Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus

While I appreciate Cave’s zeal and originality, I really hate this. I really try to listen to each album through but this one I’m bailing on.

maybe the most unnecessary double album i've ever encountered? not much deviation from the standard nick cave experience

So much promise that repeatedly gets squandered. Instrumentals start out interesting, plateau for ages, then finally start to build just in time for the track to end. The same choir is pulled out over and over to add drama but it falls flat the more the same trick is used. The singer has neither range nor an interesting tone and sings like he thinks he's doing something when he's really not. Sometimes the stars align and things sound great for a bit, only for it to slip away again. Lyrics extremely hit or miss, like if Ian Dury woke up one day and decided he was Leonard Cohen.

I don't like don't understand give 1 star its like about love don't like love songs boring beat doesn't hype me up doesn't make me move just boring. I don't recommend the song

Do you like horrible songs that don't make sense, and have a horrible band? Then I don't know what you listen to, because this is complete trash. I can't understand what they are saying. Also the band is horrible, it is too loud with the singer. The only thing I like about it is the beat. DO NOT LISTEN.

Why? Just. Why? This is one of the WORST albums I've ever listened to. The lead singer's voice is just not good, and he doesn't have a very good range. The only good thing about this album in my opinion is the drums in the background and guitar. The beat is okay as well, but still, I do NOT like this album. I think you should NEVER listen to this album, in my opinion.

beyond bad, 2 albums of hot trash

Has writing about these albums become an exercise to ward off the onset of dementia? Probably. Anyway, here’s 90 minutes of your barista’s favourite singer. I expected crooning of the bat. I instead got rock. It’s fine. Kind of Vegas-y which I’m sure is ironic, but it sucks. Don’t say defrock. I am NOT in the mood for this. This song fucking sucks. This one is better. Slightly more interest building with this kind of vibe. Psychobilly feeling. I like it. This song ALSO sucks. Santana backing up Fat Elvis. Why is this the most interesting music ever written to some people? Boring. What can I say about this. It doesn’t really elicit conversation. It’s just simple rock with a glittery, yet somehow painfully dull sheen. Glen Danzig type beat. This really is fat Elvis if he was trying to hit on a Zooey Deschanel character in an early 2000s romantic comedy set in New York. It’s better when the Vegas rock fades away but here’s the deal. I have decided that Nick Cave sucks as a vocalist. That’s going to be an obstacle here. The lyrics aren’t even cool. I thought that’s what I would be the one saving grace. It is not. Let the bells ring has started promisingly. He does less of the throaty warble. And back into big airy Elvis rock. It’s dead. This thing sucks too. There really are interesting alt-rock outfits out there. This isn’t one of them. Skinny rat faced guy = interesting. Ok. Actually weird start. I like the first couple seconds. WHY. No Vegas flourishes, please. Ah you know, the verses are so interesting here, this one gets a pass. I actually like this song. Part 2. Oh god am I starting to enjoy this?? Am I the barista? I like this song so far again. If Nick isn’t singing that much, there are good ideas there. Storytelling quality to the last two songs. Could do without saying “mama” ever, but hey it’s not that bad. It’s getting worse. This really doesn’t need to be 4 minutes let alone 6. Ruined by the end. Thanks Nick. Oh my god something that isn’t annoying and grandiose?? And then he sings. Honestly, run a blender instead. Worked for Lou Reed. Man this puppy morphed into a Margaritaville for fans of Scott pilgrim really quick. Big thumbs down. Nah. Ante (deeeeep sigh). This is disgusting. Ah well. Obviously I’m a shitty writer, so I can’t criticize, but I will anyway. The lyrics are lame and at times highly cringeworthy and the music sounds like what you may hear in the waiting room at a tanning salon. There’s something so unlikeable about this. I almost wish I could hear it rearranged by a different artist. There’s almost something good happening at times. But the singing and the flourishes are too much. The lyrics are also revolting just stop talking about anything you do physically/carnally. I’m going to be ill. Also, every song could cut two refrains off. Easy money. UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I’m about to tap out. Lumineers with a drunk Elvis impersonator at the wheel. Three left. He can’t sing he can’t sing he can’t sing he can’t sing he can’t sing he can’t sing he can’t sing he can’t sing he can’t sing he can’t sing he can’t sing he can’t sing he can’t sing. He thinks he can though, and has therefore made a living. Isn't the free market the best? Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz 6 minutes to go baby. Happiest I’ve been today. It’s started off predictably horrible. DoOoOoOne, RuUuUuN. STOP. I’m obviously a big dweeb who likes discovering music myself and maybe this list wasn’t the best way to go about things. I’ll persevere because it’s important to hear what people think is good. That way I can roll around in my straitjacket and cackle as I wrestle with the realization that I’m an alien. 2 good songs and 15 self-indulgent, empty, unappealing and bombastic (for no reason) journeys through the mind of a man too boring to be fully weird. 1-1.5 HIGHLIGHTS: Hiding All Away, Fable of the Brown Ape

