Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus

Probably my favourite Nick Cave album

Such a great record! So many great songs and a ripping band. The second disc is my fave!

4/low 4. Nicely crafted world but mostly similar feels save for a couple exceptions. Last tracks are a nice ending

A don’t judge a book by its cover kind of album. The album was a super fun listen with some great storytelling in many of the songs. Some standouts for me were Hiding all Away, there she goes my beautiful work and The Lyre of Orpheus. Volume 1 was overall strong than 2 but both have a lot of charm.

Hiding Away is very cohesive Messiah Wind was also a great track There she goes Nature Boy is also fantastic The run from Easy Money- O Children is Fantastic- some really interesting and poetic music in the regard. 4.5

Not really my cup of tea but strong lyrics and instrumentation

Pleased to get this today. This is the Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds album that I seek out to listen to. I enjoy the upbeat energy of the songs (on Disk 1 particularly), and the sense of humour in the poetry. Great album. 1001 albums still hasn't given me a title to tip over into 5/5 but really like this. 4.5 Total number of tracks: 17 Fave Track: #3 Hiding All Away Others: 1: Get Ready for Love, 5: There She Goes, My Beautiful World, 7: Abbatoir Blues. 10: The Lyre of Orpheus. 14: Supernaturally.

Definitely a vibe but it's the sort of thing you don't really just add to a playlist.

I don't think I'm a Nick Cave fan. I liked some of this, but generally I'm not really there. It's definitely unique, though, and he is unquestionably cool as fuck. 4

Nick Cave is not an artist I've usually been too favourable towards, but I did enjoy this. The choir bits are nice, and it adds something beyond his vocals which can be a bit monotone. Probably preferred the first side a bit more and my attention waned slightly before the closer O Children which is really good. Not quite 5* but good

I'm really having a hard time deciding how much I like this. I think the style of the vocals turned me off a bit, but the gospel surprised me with how much I liked it. I'm intrigued to hear more from this artist.

I've never listened to this album (85).

haven't looked at the songs on this album yet but i wanna guess o children is on this i was right i woke up this morning with a frappuccino in my hand favorite song: o children

При прослушивании финального трека, в голове каждый раз появляется сцена, где Гарри танцует с Герминой в палатке. Кто понял, тот понял :) С одной стороны, можно сказать, что ничего круче этого трека на альбоме больше нет, но с другой, мне понравились лиричные баладные композиции со второй части пластинки. На них вокал Кейва приятнее, нежнее, легче воспринимается. А может, я просто не люблю блюз, поэтому совсем не зашла первая часть.

это оказалось совсем не тем, что я ожидала, потому что обложка меня обманула что это будет что-то нежное и около классическое, но неет мне нравится очень нравится

The first half is a 5 star album, the second half is ok but it drags way too much. Trimming the fat on this could've made it great.

Great album

better than the previous one, but still monotonous

I don’t know a lot of Nick Cave - he’s got a huge catalog! Enjoyed this.

It's interesting that the day before was Tom Waits, definitely a through line there. This is a solid album

Hann vinnur á með árunum karlinn. Fyrsta rennsli tæpur þristur en jafnframt þörf til að hlusta aftur. Og tveimur dögum seinna flýgur hann í fjarka með þetta. Misskemmtilegt, en margt alveg drulluflott.

Always loved „O children“ and that’s still my favourite of this album but I had never heard any other songs by them. Added a lot to a playlist in order to remember them. I especially enjoyed Disc 2. big fan of whatever his genre is (is it gospel??)

Really enjoyed this. Not heard much of NC before. Assumed he was dreary. But album had blues, gospel, rock in it. I’m feeling positive so a 4 from me (probs a 7 out of 10)

Fun album! Liked many songs on it. Not sure if I love the way Nick Cave sings but anyway - great work!

I could tell there was quality here and I enjoy a good amount of Nick Caves other albums. Would need a few more listens to really get into it I think, 4 stars nonetheless

I liked this, never listened to much nick cave before

I dig this Nick Cave record, I love the rambunctious start to the album with his croon and the wacky wild waving inflatable guitar parts and the soul choir behind him. It's an attractive sound. There's a lot of moments where this sound reminds me of one of my favorite bands, Okkervil River. It's angsty indie rock where the singer is pushing strained vocals through his teeth, the guitars are unleashed, and the snare drum snaps like a gunshot. And yet there is a wide dynamic range, with some acoustic driven songs that act as great contrasts to the heavy. I think I like this album the most out of all of his albums on this list of 1001 Nick Cave albums to hear in your life (har har), but he's still a performer that doesn't always do that much for me. I'm giving it a 4.

3.5

This was weird but I was into it

At first I was annoyed because it seemed like there’s too many Nick Cave albums but this won me over

Has one of my favorite songs ever. Bangers are on this album tbh especially the 2nd half

The fact that this is 2 hours long and I never got bored listening to it says a lot. 4/5

This was great. Absolutely flew by despite its length. In agreement that it’s my favourite of the batch of Cave we’ve had. Would not surprise me if he himself liked this the least though.

Obviously I have heard of Nick Cave but have never really engaged in any of his work before. There is someone in work who does like him and puts him on now and then but I’d say this is my first time really listening to him. And, I really liked it. I imagined it would be all sorts of depressing but it wasn’t at all, in fact quite uplifting in places. This is why this process is so good.

You know what, I really enjoyed this one. I got this album on the day I had to return to my job as a high school teacher after winter break. I wasn't really feeling it, but enough of this music kicked me in the ass and was an enjoyable listen so it helped my morning run more smoothly. "Messiah Ward" got two back-to-back plays and was immediately added to one of my playlists.

This isn't really my thing, but it's a good album. Cool lyrics, well-played, good songs.

Nick’s vocals are totally captivating; the tone of his voice, the emphasis on each word and the stories within. I’m not sure if Nick writes songs with the Bad Seeds or if they add the instrumental sections after the vocals are complete - however they do it, it works so well with each song.

I don't know enough about this artist/band to give a properly informed review. However I believe that it's quite good and deserves a deeper dive.

Really good album. Too long, though not sure what I’d cut.

I've always liked Nick Cave, but I've never listened in depth. I love that he seems to subvert simple impressions... his voice is deep and melancholy, and his lyrics are often melancholy and disturbing. But, in contrast, the melodies and arrangements are often catchy and upbeat; I frequently found myself nodding my head along to this album. You have to make the effort to pay attention to all the details to see the full dark beauty of his music, and that resonates with me - as does the gothiness. That said, I did feel like heavy use of the gospel choir on the first half was a bit overkill - it was a bit too on-the-nose. I got a little sick of it after a while. Heard before? Not this album, but I have heard other Nick Cave songs. Will I listen again? Likely, especially the second half. Does it inspire me to listen to more of this artist? Definitely. Notable songs: Breathless. A sweet, surprising forest fairy tale song of love. Check out the video for some additional lighthearted WTFuckery.

