely coincidence as just 2 days ago I bought tickets to see this great artist for the first time in my life! I was aware this is one of his best albums but don't remember listening to it full so pleasantly surprised, side 1 is perfect, at the very least 4 stars and rating 4.5/5.0 on RYM possibly. Highlights: "Into My Arms", "People Ain't No Good", "(Are You) the One That I've Been Waiting For?", "There Is A Kingdom". P.S. Hopefully before the concert next summer I will get more of his stuff here but surprised this list doesn't include "Let Love In" which I considered his best one, but he does have tons of albums so worth exploring more.

Nick Cave has blessed this earth and all its ears :)

Un dela lps del Nick que més m'agrada. Un disc rodó.

I remember when I was in uni, one day I went down to the cinema in the library basement, where they had $5 Wednesdays, and watched nick cave’s 20,000 days on earth. It was an incredible movie and I absolutely loved it. I can’t say how many times I listened to Push the sky away. Since then I haven’t listened to much of his other music so am very happy he is on this list. He has this poetic, abstract lyrical style which normally I would hate but for whatever reason it really connects with me when it’s nick cave. I hope to hear more of his music on this list

Wow. Nick cave, more like Nick fave and an album save.

Großartiges, leises Album.

# In-Depth Review of *The Boatman's Call* by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds ## 🎵 Overview *The Boatman's Call* (1997) is the tenth studio album by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. It marks a significant departure from their earlier work, transitioning from the violent, narrative-driven style of *Murder Ballads* to a minimalist, piano-based exploration of heartbreak, spirituality, and personal reflection. The album is often regarded as one of Cave's most intimate and critically acclaimed works . --- ## 📝 Lyrics ### Themes and Content - **Heartbreak and Loss**: The album is deeply influenced by Cave's breakup with PJ Harvey, as seen in tracks like "West Country Girl" and "Black Hair," which directly reference her . - **Spirituality and Religion**: Cave grapples with faith and doubt, notably in "Brompton Oratory" (referencing Luke 24) and "Into My Arms," which opens with the line, *"I don't believe in an interventionist God"* . - **Human Frailty**: Songs like "People Ain't No Good" critique human nature with a cynical yet poetic lens . ### Lyrical Style Cave's lyrics are stripped of their earlier grotesque narratives, instead embracing raw, confessional poetry. The writing is sparse, meditative, and deeply personal, often blurring the lines between autobiography and metaphor . --- ## 🎶 Music and Production ### Musical Style - **Minimalist Arrangements**: The album is primarily piano-driven, with sparse instrumentation (e.g., subtle violin, organ, and restrained percussion) . - **Tempo and Mood**: The pace is consistently slow and somber, creating a haunting, introspective atmosphere . - **Vocals**: Cave’s baritone delivery is more vulnerable and restrained than on previous albums, emphasizing emotional authenticity . ### Production Quality Produced by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, the production is intentionally bare-bones, allowing the lyrics and Cave’s voice to take center stage. The mix is clean and intimate, with each instrument carefully placed to avoid overshadowing the vocals . --- ## 🧠 Themes 1. **Love and Loss**: The album dissects the aftermath of failed relationships, blending despair with moments of tenderness . 2. **Existential and Religious questioning**: Cave explores themes of faith, redemption, and divine absence, often using biblical imagery as a metaphor for personal struggle . 3. **Isolation and Melancholy**: A pervasive sense of loneliness underscores the album, reflecting Cave’s own experiences with addiction and emotional turmoil . --- ## 📈 Influence - **Artistic Legacy**: *The Boatman's Call* redefined Cave’s career, proving he could excel beyond theatrical storytelling. It paved the way for later introspective albums like *Skeleton Tree* . - **Cultural Impact**: Tracks like "Into My Arms" became wedding staples, while "People Ain't No Good" appeared in films like *Shrek 2*, demonstrating its broad appeal . - **Critical Recognition**: The album is frequently listed among the greatest albums of the 1990s and is included in *1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die* . --- ## ✅ Pros and ❌ Cons ### ✅ Pros 1. **Lyrical Depth**: Cave’s poetic and vulnerable lyrics are among the finest of his career . 2. **Emotional Resonance**: The album’s raw honesty makes it universally relatable, particularly for those grappling with heartbreak or spiritual doubt . 3. **Minimalist Mastery**: The sparse production and piano-focused arrangements create a timeless, intimate atmosphere . ### ❌ Cons 1. **Lack of Variety**: The uniform tempo and melancholic tone may feel monotonous to some listeners . 2. **Overwhelming Sadness**: The unrelenting focus on heartbreak and loss can be emotionally draining . 3. **Departure from Style**: Fans of Cave’s earlier, more energetic work may find the album too subdued . --- ## 🎓 Conclusion *The Boatman's Call* remains a landmark album in Nick Cave’s discography, showcasing his ability to merge profound lyricism with minimalist musicality. While its unflinching sadness may not appeal to all, its emotional depth and artistic bravery cement it as a masterpiece of confessional songwriting .

Jag har aldrig varit någon die-hard Nick Cave-fan, men det är inte hans fel. Riktigt bra! Rösten, melodierna, tematiken: riktigt bra!

Two Nick Cave albums in a week? Can't complain! Right at the start of my journey, I had a couple of Nick Cave albums, and at the time I thought it was some of the worst music I had ever heard. But since then, every time I have been given another album of his, I start to appreciate his music more and more. And now that brings us to today, where I now have listened to the last of his five albums that are on the list. And I can abssolutely confirm that I am now a full blown Nick Cave fan, it took a while to grow on me, but I just love his style of music. His deep and dark voice is so haunting in the best way possible, and just the general moody and depressing atmosphere is some of the best I have ever heard.

Nick Cave always gonna get a 5 star from me

This tender group again have managed to climb my own list of groups I'd love to have more of.

49/1001 Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - The Boatman's Call Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ Cave is at his best when dealing with personal tragedy and sadness. In The Boatman's Call, this is his first real move away from his post-punk leanings into a far more introspective look on loss of faith and searching for some sort of meaning and landing on a spirituality of sorts. There is real beauty here, but as with all Cave records, such darkness as well. Over the years, this has cemented itself as one of my favourite records of his.