I think this is, by some miracle, the 4th album by this group that has appeared on this list. I don't know who they had to bribe to get this many but I have to assume it cost them a lot of money.

Dire. Why is this album even on here? I am sure it's not the first time this artist has appeared either. I don't get it.

I have to admit - there was a brief moment where I thought that this album could get a 2 (it’s better than the last one). Then I realized there was still 45 minutes left of the album. Trash

Do you think if Nick Cave just played music in a garage instead of in recording studios that he would get welfare checks called in by his neighbors? Because I do. Not nearly as bad as Murder Ballads, but way too long and still not for me.

Nope. Still not a Nick Cave fan. I enjoyed two songs off this album. "There She Goes, My Beautiful World" and "Nature Boy". But for every one of those we get a "Fable of the Brown Ape". I liked 2 out of 17 songs or 11.7% of this album. I guess that puts this in the 1 star range.

Sucks big fucking dicks

Not my taste in music

Hipster Bruce Springsteen

I did not like this album

I can not imagine anyone that could listen to the first track and think to themselves: This is pretty good.

Do not like

Not for me. Did not vibe the 45 year alternative for dads vibe.

It feels like the dudes were just trying to play something lyrical but forgot to tune the instruments or maybe I misunderstood something. 1/5

I know Nick Cave is highly revered, but this is my first time listening to one of his albums and it did nothing for me. Honestly, it sounded pretty boring.

Hard pass... Nick Cave thanks for your effort, but you are not for me. This album is like Lulu before Lulu

hate his voice, and the music was not my style

I was creeped out the whole time. The vibe was not for me

Do no like this one, Sunday morning, is it just me?

I know there are many fans. I am not one of them.

Feh

Oddly some songs were really bad while a few were decent. I didn’t think I’d like any of them at all.

This does nothing for me

Started out reminding me of a contemporary church service ended wanting me to throat punch this pretentious goth blow hard

So boring and uninteresting that it borders on being offensive, and I would call if offensive if it was able to elicit any kind of emotion out of me.

Turned off this LP halfway through the second side after suffering through my ears being shattered on the first. Terrible mixing means being absolutely assaulted by undetailed guitar noise at all times, blitheringly pretentious lyrics, a corny and unhelpful gospel choir parroting Cave's lurid voice constantly. Incredibly long with nothing but vague meandering at all times and the same same same same same tone means I didn't know when one song led into the next. Horrid.

I think Nick is angry

Not fun at all.

I wanted to like this but no…

Not good whatsoever

This was only on the list so you could appreciate how good albums can be

Did not listen to very many songs. Not my type of music here

Couldn't listen to more than two songs,.... How did this get in the list?!?

It feels so slooooow

glad its over

Hard no! Hard to listen to…too angry

hated it.

Not a fan

Makes no sense so bad that I simply could no finish it at all. It troubled me at a concerning level. It felt like a man was trying to force an album in a bad way. It was a collage of music that didn’t flow.

Overly long, plodding, no real songs of note.

Not a fan

Fingers crossed this is the last Nick Cave project we have to drudge through.

Just as bad as the other Nick Cave album that came up :(

I couldn't get through listening to this. His voice is awful, and the music itself was uninteresting. I didn't like it at all

Strange, but haunting. Some very sadistic/satanic lyrics. Sounds cool, but I wouldn't choose this.

forgettable. not my style.

the only good thing about this album was that one song they use in that harry potter scene

No likey

Second nick cave album on here. Just as depressing and disappointing as the first, but with a whopping 82 minutes in length it wins the rare and coveted 1* award. Congratulations.