Deliberate and confidently performed, a professional and engaging set of songs that make for a good listen. The first half is more rock/punk, while the second half is a bit more poppy. I have not heard much by Nick Cave, but I'm very familiar with the Red Right Hand song (which is not on this album) from movies and TV shows, so I was not expecting a more straightforward rock sound but more of a moody movie soundtrack. While the songs are still cinematic and story-rich, the grooves are real. Impeccably arranged songs with great lyrics.

A little slow but very chill

Second disk is the winner here for me

Having only been exposed to random individual Nick Cave tracks and not having listened to a full album, I was expecting something different than what was delivered. I was waiting for an album of all substance and zero frills, not bad but forgettable, and left wanting. Yeah, no. Solid songwriting and style that obviously held a signature sound. From my first listen through, the first half definitely held my attention. The second half waned though. I enjoyed it as a whole. Not top tier in my book, but I'm looking forward to subsequent listens.

Really liked this one. Haven't heard a whole lot of this band, but could see myself getting into them more. Get Ready for Love, The Lyre of Orpheus, and Breathless stood out. 4/5

'Well, most of all nothing much / Ever really happens / And God rides high up in the ordinary sky.' Cave's religious existentialism - b/c that's what this is, á la Kierkegaard and co. - would be totally unbearable and pretentious if it weren't also adorable and consolatory. Cave philosophizes, clearly, b/c he needs to - that's what separates him from an ally like Tom Waits, who's an indifferent anthropologist of religion rather than a seeker. What severs him from the lousy lot of Bono/Christian rockers is a bluesy temperament, big drums (Sclavunos/Wydler), soulful-backers, and a healthy dose of well-read-pride: 'You searched thru all my poets / From Sappho thru to Auden / I saw the book fall from your hands / As you slowly died of boredom.' Aww.

Cult leader vibes for sure fav tracks: "Hiding All Away", "O Children"

What a long ass title. No idea why he decided to release two albums at once bound together- they don't sound much a like & if they are meant to be connected in some way it went completely over my head. Maybe two sides of Nick Cave? I liked Abattoir Blues better the gospel singers sounded wonderful and went perfectly with Cave's vocals. The Lyre of Orpheus was also very good and I enjoyed it. Long time fan here so I knew both albums very well going in for what it's worth. I'm hesitant to call it a double album even though it is that because it really seems like the albums were recorded at different times and on some tracks with different musicians. Why didn't he release these albums separately say 5-6 months apart? I REALLY wasn't in the mood to hear TWO Nick Cave albums today (as much as I love this man's work) I wanted to hear Christmas music and/or something emotionally light, but the generator is a cold SOB who doesn't care about what mood you are in & will assign you whatever albums it wants. Neither album is a 5/5 but both are very solid works with very little filler. Not a good jumping on point for those who have never heard any Nick Cave music IMO and the length of it is bound to turn some people off, but Nick Cave has made a whole career of turning people off so whatever.

He has better ones, but still good.

Close to a 5, really close.

A surprising album with a lot of amazing songs. I think it has a story telling charm of it's own. I am glad I had discovered it Fav song - The Lyre of Orpheus 4/5

Amé la onda muy theatre kid pero gótico, yo también quiero despertar con un frapuchino u-U

este es de los que sí oí cuando recién descubrí la lista y quería oirlos todos en orden, xq empieza con Ab veá. tmb sujeto a cambios xq no lo volví a oir, pero tiene dos que tres de mis canciones favoritas de nick cave

mid 4 this is certainly good. they know how to make good music with a good sound. nothing feels that ground breaking or special, but at least its not that samey. im sure the lyrics would be good if i listened more closely

While the mix of religious imagery and preacher delivery is to be expected, what often is missed is how many good melodies there are in the tracks. The only issue is trying to maintain the standard across a double album, which it doesn’t quite manage.

Probably the most cohesive of Cave’s work that I’ve heard despite it being a double album. Abbatoir blues follows the same style and pattern I’ve come to expect from Cave, but I think the Lyre of Orpheus is where this really shines. Literary, much more tender and measured than other albums of his I’ve heard. More than Cave’s performance in this, I think The Bad Seeds were particularly good, not least in the obvious of ‘there she goes my beautiful world’.

The most enjoyable of all the Nick Cave-related albums I've encountered on the list so far. I still don't totally love his voice, and it was a little longer than it needed to be, but on the whole this is is very good.

A lot of interesting stuff in here, playing with genres and sounds. CD2 was my favorite, I really liked the lure of Orpheus, easy money, and spell.

It was actually so beautiful I honestly didn't expect that

Mature band still putting out great music. This one delivers in the trademark yet re-invented sound.

Total pleasant surprise. I’ve been listening to Geese a lot lately and I’d say Geese have listened to a lot of Nick Cave…and that’s nothing but a compliment.

Nick Cave is one of those people I know of and have probably heard some of their stuff but don't really know. My impression has always been of quite difficult music to listen to. So I went into this expecting not to like it. At first I didn't. But when I came back to it with an open mind I actually rather enjoyed it. Quite uplifting in fact. Not really sure what it's about, mind you, but it was a good listen.

Incredibly great album and I love the amount of 5min+ songs but imo it's not perfect and could be better so I'm gonna say it's an 8/10

There are many many moments of greatness on this album (There She Goes… especially) But any album of this length is going to feel a bit woolly and so it is here (I’d lose Brown ape straight away) So we settle on a very high 4

4/5

Not bad. Have the crunch feeling to it when listening to it and there are enjoyment when listening to the song. Quite mesmerising with it's repeated drum beat and backing vocal. But some of lyrics and musical feature felt a bit repetitive and predictive. Not the climax I would have expected when listening to. But the Gothic theme from the vocal resonated well. 4/5

Really quite good. Great musicality all the way through, highly enjoyable. Felt a bit slow at the start/middle of disc 2 but otherwise super solid. A higher 4 but I can't justify a 5.

Didn't know what to expect especially after the first praise song, but man this was solid all the way through, o children gave me chills which took it straight to a four, probably worth another listen and could go higher

The most gospel-sounding non-gospel album I’ve heard (My real rating is closer to like a 3.7)

Middle of my fav cave albums

7/10

3.5

Not had much exposure to Nick Cave previously. Did like this though. Would definitely give it a spin in future, and I'll look into other albums too. So that's got to be a win, right?

Great album, "O Children" remains a classic.

Tuttu artisti, ei ole tullut muuta kuin ”Murder Ballads”-levyä. Tämä oli ihan ok levy, mutta ei jäänyt yhtään biisiä mieleen, mikä olisi säväyttänyt. Nickin ääni kyllä säväyttää, kun se on sen verran rouhea.

One of the pleasant surprises of this list. Never listened to this before and it hit the spot.

All over the map, but most of it is good. I really only knew Nick Cave to be lugubrious, so this was a nice surprise.

Bell'album a tutto tondo, dei picchi assurdi in alcuni momenti

A strong double album; I think Abbatoir Blues is the stronger half

Mektig album. "Hiding all away" og "Spell" blant favorittene.

Get ready for love

Super cool record, Nick Cave’s sound is so interesting. He has this haunting way about him that makes his voice so intriguing to listen to, even when he’s not “singing.” Quite a few standouts on this album. Best Track: Nature Boy

thoroughly enjoyed!

actually alternative. odd instrument sounds but compelling and well recorded. very diverse set of songs held together by his voice and singing style. new to me, and very enjoyable. might update to 5 later.