Always a pleasure to play a record of Nick cave & The Bad Seeds, and this is absolutely one of my personal favourites. After the dark madness on " Murder ballads", here Cave goes into the depth of his own soul. From the joy of finding true love in 'Into my Arms" to the quest of faith, love, and the search for meaning after a break up in "Brompton Oraty", this is Cave at his finest. The religious imagery throughout isn't just decorative - it's Cave genuinely wrestling with faith as both comfort and torment, particularly evident in "Brompton Oratory" where the cathedral becomes a place of both seeking and emptiness. "(Are You) The One That I've Been Waiting For?" is perhaps the album's most devastating track, with Cave's voice cracking with genuine emotion over the simplest piano melody. The way he delivers "I've been waiting for you" is heartbreaking. Musically, it spans from swampy blues with jazzy touches with the piano in the center and a sober instrumentation of violins, slow tempered drums and Conway Savage's understated organ which creates a confessional intimacy that makes you feel like you're eavesdropping on Cave's private thoughts. Personal favourites: "Into my Arms", "People Ain't No Good" , "idiot Prayer" and the forementioned "(Are You) The One That I've Been Waiting For?" A solid 5/5

Mysig. Bra. Underbar. Är det en femma? Kanske inte. Men den får en femma.

Var så besviken när denna platta släpptes. Jag älskade ju Nick Cave och jag tyckte det var jättedåligt. Tog ett tag innan jag upptäckte vilket briljant album detta är. Av alla Caves album på den här listan är den här den mest givna. Finns dock plattor med honom som jag håller högre som inte finns med. Tender prey, No more shall we part, Push the sky away och Dig Lazarus, dig. Sen saknar jag andra plattor som också borde funnits med här. Kicking against the pricks, The good son och Let love in.

Amazing beautiful album.

This really taps into something of the soul I find. Very fragile melodies with fantastic arrangements to match. Soul-baring balladry for the ages.

I had not heard many songs by this artist/group before listening to this album, and those I did hear I did not like at all. So it's another project-induced shock to find that I really enjoyed this album. Yes, it's sombre, and most suits a sombre mood, but I would listen again any time. I'm guessing that I won't like other albums by Nick Cave and the bad seeds, and that this will become one of those controversial artists in the summary. Still, it's about time I had one of those to accompany Bjork, who's been languishing there all on her own up to now.

Beautiful, somber, sincere. I love this. I guess my entryway to loving Nick Cave's output has been to go backwards, or at least to start with the most gentle and emotional of his work and work my way to the more intense stuff. Ghosteen cracked the door open, this one is throwing it wide. I'm excited for the next time I get an album from him now! Must-listen #177!

I like nick cave but this record wasn’t really doing it for me today. I don’t know why but I had to skip the last song. But most of the songs are still classics!

I really enjoyed this one.

My second favourite Nick Cave album after Murder Ballads. This is a great album and Into my Arms has to be one of the most beautiful songs ever written and deserves 5 stars on its own!

Really cool , have a good time while listening it

The first album where Cave really sounds comfortable as a thoughtful, sensitive poet writing beautiful, reflective songs rather than the howling madman he was a few years earlier

This is just class, from start to finish. Cave is of course, cool as fuck. The stripped back band allows the songs the space to stand on their own. The spirit of Lou lingers. It's a bloody great album for necking a bottle of red with. Chin chin.

Listens: 4 Standout tracks: People Ain't No Good, Where Do We Go Now But Nowhere? Added To Library: TRUE I have "Where Do We Go Now But Nowhere?" on repeat. Dreadfully depressing, powerful and moving, and insanely good. Excellent use of the violin to really drive the emotion home. The song could be about a few things; It sure seems like it's about the loss of a child, driving a psychological and emotional wedge between two parents, further resulting in one of them having a mental break and being committed to a hospital or psych ward. Possibly one tries to kill the other, blaming them for the child's death. The other parent is reminiscing about life before it happened, both thinking about the child (and the event) and their relationship with their spouse. I am equally satisfied with the rest of the album. It being stripped down lends to the intimacy and power of the song. 5

I just LOVE this album.

Classic

This is such a great album, so different from Murder Ballads which preceded it, with achingly beautiful instrumentals, and great songwriting from Nick Cave. If I was to pick a couple of favourites, I would lean towards Into My Arms and West Country Girl, but the album is wonderful all the way through. Another 5 stars for the band.

Selvsagt

A journey to the dark side of the soul

The Boatman’s Call is stark, both in being stripped down musically and in stripping bare Cave’s response to a world which can produce both the wonder of love and the deceit of the human heart. The battle between love and cynicism is not resolved - Nick Cave is not by and large a resolver, rather he poses questions and invites you to live with the the tension and paradox at the heart of life. Sweetly disturbing, an album that leaves you nowhere to hide emotionally, but does not in the end get lost in cynicism. Sure, people ain’t no good, but there’s still love.

Awesome

An overwhelmingly emotional album.

Cave i en mere nedtonet og personlig udgave end på tidligere albums. Han formår stadig at beholder den nerve der er i hans musik. Et smukt melankolsk mesterværk 🖤

A personal favourite. Almost perfect flow and collection of songs... Although Black Hair was never my favourite closer.

I do enjoy Nick Cave and am a subscriber to The Red Hand Files. According to my listening history I've never listened to this album before. Obviously very aware of Into My Arms which is a beautiful song. So it's nice to listen to the album as a whole. Fave: Brompton Oratory

Stark and beautiful, every song for me was great, something I'll have on rotation for sure

Gorgeous. It opened with one of my favourite songs of all time and went on to give so much more. Grateful to have had the nudge to listen. It will stay in rotation.

Extraordinary

I have heard of nick cave but never listened until now I love it

I put Nick Cave in that same class as Tom Waits and Leonard Cohen. Fantastic voices and amazing lyrics. This album has so many stand out songs, its a no skip masterpiece for me.

A masterpiece of songcraft.

Into my arms Depressief maar wel mooi

lol I originally gave this a 1. What an idiot.

The Boatman's Call began the slow yet rewarding sea change in the perception of Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds from a rabblerousing, happily dysfunctional band of misfits to a earnest, reassuring bedrock of consistency. A far more vulnerable side of Nick is on full display here, showcasing a heart-on-sleeve pathos mixed with philosophical turns of phrase that causes one to take note of the inflections in his tone of voice. If this is one's introduction to the band, well it is a pretty good place to start.

Masterpiece

This is easily the best album I've listened to so far that I hadn't heard before. I had always dismissed Nick Cave as the kind of artist loved by hipsters who, unlike me, were lucky enough to live near a college radio station in the 80s instead of drowning in REO Speedwagon and Billy Ocean. Shame on me. This disc packs an emotional and musical wallop. The Nick Cave button goes to 11.

Amazing album, fantastically written, incredibly performed.

