Reviews (page 6 of 8)
With a deep debt to Lou Reed, Cave tells stories of despair and longing as he aspires to find a greater purpose on this record. The stories are both personal, but also fictitious of singers long gone. While it isn't necessarily complex, the lyrics and tone don't need much ornamentation as Cave's deep voice carries the efforts through.
Listened to part of it. I think listening to it right after Murder Ballads was a let down, wanted a different genre of music instead of being sucked into more dark moodiness.
All solo piano music, Shrek 2 song. Good, but maybe not my favorite genre. Can appreciate the songwriting skills.
Middle of the road for me. Quite the mood. Nick consistently has a wonderful voice, but this album is so subdued it sometimes fades too far into the background. I think it's pretty good overall, for what it's worth. Favorite tracks: "Into My Arms", "Brompton Oratory"
Really well done, with some great tunes. I personally couldn’t get as into it as I’d have liked but I bet this will really benefit from a relisten or two.
Pretty decent but very chilled
Nick carries the record, but it's a heavy load.
3.5
Beautifully written, depressing as fuck
Pretty okay
Not bad but also not very good.
3/5 Roentgen. Not great, Not terrible.
Nice but a bit slow
Kaunista, mutta paikoin vähän laahaavaa. Ei parasta Cavea.
Nick Cave has a wonderful voice; if only the songs lived up to his singing. Having the entire album consist of slow songs made them merge together, and it became a long, drawn-out process listening to the whole thing. Unfortunately the ones that did stand out—"West Country Girl," "Black Hair," and "Green Eyes"—had terrible lyrics that sounded like a romance novel written by someone who sees women as objects rather than peers. The best way to play this album is to have it on in the background and not focus on the lyrics.
Enjoyable, We've heard a lot of Nick Cave so far.
Not the worst, but I like aggressive Nick Cave a lot more. Otherwise it's kind of B-tier sappy Tom Waits or Leonard Cohen for me.
My feelings towards this album and its "quieter" incarnation of Nick Cave are similar to the feelings I harbour towards the Led Zeppelin 3 album: I like it, but I prefer the real thing. You got to hand it to Nick Cave, though. Each of his songs feel like he's truly spilling his guts, lyrics wise.
good album
Good but I can't see myself listening to a lot of this. Can really tell it's about a breakup
Not bad, Cave. Not bad.
A very well made album, songs are really good, some great, but I don't think the whole album was as good as some standout songs were. 3.5/5
Sounded like Leonard Cohen with a sprinkling of Bryan Ferry at times.
Good
Relaxing album with good guitar but after some songs it becomes a bit boring
A dark and brooding feel to it. Lots to say but the musicality doesn't spark much in me.
Premier album de Nick Cave que j'écoute. Je l'ai connu avec son projet Grinderman en 2007, projet beaucoup plus corrosif. J'aime bien le personnage qui est très théâtrale. Il a aussi une voix reconnaissable et un style d'écriture plus proche de la littérature que de la chanson. Le style ici est un mix de Tom Waits et Leonard Cohen. Faut être dans le mood, mais j'aime bien.
Although this album consists nearly entirely of melancholic storytelling ballads, it does not overstay its welcome and is able to successfully convey a unique feel.
somber, slow piano. religious/sacrilegious themes. grows on you, but have to be in the mood?
Nick Cave doing what he does best - overwrought, melodramatic songs of longing and sinister intentions.
Some great individual tracks, especially the opener, but not the worlds most dynamic or varied album.
No bad song on an individual level, but as a whole, the album has too many slow songs that make the listening experience a bit dull. Nick Cave does deliver his unique lyricism and emotion.
The Boatman's Call is a very interesting album title, and when I pulled the album up and it said it was rock I got even more excited. Didn't realize rock included just a guy playing piano with some slow drums and music behind him. That is not rock. Barely even roll. And I couldn't hear the call of the boatman even if I tried. I'm ready to put this week behind us.
Slow ballads, good lyrics but boring
Not my favorite Cave album but it’s alright.
Lovely, lush and heartfelt. Into My Arms a particular standout.
Dark and ominous.
3 stars mostly because of Into My Arms
Nice although it’s has an anticlimactic ending
Sounds like Jim Morrison contemplating suicide. Lyrics are creative, certainly unique to this writer, and there are some lovely melodies here, just gonna bring me down too much if I listen to this again. For people who want to curl up with a cup of tea and feel sad.
The kinder, gentler Nick Cave... well, sort of. There's still some... choice words and phrases in those lyrics, but the music is more piano-driven and slow than in the past. Certainly a change after Murder Ballads. Also the point where, to be honest, I start losing interest in Nick and the gang. It's good, I just like the earlier stuff more.
Don’t remember if I mentioned his voice last time but can’t get into it. Choruses we’re decent throughout.
The last Nick Cave album I got into. Warren Ellis dominates the sound and drowns out Mick Harvey and Blixa Bargeld a bit to much for my like. This is like a hand over album of the Seeds that were to what they are now. Not necessarily bad but lacking the fury of Nick Cave's earlier stuff. I saw them play in Austria when they toured this and it was a terrible show with Nick Cave bumbling around even falling off stage.