I must admit that this album has the unfortunate distinction of being quite familiar to me before I reviewed it for the list. As a result, some of the songs had lost its 'freshness' in a way, such as "O Children" which I have thought of as overplayed. Yet Cave's sound and themes are arguably an acquired taste, and it benefits from familiarity in that sense. Resultantly, it would have been hard to be objective when determining the LP's merits, but luckily I am ranking on my personal enjoyment anyway. The production makes good use of backing choirs and an organ/synth, giving it churchy vibes in a sense, all of which are arranged well. Cave's snarling vocals are once again in the forefront, and provide a nice contrast to the aforementioned gospel sounds, while simultaneously being complimentary to it. There are clear shifts in mood from the mellow introspections of "Cannibal's Hymns" to the lively, punchy "Breathless". Generally, the former are found on the first side of the album, and vice versa. Yet, the passion behind the music pierces clearly through the contrasting moods, and it never feels confused re purpose and theme. A great album.

Worst of the nick cave albums I've heard, but still great

This was a cool album and Nick cave and the bad seeds are just awesome so yeah great album

4.5

O children, Lift up your voice, lift up your voice, Children, Rejoice, rejoice 4.4

Why couldn't I have been introduced to Nick Cave through this album instead of Murder Ballads? This is much better. Kind of sounds like it's designed for some weird musical. Granted, I feel the same about Murder Ballads, this just does it better. Anyways, I like the energy of the album. It's a pretty long album but he actually uses the runtime pretty well, never particularly gets boring. Maybe I do like Nick Cave after all.

Yay, po včerajšnjem bo tole super, tud če je 1 uro in 22 min (dvojni album!). Je pa to spet izvajalec, k sm ga uspela v živo vidt - enkrat v tej zasedbi, enkrat kot Grinderman. "Get Ready for Love" je ful udaren začetek - res je nujno, da se pripravimo. Cave je en teh ljudi, k preprosto ma žmoht. He oozes it. In slišiš, ko poje s svojim žametnim glasom. Slišim, da so kle tud neke temačne teme v komadih, kar je značilno za Cavea. "Hiding all Away" je fakin hud. "There She Goes, My Beautiful World" tud, poj je pa itak " Nature Boy". Pač, bangers. Pavza, da si priskrbim kufe. In, drugi album. "The Lyre of Orpheus" je res hud začetek. Spet ta mal temačen & pripoveden vajb, k ga ma večina Cave zadev. Po pa "Breathless" z nekim light vajbom, z več piščali pa najbl chill akustično kitaro. Chill vajb se nadaljuje z "Babe, You Turn Me On" in "Easy Money". "Supernaturally" pa sam šopa & I love it. "Spell" mi je imel vajb svojega imena & na splošno lep komad. Vse skp pa lepo zaključ "O Children", k je lep, žalosten.

The lyrics hit. This really grew on me. The vocals and arrangements won on this one. Listened before? N Saved any tracks? N Favorite tracks? There she goes, Let the Bells Ring ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Really liked this one

Very punky, liked it

Pretty feral

these four stars are more like three and a half. i liked some of the songs so three stars is not enough, but the whole double album was too repetitive. not the best bad seeds album.

it's a low 4, more like a 3.X rounded up

There were a coupla years when the Bad Seeds were probably my favorite band. Still love the stuff. So many great melodies on this album.

I liked it!

The least "nick cave" nick cave album I have heard. Nowhere near as overwrought lyrically. It's the better for it 4*

Enjoyed this quite a bit

I’m not sure this list needs five Nick Cave albums but I like this one.

Of the Nick Cave albums I’ve hit on this list, this is probably the best one, but… greatness? No. That said, it does grow on you the more you listen to it—never enough to win me over, but enough to where you stop rolling your eyes at it. There are catchy moments, where it clicks, but likely not enough to get me to return. I think it’s his voice—I just don’t connect with it. Respect to the craft, but this sits in the “I understand it, I just don’t love it” column.

Surprisingly energetic and positive. 7/10

It’s definitely too long, it’s definitely a little overcooked, and yes, Nick can’t help but throw a cringey lyric in a few times. But this is maybe the most lush, beautiful I’ve heard him sound, in the sweet spot of his voice aging and softening into the styles he’s singing. The gospel choir works incredibly well for the ruminations here, and while Abbatoir Blues is a much stronger side than The Lyre of Orpheus, they both have a nice flow and style to themselves. This one is probably a 3.5 but I’ll bump to a 4 because it just sounds so good. Makes me more excited to investigate Nick’s more recent works.

Enjoyed "hiding all away" "Messiah Ward" is kinda interesting. Overall the album has a decent sound, although I am finding the songs a bit repetitive. The first few all kinda sound alike. And there are some enjoyable songs, but there's also a few absolute stinkers/filler choices. I enjoyed the title track "the lyre of Orpheus" "Breathless" feels like the sellout song written merely to sell the album to record execs. That said the album is beautifully produced. Well polished etc.

A master craftsman and a great album…

a nick cave album i don't have but i really like - had heard o children in Harry Potter

Love it. O Children is an all time favourite

Beast

Perfect soft rock. Though quite long. A lot of similar songs

The energy of the music has a theatrical effect to it, with lots of flare and gospel.

There’s a lot of Bad Seeds records and this is one I’ve only listened to once or twice. Given it’s a double album, it's required more time to digest. As a result, this might become one the of my favourites by Cave. Equally raw and beautiful, with his trademark storytelling over the top of powerful gospel vocals. Not necessarily the best place to start if getting into this group, but arguably one of their best.

Weird...cool...Great lyrics and harmonies

A lot of double albums just feel like too many songs in a single album. This one is neatly split with differing approaches and actually makes it feel like two separate albums. One half of this double album is delirious and possessed and the other half is sweet and introspective. Get Ready for Love is a hell of an opener that takes you right into the madness of Nick Cave's sermon. The first album feels ungodly but never evil. It has a riotous gothic tone empowered by the church choir accompanying Cave's frantic crooning. The next album switches everything up with calming acoustic guitars and lighter themes of love and serenity. The choir is still there but they feel lighter and more comforting. This dichotomy allows you to come back to the album with two options depending on what experience you're looking for. It's a 2-for-1 special at this cultist Sunday service.

I'm not very familiar with Nick Cave (though I adore PJ Harvey), but I enjoyed this mythical, dark, and emotionally-charged album that has a mix of holy anger and profound misery.

This was a similar listening experience as Exile on Main Street for me - I came into it expecting something a little more bland, and the instrumentation blew me away. Some of the songs were still a little too violent and the album was too long, but it continued to pull me back in.

3.5 - Good

Soulful throughout, in more ways than one. Ventures from Motown, through spoken word. So much to embrace.

