Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus

I like but idk wasn’t engrossed

not sure how i get two nick cave albums in the span of a week. that being said this is almost as drab as the boatmans call

Tired, unintersting, and way too long.

Nick Caved

For some reason Nick Cave's voice ruined a ton of good instrumentation and downright good beats...

Meh

First few songs were okay. Then it got slow and was trying to make me nod off.

I think this would’ve appealed to me more if they were separate albums. I liked the second half more. The songs themselves were pretty long too, so I found myself skipping halfway through after I felt I got the gist. I can see what this has for people who like this kind of music, but it wasn’t for me. I liked Breathless and Carry Me.

4/10… art rock / alternative pop / *2004

eh

80s stuff, go to the 80s stuff

Had some great songs that I had listened to before, so I was expecting to like it more, but I didn’t care for most of it. 2.5/5

Did not really care for this. Just like his other stuff

I've never been a Nick Cave fan, and this isn't going to change that. Sounds like a poor David Bowie impersonator with a gospel choir. Except the one part where he sounded like a cartoon zoot suit wolf. No way am I listening to almost an hour and a half of this.

Gospel-infused alternative rock built from roaring guitars, piano, choirs, driving rhythms, and dramatic vocals feels like being trapped inside a revival tent where every emotion is amplified to biblical proportions—grand, passionate, and occasionally exhausting. The album constantly reaches for transcendence through volume, intensity, and scale, but for me its excess often overwhelms the songs themselves. What should feel cathartic often feels overinflated.

This is way to fuckin long

It's too Halloweenie. I was out at "Frappuccino".

not a nick cave fan which always surprises people for some reason. still not a nick cave fan after this album. i liked breathless

After seeing him live, I can confirm he’s truly a phenomenal artist. His songs are beautiful. Fav song is ‘O Children’.

Started off rough but got a little better as the record went on.

Not a big fan of the vocals but it's still an interesting and nice album

I guess the quickest route to your 13th album is to pick a song name and go "that'll make a good album name" and just keep droning until you've filled a disk. And despite them being good names for albums, I cannot tell you what the title tracks sounded like a minute after finishing said album, beyond Lyre feeling incredibly long

No es horrible pero me pego un tiro antes de escucharlo entero

Not for me

10 Jun 2026 · 4/10 This guy makes me feel like anyone could make music if they were pretentious enough. Just look at the title... That being said, I did enjoy a few songs, so I have to give it a decent score. The style feels overused throughout, I enjoy very varied albums. And some of the lyrics man… Please listen to ‘Fable of the brown ape’, you’ll understand what I mean. Maybe I’m not ‘profound enough’ to understand them.

Fav- babe you turn me on 2/5

Started off okay, but each song is too long, and the album on the whole is too long. The choir does help break up his grating voice, but it’s still grating when every song is 5 minutes long.

me sorprendió che, pensé que era un blues clásico o algo así por el nombre pero nada que ver jajja. Rocanroll estilo 70s, aunque salio en los 2000 segun lo que veo. Escuché solamente la parte 1 del disco, hay parte 2

Not my typical album I would listen to. Favorite track(s) Cannibal's Hymn

Somewhere between David Byrne and Bob Dylan lies Nick Cave. After a few songs I realized that this was the Red Right Hand guy and then it all clicked. This double album feels like listening to the album to a rock opera that I haven't seen. Normally I like that, but in this case, his voice is like Bob Dylan nails-on-a-chalkboard-esc. The gravelly, whiny talk-singing isn't for me. It doesn't matter about the music or lyrics bc I can't get passed voices that make me grind my teeth. 2 stars, wish I could listen to this album covered by people who could actually sing

It has some interesting moments, but the whole thing is a little too esoteric for me.

5/10

I enjoyed this but way too long

I only heard to the first album and the first song of the second album. It's clear they know what they're doing, it just doesn't resonate with me. I don't like the amount of times the hook is used during most of the songs.

Mostly meh. Some good songs in between such as breathless.

Idk man a couple of songs were good but I couldn't get into it :( cannibal hymn was funky tho

i'm not saying this guy's not a skilled musician or an unworthy potential addition to the list. i'm just saying i don't like him or his voice.

this is fine i guess, but it's just not for me. i don't "get" nick cave. i've had AMPLE opportunities to do so from this list, but his music just doesn't interest me at all. favorites: there she goes my beautiful world, the lyre of orpheus

Zu lang zu öde funktioniert nicht als Album

not bad

meeee

Double Nick Cave album is asking a lot of me. But, open mind and all that. The bassline on Cannibal's Hymn does a lot of heavy lifting and makes the song worthwhile. Messiah Ward has interesting music and a chill vibe. I just don't like his voice. I'm struggling to find other positives. From the singing, to the lyrics, to the music, it's all mid at best and actively annoying at worst. The title track on the first side was a highlight though, and Easy Money. Basically the laid back bluesy stuff is the best. And anything where Nick doesn't sound like Steven Seagal trying to sing (look it up). It's ** but I bet I could cobble together a passable 45 minutes here if I had to.