Jag gillar verkligen nick cave. han är en otrolig författare och sjunger fint. men samtidigt var det lite småtråkigt ibland?
interesting - didn't hate it, just middle of the road
I found it hard to get into this one. Maybe it's an album that requires more attention than I was able to give it today. But despite sounding pleasant, it was really just some nice background noise to me. Not much of a lasting impression and nothing to care much about either way.
Some good tunes but very same-y.
Nice vocals, but a little too slow paced to hold my attention through the whole album.
Wasn't familiar with this album, it's very different. It's just ok.
Into my arms is lovely, great song
Some songs I’d revisit (Into My Arms, People Ain’t No Good, …) Another very mood dependent record, this definitely requires a sort of melancholy or rainy Sunday morning situation.
Ça me fait penser au dessin du cheval qui commence très bien et qui finit très mal
J'ai oublié.
la première chanson est trop belle mais j’ai peu aimé le reste
Not bad! Just sad.
first listen pretty boring
C’est bon mais je n’ai pas capote . Jai eu dautres album de jicm cave qui etait mieux developper. 3
this is fine.
-I got really confused because I had heard the lyrics of "Into My Arms" somewhere before. Turns out Roger Daltrey covered it on his album. -Songs are fine, nothing really stood out
- Into My Arms - Where Do We Go Now But Nowhere?
This was fine
WOW. Incredible album. First time hearing it. I think I'm an instant fan of Nick Cave. Great voice and tone. The songs are all amazing. I can see this one becoming a favorite of mine in the near future. Standouts: Into My Arms, People Ain't No Good, Lime Tree Arbour, 3.5 / 5
mellocolie
A little too slow and melancholy for my liking but I may revisit it under different circumstances. Seems like the kind of album that requires a specific sort of setting to appreciate.
I'm not a Nick Cave fan, but I much prefer his chamber pop style here compared to his hard gothic sound of Abbatoir Blues. If you want to appreciate the man more, there's more of a focus on his strong songwriting and versatile dark voice, with minor piano accompaniment. Not a lot of diversity, and the album drags on a lot, but the majority of it is good, with a few highlights.
This album was alright. Not the biggest fan of Nick's voice, it kind of reminds me of Leonard Cohen's voice. But the songs were relaxing, even if they were emotional and sombre. The song that I really liked was the only one I previously knew (People Ain't No Good).
serious music for serious people. It's very good at what it does. what it does isn't what i does.
solid 3 Not my type of music but its good. its also real sad. It sounds like old school the national
As my first exposure to Nick Cave, I neither loved nor hated it. Mostly slow songs with piano and vocals; with melodies that lack pizazz. Great lyrics, with a clear view of what it's trying to explain, but that's all I can say.
What's the best antonym for shell shocked? Whatever the word is, it would best describe the feeling when buying the Nick Cave CD that followed Murder Ballads (so expecting more songs like "O'Malley's Bar'') but getting The Boatman's Call. Don't get me wrong, there are some great lyrics on this album - "Into My Arms" and "West Country Girl" are excellent songs. It's just hard to get into 12 deeply personal ballads. I just want him to toss the keyboards for a sec and play Deanna although I expect PJ is happy the song about her, qua Nick's ex, was West Country Girl rather than the vicious offering that Deanna got. One thing about the ballads is that he has an opportunity to show how good his voice is. He's also pretty good at tapping the 88 keys. I will have 5s for some of NC's albums but not this one.
I was keen to hear this after the first 1001 offering sent to us (Abattoir Blues), but I have to say I’m not as enchanted by this one. The songs are a bit sparse for me, and you don’t get the usual fluctuations in his intensity level. They mix it up a bit on side 2 and some of the arrangements, like on Idiot Prayer, are beautiful. Lyrically he is more direct and sounds less like a poet on this LP – Black Hair as an example.
This was a surprisingly stripped down album from Drake, much different from the post punk sound that I’m accustomed to from him. Stuff that you would expect him to play at a friend’s funeral, and that is exactly what he actually did. This album allows his powerful voice to shine and his lyrics are even more poignant. However I found 52 minutes of basically the same mood and tempo to be a bit much.
<3
I liked the first song but the rest wasn't my taste
It is hard to understand how this served on the soundtrack to Justice League, but it works surprisingly well as the world's gloomiest Christmas album. People Ain't No Good, huh Nick?
This one’s just too moribund. As ever great craftsmanship, but just not enough dynamic!
Some cool songs but I wasn’t crazy about them.
ehkä mä jonain päivänä vielä pääsen ineen nick caveen kun jaksan kuunnella lyriikoiden kanssa.
Mér leiðist Into my arms, hef heyrt það margoft og alltaf fundist upphafsfrasarnir tilgerðarlegir. Er ekkert sérstaklega hrifinn af röddinni hans Caves heldur. En viti menn, þarna leynast bara ljómandi góð lög og áheyrileg á eftir slagaranum.
Cool stuff by nick cave again but not as interesting as murder ballads
First tune and a few others are really stand out, rest of the album not so much 3.45/5
Not too bad but not my favorite.