Nick Cave der Bourbon und Cognac Poet. Super misery hangover soundtrack. Aber nüchtern kann ich den abtrünnigen Dopamin-Killer nicht abhaben. Trotzdem vier Sterne für die Dunkelheit.

ich mag nick! zuu cooli stimm

The Good: We’ve got a little bit of this… The Bad: We’ve got a little bit of that… The Ugly: Finding out that Orpheus Lyre isn’t what we thought it would be… Guess the word Cave and Seed should have given us a fair warning! What a lovely double album this turned out to be. I am no fan of Nick, his previous outing on this list I believe was ranked with 2*, however, this double outing, this is worth double that no problem. That’s it, all I’ve got… guess I’ve got nothing better to do than to listen to this double outing again! 4*

Menha gustado mucho. No conocía a Nick Cave. Dónde ha estado todo este tiempo, en una cueva??

No one in my family has heard of this band before, me included. I asked them, and considering there are 5 of his albums on here, I was banking on at least SOMEONE knowing who this guy Nick Cave is. They’re all rated pretty poorly on the site, so all things considered, it seems like a questionable choice to have that many, if any at all included. This is the first of them that I have heard, and it’s the highest rated on the site. What are my thoughts on this album? Holy shit. No dude, it’s actually good. It’s actually quite good, easily the best thing I’ve heard this week. It’s funny how the mind can draw parallels to things. Earlier in the week, I heard a Black man (Ray Charles) singing traditionally White music and making it his own, and now I’m hearing the reverse of that. These are all very Black Gospel coded songs, and you know what?? Nick Cave absolutely crushes it here. I don’t know if his other 4 albums are even remotely this good, but I actually loved this one. As a double album, it has a massive 1 hour and 22 minute playtime, and the first half kicks the shit out of the second half, so it’s not perfect, but it’s pretty close. I found myself adding 4 songs from this album to my favorites playlist, and even the ones that did not make the cut were at the bare minimum all good enough to not skip. My favorites on this album are “Get Ready for Love”, “Cannibal’s Hymn”, “There She Goes, My Beautiful World”, and my personal favorite, “Hiding All Away”, which has an absolutely electric, energetic, crazy finish. “There is a waaaaaaaaaar comiiiiiiiiiiiiiing”, (Crazy guitar solo). That song kicks ass. So yeah, it all came together nicely and gave me a hell of a surprise on a random, slow Wednesday. Thank you Nick. Interested to see what else you’ve got, I might be a fan.

Love Nick, bit too much for one sitting

First listen, and I loved it. I’m a fan of Nick Cave generally, but this is eviscerating inclinations hidden in lush, beautiful soundscape Nick Cave. Abattoir Blues is energetic and intense, vaguely gospel, vaguely blues and Nick Cave’s trademark gothic, sinister undercurrent is never far from the sound. The Lyre of Orpheus has a lighter touch. It opens with a bristling, crawling, call and response blues before following a more whimsical, pastoral path. It’s also shamelessly pretentious. There are definitely some fatty parts on the album that could be trimmed down, but I adore the lushness of this.

Wow! I could take or leave Nick Cave's voice, but the poetry of the lyrics, the lush orchestrations, the gospel choir back-ups...It all blew my socks off even at a 90-minute runtime. I'll revisit this one in the future for sure.

After two relatively sombre piano-driven albums in 'The Boatman's Call' and 'No More Shall We Part' and the somewhat uneven 'Nocturama', Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds stepped into double album territory for the first time with 2004's 'Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus', and I consider this the start of Nick's upbeat, enlighted preacher era, while still showing plenty of respect and appreciation for everything he'd done previously. The eloquent rhyming and lyricism? Check! Attacking piano strokes? Double check! A balanced mix of light and shade? Triple check! All supported by the impressive Bad Seeds lineup of the time: Mick Harvey, Warren Ellis, Martyn Casey, Conway Savage, James Johnston, Jim Sclavunos and Thomas Wydler, although without Blixa Bargeld for the first time since the Bad Seeds' inception. This is a double album (Nick Cave's first) of two very different flavours. 'Abattoir Blues' is the standard Cave-esque rock/blues sound the Bad Seeds had championed throughout most of the 90s, blending rousing gospel and infectious energy with Cave's trademark twisted storytelling. Songs like 'Get Ready For Love', 'Nature Boy' and 'There She Goes, My Beautiful World' would not sound out of place on 'Henry's Dream' or 'Let Love In' and serve as great reinforcement of the Bad Seeds' magnetic presence as a unit. On the other hand, 'The Lyre of Orpheus' is a lot more laid back and heartfelt, although the title track hearkens back to the uneasyness of 'Murder Ballads'. There's also the closing track, the enthralling 'O Children', which has the distinction of being the only conventional song used in the Harry Potter series. 20 years on from the start of The Bad Seeds, 'Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus' sees Nick Cave finally hit a solid level of contentness with his career. He truly sounds like he enjoyed making this album and was in a very good place in his life. He'd face some very difficult years in the 2010s with the loss of two of his sons, but the joy of his most recent record, 'Wild God', certainly brought back the passion of this awesome double album! I'm biased, but there's not a single 'Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus' is Nick's gospel album: full of love, warmth and life. Best songs: Get Ready For Love, There She Goes, My Beautiful World, Nature Boy, Abattoir Blues, The Lyre of Orpheus, Breathless, O Children

Great sound! Some really interesting songs

I didn’t think I liked Nick Cave.. but I really like this!

There she goes my beautiful world is een fantastisch nummer! De rest va de plaat is gewoon goed! Aangenaam om te luisteren

Great, two albums really, been a long while since I have listened to it in full.

Great album

To be honest I’m a little iffy on the voice, but I did find one song I really enjoyed that was a little spicy. It was also a great album.

It’s been too long since I’d sat down and listened to a Nick Cave album, and this album did not disappoint. This one must have flown under my radar at the time of its release, but I’m glad to have finally heard it. The last time I felt this kind of physical reaction to an album was in 1998 when heard KISS’s “Psycho Circus” for the first time… and puked/shit myself/and bled from my ears so profusely due to how bad it sucked that I wasn’t sure I’d be able to listen to music ever again! Thankfully I recovered, and lived long enough to hear “Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus” on a beautiful autumn night with the dogs in tow and the stars high in the heavens. Excited to keep this one in this fall’s “Heavy Rotation” queue.

Better on second listening. Obviously heard some before but really enjoyed it.

Even though I was busy and didn't pay full attention to the album, it was an interesting and engaging listen—a good one! The album's opening track, 'Get Ready for Love,' starts loud with the drive of the guitar sounding a bit noisy and compressed. However, the album quickly opens up with a much more expansive sound, the initial noise giving way to pleasant combinations of piano and acoustic guitars, and groovy baselines. The expressive and emotional vocals of Nick combined with the backing choir sound really good. The album keeps you engaged with the creative use of unfamiliar rumbling or squeaking noises scattered throughout. I loved 'Nature Boy,' 'Messiah Ward,' and 'Babe, You Turn Me On.' Meanwhile, 'Easy Money' felt emotional yet somehow catchy. The opening chords of 'O Children' reminded me of 'Zombie' by The Cranberries, though they didn't sound quite as compelling. Even though I didn't listen carefully to the second part of the album (The Lyre of Orpheus), overall I loved it. It is definitely an album I would return to and listen to while paying closer attention.