Ich verstehs einfach nicht. Ich versteh Nick Cave nicht. 82 Minuten. 17 Songs. Und ich check's einfach nicht. Das ist mir alles zu theatralisch, die Stimme bzw. der Gesangsstil geht mir höllisch auf den Nerv. Lowlight ist dabei "Fable of a brown ape". Dank des vokalen Abturns, schaff ich auch nicht mich auf irgendwelche Texte zu konzentrieren. Instrumentierung ist noch das beste daran, but I don't know what all the fuzz is about.

For as many albums as Nick Cave has released I still haven't found one I enjoy from start to finish.

Too eclectic for my taste

not as good as Joni Mitchell’s Blue

Trop rock n roll

Nick Cave's lyrics can grab my attention every now and again with a song or two that I'll nod in approval for. But all in all it's the same shtick.

A bit of a snooze fest if you ask me.

nick cave was recently nominated at the Oscars for his song for Train Dreams - the snippet of it they played at the ceremony (we were spared a full performance) contained an the line "And a screamin' locomotive train Crazy dreams that go on for hours" Man, you just used two of the words that were in the title of the movie. I get that you're doing some of this stuff on commission, I'd phone it in too, but then I listen to a double LP of Nick Cave songs and I realize, that's like a 1/4 your shtick. No more! Okay, at least three more but after that...

No me parece malo, simplemente no mi estilo

Would’ve been better if it was shorter

I'll be honest, I could not make it through this double album. I just couldn't bear the thought of wasting more time on Nick's Cave carbon copy schtick. His voice is terrible. He doesn't bring any new musical or lyrical ideas to this double album. The critics are crazy. For the first time I can remember I actually found myself agreeing with Robert Christagu (who I usually think is a pretentious twat) when he said "..an album that is not worth your time or money." No shit Bob, the same could be said for every album that Nick Cave appears on.

Probably the last Nick Cave album that wasn’t terrible, but still a bit of a caricature.

Eh. Again.

bschlüssed de nick in e cave. das isch für mich chli e nervige mix vum cöntry, aber so meh i ne rock als gmüetlichi mischig.

Dette burde egentlig vært mye bedre, men det er så kjedelig. Det er for "kult" og for polert for at jeg skal bli engasjert. Hvis det hadde hatt litt mer edge tror jeg at jeg hadde likt det bedre.

it's not terrible, but it's formulaic and repetitive in a way that is highly revealing over the course of its arduous double length. it's 82 minutes of gospel music where over top a very bluesy instrumentation nick cave morosely meanders through biblical reference after biblical reference with a generally conservative slant about society layered in with a choir. every song broadly follows the same structure which grows tiresome by the end. to his credit there's decent poetics in his song writing, enough that it's a little difficult to dig into fully on a first listen, but i can't say i'm exactly eager to when they feel broadly aimed at ostentatious pretension with he overall framing of this. plus i just do not give a shit which jesus boy thinks about morality or art.

Too “busy” sounding. Didn’t really enjoy this one

Not a fan of this, and way too long.

Nick Cave is a lot. This album was a lot. That is all.

I’m a big fan of Nick but not this one.

Liked some parts of the albums songs but... this just wasn't for me. Might have given this album 3/5 if it would've been sub hour in lenght and a mish mash of some of the more thought out songs from the album but as it is it is 2/5. Best song was O Children.

A couple tracks I really enjoyed, but overall I was left feeling like I wasn't sure what I had just listened to? I'll have to give this another try and see what happens!

Didn’t like. I don’t like his voice or his lyrics unfortunately.

Mid 5/10

I tried so hard to like this but I think the addition of a choir, while complementary to Nick's voice, changed the production style and the musical direction. Added 3 songs to my favorites list, but, on a double CD, that's not much. Sorry, Nick. 2/5

0/17 bekannt 4,5/10 Beste Songs: fable of the brown ape, get ready for love, carry me

I want to love this but the singer is letting me down.

It’s fine. Very grand - I should probably try again on a different day

2.5/5 meh

Nick Cave displays a variety of singing styles throughout the album in which his vocals range from not great to unpleasant. Generally I preferred the more standard singing styles and disliked the experimental stuff. The instrumentals were better. There were still a lot of snoozers, but also several interesting compositions sprinkled throughout the tracks. I preferred the more experimental instrumentals.

why is there so much Nick Cave

A great album that contains some of his most iconic songs, but having a long runtime and being less unique in sound and style to other of his albums such as 'Let Love In' or 'Skeleton Tree' which are unlisted and 'Murder Ballads' or 'The Boatman's Call' I would do without this one for this type of listing. 7/10 [SWAP]

A more interesting album than the previous one I listened to on here. Probably wouldn't give it a further listen though.

Not great

I feel like I’m missing something looking through the reviews and seeing so many 5’s

Started out strong and then…. Not so much.

Listenable but just not that interesting for me.