Intensely amazing

My first foray into the music of Nick Cave. This was an absolutely beautiful album. Musically and lyrically it has blown me away. Can’t wait to listen to more of him now.

Formative album for me, one of my all time favs. The shift from sexy and dangerous vampire Nick Cave to sexy and wistful vampire Nick Cave is a career defining move.

This is my third Nick Cave album on the list. Like "Ghosteen" it is somber and contemplative. The songs focus on the loss of a relationship and it is easier for me to relate as I have experienced a break-up more than grief for the loss of someone close, but both records explore the emotions related to a loss and its effect on oneself. It is a stripped-down instrumentation, so I still prefer, "Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus" to this, because I prefer a bigger sound with music. It works here because of the intimate nature of the songs. I am glad for this project because before this I had not listened to Nick's music before. I don't like every song on this album but the ones I do are fantastic, so for me, it's 5 stars.

People Ain't No Good. There Is A Kingdom. This album is a 5 based on these alone. A story-teller in the vein of Lou Reed, Leonard Cohen, and Johnny Cash.

A 4 star album with Into My Arms, so it's actually 5 stars.

Genius, by an artist whose work I have grown to love over my time with the list

Well that’s gorgeous. Heartfelt. He’s just incredible.

Hauntingly brilliant

I like Nick Cave and this album was a bit of a rollercoaster... Initially I did not like the lyrics, but loved the voice. Instrumentation is minimalistic, but also very cool. Then I was draw in by the atmosphere and I loved it. Then it kept going for 1-2 tracks too long. Well, I like it more than Deep Purple and I gave 4 stars there, so 5 it is...

This album clearly cemented Nick Cave's status as one of a musical genius. It walked into a completely different direction than the weird humouresque 'Murder Ballads' released shortly before. It has sparse instrumentation (but no solo stuff, there's always at least one Bad Seed with Nick) and is focused on the confessions of a man with a broken heart. Here he was strongest in his lyrics with so much romantic imagery that made you feel everything the protagonist of these songs felt. Much has been said about 'Into My Arms' or 'People Ain't No Good' so I like to highlight 'Lime Tree Arbour' and 'Brompton Oratory': The first one has amazing running baseline they never could produce live while the second one is a perfect combination of love and religion and why they can be so intertwined.

Ah, a classic. I just love the mood of this whole album. It's chock full of winners. An easy five stars.

As an album, a very good reminder of the stylistic reaches of this master when he does different work. It makes me rethink how i listen to him - this album hangs together SO WELL as a mood and style. Many of his albums are distinct in mood from the others. This one I hadnt realised - and maybe as i get older I want this gentler tender soothign stuff form him. Still I often wonder - "who actually listens to Nick Cave as much as I do?" If there are 2 obvious "types" of Nick Cave songs, there is this - accessible sweeping almost sentimantal ballads that senak into film soundtracks. He does very specific sentiments exquisitely. And the sonorous warmth of his voice - when not snarling - sure works. So, here is a whole album of it - the kinds of Cave songs that make it into films (Shrek satirically used "People they aint no good" so welll, and Harry Potter has "O Children" would have worked well on this album ). and the other type of song? His rocking frightening doomsday mock gothic anthems - stuff like "Red Right Hand" and "stagger lee". He really nailed it here, career wise - after grabbing popular attention with a Kylie duet in his p[revious album, he holds course, showing off really, and sweeping into a showcase of range and style in these coming albums, going into new spaces not filled, and the genuis of his always wry and playful and devastating lyrics, his intensity swoon and swagger, brought down to an intensity people can handle, bringing contemplative but not quite confessional intimacy. Well he does ithere - the sweeping atmospherics and style of Warre Ellis, they go on to do heaps of soundtracks and colabs together ... Its a very 'soft' album for Nick. And it starts with a song that became a wedding if not love anthem for so many. I am adding this to the "oh yeah, play that MORE!" pile.

Great album but I never listen to it as it was way too apt at the time it came out. My obsession with it probably wasn't helpful and now it almost provokes a Pavlovian response. Gee thanks album generator for bumming me out for an hour.

Truly enjoyed this one!

Having listened to a few Nick Cave albums already, I really wasn’t expecting this to be to my taste, but I’m very happy to say how wrong I was. This is melancholic singer songwriter folk music at its best and I love it from front to back. It’s quite impressive just how versatile Nick Cave is. I’ve despised some of his music, and yet I love this album. That’s interesting in itself.

4.5+/5

Ahh Nick, you silver tongued crooner

альбом меня абсолютно снёс никак я не ожидал такого от Ника Кейва ну ооооочень проницательно

Faultless. Best NC&BS for me.

I really liked it . I don't know how but it just does it for me

o que somos nós senão putinhas do sr. Nick Cave? preciso me redimir por não ter comentado no outro álbum, então: inaugurar com a música de Questão de Tempo acabou comigo, foi lá naquele ponto... me senti uma menina de alma velha deitada no colo desse homem sensível que me faz cafuné enquanto declama seu amor. ele é ateu e essa mulher é sua religião. não tive problemas com isso, eu quero ser ela! ps. Green Eyes com vozes sobrepostas foi meio vergonha alheia

Lindo. Apaixonante. Não esperava gostar tanto de um álbum tão "stripped down" feito por um homem. Quero ouvir muitas outras vezes!

Haunting, melancholy, personal, beautiful. Nick Cave is one of my favorite artists, and this is one of my favorite albums of his.

I started listening to this album, and it started raining outside. So I have to give it 5 stars if only to avoid messing with the magic it holds. Jokes aside, it is fascinating how the stories and moods in the lyrics are brought to life with seemingly simple musical tools. The texts themselves paint a vivid picture, and then you add a dark melody that isn't catchy but creates the right atmosphere on an almost subliminal level along with Nick Cave's haunting voice and get a song that transports the listener into another world. And the thing is, the illusion works really well, at least for me: the lyrics are dramatic, but the songs do not come across as theatrical because it is easy to go along with the words and allow them to make sense in the moment.

It is a masterpiece of intimate and emotional music. This album, inspired by the breakups that the singer suffered, moves away from the dark and violent rock of his previous works and focuses on Cave's piano, voice and lyrics, which express his pain, his hope and his faith with heartbreaking honesty. It is a quite emotional album, soft and relaxing, but quite sad. Not recommended for people going through recent breakups.

This album is fantastic. It’s dark and moody with all of Nick Cave’s masterful storytelling that you’d expect. At times, it’s stunning.