Gear: Sennheiser MOMENTUM TW 4 Artwork: 🌸🖋️🔳 Production: 🎧😘🤌 Music: 🎙️⛪🌋 Ratinng: 🌸🌸🌸🌸/5

Effectivement peut-être pas son meilleur album. Perso j'aime bien la voix de Nick Cave, les instrus sont sympas, je sens une vibe un peu entre Leonard Cohen en effet et Bruce Springsteen. Le genre de musique que je pourrais mettre à fond chez moi en faisant le ménage ou à manger sans problème.

I need to listen to more Nick Cave - great album

So this is the first double album I am getting and also first time I am getting a 2nd album from an artist I already got before and this also happens to be the artist I will see live in a year so very excited. This will surely be a dense listen, knowing Cave. P.S. Busy day at work and pub after, will be tough to absorb this one. P.S.2 Rating this 4.5 on RYM, but I think I'll go for 4 stars here

Really good I enjoyed both parts of the album - blues was faster paced and lyre was slower and more introspective

Gonna rate as 2 separate albums. Abattoir Blues: 4 The Lyre of Orpheus: 3.5

Moody alt-country(?)-esque guitar driven riffs. Lyrics are....interesting religious focused? Good listen

Great album

Pretty good, found myself getting into more of the tracks than I thought I might.

Vintage Nick Cave though arguably more agreeable to the regular ear than some of the stranger pieces of work he’s produced. Liked this album a lot with great variety and musicianship too. Will listen again

Empece la escucha con cariño porque este album tiene O Children y como buena fan de Harry Potter me dio mucha nostalgia, pero resulto ser totalmente distinto a lo que esperaba. Los instrumentales son un 10/10, curados hasta el ultimo detalle, la voz de nick cave es muy cálida y tiene una manera de contar historias muy destacable. De todas maneras, el primer disco noto que se luce mucho mas que el segundo, y se me hizo bastante largo el album en general. No se si es algo que escucharía pero es muy interesante de escuchar, veo por que es un must. Destaco Nature Boy, Let the Bells Ring, There She Goes, My Beautiful World y obviamente O Children por el valor sentimental PD que poronga esta pasando en Breathless ?????

No entiendo cómo se puede hacer un disco que suene tan familiar pero al mismo tiempo con una identidad propia tan marcada. Todo lo que suena se ha escuchado alguna vez, pero juntar esos sonidos de manera tan particular se hace muy poco, muy soportado por la voz de Nick Cave. La hora y veintidos minutos que dura el disco puede parecer densa desde fuera, pero la manera en la que se abarca tanto del espectro musical hace que el resultado final sea más ameno de lo que debería. Me quedo con muchas ganas de escuchar más de ellos. A la playlist: Get Ready for Love, Hiding All Away, There She Goes My Beautiful World, Nature Boy, Easy Money, Supernaturally

This is definitely my favourite NCATBS record on this list to date. Pretty ambitious double album with fantastic production and some really standout tracks. Favourite tracks: Get Ready for Love, Hiding All Away, Nature Boy, Abattoir Blues, The Lyre of Orpheus ("If you play that fucking thing down here I'll stick it up your orifice" - love it), Easy Money, O Children.

Really 2 different albums, Richard thompson Get ready for love My beautiful world Babe you turn me on

Really enjoyed this one, feels like the generator should give you two days for this one since it’s so clearly two albums.

Why release one incredible album when you can release two. Abattoir Blues - Intense Lyre of Orpheus - Reflective & melodic. I can’t even pick a favourite

I liked this guy’s sound. Reminded me of Warren Zevon

Apologies Nick Cave and the Bad Seed, I was unfamiliar with your game. This landed in the prime of my music listening years, so shame on everyone else for not getting this to me.

4/5. Nick Cave is a unique character. Sometimes his lyrics are unique and creative, and the other times they mean absolutely nothing. And sometimes my feelings about the same lyrics change based on the day. But what Nick is great at is creating an aesthetic and theme for the album and sticking with it throughout the tracks. The choral arrangements with the full rock band gives hints of Christian rock but mixed with the lyrical cynicism and very well produced. These are all great songs, the first half better than the latter, but still Nick Cave provides a great experience. Best Song: Hiding All Away, There She Goes My Beautiful World, Breathless

Classy as fuck. If I had to choose a side I'd pick The Lyre of Orpheus. Some proper stately shit on that side.

This is my 3rd (4th if The Birthday Party counts) Nick Cave album, and I have not connected with his music at all until this one. Double album, so it’s on the longer side, but I was engaged the whole time. I’m interested in going back to those earlier ones I panned and seeing if my opinion has changed

Interesting double album that I was only half-familiar with. It’s a bit hard to review, since the two albums are quite different from one another... It’s like taking a long walk in a palace with dozens of rooms (and two very different wings). Some rooms are crumbling and decayed (Baby You Turn Me On sounds like much earlier Nick Cave), others are surprising and flamboyant (the opening title Lyre of Orpheus for instance, which I find magnificent) ; some are silent and deserted, others are full of people having an orgy (the crescendo in Hiding All Away is incredible !). I massively prefer Lyre of Orpheus – an intense, moody and soulful album, which is probably one of Nick Cave’s masterpieces. The atmosphere of the whole album is incredible, with a lot of subtleties and a passionate vocal performance. Abattoir Blues doesn’t make as deep an impression. It sounds more conventionnal, but its lowkey art rock vibe grew on me in the end. It’s well crafted and executed, and there is enough diversity between songs to keep the listener curious. Very nice overall. I will absolutely come back to it. A strong 4* (I would have given a 5* to Lyre of Orpheus alone, and a 3* to Abattoir Blues alone).

Because it's them because it's me. I can't help but fell sympathy for the guys. There I am listening another time on this Monday morning. The Lyre of Orpheus with it's gimmick "Oh Mama" is the only song that stucks. Nontheless after I gave a 3 to the Mooth, I have to go higher.

Fascinating. Nick cave showed up later tonight on the score of The Road.

So many things to like about the album. Really good.

Nick Cave can really .... annunciate. Cool singing style. This is one of those albums that deserves a deeper and repeated listen. Favorite songs: Get Ready For Love, Nature Boy, Supernaturally, Breathless.

This was a fun one. Nick and his Seeds are pretty inventive, with some good lyrics.

I love Murder Ballads. In many ways, this is a less-morbidly-dark version of Murder Ballads. At least, stylistically, this album hits right for me. My biggest complaint is the length of the album. As much as I enjoy the style and sound, a double album is just too much. 4 stars.

This was fun. 4 stars

After weeks of starting and re-starting, I finally got through this epic double album. End result: it's very good. After the aggressive bluesy first half, I was ready for the pretty, folksy second half. Still think it could have been two separate albums, though.

Not as depressing as I was formerly led to believe it would be (by their other songs). Re-listen.

3.58

surprisingly good!