(3/7) meh

2 hate this!

Long time no see Nick Crazy how different this one is to Ghosteen. Very very stark division between the two discs. First disc I actually quite enjoyed, Hiding All Away was fun and I liked the variety in sounds between the songs. Immediately getting blasted with drums and hard vocals on the first track was absolutely not what I expected. I really didn’t like the second half however, boring and didn’t have the same emotion that Ghosteen had. If I was ever going to listen to this album again I would definitely stop at the halfway point. I just don’t think the highs make up for the lows on this one either way Please don’t give us another Nick Cave album tomorrow

I think Nick Cave is overrated. Yeah, I said it

Nothing special for me

fine, men det är rätt tråkigt

Ei kyl iske tämmönen yhtään mitenkään. Ei herätä tunteita puolesta eikä vastaan

I think everyone doing this can agree that 1 Nick Cave was enough.

It’s not for me

Ehh, it’s not really my thing. This felt like if a bunch theater goths who were super into literature tried making the soundtrack for an off brand Tarantino flick. And what’s up with that run time????

So far, doing absolutely nothing for me..giving 😈𝔅𝔞𝔡𝔞𝔰𝔰😈. Too long to be this repetitive, generic-sounding, and boring 😒. Everytime you think, oh, that song wasn't that bad, you realize there are still 17 more just like it to get through. A couple of the songs weren't terrible, but it was such an offensive waste of my time that it gets a 2..

Too much story telling and I actually don't like his voice that much

Loud, messy, not sophisticated, medium production. Loud.

If you couldn't tell by the title of this album, Abattoir Blues / The Lyre Of Orpheus is a double album from Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds and once again completely reinvents the wheel for this band as they go for an at times much more energetic and lively Art Rock sound. As much as I really tried to get down with this sound, this album did everything but click for myself. I can appreciate the instrumentation and the organization of this album, but the writing and actual execution of the music did not fit what I wanted or what I enjoy about Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds other music. This album dragged its' feet and went on for way longer than it needed to, even with some scattered highlights. I appreciate this album for being such a daring and defining piece for the band's modern sound but once again it just isn't for me. Nuff said....

Pitchfork would love this album

This is not my kind of music

I wanted to like moments of this, but I dislike so much of it that it puts me off the whole thing.

What a slog

Boring wannabe poetry.

fav - o children, lyre of orpheus

I wanted To Enjoy it more

It has some nice rhythms, but not my favorite rock album

naaah, because I know my dad with this album. but, me? I didn't hate it, but will probably not.

Liked some songs, but not really my style

2.5

fav song: O children

OK this one is hard to sit through. It’s kind of the worst parts about super corny, classic rock and corny lyrics with corny imagery and corny themes all condensed into one with vocals that are in someway. Impressive but more than anything feel contrived and not nearly as sexy as this guy thinks they are.

Musica de fondo sinceramente esta lista está hecha por hombres... :(

Musical word salad but I need to do a deeper dive into the lyrics to really get it.

dnf it idk its just not for me

I can understand why this album is on this list, but it's not for me. Nick cave's vocal intonation is grating to me for some reason. That plus the schtick of sing speaking, only to have backing vocals repeat the same line got sick after the third song

This is my first time listening to a Nick Cave album start-to-finish. I don't know. This just isn't quite grabbing me. I've always gotten the impression that Nick Cave is more style than substance, and this album isn't doing much to change my mind on that. I frequently feel like the first disc sounds like a slightly more garage-rock-ey version of Talking Heads, but somehow I'm not enjoying it as much as that sounds like I should. And the second disc is mostly a snooze.

Honestly wasn’t a big fan. The lyricism was the best part, extremely clever, yet the sound didn’t seem to fit it places?? Maybe just me. O’Children is a stunning outlier though, so emotional and big up Harry Potter!!!

Davvero poca roba, un po' rock un po' blues un po' pop con quel lirismo tragico tipico di Nick Cave che personalmente a me risulta indigesto. Non lo riascolterei.

Listened twice, I just couldn’t find it all that gripping. Between his voice and the pacing of the album, this felt like a slam poetry session if anything. 2.1

I know this list loves him but I just can't get into it. Sometimes sounds like music I'd like to hear in the background at a Ren Fair. Way too long.

Not really my vibe, some of the songs I did like

So far it’s a 2

ehh not for me

much preferred the first half but even then there was only a couple of songs that grabbed me... o mamma when will it end

Nick Cave remains the one 'big guy' I've never fully explored. A long and sprawling discography barely troubled is an exciting prospect. This album falls in his mid-era, chronologically speaking, which is fitting, as it quite accurately sums up my feelings towards it. Uninspiringly drab, unfortunately. Not his cutting best. I hope for better in the late-era.

Never thought that would end, enjoyed bits of it though

Not very good. 2.

Surprised to see this one as the Nick Cave to make it into the 1001 Album list Or maybe it's because the Nick Cave sound has moved on so much from the earlier albums I have always found Nick's albums need repeated plays to reveal and assimilate their emotional depth, and the single play-through today was not nearly enough!