En este hemisferio y, sobre todo, en San Juan, el calor apareció. Y con calor me refiero a desierto, a más de 40°C, a viento con tierra y mucho infierno más. Paradójicamente (y seguramente gracias al cambio climático), esta semana de diciembre comenzó fría y nublada, con un clima más otoñal. ¿Casualidad que éste disco se me presente? Vamos a Nick Cave. Un tipo que seduce, que emociona, que apasiona con su voz, con sus formas, con su manera de tocar. Y éste disco no es la excepción. Todo muy bien

Very strong. Easy to listen to (for Nick Cave). There’s a lucidity to the lyrics and delivery that make this album compelling.

Combinação pujante da melodia pelo piano e atmosfera intimista pelo vocal.

Тембр голоса шикарный! И музыки много фортепианной, люблю такое

Not a vibe I'm always in the mood for and I think so far I've enjoyed Abattoir Blue / The Lyre of Orpheus the most, but still a great album. I'm waffling somehwhere between 4 and 5 stars, but Nick Cave is a legend so we all know the answer is to round up.

It’s my favourite NC&TBS album and I despise myself for that. Because it’s so easy to live the melancholic folk songs played with an intensity and integrity of a jazz quartet. None of the disturbance of Mercy Seat, the black humour of murder ballads or the sheer avant garde of the early albums. Just beautiful words accompanied by beautiful sounds throughout. No jars of inconsistent loudness but enough variety for melancholy satisfaction.

Lyrically, I wasn't 100% into this. However, musically? I'm all in. I'm a sucker for unique vocals (to an extent) and piano-focused ballads.

Any album that starts with ‘I don’t believe in an interventionist god’ is a good start by my books! I absolutely love Nick Cave, and even if you arent a fan I highly recommend anyone see him or Grinderman live if you get a chance. He’s phenomenal live. I bought this record when I was about 20 and didn’t really like it, totally passed me by and I just wrote it off as being a bit dark and dreary for my sensitive post teen taste (I bought Transformer by Lou Reed the same day and thought the exact same…). But then a few years later I caught him at a festival and was totally sold by him. This is often seen as one of the pinnacles of his career and I get why. If there’s a record out there with lyrics as raw and deep as this I aint heard it. It’s not as loud as other NC records but thats what makes him great. He can write these incredibly personal songs and make them somber or loud as fucking fuck. He’s a total genius in my eyes. 4.5 from me, rounded to 5 as it’s Nick Cave.

Wow! Nick Cave. & the bad seeds come primo album.!

In this project, I've enjoyed hearing the musical journey of some of the artists. These were not murder ballads, for example. Some lovely and thoughtful songs. It didn't hit me as something I loved right away, but it's been nice to savor it over the day. I do mostly love these arrangements and lyrics (and the stuff I don't really like is still always interesting). This is one I'll be happy find again one of these days and see what new things leap out and strike me.

I'm familiar with all these songs but, looking at the list of titles, I couldn't sing any. I think that's because they're musically pretty similar and all run together for me. But I also don't think that the music is the point of this album. It's the lyrics. The songs are melancholy and sweet with a touch of menace and lyrics that occasionally make me catch my breath. Nick Cave's a master.

I got some terrible news today and wasn’t sure I’d be able to listen to a Nick Cave album. Fortunately, this album had just the right tone for an afternoon of tears.

Weary and woeful and wonderful

Idk kinded slapped, why not?

Ye a°°¤¡ pretty good☆ i think

Oh, I love this album. It's a perfect transition between early punk albums and the latest righteous ones. So tender and desperate.

5.0

Yesterdays sad sap album Sea Change by Beck bored me. Nick Cave on the other hand held me completely under his spell. It feels like I’ve found a new friend in this album. I had a couple favourite songs from Cave before but never listened to this. The Boatman’s call feels timeless almost. Caves sincerity and almost theatrical delivery are at odds with the 90s zeitgeist of mumbling irony. The sparse piano based instrumentation is very effective. What a great, great album.

One of his best albums.

Just plain excellent. Everything is just firing on all cylinders. Nick sounds great, the lyrics are great and the instrumentation is perfect. It's arguably the best Nick Cave album. I wouldn't put up much disagreement.

Sólo por Into My Arms ...

- First time listening to a Nick Cave album - Thought I'd like it and it massively exceeded my expectations - First track is really good and it stays consistent for the entire album - Any album with a song on a Shrek soundtrack has an advantage - Fav songs: Into My Arms, (Are You) the One I've Been Waiting For?, People Ain't No Good

Un album principalement réalisé au piano, de belles chansons très habitées. Je valide. Into my arms, People ain't no good, Where do we go now but nowhere

I always enjoy reading the one star reviews as they are normally the people who've never heard of Nick Cave and/or are fans of a completely different genre. Too bad for them. I'm lucky to have met him and boy he has a presence. This is brooding, sparse and intense. It's also beyond even just brilliant.

Pretty much a perfect album. A welcome re-listen.

I could listen to this forever. I am a huge fan of Leonard Cohen's You Want It Darker album and this feels just like that. Replayed twice and will be many more times.

To go from murder ballads to this was such an amazing shift. Full of heartfelt songs and definitely one of his best albums, even if it does have Black Hair on it

det bedste

Excellent. Consistent tone to the album.

Amazing album, would go back over and over again

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.

Classic Cave

I loved the poetic quality and depth of the lyrics.

Own the vinyl , fantastic album

gravely

Reminded me of the Leonard Cohen album I first heard on the 1001 albums journey. Very good. Love both the music and lyrics. Also reminds me of Pulp and Alex Cameron.

Excellent, dark and excellent

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.

awesome

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 very easy assignment. Absolute classic from beginning to end.

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.

Heartbreaking opening. Such a great album, full of beautiful words and music. Truly a classic

This album sounds like an old fashioned under a tree, feeling the breeze of a hot summer day.

Into my arms, one of the greatest

Of sorglet ekki búinn að hlusta en það þyði að þetta se gott (fyrsta lagið: hyd coverið - funny coinkidink)

NC&TBS frequently dance around the darkness - especially examining mortality, violence and loss - however this is less melancholic and somehow more introspective. The symbolism of the title of the album leans toward mortality - the boatman in question an allusiom towards Charon, beckoning the listener to cross the Styx, and it's impossible not to note the melancholy of the album. This isn't him edgelording - Cave invites you to listen and to consider and to contemplate. He doesn't treat the emotion of his lyrics as "other", but acknowledges the beauty of sadness. This is not something I'd want to listen to often, but it is definitely something I want to listen to.