I was prepared to not like this, but I was pleasantly surprised. The opener “Get Ready For Love” had me hooked immediately. As a double album, this first is so strong, but admittedly the second album lost me a little bit. It was good, and I enjoyed it, but it wasn’t as great and didn’t catch my attention the same way Abattoir Blues did. Abattoir Blues is a 5 for me, but The Lyre of Orpheus is closer to a 3, despite the fantastic “O Children.” Splitting the difference and giving this a well-deserved 4 stars.

First listen of a nick cave record. Quite good!

Songs like the Lure of Orpheus are the reason I don’t love this album. It throws the brakes on as it gets good. It could have been an amazing 5* albums if the filler was removed

Great album and Nick Cave at his most raw

There’s one thing in music that I like more than a double album, and that’s a good double album. On this, Cave & Co. knock it out of the park. Disc 1 (Abattoir Blues) ranges from the simple-ish love ballad to the utopian uplift, and disc 2 (The Lyre of Orpheus) is still peppered with that same uplift and hope, but with many minor chord interjections, culminating in the finalising and startlingly popular O Children. Together both discs are sister pieces - both would work on their own but they are made that much better with the context of the other. Cave’s “art rock”ing is hard to appreciate fully on first listen, which is part of the reason why I bought the CD before listening to this for the first time, which is what I would’ve done had I been about for its release ~21 years ago. Here’s to many more listens of a near 1½-hour album that I’m happy to say flew by.

I like the music, but a lot of the lyrics are ridiculous. A toss up for rating direction, until I found some songs stuck in my head.

Really raw, really dense. Good but the type that probably takes some time to get into.

As if Tom Waits and Jack White formed a supergroup, and found out they were booked for a Sunday morning church service. That was my thought, at first. Then I read other reviews: “Frank Zappa and Tom Waits.” “David Bowie and Tom Waits.” (That one is pretty spot on, I must admit.) Anyway, it’s an enjoyable album that is one part Tom Waits and one part Someone Else. Maybe David Bowie, maybe Julian Cope, maybe Bruce Springsteen. Maybe even…Nick Cave? Forgive me, I got carried away. Good music - 4/5 and on first listen I enjoyed the first disk better.

I really like ties but it was too long

Someone had raved about this group to me a long time ago. Yet, based on the guy's previous enjoyment of music (he wanted to start a U2 cover band!), I'd ignored it. It was a pretty hefty listen (double album at 1 hour 22), but overall was actually quite decent. All of the music was clearly well thought out and I enjoyed the mix. Lyrics were a bit questionable at times, especially when the vocals sound like a man in his 50s is blasting them out. And yes, that old guy voice isn't my favourite. But, I did find myself engaged in the music and found some catchy stuff on here. 4 Stars.

This is more what I assumed Nick Cave sounded like. Good use of the band and some great tunes

i was really pleasantly surprised by this album! I think it's too long; the only song I liked as much as the first half's songs was Easy Money. But great lyrics and instrumentals, very cohesive and stylistic without indie rock bullshit. 7.5/10

drei bis vier

Magnificent voice. Quite a good album

Liked this more than I expected considering I don't usually like Nick Cave's music. I'm not sure how likely I am to go back to it again but this surprised me.

It's realyl good it's just too long for my ADHD brain.

I was just thinking "this sounds like the baby of Tom Waits and Leonard Cohen" and then I read the reviews and noticed several other commenters say the same thing. Nick Cave and His Spreaded Seed sure have a unique sound. This dramatic gloomy burlesque-esque gospel rock would be just corny done by 99% of artists. With the Bad Seeds, it's just often corny. The stuff that squeaks out intact is fucking stellar though, like full main character energy, peak of conflict-and-resolution in a movie soundtrack, heart rending stuff. Nick Seeds are clearly clever songwriters and talented musicians that have created beautiful work. This is worth listening to before you die for the drama, uniqueness, talent, and humanity. In general I hate Nick Cave's singing style. It's so droney, one-note but not in a good way (I like drone music), just in an emotionally stunted way. I also find it ironic that this act is described as "powerful live performances" (their words). I've seen them live and they were borderline booed off stage for being so boring lol. To be fair to them I think they were just the wrong billing for that festival. I think their performance could be passionate and thrilling in a more intimate context. That said, I always have a question for the makers of this type of sad white boy music. Are the artists making music from a collection of lived experiences? Or did one girl reject them fifteen years ago and since everything else went their way in life they have just fixated on that one rejection since? Sometimes I think wow, this white boy has the blues, and other times I think wow, this white boy is just imitating the emotionality of Black art. Fave tracks: Get Ready For Love, Hiding All Away (gospel part especially), There She Goes My Beautiful World (gospel gospel), probably others but I didn't finiiiiiiish baybeeeee

massive

Overall great album, instrumentally beautiful. Would've given this a 5 if it weren't for some songs where he sings out of tune.

Everything he touches is incredible. Love the duality of the two parts

good enjoyed

This album id great. A bit monger than it needs to be. Not my favorite Nick Cave album. But that doesn't mean anything for this. I'm giving this a 3.5... rounded up

My first exposure to Nick Cave. I really liked it for a first listen. There were a few songs that grabbed my attention instantly - 'There She Goes, My Beautiful World' and 'Supernaturally'. It was a long album and they didn't all grab me, but I think if I listened more, they would grow on me.

good

Не скажу, что блестяще, но песни достаточно разнообразные и потому эта долгоиграющая пластинка не слишком приедается. 6,5 из 10.

An unexplectedly enjoyable variety of tunes. Enjoyed the whole album

Get Ready for Love sounds like post-punk if I was going to define it in one song. This is a million times better than The Birthday Party. Hiding All Away is good. I'm liking this so far. He's channeling Elvis a little bit too hard at some spots. I'd say that generally the first album of this double album (why?) is pretty good. Right up until Fable of the Brown Ape. This is an album that appeals to music critics and pretentious college students. While I could do without the random flute, Breathless is the best song on the album. He sounds like Neil Diamond on some of these songs. Neil Diamond, Elvis, Tom Waits...it's all here. Some good songs, some not so good songs.

Super great! Only a few songs I’d come back to but I was super impressed with how it kept me the whole time. Last song also is a fav because of deathly hallows

Being a double album, it certainly takes longer to get to know, but this was a 3rd listen and this is really up my street. Abbatoir Blues has an amazing 4 track run of There She Goes My Beautiful World/Nature Boy/Abbatoir Blues/Let the Bells Ring.

This album takes me back to listening to Nick Cave play and talk about his album murder ballads when I was in high school on late night radio.