Not at all what I was expecting

I liked a few tracks, but overall this one wasn't for me.

More intense than I expected

Musically interesting and creative — dark and sultry. I love the backup singers! But Cave’s vocals and presentation are two melodramatic for me. It makes the musical arrangements almost comical — a straight delivery would have been better. The first album would have been a 3. But add a second album and the effort to overwhelm the audience with overwrought vocals and dramatic storytelling succeeds. It’s too much. A 2.

Pari ekaa biisiä ei saanut innostumaan. 2/5.

Five! FIVE! That’s how many Nick Cave albums are on this list. Why?! It’s not as bad as the soul destroyingly depressing others. That’s the only positive.

Listening to the first part of this album was a drag. Nick Cave’s distinct voice makes up for the fact that he isn’t a very good singer. The music is moody goth that sounds like it could be the soundtrack for a miserably obnoxious French art film. The album gets a little more interesting (ie better) once it hits the Lyre of Orpheus. I didn’t hate it but certainly don’t love this album.

Really enjoyed Breathless and Cannibal's Hymn. I appreciate the love and care that went into the songwriting, but I think you need to be of a certain mindset (and familiar with Greek mythology) in order to fully appreciate the album, and I am not. I did enjoy the melodies of every song.

Praise Him!!!!

Started good, but began to put me to sleep. 'Carry Me' to bed, thank you.

2.5 stars. They seem to be having a good time. I’m not sure that passed on to me.

Hey, Nick Cave. I've always had an appreciation for Cave as one of my beloved Stroya's most prized cultural exports, though that love hasn't really extended to the music. It's just not my style - both in the vocals and instrumentals. That being said, I'm always down to crack another one of these albums open and give it a fair shake, so I might as well get on with it. An hour-twenner. Fuck my life. I have been getting bent over by long as fuck albums lately. It makes it real difficult for me to want to repay my crippling album debt, but oh well. Anyways, this is a bit of a change for Nick Cave. I don't remember his albums having this much of a heavy sound. It works decently - this album has a pretty good atmosphere and I like the choral theming as the album enters it's second half, though the album falls into a bit of a slump down the middle and none of these songs managed to hook me despite this sound being generally within my sphere of interest. "Cannibal's Hymn" is an interesting tune. Never thought I'd hear Nick Cave adopt a prominent funk influence, but then again I don't really have a feel for what genre he falls under. "Abbatoir Blues" has a good sound. I like the heavy, very 90s guitars, and it's paired nicely with the piano. The rest of the album is fine, but nothing really stuck out to me. Book time. Nothing much in there beyond this album having a bunch of good material. Over to Wikipedia I go. Charted well in a ton of countries. Warmly received by critics, though that's also just about it. I'm favourable to this pick. There aren't many late-career albums on this list, I'm already in Nick Cave's corner and the band appears to have maintained a high standard throughout their career. Five included albums seems like a solid number, too. I cosign this inclusion.

Kjedelig!

It’s all death, decay, heartbreak, and suffering with this shit. Like the house band in hell. What occasion warrants listening to Nick Cave? None that I’ve ever found. I’ve tried a few times and I just don’t get it.

2.5/5

Interesting sounds and lyrics.

This is...ok. Is it music? Sure. I don't know how to articulate what I don't like about a lot of this - is it really just his voice and delivery? The talk-singing? It might be. But sometimes it's pretty good. There She Goes My Beautiful World, Nature Boy, Let the Bells Ring, Breathless. A lot of the music is pretty great. Had to look up why on earth O Children has 200M plays as of this review. Harry Potter. -shrug- I feel like there are too many skips for me to call this a 3. It's a 2.5, but falls to a 2 just because I get too annoyed at too many tracks.

How the hell is this guy on here 7 times??

This felt kind of like Bruce Springsteen… is that just me? Bit to rock-y for me. I really like the album cover though.

For this to work Nick Cave needs to have aura and this just insane aura to me O Children is gas tho

um no i did not like that

Depressing and miserable slog

dull af

- Het was zeker niet slecht, maar Nick grot en ik zijn niet de beste vrienden. - 0 nummers toegevoegd aan MMMM

I think if I were to listen to all of Nick Cave's albums I may be able to summon a CDs worth of material I would want to listen to. As a whole, I did not enjoy this album.