My favorite album from one of my favorite musicians. Truly a gifted artist at his best.

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

Masterpiece

Unaufgeregt, melancholisch und melodisch, genau nach meinem Geschmack

Great album

🔥🔥🔥

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.

Genius

Invented being down bad

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

Fegurð og sorg og ást og fegurð og sorg og ást og fegurð...

Love it

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

кайфоый голос, кайовые гармонии, особый вайб, немного альтернативные аранжировки, лёгкий романтический звук

A beautiful album.

Get's better with every listen. Genius

One of my favorite Nick Cave albums. Brilliant songwriting as always

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.

Großartig! Mit Kompensation für eine 1sterne Bewertung für das Punk Projekt von Bock Cave reicht es für

Beautiful album

Don’t know much about this

A fine album with some classic songs with ‘into my arms’ amongst the best

In 1 woord geweldig!

Peaky vibes!

Incredible deep voice. Light jazzy backdrop. Fave songs: There is a Kingdom, West Country Girl

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

Melancólico mas bonito

Amazing

i don't usually like Cave that much but this is him in a more sincere mode with less babble

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘰𝘢𝘵𝘮𝘢𝘯’𝘴 𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘭 is one of Nick Cave’s most intimate albums. Stripped back to piano, subtle arrangements, and his unmistakable baritone, the songs place the focus entirely on the lyrics and the emotions behind them. What struck me most is the album’s dark, melancholic atmosphere. Even at its most beautiful, there is a quiet sadness running through these songs that never really disappears. Cave doesn’t rely on dramatic gestures; instead, he lets the music speak through restraint, making the emotional weight feel even stronger. It’s not an album I would describe as easy listening, but it rewards patience. The combination of understated arrangements, thoughtful songwriting, and a lingering sense of melancholy makes 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘰𝘢𝘵𝘮𝘢𝘯’𝘴 𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘭 one of Nick Cave’s most compelling records.

Good lyrics and story telling. Occasionally too repetitive but overall solid album.

I dug into Nick Cave pretty deep maybe 15 years ago, but haven't really listened to much since. I wouldn't necessarily say I got sick of it, but it's just a lot, A little bit of these guys go a long way. It was nice to come back to The Boatman's Call, but I don't see be returning again for a while, especially since it sounds like there's many more of these albums on here. I need to pace myself.

A pretty fascinating album for me. For the length of the first song I was worried this was going to be a slog, I don’t really love this almost Tom Waits style alternative blues, but as the album has unfolded it’s become kind of entrancing to me. The simplicity of the Instrumental lends itself to how interesting Nick’s voice is and how good of a storyteller he is. A few songs need just a bit more from either the vocal performance or the band for it to edge closer to an amazing album and not just a great one.

Intimate and warm. A goth AL Green with god and love front and center.

So mournful! I mostly dug it, even though it got really religious at times.

Overall: 8/10 Another classic from Nick Cave. This might be my favourite of his albums that I've heard so far, I love the tone and atmosphere so much. Usually religious imagery would turn me off but his voice just sounds like it shouldn't be singing about anything but Jesus. Fav Song: West Country Girl

8/10

This album shows qualities that would really turn me off, if it wasn‘t for Nick Cave with a voice that is beautifully heartbreaking. It‘s pondering, it‘s quite one-mooded (guess that‘s a word i made up?) but goddamnit, Nick and his band sell it to you as a revelation, an emotional journey on a meandering river through a dying countryside in autumn. There seems to be no hope that life will get better on this record, but there is always hope that i can return to Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds.

An emotional album with lyrics that are touching at times and freaky at others. Most of the singer-songwriter albums I've heard up to this point were performed with acoustic guitars, so it was very fresh to listen to Nick Cave's piano melodies. Also, Nick Cave kind of looks like a Thneedville character from the Lorax.

What you expect from Nick C - really enjoyed it

alles piano? klar doch! und nick cave und seine unvergleichliche stimme.

an album of ups and downs. im not one to pay much attention to lyrics unless they're exceptionally good or exceptionally bad (in this album: Black Hair), but i think a lot of the reviews complaining about this album's somber mood are overblown. that or im just already accustomed to a good dreary song. the environment you listen in is really gonna make or break your experience with this one; i had it on during a quiet, peaceful evening of some computer work by myself in low light, so i had a great time with it. though there are still some pretty low points here (Green Eyes is... interesting, and Black Hair is black hair black hair black hair) but i appreciated this one overall

mais legal quanto mais ouve

"Into my arms" is a classic - the rest was the normal quality you would expect from Nick Cave. I like it but not as much as some other stuff.

Some of these songs appear on a playlist my dad made for my mum for Christmas. It’s the playlist we put on if we’re all on a car journey together. I’m always excited to see albums on here that feature any of those songs. I do see why people might struggle with it, but I grew up with music like this. There are moments where the album dragged a little for me, and I wasn’t a huge fan of the last song. But I really like the sparse arrangements and I like his voice, even as I can understand why people wouldn’t. (That’s like 80% of my music taste to be fair) It does have some odd lyrics and some weaker songs, but I think it also has some beautiful songs and the sparseness adds to the emotion of them. Fav song: Into My Arms – I also liked People Ain’t No Good, and my favourite song I didn’t already know was West Country Girl Least fav: Green Eyes

melancholie ten top... maar op een goeie manier

love this one. into my arms is my song with Ada and I think its a 10/10 song. so good

7/10 Much better than I remember it, although the last time I heard it was at a Xmas party when someone felt like switching the playlist up. An odd choice

Sparse and intimate. Nick and the gang doing what they do best.

I enjoyed the album. Nick Cave can write some songs. While I was listening to the album I googled why is Nick Cave a thing. It’s crazy that he’s been writing crazy good songs for so long. Quivers is amazing. This album is good. I didn’t think it was overly amazing and I think it was because it was piano based but I’m a Nick Cave fan.

This one was pretty good I enjoyed the weirdness of it

It’s morbid, sure, but it’s such a beautiful record. Maybe it’s a little bit monotonous at times but I love the mood that Cave creates here and his songwriting here may be his best and most vulnerable at this point in his career.

Sumptuous ballads, eschewing the wildman murder-perv stuff. Some extraordinary lyrics, backed with gorgeous, simple instrumentation. I listened through twice. Makes me wonder about Polly Harvey: not just highly accomplished in her own right but also maybe one of the all time great muses?

Great music. Nick Cave is a tough one to listen to on command. You have to be in the right mood. But it’s amazing when you are.