It's soulful and all, but not my thing
Jazz, melódico. Lento. Melancólico
2021.11.25 there is a kingdom
Opening track was really nice, Lou Reed vibes. Rest of the album seemed like all the same song, didn't really fire up for me.
Had trouble just sitting and listening to it. Made decent background music though. Liked the mood of it but am okay to not listen again.
I liked some songs a lot, but generally not a fan of the singing style (leonard cohen, waits, etc.)
for a melancholy mood and to sing along
3.5
Enjoyed this more than I thought I would, really like Cave’s voice for it and the music nicely accentuated it. Not sure I would ever listen again though as it’s a bit too melancholy for my tastes. 3
Great ambience, a little intense in the religious overtones
3 stars. He has a nice voice, but songs are kind of a bummer
Surprisingly pretty and romantic. Didn't think I'd enjoy it this much! Standouts are Into My Arms and There Is a Kingdom. 3.5
Into my arms is obviously a beautiful tune but this didn't catch me like I thought it would.
Melancholy and lovely.
I'd heard his name before but I don't recall hearing his music before (maybe a song or two from his punk bank, Birthday Party? not sure). Anyway, I am very glad to be introduced to this album. Some real nice songwriting. I enjoy his style, musically, lyrically, and vocally.
fine. almost good i think?
Lots of beautiful moments here, but in general just a bit overwrought for my taste. Takes itself just a bit seriously.
Really good album…nice chill vibe…looking forward to checking out more of their stuff
3/5 quite good, sounded a bit like john lennon
The songwriting is really phenomenal, but it does get weird at times. I love when the organ gets going in the background and gives everything an ethereal vibe. I definitely have to be in a certain mood to enjoy this though. The last song is super weird.
Pretty good, like Green Eyes
Very nice :))
Nick cave has really good music quite excited.
He definitely has a sound.
Sombre, down tempo, quite beautiful.
Man, what a killer opener. Hard to get on to the rest because I just want to keep listening to it on repeat. It really sets the tone for what follows: a significant departure from the sound and themes of previous Nick Cave records. It just feels so personal and intimate. I feel like he must have been listening to a lot of Tom Waits and Leonard Cohen at the time. Shades of Scott Walker, too. 3.5/5 Favourite songs: "Into My Arms", "There is a Kingdom"
Piano-based and sad
3
Not for me this one.
Nick Cave gets dumped by PJ Harvey and moans about it. Best Tracks: Into Your Arms, People Ain't No Good, (Are You) The One I've Been Waiting For?
Good, but not nearly as captivating as the first Nick Cave album we listened to. West Country Girl keeps things interesting, but the stripped-down piano thing was never my jam.
Haven’t listened to much Nick Cave and this album has made me want to listen to much more as it’s right up my street but there weren’t enough stand out tracks on this album (Into my Arms aside) to elevate this from a 3 to a 4
It's not terrible, but I wasn't really into this. Just a bit slow and boring. Don't really see much much importance/significance in it either. I can see how it is a music critic's dream though, probably explains why it's in this list. Another Howard fortunate 3. 5.5/10
Enjoyable, but fell victim to being listened to whilst doing stuff round the house so some of it went by the wayside and didn't do enough to grab my attention.
I wouldn’t mind if I never heard nick cave ever again. I have loved some of his songs, covered many of them, but now it just sounds flat and boring.
nice album with nice music but the songs didnt really fit together like it seemed more of a best of album rather than a normal album.
1st track is amazing and the rest pretty good standard Nick Cave. I think I like him better when there's guitars
I like the imagery in the lyrics - they read like poems. I also like Nick Cave's voice that's unique. The arrangements are super spare and the recordings sounds live, mostly acoustic and unfiltered. After listening to this album, I understand Nick Cave's mystique but I'm feeling unexcited and a little confused. Perhaps with more understanding of his other albums, I'll have more context to judge.
Es klingt alles gut und Cave gefällt in seinem Mantel aus Schwermut, in den gehüllt er durch ein Spalier melancholischer Bewunderung langsam wiegenden Schrittes den Raum als den seinen erobert. Kann da nur aus der Ferne erkennen, was seinem Bann nicht erklommen kann, mich aber demselben entziehen, denn so viele Jünger er um sich zu scharren vermag so erkenne ich ihn als Künstler an, jedoch nur leidlich berührt, keineswegs erregt und ein wenig skeptisch. Anerkennende 3.1
Ersten Song fand ich sehr schön, dieses nocturne, novemberige und ruhige. Dann allerdings festgestellt, dass die ganze Platte ja auch nicht so viel anders ist, was auf Dauer dann doch etwas einlullte. Leider (wie meistens) nicht auf Texte geachtet, deshalb auch keinen Eindruck von der Deepness gewinnen können. Leider, möglicherweise komplett unbegründeter Verdacht: es könnte richtung "Tears in Heaven" gehen. Mit Songtiteln wie "People Ain't No Good" spricht er mir natürlich aus dem Herzen. Insgesamt: schön, aber zu wenig aufregend. 2.7.
Real Dreary work. Vocally a little off, but I enjoyed it.
Not something I would listen to again
Very religious.
estuve por darle un 2, pero la letra lo hizo un 3
Enjoyed it at times but it's certainly mood music.