FINAL REVIEW This album is a 4/5 from me. It's the closest to a 5/5 anything has gotten so far, but it doesn't just quite have that spark for me. Still, it's an absolutely beautiful album, one that reveals more on a second listen, with still so much to discover about it. The world it creates is so vivid and so interesting, and Nick Cave's voice is very charming in a dark way. I will definitely have to check out more of his music. NOTES 2:51 pm - im finally getting to this nick cave album. the only song i know of him is the one with my idol, kylie Minogue, so im excited to hear more!! this first song is more rocking than i expected, i like it!! 3:19 pm - this album makes me think of other artists i love, like jeff buckley and pj Harvey. nick cave has been an artist i've been meaning to check out, bc of how much i love where the wild roses grow, and i'm really wishing i had sooner. this album is really great!! 3:34 pm - i just started the second half on the album, and i'm excited to see how it differs from the first half. this album is so great!!! 3:57 pm - the second half is more quiet and slow, for the most part. i think i like the first half more, but this is still really pretty. i don't really get the lyrics much while listening, but what i can catch sounds interesting, so i will read along with the lyrics when i do my second listen. 5:46 pm - due to my computer freaking out, i didn't get to finish the album until now, but it's awesome!!! like the whole gothic feel to it, especially with nick caves voice, which has this really deep, smokey tone to it that i love. this is definitely going to get at least a 4/5, maybe a 5/5 after i look at the lyrics more during my second listen.

Nick Cave. Always solid.

I liked this one a lot, has a nice mix of bluesy rock and more gloomy "goth rock" that has some nice power behind the lyrics and vocals.

4/5

Nick Cave > Fatboy Slim. That's what I learnt today, judging two albums back to back. What a fucking relief! Anyway, I don't mind me a bit of Nick Cave. I haven't listened to this album entirely before, and I like it. I'd gladly give it another go. People who don't like this are wrong. Four stars.

Really great, powerful double album. Got a killer intro and then some awesome ballads throughout. Will revisit.

Pretty good. Well crafted and varied songs with a lot of depth. I dont know if ill revisit this but im glad I heard it

Part of me wants so deeply to be Nick Cave. I can’t put my finger on the specific flavor of weird that he is, but his voice has a quality that sounds kitschy and over dramatic, but still reads as obviously genuine. He and the band lean into it and are all 100 on grit and pure explosive emotion coming from their instruments. Fucking love it. I was smiling and delighted the whole time.

In the last week or so I have had Murder Ballads, Ghosteen, and now this. This gospel According to Nick was welcome the day after Ghosteen. Still dark, weird, and abstract, but also with some energy that has a a little more bounce instead of making you want to sink into your couch. I needed that. Solid offering from a dude that never stops living his genuine life as an artist.

I have to admit that it started tough (some call it a kick in the teeth), but he won me over on the second disc. I can see how some put him with Tom Waites in that he does both kicks in the teeth and ballads equally well (IMO). Like Waites, I appreciate his ballads while knowing they are not universally loved.

Pretty good! There's a bit of fluff but generally the songs are pretty cool. 8/10

Pretty nice and good for background music.

i love

The first song made me think “oh lord, here we go”, but after that I really enjoyed it. This kind of music, I don’t know the genre, but I really liked it. Each song was unique yet having a similar vibe. I also liked how unserious some of the songs were, like the cannibal song. And then the random, I know that song, at the end.

pretty good

8/10 peam christian rock

Really enjoyed this. Good vibes.

Good, but not me thing

A very interesting album. For an hour and twenty minutes, it success at grabing your attention through the whole duration of the record, and it all comes down to how detailed the music is, with the use of big choruses, the little melodies that fill the background or the 'weird sounds'. Maybe it has some flaws here and there, but I don't think there's a bad song in here. I also want to mention that I find Nick's voice to be very captivating and with a lot of expression. Really glad I finally listened to Nick Cave's music.

nick cave is one of those artists that i’m so happy to have found from this project. just a great album throughout and absolutely stuck the landing. this is my first time hearing O Children all the way through and i just have to tip my hat to David Yates. absolutely incredible decision there

A lot of pleasant songs

I didn't think much of it at first, it was a bit meh, but in the latter half (it's very long!) there were several songs I quite enjoyed and wouldn't mind relistening to. Pleasing deep voice and a nice energy at times.

This has the song from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. This is my second Nick Cave album. I preferred this one.

Very grand/cinematic in a good way Religious themed like that one Texas album

Only have listened a couple of times, but really enjoyed what I heard. Need to return to this one because there's clearly a lot there.

I liked this album more that I thought I would. The songs were intriguing and the overall sound of the album really sucked me in. I think it will probably get even better on subsequent listens, but still a very strong record

I usually don’t like Nick Cave, and he still had a few on here that just sounded like Tom Waits discovered how to plug in his guitar, but there were some excellent moments too, especially on Hide It All Away and There She Goes, My Beautiful Girl

First time hearing. Lots of good songs. Immediately engaging. Some songs beautiful. Has a “.sound.”

Bon album très divers. Quelques super titres

Enjoyed it, even though I didn't know much about his work

Nick Cave is an artist I am reasonably familiar with but need to spend more time listening to. Bad Seeds and The Birthday Party. Good stuff! 4/5 Album 68/1001

unfortunate case here, im sure this will grow on me in time back up to a 5 but first half blew me away the second half significantly less, but i feel something special with this one so ill be listening more. 4-4.5 loved it

Yes absolutely

I thoroughly enjoyed the music on the album. The foreign language albums are always difficult. I don’t know if this is salsa, music or bossa nova but I really liked it. It’s just hard for me to give this a five star, but I don’t really understand it.

Nick cave is just plain cool. Rock roll and soulful. A good album

A decent album, but I found Nick Caves other albums more interesting. Low 4.

Dope

I was a bit turned away by the length and some of the singing but once I got used to it I realised it was really quite good. 4 stars

Love this! Kinda reminds me of a rootsier, low key Bruce Springsteen. If Bruce Springsteen is "Ooooh YEEEEHAAAAWW" then Nick Cave would be "Yeh"

More like Nick Cave and the GOOD seeds, ya know wut i mean?

2 very distinct discs. Great lyrics

Pretty good, enjoyed the sound.

A lot to take in at once, but a beautiful album nonetheless. The album starts off right with a really fun rocker as the opening track. It seemed that the first disc was a more energetic album and the second one was much softer and melancholic. Amazing how Nick Cave can make consistently great albums 20 and even 40 years into his career. Will definetely revisit this one.

I was vaguely familiar with Nick Cave and have always love the brooding moody baritone voice he sings with. This album was more rocking and upbeat then some of the previous work I was familiar with and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

aika loistokas tuplaalbumi respectiä

There's just something about Nick Cave that gets at you. Rating: 4

Different sound then I am used to, but definitely some songs I could go back to. V enjoyable

I'm really not a big fan of Nick Cave! But this album is quite accessible to me compared to his other work. Even the fact, that it is a double album does no harm. Disc one is good from start to finish. And disc two is pretty solid too!

Although I'll never turn down the chance to listen to Nick Cave's music, I kind of wonder if this double album is a good choice for this project, especially given how many Nick Cave albums there are in this collection. Regardless, it's an interesting approach to a double album, with very different sides to his music on each disc. I particularly enjoyed the "Abattoir Blues" tracks, especially "Cannibal's hymn", "Hiding all away", and the Johnny Cash tribute "Let the bells ring". The "Lyre of Orpheus" disc wasn't quite as strong to me, although I did enjoy "Breathless", "Easy money" and "O children" in particular; it *did* kind of feel, though, like Nick Cave channeled his (always present) Leonard Cohen spirit a bit too hard with some of these ballads. It's hard to know how to rate this (double) album, as I feel like this is a fairly strong Nick Cave album overall (Orpheus' minor faults notwithstanding), and probably worthy of four stars for that, but on the other hand it feels like it's a rough trip for those who aren't familiar with (or fans of) his music. But I guess I'll vote as a long time fan of his work.