An album that would definitely kill the mood at a party but beautiful at the same time. Typical Cave themes and lyrics but without all the vim and vigour. Could imagine listening to this on a comfy reclining chair with a large glass of red. 4

Honestly great vibes if that’s what you are looking for

Nick Cave - I had never really listened to his work prior to starting this challenge, and I'm glad for the push into his work that this list has given me. He scratches that Leonard Cohen itch. Alternates between gut punching somberness and gut busting hilarity. This was a good Monday morning listen.

He just tries so hard and it does pay off. 4/5

Favorite Track: Into My Arms

boatman’s call more like nick cave booty call yes please i love this album

A beautifully dark, emotional album. Stripped down and lovely listen. 4.5/5

Got some of the stronger lyrics in the Bad Seeds back catalogue, and a good window for some of NCs softer, more spiritual work. A firm foundation for the iconic Idiot Prayer live LP of 2020.

After the first three songs, I was thinking 5. It became a bit of a slog, so it dropped to 4. Then Green Eyes came on and I hated that song so it dropped to a 3. Upon further reflection, I do like the rest of it so 3.5/5.

His intense voice always captures one attention, it is impossible not to listen to his lyrics tentatively; his sorrow for failed PJ Harvey romance was colorfully depicted in this album which is the very essence that makes it so special 💔

heartfelt songs, beautifully crafted piano ballads with some deep, dark lyrics. People Ain't No Good, indeed

Good. Weird.

The boatman’s call was one of the 500 positions listed in Len Houmous’ sex manual. He always denied it was a nod to Nick Cave. 4.0 3/12 People Ain’t No Good

#314/1001. It was the Good Friday, so I choose this album in staff of some others on my list. Despite some classics not my favorite Cave album, the mayhem and sinister and murder and all the maniac loving seem to be missing. In another words I've always liked Cave's ballads, but there seems to be nothing else on this album. 3,5?

One of those rare albums. One that is melancholy and romantic, but bears up to repeated listens.

I have to admit, I groaned seeing Nick Cave AGAIN, for the FIFTH time(??!!). But I think this is the best one, and I'm glad I gave this album a chance. I like this more introspective but still musically interesting album. 3.5 rounded up.

At this point, it is hard to think about another Nick Cave album as a single entity rather than comparing it to the rest of his oeuvre. Overall, I think this is good Nick Cave, but I don’t think it’s in the same tier of some of the other Cave we’ve had. 4.5 stars, rounded down.

I've only heard prob a few of his songs before this, so not sure if this was the best place to start, but ya, it was good.

01) Into My Arms - 10,0 02) Lime Tree Arbour - 9,0 03) People Ain't No Good - 9,0 04) Brompton Oratory - 8,5 05) There Is a Kingdom - 8,0 06) (Are You) The One That I've Been Waiting For? - 8,0 07) Where Do We Go Now But Nowhere? - 8,0 08) West Country Girl - 7,5 09) Black Hair - 7,0 10) Idiot Prayer - 7,5 11) Far from Me - 7,5 12) Green Eyes - 7,0 TOTAL: 8,08 (81/100)

I liked this.

A really pretty record by Nick Cave. Who knew?

nice

Nick Cave never fails to hold your attention with his lyrics. This was beautiful, if slower than my usual pace of music.

This album is something of a paradox, marking a transition from Cave’s previous spiky post-punk music to his later, ambient and atmospheric sounds. It’s both accessible whilst also being a tough listen in places, due to the extraordinarily frank and explicit lyrics talking about obsessive and damaged relationships clearly drawn from his own personal experiences. The music is sparse, mostly simple piano accompaniments, but suits the mood that Cave is conveying here. This is definitely one for listening on headphones when you are in the mood, rather than putting into general listening.

Me gustó caleta osi

A wonderful record but then again I would probably enjoy the sound of nails scratching blackboard if I knew the nails belong to Nick Cave and the blackboard is held up by the Bad Seeds.

Another great offering from Nick and his mates. People Ain’t No Good is a brilliant track

I prefer my Nick with fire and brimstone, but I'll take introspective and mellow Nick Cave over most artists on the 1001. The Bad Seeds are held down tighly here with Nick's piano taking centre stage. Into My Arms is such a lovely love song to open with, and Green Eyes a bit of a let down to finish with. Great album, but I'd much rather listen to Let Love In.

The Boatman’s Call (1997) is the tenth studio album by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. It’s a beautiful, intimate, introspective album of stripped back ballads, showcasing Nick Cave’s song writing and voice. It could be described as dark and beautiful, or boring and morose, depending on your point of view. It’s got a Leonard Cohen kind of vibe. There’s not a lot of variation in the tone of the songs, although ‘Into My Arms’ stands out as the best track on the album. It was written after the end of Cave’s brief but apparently intense romance with PJ Harvey and one of the reviews I read was “I can see why she left him”. It’s not an album I was familiar with and it’s certainly not one that you would pop on at a party, but if you’ve just been dumped and need a good cry these are the songs you need. I do like a bit of melancholy in my music so that’s not necessarily a bad thing but it does mean that I’d have to pick my moment to listen to this album. My mood has a tendency to be lower than I’d like these days and it doesn’t need encouraging! Side A: 1. Into My Arms - 5/5 2. Lime Tree Arbour - 3/5 3. People Ain’t No Good - 4/5; 4. Brompton Oratory - 3/5 5. There Is a Kingdom - 3/5 6. (Are You) The One That I’ve Been Waiting For? - 4/5; 7. Where Do We Go Now But Nowhere? - 3/5 8. West Country Girl - 3/5 9. Black Hair - 3/5; 10. Idiot Prayer- 4/5 11. Far from Me - 4/5 12. Green Eyes - 3/5

Franchement, j'ai trouvé l'album vraiment bien. Après l'avoir écouté 2 fois, je trouve que chaque son a une identité qui lui est bien spécifique, que ce soit dans l'instrumental avec de jolies parties de piano, ou alors dans la voix de Nick Cave, qui m'as parfois impressionné dans la variété de tonalité qu'elle offre, c'est une belle découverte

Great album. Probably best Nick Cave album. Into My Arms is one of the greatest live songs written. A classic. 4.4

You know what, the rhymey-wimey was not too noticeable on this one and it was far more listenable than the others.

great album very brave to start with a fantastic song

Nick Cave is probably one of the greatest lyricists ever. I love his romance-filled religious metaphors, they are in a way simple but incredibly touching. Just listen to Into My Arms, what a stunning lyrical performance from Nick. People Ain't No Good has an amazing storytelling and yet another moving performance. Some other songs take a more sarcastic approach, like the cheeky Idiot Prayer which he completely nails as well. If this album has any shortcomings it's on the sonic side, I have to say the sound does get a bit redundant as the album goes as this is far from Nick's most diverse and exciting album musically speaking. It's still very good, but does it grab me as much as the theatrics of The Good Son or the dark, rusty sound of Murder Ballads? Not really. That being said it's still a very satisfying and in many moments beautiful album.