Themes of religion, love Bear and stripped back, with just piano Very personal and up close
Aussie Leonard Cohen
Not bad
un po' malincolino, calmo, ma comunque piacevole
I respect it but I don’t think I will listen to this much in the future - it reminds me of a concert in a dark bar where you sit down to watch the music and maybe meet eyes with a woman on the other side of the room and you both smoke cigs and drink manhattans in a complicated stage of life like a post breakup or a recent death - 6.7/10
Excellent modern blues and chill vibe. Lyrics are fantastic, music consistent. Love Nick Cave!
Fav: Into My Arms, There is a Kingdom
It feels a bit controversial to give this a three but that’s just how this listen turned out 🤷🏻♂️
Idiot’s Prayer is great, the rest were kinda boring
Álbum com músicas bem lentas. Bacana pra se ouvir durante um momento de reflexão.
It's time for The Boatman's Call from Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds. I have to be honest and say I don't recall listening to much, if any Nick Cave over the years. I know they have a very passionate fan base, and listening to this for the first time - I can see this being something I would like. The first song is mainly piano and Nick Cave, and it tells me all I want to know. It's thoughtful, introspective and I'm enjoying it already. It reminds me of Leonard Cohen, Richard Hawley, and Rufus Wainwright. My wife will not like this. I believe it would qualify as "whiny music" in her opinion. As the album rolls along, I'm enjoying how straight-forward the words are, though it does seem a little bible-y at points. I looked it up and Nick has many thoughts about the Bible and religion. I hopped out of the album and looked at what is popular for this artists - and I'm seeing if I actually know any of the songs. Not so much. I'm enjoying this, it might be too introspective and slow for consistent listening.
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."
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.
Classic Nick cave, alright album
O piano é bom, a voz é mais ou menos.
Not my style.
Crooning.
Some good songs, bit of a mixed bag with some weird ‘arty’ moments
Quite enjoyed that, although it felt like stories not songs do can't see myself listening again.
Very mellow, and a bit sad.
Bit too downbeat and depressing for me. Appreciated that it was really well crafted music though.
1997. Key Songs: Into My Arms, (Are You) the One That I've Been Waiting For?
Inte hans bästa, men en extra stark 3:a! Perfekta albumet om man vill begå självmord!
**A very sad, dramatic album
I never know what to expect from this band. It's like they intentionally create a completely different sound, and style on every album. While I appreciate their versatility, this album was just boring. It doesn't help this is probably the hottest day via temperature I've ever experienced in my entire lif, so maybe I'm a little cranky today. Favorite Track: "Into My Arms".
Había escuchado otras cosas de Nick Cave y esto me aburrió un poco.
Почему так больно сильно мама
12 songs After what felt like an hour, I realized I had only made it to the fifth song, and I think this sums up the album pretty well.
sad boi
Not a lot stuck out to me. Simple, but not in a profound way. 4.6/10
Yeah this album just passed by. Not a big fan of Nick Cave's voice and style of music. This one was definitely not his worst, but far from good as well. 2/5
snoozer
This album aiiiiin't noooooo goooooooooood. No, this album aiiiiiinnn't noooooooo gooooooood. 2/5
I like the melodies but nothing else appeals on The Boatman's Call.
Rather boring.
so this sounds like more Leonard Cohen? with a bit more instruments in there. Mad props to these guys for red right hand tho that's acc a banger.
Why does Nick Cave have so many albums on here
Again, not really remarkable but fine
It’s like he went “I’ll show you a Leonard Cohen ripoff” and then made this not very good album
Chad asked why i was listening to funeral music with this one.
Not for me. Thought this one was a snoozer. I don’t find the compositions very interesting and I don’t think I share Cave’s sense of humor sufficiently to appreciate his lyrics.
Did not enjoy this one at all. Ended a great recent run of albums :(. Nick cave just says stuff over a bang average backing, and sometimes the lyrics are shit to boot. Black hair is soo bad. Specific rating - 2.5 Fav song- people ain’t no good Least fav- black hair/ green eyes
This album just furthers my distaste for Nick Cave.
I try so hard to not give out 1s, but this album is so close. Maybe it’s just not my vibe, but I never want to hear this album again. I thought I looked the song from Shrek 2 - and maybe I do on its own - but hearing this whole album has made me like the one song a little less. I’ll be kind and round up from the 1.5 I want to give, but don’t take that as a positive review.
Damn. - This was one of the more emotionally heavy projects on this list so far. I was not able to grab the true meaning behind it on my first listen through, but a lot of the tracks were throat lump worthy. for me personally, this is a very special album stored away for a very special occasion where everything around you crumbles and all you can do is watch and hope the real you makes it through. Very emotionally charged and does a good job at relating through unique relation niches but this isnt something one would throw on an aux cord Best song - People aint no good
#15 I had higher hopes for this. Most of the songs don't seem to go anywhere musically, and his singing comes across as monotone and borderline lazy. Some of the lyrics are cringey, especially in Green Eyes. West Country Girl might be the only song on the whole album worth returning to.
Nick Cave and the Bad Music
Maybe I'm not in the mode for something slower paced, but this is really just not hitting for me.