I'm learning that I just really don't like Nick Cave. His vocals are what kills most of it for me. This album also highlighted how bad his lyrics are, though, as well. The song where half of the words were "well"??? Nightmare. I did do my best to be open minded when the album started, and I almost enjoyed the first few songs. The song below was my legitimate favorite. But the album just slowly gets worse and worse as it goes on top of being 80 minutes long. Favorite Song(s): Hiding All Away

A really tough listen. The singing style really is not to my taste. There is also just a lot of fat on this album; it could have been much shorter. As a big Harry Potter fan, hearing the last song was a nice memory, but that really was the only highlight for me. It saves it from the lowest rating. 2/5

J'ai trouvé ça boring et très long. Toutes les chanson se ressemblent, je pense que c'est pas un genre auquel je suis très sensible 2/5

I only really liked one song from this album. This guy just sounds like guyliner embodied. He’s great at what he does but it’s just really not for me

Couldn’t really get into it

This one’s goinna be difficult. I have a love hate relationship with Nick Cave’s music. It might stem from a time when i was a much younger man and my then GF loved Nick Cave. We’d booked a holiday together and she broke it off just before we were due to go. Stupidly we decided to continue the holiday. Fuck onows ehy she thought it would be a good idea. I think i was hoping we could reignite the flame while away. Anyeay, in a pub across from the Vic market, getting on it with some Melb mates, Nick Cave turns up, just drinking, not performing. She had puppy dog eyes for him all night and I seethed with jealousy at a man who probably didnt even look at her all night. Some time later, at the end of the trip when i was moaning about not getting back together, probably saying how heartless she was, she pointwd out that she had not gone home woth Nick Cave ao couldnt in fact be all that heartless. The ego staggered me and i may have had a chip on my shoulder about the king of private school goth punk Melbournr ever since. Anyway, i also cant decide if veing a shit ainger makes Nick Cave shit or it just fits the music and expression perfectly. I think the latter. I also struggle with the idea that a white boy average muso gets famous off the back of black musicians, often not even all that obscure. I saw a doco on Nick Cave once where he spoke about having a curator or librarian who looked after his musiccatelogue and i thought really would be better preserving aome of the original rwcordings he’s covered, the musi’s he’s ripped from in a fine tradition that stretches back forever. But thats a bit u fair to Nick and the Bad Seeds. Hes written plenty of iriginal materials. All in all this album rocks pretty hard compared to aome of rhe more cloying albums like Tender Prey or Henry’s Dream, etc. it displays a bit more range than other albums while still being Nick Cave. Listening to My Beautiful World i think its unfair to say Nick is a poor singer. I am a poor singer. He’s not always on note, but he’s got melody, he folles i tervals, he’s consistent in his flaws. Perfect ainging and the music might be boring as shit. His voice is distinctive, full of passion and feeling. The man can emote, which plenty of singers lack. And them you get a track like Abattoir Blues. Why bother. Is this like a Nick Cave rap? And the final 2 of the first disc. Maybe he cant sing on slower ballad like songs with littlw backing instruments, the voice gets exposed. He’s better in the higher register. Maybe he’s just singing in the wrong key all the time. There’s also some weird every syllable enunciated to one count type thimg going on in a couple of the songs towards the end of disk 1. Liked it for the first 5 or 6 songs. Second disk is a bit more familiar melancholic drone i would expect.

Start of the album is too noisy. Abattoir blues is a class name for an album but it didn't live up to the name.

Cannibal's Hymn was good. It all sounds like one long song after a while though. Not bad but not memorable

Not great.

It's the perfect double album. Abattoir Blues is Nick Cave at his absolute best, and Lyre of Orpheus is Nick Cave at his absolute most boring.

Timing of the lyrics/vocals and instruments seemed… off? I guess, kinda decent modern rock.

I don’t think I like Nicholas Cavern, but he did help make one of my favorite film scores: Assassination of Jesse James, which I listened to after & think that should have been on this list instead.

It started off well, the choirs really add something to Nick Cave’s usually monotone delivery. But apart from a few nice surprises, the album just drags on and to me, feels way too monotonous overall.

Music isn’t bad but it’s not really for me. Album is waaaayyyy too long.

I don’t know what to do with Nick Cave. Every time I’ve listened to him, i enjoy the music, like the energy of the band, appreciate the density of the lyrics, am intrigued by his persona, etc….and then never remember the songs or come back to them. I like “The Lyre of Orpheus” song, but this is essentially two short albums combined. There’s something about it that just doesn’t grab me, even though I know it’s good and similar to a lot of other music I like. TBH, an 85 minute run time probably doesn’t help make it feel more accessible. Idk how the band remembers these songs, or how his fans can discern their favorites. If “undefined” were a rating, that’s what I’d give it, but after about an hour, i was pretty solidly bored. Wish i could go 2.5.

Fine for background music, but not great for close listening. Songs could all benefit from being about 2 minutes shorter.

I kind of wanted to like this, but it mostly just does nothing for me. For some reason, "The Lyre of Orpheus" (the song) is particularly grating to me. "Breathless" is pretty fun though. I feel like being boring is almost worse than being actively bad. Having a harder time with this than with Nixon by Lambchop, though probably mostly because this is a double album so it's a lot more to get through.

It took me days to finish listening to this one. It has some good songs, but overall it depressed me. Don't want to repeat the experience

This was weird.

I think I like Nick Cave in small doses..? Some great lyrics and genuinely moving songs, but I wanted to like this album more than I actually did. Maybe I wasn't in the mood for it.