Vackert! Härlig röst. 100% känsla! Stark fyra.

Into my aaaarms

A good album, though one you probably need to be in the right mood for. ‘Into My Arms’ is probably one of Cave’s best, and the start of the album is especially strong. Not all of the songs are downcast, but they are all piano ballads, to give you an idea of the tone. If that’s what you’re after it does a great job, if not it might not impact in the same way.

How do you follow up an album like ‘Murder Ballads’? Why, with a set of twelve exceptionally downbeat, introspective and spiritual (and romantic) tracks, of course! Talk about tonal whiplash… This is Nick Cave’s most poignant and moving collection of songs (at least prior to ‘Skeleton Tree’ and ‘Ghosteen’) and there are some definite career highlights here, such as ‘Into My Arms’, ‘People Ain’t No Good’ and ‘(Are You) the One That I’ve Been Waiting For?’. The sound is almost minimalistic, with Cave’s vocals and piano the main focus. Not my favourite Bad Seeds album, but a very good one.

The softer side of the seeds, a lovely listen. SPUN

One of my favorite tortured lounge singers. I love his voice and poetry. Some of songs didn’t hit, but most did.

Not a big fan of his voice but he's a pro so I did enjoy listening to this album.

For my mood today, this is a 4, the first song especially is very good. I think on a happier active day it would have been harder to listen to…while I’m here I’m gonna catch up on ‘murder ballads’!

very good. nice discovery

I'm a latecomer to Nick Cave. Been making up for it.

I have always liked Nick Cave, but I have never listened to this album. It was good, but I think my nostalgia for some of this other stuff kept me from really loving this one.

Lyrics

Dark, somber, bleak; oh let me worship at the alter of Nick Cave.

Меньше понравился альбом, чем 2004 года. Этот альбом мрачноватый, тяжело слушается, но вокал приятнее, инструментал прекрасный.

I quite enjoyed this. First song is a really wonderful love song.

I've said it before, I like a bit of Nick Cave, but I don't love him. I feel like I perhaps should like him more, but I find some of his tracks a little too sombre and vocally lacking. It's good enough for a 4 though.

I know this one well by now and it’s a much gentler tone throughout than many of the albums that preceded it. It’s an album that you have to listen to the subtleties to properly appreciate. I don’t know lots about his relationship with PJ Harvey but this doesn’t sound like a bitter account of her or their time together, maybe some regret on his part, although I believe the album deals with a variety of different relationships. The closing song remains a sore thumb for this album, which sullies an otherwise strong finish to the album.

If Nick Cave were a member of the Cruisers, Eddie would call him word man.

Rating: 8/10 Short Review: A collection of very beautiful piano led folk songs. The strongest tracks on this album lean into this more. Loved the touch of strings added throughout them.

I think this was technically more accomplished songwriting than the other Nick Cave I already reviewed but I liked it less. It was less quirky and more morose. Still thoroughly enjoyed it very dirge like but with solid instrumentals and great lyrics. Should revisit

I’m admittedly drawn to unconventional, typically baritone singers, brooding poetic songwriting, and slow burn music. I first heard of Nick Cave from the Leonard Concert tribute concert. I’ve tried to get into him before and failed, but this time around I plan to incorporate him into my more regular rotation when the mood is right.

Not as dark as many others by Nick cave

The Boatman's Call is quite a departure from The Bad Seeds' previous album Murder Ballads, where the former is soothing, piano-led songs, introspective songs, has Christian themes (such as "Into My Arms",) the latter has a lot nihilism, death and noise innate (like "Stagger Lee".) Quite a change of pace. Ultimately I prefer Murder Ballads over Boatman's Call, but comparing them is like comparing oranges to apples, they're both different in a valid way. As partly mentioned above, lots of the songs are minimalist-leaning, piano-oriented songs that have some Christian themes. They have this charm brought on by the simplicity. The album has some powerful lyrics by themselves, my favourite being; the opening line, "I don't believe in an interventionist god" I needed to say this somewhere but I don't know where to put it but, "Green Eyes" is just not good, I know everything Nick Cave tries doesn't always stick, but the album could've done without it. I just really love the sombreness that is present here, Nick Cave really did nail the mood. Highlight Song/s: "There Is a Kingdom"

Wie Lana zwei Tage zuvor: Tolles Album, sehr stimmig und vereinzelte Höhepunkte. Hier und da gewisse Längen und Hit-Dichte zu gering für eine höhere Wertung, es reicht aber noch für schwache 4 Sterne.

Ich bin wirklich gar kein Nick Cave-Fan. So richtig hat mich bislang nur "Skeleton Tree" überzeugt. Von daher war ich überrascht, wie sehr mich das zum Teil abgeholt hat. Sogar diese eher assoziativen Songs, die nur vor sich hin mäandern, waren z. T. echt ziemlich cool. Wird bestimmt nicht die letzte Platte von ihm in der Liste sein, von daher freue ich mich mal vorsichtig auf weitere Entdeckungen.

Lou Reed rencontre Leonard Cohen? J'ai bien aimé le côté sombre et lyrique. Et l'espèce de côté sea shanty dépouillé. Mais un peu monotone et répétitif.

Soulful

Into My Arms 3.6 Lime Tree Arbour 3.7 People Ain't No Good 3.8 Brompton Oratory 3.5 There Is a Kingdom 3.6 (Are You) The One That I've Been Waiting For? 3.5 Where Do We Go Now But Nowhere? 3.6 West Country Girl 3.4 Black Hair 3.4 Idiot Prayer 3.6 Far from Me 3.7 Green Eyes 3.6 Score: 3.583333333

This is a good album to listen to when life just needs a listen.

It's very beautiful this, and probably hinges entirely on what your thoughts are on Cave's voice. By and large I think it's magnificent, although it does get badly exposed on occasion on this album by the very sparse instrumentation. Still, I like it a lot, and Into My Arms and Far From Me are two truly wonderful songs. It's not his best, just because it is quite one-paced and you start to feel a bit over it well before it finishes, but it's nice to see a different side to Nick Cave.