If Nick Cave could sing, this would be a pretty decent album. As it is, this is a pass.
2 - a bit boring
скип просто лирика под простую музыку не трогает ни разу
Christian rock💔💔 Not that bad
Soooo boring
very Leonard Cohen-y. good if you're into that down tempo droning stuff I guess.
Some songs are a vibe but overall boring?
11/05/26 que voz grave estranha e que piano chato e isso se repete em tudo?? monótono pra cacete, voz chata e instrumentais chatos dara 3/10 / 1.5/5, mas isso n merece 1 eu acho
Капец это скучно
Listened to this at work it wasn't too bad. Not a normal Nick Cave record. 2.5 stars
Bo-ring
I don't hate this. It would be a 3 if his vocals weren't out of tune so often. If the whole album were sung by Tom Waits or Leonard Cohen, it might even be a 4 because there are good melodies and some interesting lyrics. But it just becomes ponderous and grating when it sounds like a demo he recorded late at night drunk. I would prefer to hear his songs sung by other people. I know a lot of people feel that way about Bob Dylan but Bob Dylan generally sings on pitch.
welp. after avoiding him for 7 years on RYM, i finally have an obligation to listen to Nick Cave. to my understanding he's kind of an inverse Tom Waits, mellowing from goblin yelps to tasteful balladry over the decades. as for these tasteful ballads: they're pretty, they're well written, but they're the only thing on here and musically don't match the depth of the emotional arc. deserves to be one of the 1001? ignoring The Birthday Party for a second, i reckon he gets one album from the 80s, one album from the 90s, and one album from the 21st century. the specific picks? i dont fucking know go ask someone that's obsessed with this guy
Nothing especially wrong with it musically but just quite depressing really and that’s not my vibe right now
good lord, there must be someone on this 1001 platform that is just OBSESSED with nick cave. how many albums have i listened from him now? .... shit, this will be my fifth one! this one is very very minimalist, mostly voice and piano. very sad, very slow and quite sensational... it's a very slow-burn of an album. this album smells and feels like a rainy day in the fall. i really, i really want to like what i'm hearing, i really do but i just end up feeling uninterested. when the album reached its halfway point, my interest just faded and faded even more. the songs aren't bad but it's just not a mood, it's not a sound i can get interested in right now. sorry to the nick cave fans.
I lean more towards either the creepy or beautiful ends of the spectrum when it comes to the music of Mr. Cave.
A bit too slow for my tastes
Slow, boring, fuck off Nick Cave as there is too much of you on this list anyway.
Very melancholy and truthfully a little dark. After a few songs you start to realize Nick Cave’s style on this album is simply bad lounge singing over piano and drums that slowly sound off behind him while he talks of love and religion in the simplest of terms. I have no idea why anyone would acclaim this album. Hell…I have no idea why anyone would listen to this album. It’s not for me.
Something is off here. Perhaps less Nick Cave and more Bad Seeds next time? This felt like a guy got his hands on an emo girl’s diary and is doing dramatic spoken-song versions of tfe entries as a disinterested band, who may or may not be aware of what is going on, plays music in the background. It’s definitely not what you’d call compelling.
When the album ended I felt the urge to put on some Leonard Cohen to lighten the mood. Yeeesh this was dour.
My theory is that Nick Cave is smart and talented, but not quite as smart or talented as he thinks he is, which is why he's so self-serious
I thought Ghosteen was just an exception, no, turns out Nick Cave is just this fucking annoying to listen to.
Very slow
Its fine. I like his voice, but everything feels slower than it should have been. The writing flips back and forth between really evocative and interesting and completely first draft, over the course of the same song. I didn't hate it but I don't think I'll be coming back to it.
Goed hoor, maar wel tering deprimerend. Erg goed na een halve fles whiskey denk ik
Ok I was going to rate this a 3 but the last song literally made me say “ew” when I heard the spoken word part. I feel like I should like this, but it just didn’t do anything for me.
My initial thought was "I literally can't handle another Nick Cave album." After listening, I can at least acknowledge that each of the selected albums by his band have different sounds, and I constantly fight the urge to argue that certain albums aren't deserving of taking up valuable spots that were more deserving by other creative rock albums. This album had an overall nice sound, with Idiot Prayer capitalizing the most on the soundscape of the album. But overall, his writing is not my style, 2.5 rounded down
Nicht mein Fall, zu düster und langsam
artists I don't understand the love for: 1. elvis costello 2. nick cave 3. dire straits
Siempre es divertido escuchar a un hombre llorón, pero se hace bola.
I am a Tom Waits fan, very much an acquired taste, as is Mr. Cave, but while I can listen to song after great song from Waits, this guy is a long, sonoros drone who occasionally makes a track that I love - Red Right Hand for example. No tracks like that on here.
Although this album isn’t for me overall, I did like West Country Girl. The lyrics are layered in symbolism which I appreciated. I found the lyrics in his songs in general were pretty poetic. The music itself seems quite soulful but somehow isn’t hitting the spot for me. I found it a bit “whiny” at times and too slow. Like this is the type of music you listen to when you’re a middle aged white guy who just went through divorce and you’re sitting at a bar drinking whiskey or something idk. I’m too jolly and naïve for this album.