I like Eurydice’s wordplay, but otherwise had trouble getting settled into this world

For me when a white rock star reaches for a gospel choir, creatively speaking, the jig is almost up. It has its moments but this is the start of the break up for me and Nick.

Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus has some interesting moments and Nick Cave’s lyrics stand out, but the double album feels bloated and tiring.

I don't like this music style.

Would have been a 3 if it was shorter

a through and through snooze fest. the blues have me feeling blue

Couldn't wait for this to be over, which usually begets a 1. Since the unwarranted length was admittedly a big part of that, while the music here is more just typical dull pseudo-intellectual white dude drivel than actively grating 1-star fare, I suppose it can have a 2. Barely.

My first exposure to Nick Cave beyond Red Right Hand. I found it to be a bit uneven & long winded & over indulgent. When he hits though it can pretty interesting & dark. For whatever reason his voice sounds like a poor man's David Bowie to me.

Okay album. This is my fourth Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds album on the list. At least Cave tries to sing on this one. But seriously - 4 albums? I’m taking away a star just because I had to sit through another album. Just kidding. It’s still a two star album for me.

Not my thing but fine.

It's just so bland and slow and boring.

not my favourite, listened while reading the poppy war in the car. carsickness and general atmosphere may have contributed to my dislike

What exactly is this missing? I can't figure it out. All the pieces seem to be there. I'm not a fan of the run time overall but that wouldn't affect the music if it was there. Something isn't there and the album just pushes forward without a hook, there's nothing to grab onto. It's weird, there's a core draw missing that make this just whatever.

Pretty dull, the vocals drag on but it's tolerable sometimes. 3/10

Think this is my 4th Nick Cave album and I just don't get it. Lots of re-invention but track to track on a album is always the same.

Dosta loše, ne mogu ovo slušati preko sat vremena, sorry not sorry. 2/5, jedva 3/10

My first thought was that this was an improvement on the last Nick Cave album I was compelled to listen to, but it quickly wore out its welcome. To my dismay it then continued for another hour. There are some interesting ideas here, but they are all ruined by someone Nick Caving all over them. His lyrics are dumb, actually. Listen to the title track of the second disc, and tell me those rhymes aren't incredibly forced. He also does this thing where most of his songs sound very reminiscent of a specific artist. There is nothing wrong with being inspired by someone else; most modern music is derivative of something, but I would always rather listen to whatever artist he is currently Nick Caving all over.

Another boring & mid white man album.

2.0/what was going on here

This is a bit shit. I've heard people talk about Nick Cave like he's some sort of mythical creature, so I expected more. Maybe I'm missing the point, but I don't care.

Honestly, I don’t get it. Yes, the songwriting is good, but it’s just so busy. I think a gospel choir can elevate a song if used right, but when it’s on every song it just becomes part of the background noise. I don’t like the singers voice, it’s a weird middle ground between Elvis and Roy Orbison, both of which I’m not really big fans of. It nails the gothic aesthetic I’m sure they were going for, but I don’t think it works without organs and heavier guitars. Maybe this all spins back to me not liking most Alternative music, but it just doesn’t click for me. On top of all that, it’s too long. If it was 2 separate records released close together like Load and Reload, I might enjoy it better, but I can’t take an hour and a half of this at a time.

It might be technically good, but I dont really know, and I did not like it.

Really wasn't a fan of this kind of singing with this kind of instrumental. Feels like two separate musical ideas.

Good but not for me

I didn't enjoy his voice at all, it felt pretentious to me. All the Songs sounded similar and the album was too long.

I’d heard of Nick Cave, but was expecting a more folk style, which might be why I didn’t quite enjoy this. His voice started to annoy me by the halfway point of this album. Favorite tracks: - Babe, You Turn Me On - O Children Worst tracks: - Fable of the Brown Ape

Some alt album trying to be more than what it’s worth just cause it’s an hour 20 long. Not bad just, alright?

It started a bit personal and experimental, and then it just mellowed and softened. If it maintained that feeling across the double album, I would appreciate it a bit more than I do. Too long for what it was.

** Don‘t like it, Not my music

Eh

wow ni me esperaba este estilo. Mola. Un poco lento pero está interesante. No lo acabé

Orkade inte lyssna klart. Helt ok. Började lite som the hives och gick över till springsteen. Kommer nog aldrig lyssna igen.

Not bad but not great either.

This came of as very pretentious and I just did not care for that.

Fine, not gripping

Really not my thing, but I can see why people would like it.

Long album. Never heard of Nick Cave, pleasant surprise! Not my cup of tea, the genre is a "folk/indie rock/experimental". There are a few good tracks, and in general a good instrumental, with great guitar and bass. But I cant't get over the vocal performance. I'm not a fan of his voice and style of singing. Out of all the songs, I guess i enjoyed the most the songs with a more lyrical tone, such as. Get Ready for Love, Messiah Ward, There She Goes My Beautiful World, Nature Boy. Didn't enjoy both title tracks, however.