1. get ready for love - 0 2. cannibalz hymn - 0 3. hiding all auuay - 0 4. mezziah uuard - 0 5. there zhe goez - 0 6. nature boy - 0 7. abbatoir bluez - 0 8. let the bellz ring - 0 9. fable of the brouun ape - 0 10. the lyre of orpheuz - 0 11. breathlezz - 0 12. babe you turn me on - 0 13.eazy money - 0 14. zupernaturally - 0 15. zpell - 0 16. carry me - 0 17. o children - 0

If this is the best he has to offer on a "1001 albums you must hear before you die", I feel vindicated in not expressing interest in Nick Cave up to this point.

I really hated this. Of course it was a double album.

Hard going and a but pretentious. Self aware

Oh Christ this guy again.

Way too generic and dull to be this long and self indulgent. Musically some of it is OK but as a completed work this really made me suffer. Piss off, Nick.

Album was alright but I'm not a fan.

Let the bells ring is OK. Otherwise... not for me.

ok i know that i've called multiple albums so far "not interesting" but this one takes the cake, the cream of the crop, the pinnacle of "not interesting", to me at least. usually when i do work and listen to music i can at least remember and actually recognise the music's existence in some way, i could not with this album, i had no strong memory of a single song, and truthfully, i still dont. the piano on abattoir blues sounds like its from sibelius (the music notation software), which makes it slightly more memorable than any other song. fav song: abattoir blues

Not good, too long

Didnt like a single song

Got through 4 songs. Decent instrumentals that is completely overshadowed by horrendous vocals and plastic lyrics.

Absolutely not this fucking sucked. It’s possible maybe I just wasn’t in the mood for this but dear god

Don’t see the attraction of Nick Cave. Please don’t force me to lessen to more of this guy’s albums!

I like Nick cave but I did not care for this album at all I like his slower downtempo type stuff.

Honestly couldn't get through it, it kinda sounded like if the Black Keys had hemorrhoids and no talent, but somehow worse. I'm all for concept albums but didn't get this one. Shame because this band had a great song in Shrek 2.

odio a Cave

I can’t stomach this record. The Birthday Party’s Hee Haw LP is not on the list and its a no-effort dunk on this snoozer. Nick Cave’s creative high mark is so far away from this album.

Did not finish; couldn't get into it

Not my thing

1.0⭐

Not for me

dumb

Didn't enjoy this one.

Could not get into this album at all, so disjointed. Really don’t under what all the fuss is about with nick cave

This is the second album I've gotten from this band, but I just really don't care for them.

I have an irrational dislike of Nick Cave, don't know when it started, so the idea of an 80 minute double album does not appeal in the slightest. I lasted about 25 minutes.

Meh album not my type

While I was a little interested by some of the more beefheart moments, I found it excruciatingly annoying and turned it off after 4 tracks.

82 whole minutes of tedious dad rock. Life's too short to spend finding anything else to say about this. According to the list, everything Nick Cave ever recorded will need to be endured and evaluated before we all die.

More than most artists, the music on Nick Cave's albums exists mostly as a backdrop to his lyrics. As such, the music should not compete with Cave and should contribute to and deepen the impact of his lyrics. I don't claim to be a Nick Cave expert, but a perfect example of this synergy is Murder Ballads, which is also on the 1001 list. Abbatoir Blues/ The Lyre of Orpheus, as it's title would suggest, is actually two albums released in one package. I'll discuss Abbatoir Blues first. The music is problematic in that it tends to distract from the lyrics. On the first song, you can barely hear the lyrics through the distortion of rock 'n roll instrumentation and a choir, both recorded deep into the red. The rest of the album is better in that respect, but not by much. And the music isn't interesting enough to justify the imposition. It's standard song structure, standard instrumentation (with the exception of the omnipresent chorus and the distortion), nothing noteworthy. The whole thing gave me a headache and bored me, sound and fury signifying nothing. On The Lyre of Orpheus, the balance is a bit better. You can actually hear the lyrics. Unfortunately, Cave isn't in very good form, lacking the wit and storytelling verve that was so evident on Murder Ballads. Here, he's just unpleasant and mean. Again, the music is nothing special, although that's hardly the point. I'm sorry to report that Abattoir Blues/ The Lyre of Orpheus is a drag.

Not great

Not my jam.

Garbage. Idk if I've heard a worse album before

Didn't find a single song I'd put on again

Although I like Some of Nick Cave. I can’t quite get the whole experience. I think it’s something I need to see live first.