Heard Before? Yes. Notes: - production is warm and intimate - like a candlelit recording studio. - arrangements are restrained but varied. - excellent use of a slow 6/8. - lyrics are typical Nick Cave of the period - darkly sentimental. - that said, it truly suffers in comparison to his other work. I would much rather hear Birthday Party or even Grinderman. - also "Green Eyes" might be the worst song he ever recorded. Verdict: Why are we listening to the 8th best Nick Cave album? It's fine, but unremarkable. Listen Again? No, except I saved "People Ain't No Good" and "West Country Girl".
Not bad
Sounds like Tom Waits without the grittyness. Good for background music on a lazy day. Replay yes
2.5
not bad, not my thing
I'm actually a very big fan of Nick Cave in his Jubilee Street and onward era, I think Religious Nick Cave is much more interesting than the older stuff. Boatman's Call has hints of what's to come, but it's lazy and kind of drones in places and the PJ Harvey songs are way overrated. Into My Arms is a wonderful song and is a true example of what Nick Cave can be when he's being his real self, which is what the later albums reflect.
Man this kinda sucks. And it’s too cheesy and he can’t sing. A few of the songs are pretty ok though but not enough.
Really boring. A couple songs were ok I guess. But some were painful to get through.
I'll be honest and admit that I don't get all the hype surrounding Nick Cave, as sacrilegious as that is to say in the Australian music scene (don't tell mum!). I don't know. I think maybe you had to be there. To my ears it just sounds kind of pretentious. Usually I find the term 'pretentious' to be a lazy and overused descriptor for music that requires effort to understand, but that's how I feel about The Boatman's Call. Instead of coming off as deep, Cave's spoken-word-esque delivery kind of ends up being a poor man's Leonard Cohen. Idiot Prayer's still great, though. Fav tracks: Into My Arms, Idiot Prayer
I really want to like Nick Cave. The first song I was bopping along to. Then every single song sounded the exact same. Just my opinion but I was SO BORED. Just sad and whiny to me.
This one seems the best so far, but I still can’t do it. Mentioned to my Dad in passing that I didn’t get Nick Cave and he seemed very disappointed. Hitting Nick with an extra star for that. Someone out there likes this guy.
Would be cool to like Nick Cave more, because he sure has a lot of music. On the right day, this one might work. It's just too melancholy though - not doing it for me. I liked Into My Arm and Black Hair a bit.
It was decent, I can see why fans of his enjoy it as it brings something different to most of his others I’ve heard. My gripe is it doesn’t feel necessary to the music world as a whole. I will say it was easy to put myself into the right mood by imagining I just fumbled PJ Harvey. Poor guy, I’d be wailing too. Rating: 2.1
The kid in class who desperately wants to be broody and interesting but just winds up saying dorky stuff and wearing black shirts. Some of the piano is nice
This dude so obviously wants to be Tom Waits in the absolute worst way.
Another guy that keeps popping up who never made a dent in the US and has no hits stateside that I am aware of. Funny thing, I heard the intro track just yesterday on a TV series, so I know people listen to him but I don't know why. I was half asleep by the end of the song though. I find his voice average at best, so this must be a Dylan thing, if you listen to the poetry of his words you get something in return. Too wordy for me. I'm simple, I prefer a good song over a lyrical-Einstein any day of the week so the message is lost on me. The song counts on Spotify are impressive for this album, I'll give him that. He has an audience, no song has fewer than 2.5M listens, most are double that and "Into My Arms" clocks in at inconceivable 151M (WTF?). If I was going to jump off a bridge and call it The End, this is the album I'd tee up on my drive to said bridge. "People Ain't No Good", "Where Do We Go Now But Nowhere", "Idiot Prayer", uplifting stuff, bust out the razorblade. "West Country Girl" & "Black Hair" were unlistenable. Poetics aside, this is a BORING record, a genuine snoozer. 2 stars is all I could muster after that, I was too depressed to toss in a 3rd star. I'm gonna go kick someone's cat now. I am completely baffled as to how a listener could actually enjoy this album and put it on repeat. I hope I never hear him again before I die. Let's stop kidding ourselves and remove him altogether from the T1001.
1. armz - 2 2. lime - 1.5 3. people - 1.5 4. oratory - 1 5. kingdom - 1.5 6. uuaiting - 1.5 7. Where - 1 8. uuezt - 1.5 9. black - 1.5 10. prayer - 1 11. far - 1.5 12. green - 0
I get why people love him,but Holy cow too many of his albums are on this list.
Dormi no volante
Meh, There's a few Nickcave song I know and a couple of them I like. Into your arms is excellent!, but sadly the rest of the album just kind of feel limp to me. I dint think his lyrics and voice are enough to carry the minimalist approach to the overall songs.