Not a big fan of this album. A bit too repetitive

2/5

Not for me, but do know the last song from a Harry Potter movie.

That one song had big "the day Robert palins murdered me" energy.

Not super memorable

I just really don’t like Nick Cave and I don’t understand how his music can be considered some thing people have to hear before they die

Just don’t like

Unique, I didnt really like the guys voice

Not into it

No melody, no discernible message. Didn’t like singer.

Background music at best, repulsive and vomit inducing love songs at worst.

Too long. Hit and miss. Some good stuff in there though.

2.5

I think this would grow on me if I listened again, some good songs but I just don't love it.

not 4 me

I hate double albums. This album is well arranged, and decent. The story (to me) was hard to follow, but the songs themselves are fine. There was no standout hit on this album. They all blurred together.

like a cross between danzig and motley crue?

Not much to say on this one, didn't really like it but not straight up bad. It's an Aussie aiming for US rock and roll, but it just ends up being kind of bland.

Christian music is lowkey bad meow

Meh. 2,5/5

Not really my type of stuff. Listened to a few tracks. Others seem to like it though.

Maybe this could be 3 stars if I was in a better mood, but I was just annoyed by the end of the album. The lead singer doesn’t impress, the backing music is fine but bland. Some songs required skipping, and I don’t think there was a song I would want to listen to again. 1.25 hour album is LONG and maybe a tighter song list would have warranted a 3 - I like the artistic freedom expressed in the album, it feels like "new age blues". I'm not sure I really love the end product but I recognize what it's going for - long album at 1.25 hours. I don't think this really warrants the length - another streaky album. The good parts are good, but the bad is hard to listen to. - I like 'Messiah Ward' - The middle of the album is agreeable enough, maybe 3 stars through the middle -I’m not sure this counts as a 3-star for all the songs I’ve actively had to skip. -I’m so tired of this album by the end. Too long, not impressive

pas eu le temp de tout ecouter, j'étais pas dans le mood

Meh. Felt like the instruments overpowered the voice/lyrics on my most songs.

Truly, Nick’s masterpiece.

Meh. Nick Cave is like a pretentious Tom Waits. Did not enjoy.

Sounds old

This is music for people who wear fingerless gloves

This is the blueprint for Australia’s Tropical F*** Storm. It’s as if they took aspects of this album and added more punk rock to ultimately yield their sound. I have mixed feelings about this album. At times I enjoy it at other times I feel I’ve been coerced into liking it.

Not for me

Weaker cave

I usually love a dark and gloomy album. This was not my kind of dark and gloomy :( Too long and too boring. 2/5

The vocals in this are not great, the music is boring, and the album is really long.

This album was okay. It's a mixture of Lou Reed and David Bowie. The highlights were "There She Goes, My Beautiful World" and "Nature Boy". The album feels like something inside a Quentin Tarantino movie. Album cover is great though. 2/5

I think this was unlucky to be the second nick cave album in a row and I had enough of his style of music by the end of the last album and this wasn't as good.

Nature Boy fand ich richtig stark, drr Rest einfach net mein Geschmack

🎧So much of Nick Cave’s music is ass. And this is a double album. Just cut half the tracks, no one needs this much Nick. Favorite songs: Carry Me, O Children. These are the final two tracks, the end was in sight. Coincidence? I don’t think so.

I supposed this is great but it’s not for me

eh

3/10/25. Was having a weird day so will need to listen again in the future. Felt like I was forcing myself to enjoy this although I liked a lot of the gospel elements in this. But most of the songs seemed the same to me.

The album is way too long. O Children is the best one.

This was pretty bad, I just couldn't get down with it. DNF due to the length. Wouldn't relisten

Oude lullen achtergrond Beetje nummer 670 van de top 2000ish Niet per se slecht maar niet wat voor mij

Pretty good but not for me :(

I have been getting a lot of double albums recently and they are getting really draining. This one should have just been two albums. They are both good and both are pretty different stylistically so why do they have to be on top of each other? I don't need this much nick cave in one sitting. And he's not saying anything that two albums couldn't have done. Which is too bad because I think of all the authors obsessions Nick cave is probably the only one that warrants multiple albums on this list because his albums are so different stylistically . Certainly not Elvis Costello. I'm just tired.

It’s fine. I enjoyed the songs but it got a little tedious and lengthy. Song lyrics are tepid, but music is pretty crisp and tight

If you’re gonna make a list of 1001 greatest albums of all time you’re gonna have to include a bunch of filler stuff and this feels like filler to me it’s OK, not spectacular

Ugh, it just kinda rambles and gets close to good, but the fact that it never gets there is worse than something that never gets close.

2 stars. Would have been a 1 star if not for a few songs but still that's a no from me dawg!! The Lyre of Orpheus is possibly the weirdest song lyrically I think I have ever heard.

Just don't really do Nick Cave all that well. Was a little repetitive. 2/5

I made it through the whole album, and there were a couple of songs I enjoyed but overall not something I cared for the album.

best track by miles - there she goes. Otherwise perfectly fine but wouldn't listen again , which is surprising since i really loved Ghosteen .