This list has made me into a bit of a Nick Cave fan. Go figure.

really nice if not really sad! great to listen to with my head in my hands

I didn't enjoy this album as much as some of Nick Cave's more recent albums. At this point, I can understand the significance of this album, being the beginning of this sound, but he has gone so much farther, that this feels like a pale comparison. Therefore, personally, it feels like a 3.5 to me, but I rounded up to 4.

A little bit of Cohen, Buckley, Dylan, and clever instrumentation definitely make up a winning formula.

Hyvä levy. Monta aika herkkää biisiä jopa romanttista. Lisäksi kappaleissa pieni uskonnollinen fiilis. Mutta siitä huolimatta tykkäsin biiseistä. Parhaat: Into My Arms, (Are You) the One That I've Been Waiting For?, Where Do We Go Now But Nowhere

At the time, The Boatman's Call seemed like the inevitable realisation of what the band had represented up to that point. The heart of what they had always done, refined, distilled, and laid bare without bombast to obscure the emotional heft. They may have gone on to create works with a better claim to “definitive” but there’s part of me wants to reserve that position for this. It’s all here, the drama, darkness, introspection, religious reference, comic trip wires, language steeped in a knowing respect for tradition and so on. These are tropes that all seem to reference Cave’s contribution, but aside perhaps from the unexpected comedy, they also apply to the arrangements, musicianship and tonal quality of every Bad Seed note and beat present. It's a mood for sure, and won’t be for all. Even fans will pick their moments for returning; I generally prefer a broader range across an album, but The Boatman’s Call is nevertheless the sound of a band tuned up and firing on all cylinders, yet with the sense to keep the revs low.

Loved the voice and lyrics, absolutely beautiful and peaceful. Background melody sounded a bit monotonous between songs, making it harder to differentiate between songs(perhaps more listens might help). But, it did provide a nice stage for the vocals. I am not a fan of religious themes(specifically not an interventionist God), yet it was a good album.

Crazy to get this after a PJ Harvey album

Ліричний Кейв з досить мінімалістичним та стриманим музичним супроводом з фортепіан в центрі. Є топ хіти. Чудовий альбом

Pretty great for another artist who can't sing very well

This is a stunningly beautiful album, with thought provoking lyrics mixing love, sex and religion. Delivered in Cave's rich baritone it gives Leonard Cohen vibes. It's close to a 5, but the overwhelmingly sombre tone makes it slightly one-note and prevents it from being an absolute classic for me.

Bit of a different direction from what my group has gotten from Nick Cave, but nonetheless a good album. Solid 4 Stars.

Nick Cave is great, but this is not the best example. I think this album is too ballad heavy. Many of the ballads are really good, but the album lack a little spark.4 stars

After three pretty wild albums, Nick returns to the softer side he displayed on 1990's The Good Son. Normally, I'm not high on albums that are really ballad heavy, except the ballads on The Boatman's Call are incredible. The first half of this album is possibly the best thing in Nick's discography. Unfortunately, the second half isn't quite as strong. Still, it's a pretty great listen overall. Nick is possibly at his peak lyrically, and there's just some beautiful songs here, including "Into My Arms", "Lime Tree Arbour", "People Ain't No Good", "There is a Kingdom", and what is possibly my favorite Cave song, "(Are You) The One That I've Been Waiting For?" Would be an easy 5, but I think it fizzles out at the end. Strong 4.5 stars.

Bah finalement pas si mal, j'avais un peu peur au début mais l'album était constant et il faut juste écouter avec le bon mood chill. Lyrics sympas même si un peu edgy sur les bords, mais étant donné que c'est un album post rupture ça se comprend (PJ Harvey, encore elle)

Into your arms - classic one of his best songs Lime-tree arbour - nice piano People ain't no good Brampton oratory Quite a change from previous bad seeds records, mostly piano based, very reflective songs about spirituality and looking back at previous relationships. Feeling a tom waits influence

1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 10, 11

A collection of slow, piano-driven spiritual love songs. Many of these songs, including the affecting "Into My Arms", are brilliant and among Nick Cave's best work. But overall I find the albums suffers a bit from lack of variety. The pace never quickens and the style barely alters. This dilutes the overall impact of some truly wonderful tracks as they can get lost in a deluge of sameness.

While i am honestly shocked we got antoher nick cave album, this is the first one we've gotten since Jane's dad brought me to see him live. The show gave me greater appreciation for him as an artist and I think I liked this album more as a result. The sparseness in the production worked for me too.

i hadn’t listened to this entire album in a while—i think i like nick cave best in smaller doses, especially when the instrumentation is fairly reserved (compared to, say, *abattoir blues*, which i love and find extremely engaging to listen to all the way through, or *dig, lazarus, dig!!!*, which is a different style altogether), i.e. primarily piano-based. these songs sound like they’re from another era, like he’s a medieval bard of sorts…or otherwise they sound like lost jazz standards from an alternative universe. either way there’s an atmosphere of essential-ness to this music, like it’s been around forever. fav tracks: idiot prayer; black hair; people ain’t no good; lime tree arbour

This was really beautiful! I like how dark and relaxing it was but still sounded pretty different than other music I’ve heard that could, on its surface, be described similarly to it. The jazz influences in this context were very interesting; I almost feel like this weirdly has some overlap with early Fiona Apple to me and that's why I like it? But don't quote me on that... Fav tracks: There Is A Kingdom, Idiot Prayer, Lime Tree Arbour

Moody, piano driven, evocative. I liked it. This is my first experience with Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds and it was a largely good one. I thought listening through Elliott Smith earlier in the week was a bit of a downer. This outdoes that. It's shades of Leonard Cohen, and generally philosophical, literary, piano-driven singer-songwriter stuff. It mostly worked, though I think an album like this likely has far more layers than will be revealed on a first listen. Will give it more spins, for now 4 stars.

Honestly wasn't expecting to get a lower-key Nick Cave from this album. I know he does do chiller albums (Like Ghosteen), but was expecting something more along the lines of Tender Prey or Murder Ballads. Eitherway, still a great record. Enjoyed songs (Are You) the One That I've Been Waiting For and Where Do We Go Now But Nowhere. Some songs do feel formulaic a tad, and reminiscent of other popular songs (One of them honestly sounds a bit like Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen), but it's still classic Nick Cave.

Nick Cave wybrał bycie smutnym and he does it very well

mega fajne wyrazne, jesienny klimacik

Właśnie ogłosili go na openerze i obstawiam, że raczej nie będzie tam pogo... Mimo wszystko super muzykalny + był częścią soundtracku Shreka więc jak najbardziej slay