I'm just not a Nick Cave fan. I respect the poetry, and I was largely onboard with the instrumentation on this album, but the delivery doesn't resonate with me. 4/10
Maybe the worst album to listen to while working out in the morning.
album de welcome to the jungle, buena entrada, también está paradise city y sweet child o'mine
Again some good moments but nothing to initially say wow about. The first some definitely in the best to me. Started to get bored halfway through. Some of the lyrical content is interesting and did keep me engaged. However, when a song ended a new one started with the same sort of cadence and idea of the previous. Won’t be revisiting
It's weird because I love Bill Callahan and Mark Lanegan and Will Oldham. Give me dark baritone vibes with self-destructive lyrics. I'm into it. But with the 2nd Nick Cave album of the list - that's super different than the first - I'm realizing my Nick Cave blind spot might be more deliberate than I thought. Because I do not like his voice. He goes flat and off tune in spots that is super grating. His lyrics feel more stalker-obsessive than longing-obsessive (so much dark hair and heart-shaped faces). There'd be moments it would kind of be okay & then a note would go flat or he'd sound creepy rather than gothic and I just could not give this more than a 3. A real bummer since I think we have 3 more albums to go of his. Sigh.
not for me. sounded like a worship track a few times then last song really threw me off lol
Melodys were relaxing but not a huge fan of gospel music
This is the best of the Nick Cave albums we’ve been thrown so far. I highly disliked Ghosteen and Murder Ballads. This is significantly more palatable. That being said, still not my cup of tea.
This is boring
Ich kann mir nicht helfen, aber ich werde mit Nick Cave einfach nicht warm. Ich finde das einfach nur zum Einschlafen.
Cut 20 minutes off the length and this would be easier to endure. I can do a spot of desolation at times. But maybe not today. And this is pretty desolate. Not a fan of the religious undertones that ceeep in.
Man, I really want to like him. Just feels kinda like a poor man's Johnny Cash or a modern day sea-shanty singer. I'm sure I'm missing out, but I just can't get into it. 2.
😴
Overly melancholy to the point where none of it feels poignant or substantially emotional, instead just a repetitive slog of self-deprecating and regretful monologues.
Get back to your cave and never leave it again, Nick.
I just don't get it. Maybe good lyrics, but I can't get into the vocals or music. I could not wait for this to be over, but I endured for the sake of the list gods. This was a 1.9 rounded up to a 2.
For a band called Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, this was very boring. Almost sounded like a lounge act for the majority of the album. Lead singer (Nick Cave I presume?) has sort of a Morrissey thing going on, which I do not like. A very boring and repetitive album, all the songs are monotone vocals, piano, and a jazz drum lightly tapping. 2/5
Took off a full fucking star for Black Hair. Fuck that song holy shit
Srrey nick cave i like ur earlier work
Let’s just call this out for what it is. Pretty tortuous. Yeah he’s got credit in the bank for some good stuff in his time. But no-one needs this album of not always in tune talk singing, with limited backing to moderate the former (I bet the Bad Seeds were mightily unimpressed when he brought them this one “Don’t worry lads I’ve got this one covered, you all just sit quietly and behave there in the background”). And Black Hair, lyrical genius, come off it, sounds like a 6th former wrote it. File this one alongside all that Waits/Cohen claptrap.
No thank you not vibing with this much. At random I couldn't tell you where each song lays in the album 3.4/10
There are just too many songs that I really don't like, for the couple I do like to allow me give this a good rating. 2 stars or D.
listened to 3 songs and then DNF'd
I know I’m gonna like some of the other albums but this one is a little too slow for me
Not a bad set of songs, but quite downbeat & depressing/sad.
I don't know the dynamic of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds but I'm going to give a 1 to Nick Cave for his terrible not trying vocals and stupid AF 16 year old girl diary lyrics. 4 for The Bad Seeds. Enjoyed the music, would be immensely better as an instrumental album.
A bit boring.
Despressed shit for depressed people
I tried listening to this album while I was working. It almost put me to sleep.
Peu d'intérêt
:/
I’ve mentioned this before, but the last Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds album I had to listen to (Murder Ballads) made for one of the most unpleasant experiences of this challenge so far. Because of that, I was equally disappointed to get another Nick Cave entry so soon and thankful to be getting a second Book Album from him out of the way. My first impressions of The Boatman’s Call are that it has higher lows and lower highs than Murder Ballads – there’s nothing quite on the level of "Henry Lee" or "Where the Wild Roses Grow" on this album, but the worst songs here don’t give me that yucky feeling that many of the cuts on the previous album did. I’d also say the concept (if you can even call it that) of The Boatman’s Call isn’t as obvious or compelling as it was on Murder Ballads, but there are still lots of shared elements across the tracks this time around, from the lyrical themes (lost love, spirituality, etc.) to the instrumental palette to the mood and energy of the songs. Although I still can’t say I’m much into Cave’s voice or songwriting style, I did resonate with this one a bit more than the last. Some moments even came across as lovely and/or touching to me – who would have thought? His music just might be growing on me, ever so slowly. The Boatman’s Call is still a two star album for me, but it’s probably also one that I’d prefer listening to over some others I’ve rated the same (including Murder Ballads, which I’m actually beginning to appreciate in hindsight). Who knows, maybe I’ll enjoy the next Nick Cave assignment even more! Highlights: Into My Arms, There Is a Kingdom, (Are You) The One That I’ve Been Waiting For
IIRC not as bad as his other albums we got so far....but there's no way he deserves to be on this list to being with. I think he has 5 albums on this list. WTF.