The grandiose title and concept is betrayed by the fact the album just doesn't particularly go anywhere. A handful of good ideas are lost in a sea of the unremarkable. The lyricism was a particular catching point as it ranged from unnoticeable and bland to egregiously clumsy.

Less depressing than the other Nick Cave album(s) I've listened to so far, but I just can't get into this.

I guess I’m not into nick cave

I'm just not vibing with this album.

Sorry Nick, not for me. Boring… goes on for too long. There are a couple of tracks I can enjoy but I will never go back to this. 1 extra star for the Harry Potter song.

I usually try to write these ratings before reading my compatriot’s ratings. Today I’m glad I read theirs first. I too cannot get into this album/band. They feel like something I should enjoy but I just don’t.

It's fine. For me, it's too long and it reminds me of Tom Waits too much. I think it's the carnival barker/spoken word bits. I've tried with Nick Cave and I just don't really get it. Same with Tom Waits. So, this one's not for me. As an aside, does it feel like all the really good Tom Waits songs are the covers that other bands do? He's a good songwriter, but he should leave it to someone else to arrange and perform his stuff.

I remember seeing Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds @ Lollapalooza a million years ago -- only band I liked less that day was The Boredoms -- maybe a studio (double) album will change my mind. It was fine, pretty decent Tom Waits like adjacent tunes, but nothing spectacular in my mind.

This was not a bad album, but it sounded like meat loaf and the velvet underground collabed.

The lyrics on this one really distract from the rest of what is going on. Would have been much, much better released as an instrumental track highlighting the band around the lead singer instead of his Talking Heads wanna be head ass. Lukewarm 3/10.

I don't really like this band

I don’t get all the fuss about Nick Cave. Best song is one he did with Kylie. Aside from that there are one or two others I don’t mind.

Can’t get over the fact that this is an Australian man imitating an old American blues guy. It’s not as bad as the other nick cave albums on the list but it just makes me cringe

Not for me

2.5

Ugh these guys again. Obnoxious and self-important. Noisy yet bringing no real value. 3.5/10 (1.75/5)

No es mi estilo

most bland and boring snoozer shit everrrrr

Wasn't a bad album. Just not really that interesting either. Kind of meh. 2.5/5 Probably won't listen again

Som incomum para a época em que foi lançado.

Nick Cave is an artist that I like in very small doses, some great tracks and very distinct unique sound and style. It's just listening to a whole album and one as long as this one where that style becomes just too much. While I'm giving this album a low rating I could easily make a 5 star rated playlist of Nick Cave's music.

I don’t like Nick Cave.

Wasn't my thing. I don't think I've liked any of his stuff as much as I like Red Right Hand.

Would have been 3 stars if it was shorter!

alternative rock, definitely grew on me as I listened, my true rating would be more of a 2.5, it’s cool but it’s just not my taste

Sounds a bit like a gospel from a church. Nothing really stuck out to me on this album.

Not sure why this was released as a double album and not two single albums, as they don't sound connected at all. Nick's voice is something, and for the most part it works for the songs, though at times he does remind me a little of Peter Steele which I guess isn't a terrible thing. Each of the two discs as a solo album would probably end up as a 3 for me, but together, with the length it pulled it down to a 2. It was just too much Nick Cave for one morning.

Abattoir Blues was a decent disc. A mixture of blues, rock, and a bit of gospal in there as well. Honestly a nice blend of sounds. The Lyre of Orpheus however, not so great. A lot of skippable tracks in my opinion that brought the vibe down. By the end when I finally got to the most popular song, O Children, I was pretty sick of the sound and didn't even enjoy the track. Overall, I'd give it a 2/5

Too long and not my jam.

5/10

The first half of the album was hard to get through. The second half was alright.

Not my vibe but slightly better than the other Nick Cave album

Not as bad as Henry's Dream, but I still don't think he's a good singer. Most of the songs were okay.

This one didn’t quite make me want to gouge my eyes out like his other albums. A 2 because I made it to the end.

..

It's like hadestown if I didn't like the music

did a light listen here so sorry nick cave enjoyable. this alt rock sound is more my speed for some reason reminded me a bit of the last shadow puppets, maybe bc the kind of theatrics-ish that pop out here

I just didn't really get anything out of this

It was okay, got a little long - being two albums - and I didn't really hate it, but I didn't really like it either.

Annoying

This album was just ok for me. There wasn't anything that I specifically did not like about this, but overall it did not really grab me in any kind of way that made me want more. I think the length did not help, but this is sort of two separate albums combined rather than one double album. Would not seek it out again.

have you ever heard a song and not liked it thats how this album get ready for love made me feel i did not like the lyrics or instruments they didnt sound good and i would much like to listen to something other than this i dont like this album and i would not recommend listening to this album

like the bass and the drums i dont like his voice i dont like the sound of it the piano was nice in the beginning