I couldn't get through it.. All the songs sounded the same, and while not absolutely horrible, it started grating on me. Maybe a few songs here and there I can do, but 52 mins straight.
Nick Cave is the white bread of food
One of those albums that completely missed the fact that the music needs some effort too. It can't just be melancholic poetry. We have an artistic medium for that. It's called poetry. He has a nice voice though. 2.0/5.0: Disappointing
man this reminded me so much of leonard cohen: poetry over very sparse arrangements. almost every song is beautifully written and performed, but there is little contrast between them making the entire album feel static. any individual song(except green eyes) could be a five on its own but as album it drags alot.
I wanted to love this - I just listened to a podcast featuring Nick Cave (Old School with Shiloh Brooks) and loved listening to him - but this album was slow and felt repetitive.
Interesting
Didn't really do that much for me
Boring
Meh
I really dislike Nick Cave's sound - he's just droning on and on, I get his lyrics are decent but that doesn't come ahead of the sound. Best: Into My Arms Worst: the rest of the album :( 1.5 Stars
++: Brompton Oratory, Where Do We Go Now But Nowhere?, West Country Girl +: Into My Arms, Lime Tree Arbour, (Are You) The One I've Been Waiting For?, Idiot Prayer +-: People Ain't No Good, There Is a Kingdom, Black Hair, Far from Me, Green Eyes 5,1/10
2 stars I gotta stop assuming every rock band is hard rock or metal it disappoints me every timr
Moody, brooding, and kinda boring
No thank you
Hmmm not sure about this one
Did NOT mess with this man's baritone voice
This album is produced very well and definitely paints a picture of why he is liked by the reviewers on the list. I'm just not really a fan of his style, and the production doesn't really change that for me.
Found it a little boring but deserves higher than a 1.
is this satire? genuine question Nick Cave seems like the kind of guy who thinks he's the smartest, deepest guy in your English class but is actually dumb as a bag of rocks
A bit of a downer. Very slow, very repetitive. Maybe it has a time and place, but this was not it.
Pretty slow album but theres a couple good tracks
Nick Cave is capable of making music I would like. He just doesn't. All the ingredients to a great meal are there, but he's boiling the steak and trying to fry a whole baked potato. Most tolerable song: West Country Girl 2.5
I always get nick cave and tom waits mixed up for some reason. Surprised by the great vocals! But just kinda depressing and monotone overall. Maybe if I was in the right mood?
wow there's a lot of nick cave on here. I still don't enjoy this, but it's not bad. I see a lot of leonard cohen comparisons -- at least this guy tries to sing in pitch; I can't stand most of cohen's stuff. 2*
Musically very minimalist, it's focused on the lyrics just too much for my taste. There were some nicer songs and overall it's relaxed but just not my cup of tea. Those 52 minutes felt like 1 hour 52 minutes.
Wasn't familiar with this artist but won't necessarily reach for it again
piano works really well with the vocals. something really masterful about the blend between the percussive elements and rest of music. however dont think i would return to this album aside from 'Into My Arms' (loveelyy song, well written and gorgeous)
I really want to like Nick Cave some of the time. The opening track on this album is great. But it's just super repetitive and pretty boring. If you like this, check out Murder by Death. The lead singer has a similar voice but they're just better.
Depressing and boring
Nick cage and the bad album. 3/10
how many nick cave albums on this list god
The songs here were pretty indistinguishable
Weird album but kind of good too
Damn dude this almost could have been an awesome album if they just changed everything about it. When they got to West Country Girl I was relieved to finally have a song with some tempo and grit to it. If they made an album more in that style then it could actually rock. He’s got the voice, they’re playing melodically haunting music, but there’s just no energy to being it home. Almost every song is tiresome because he’s singing so slowly, which can be cool and great but with that baritone and the musicality behind it it’s like begging to be more ominous and they’re just not leaning into that hardly at all. Ik that drummer is losing his shit because you can almost feel them trying to step it up. But nope, let’s make an album of 11 of the slowest songs you’ve ever heard. Maybe it should be an objective 3 but I’m holding them at 2 because I’m disappointed at the waste of potential.
i mean... its not terrible. its fine to have on in the background of something... but i really don't get why Nick Cave is so revered.
I might be a little more open to Nick Cave's music if we started with this album instead of Murder Ballads. Not all that difficult of a listen, minus the spoken-word parts of the last track, its just really somber and some of the melodies continue throughout the album and feels like its just repeating the same sad song. Probably only worth coming back for Into My Arms, but this band will be going back to 'Do Not Play' on my Spotify.
I want to like it, but man it’s just long and all the same. Can’t see myself coming back to this one.
The first song was pretty good, and then the rest of the tracks started to blend together and the album became kind of boring. I was going to give this a 3 because it was overall easy/pleasant to listen to, but Green Eyes was bafflingly bad and cringy. So now it’s a 2/5.
This started off diabolically horrible. Got a little better after the 3rd song. Then worse again. First time I’ve heard that c word in a song, I think. Least worst was “There Is A Kingdom”. I want to feel cool & like it; not gonna happen though.