I didn't think I was a big Nick Cave fan, mainly because of the voice (reminds me of an older Johnny Cash), but I REALLY enjoyed the instrumentation, especially on the first album.

One of my favorite kinds of music is music that makes you feel something. It feels deep, emotive. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds show you how it’s don’t here. Cave’s Baritone and the lyrical content paint a picture you can’t look away from. (Points deducted for occasionally having arrangements that remind me of U2)

His lycanthropy transformation interrupted by a bolt of lightning in the summer of 1797, Nick Cave stalks the earth, howling songs of tortured love and loss into the lonely wooded mountains. Field recordings have given us the gift of his music, but Mr. Cave himself will never again live among “the normal”.

I was expecting another kind of boring rock album, but luckily I was wrong. Loving the gospel influence all over. Also manages to stay mostly consistent despite its long runtime (although I do think I prefer the first half overall).

High energy, idiosyncratic music that broods and soars. Deserves a few more listens to appreciate the depths. Carry Me and O Children.

Five on the front, four on the back

Nick Cave all day

I heard Nick Cave's name passed around for 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 but haven't thought of checking him out until today. ── ࣪˖ ࣪ ⊹ ࣪ ˖ ── The album has an ambient bluesy sound despite Nick Cave's reputation as a gothic rock musician. I presume he drifted from his signature dark, brooding sound in later works. Admittedly, I'm not a fan of gospel/soul music, but "Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus" is beautifully dated. I would've never guessed it was released in 2004. There is a great mashup of various genres (blues, R 'n' B and electronic) that is reminiscent of various musical legends, including Tom Waits, whose raspy and expression voice Nick Cave reminds me of, Leonard Cohen's storytelling, and Pink Floyd, with their experimental soundscapes. Overall, my favourite song is the twinkling but dark "Nature Boy," although I love aesthetic of the title track also.

Interesting

Rating: 4/5 | Favorite Track: Hiding All Away --- I love Nick Cave's poetic lyricism and the dark, ominous atmosphere present in many tracks throughout the album. I wish it was just a little more consistent, particularly in the second half. Overall though, a really solid album!

When I started this project I did not expect to end up as a Nick Cave fan. As mentioned in the Murder Ballads review, I always thought I hated Nick Cave, but this album, like the Murder Ballads, is fantastic. Disc 2 is a bit weaker than Disc 1 and holds it back from a 5, but still very strong. Standout tracks: Get Ready for Love, Hiding All Away, and O Children.

Crazy this is the first time I've heard of Nick Cave. I enjoyed the piano on the album. This album really straddles between a four and five... ultimately it was a bit too long. Stand out tracks: "There She Goes, My Beautiful World" "Easy Money" "O Children"

Good for chilling

A right red jam

Haven’t really listened to Nick Cave before, maybe there are better albums, but I liked the sound

Круто!

Feels like something I would put on a record player sitting in my den

Good, but I wasn't in the mood. Not good enough to get me in the mood. And it should have been 2 albums. It has 2 titles and it's too long. Favorite song: supernaturally

I'd never heard of this band but i Loved this. It had me grooving by the second song in great pace across the body of work. Nick Caves voice grew on me as the album went on and supported by an absolutely amazingly talented band. I was hooked by the end, definitely give this a relisten. This was great.

This could probably turn into a 5 for me after a few more listens.

His voice and mystic lyrics were grabbing, but it lacked any showstopper songs. 3.6

That was really good, except for the first track that just sound tiring compared to the rest.

The majority of the Nick Cave I have listened to is the Skeleton Tree/Ghosteen albums, so it was nice to have something more upbeat, although I will say that I think the stuff that shines more here is when it goes a bit more laid-back/ambient

First time listening to Nick Cave and I really enjoyed it. Great voice that fits both the noisier and the softer discs. Basically 2 different albums, and while I enjoyed the first more. Theres very few duds here.

Before: I've heard of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds! Beautiful album art. I almost want it on vinyl just to display the art. I have high hopes. I'm interested to see that this is split into disc 1 and disc 2 (presumably because it's a double album) on Spotify; I don't think it's something I've seen before. However, an hour and 22 minutes is crazy runtime, lol—this is probably gonna be a long review. Okay, here we go. Standout tracks: Hiding All Away Messiah Ward Spell O Children Least favorite tracks: The Lyre of Orpheus Fable of the Brown Ape (great lyrics, not as palatable to listen to for me) Standout lyrics: "You are a force of nature, dear. Your breath curls from your lips as the trees bend down their branches and touch you with their fingertips." - Messiah Ward "We could navigate our position by the stars, but they've taken out the stars, the stars have all gone. I'm glad you came along. We could comprehend our condition by the moon, but they've ordered the moon not to shine. Still, I'm glad you came along." - Messiah Ward "Everything's dissolving, baby, just according to plan. The sky is on fire, the dead are heaped across the land. I went to bed last night and my moral code got jammed; I woke up this morning with a Frappuccino in my hand. I kissed you once. I kissed you again. My heart, it tumbled like the stock exchange." - Abattoir Blues "The red-breasted robin beats his wings. His throat, it trembles when he sings, for he is helpless before you." - Breathless During/after: DISC ONE: The first track is JARRING, both lyrically and sonically because it really subverted my expectations. It's almost a light punk Christian vibe? I was expecting something quieter and more singer-songwriter coffeehouse indie (but maybe we'll get there at some point within these *checks notes* 82 minutes). God, I hope this whole record isn't this aggressively Christian. Loving the gospel choir in the background of certain songs, as it adds a lot of depth and complexity. For example, Hiding All Away is a big standout for me for this reason; the combination of Nick Cave's gravelly voice with the buttery choir backing is interesting and kind of just a treat. This record feels timely due to (what I interpreted as) political undertones. It reminds me of the whole "the world is kind of falling apart and things are uncertain, but at least I have you" trope that has been so pervasive throughout early 2025. A beautiful and necessary reminder that, even when the world is on fire, we need to keep loving. I think that a lot of the lines are probably (canonically) referring to God or Jesus, but I appreciate Cave making it open to interpretation. I'm noticing some ongoing religious imagery throughout, but generally much less overt, in your face Christianity. My BA in English ass does love some lyrical Christian imagery. Overall, this record is consistently filled with really really impressive and beautiful lyrics that made me a bit misty-eyed at times, even amongst the often gritty sound. DISC 2: Immediately, this one has much less overt religious tones. I actually don't love the title track. The vocals are just kind of annoying, honestly. I really liked Breathless, though. If there's one thing these dudes, can do, it's write a good, pining love song. I'm picking up on some sweeter, gentler nature themes on this half of the record, which is an interesting juxtaposition with the first half. The comparisons of his love for his partner with nature are really beautiful and just sexy and intimate at times - Babe, You Turn Me On is a great example. For all its beauty, though, it's just a lot more boring to me. Supernaturally wasn't a favorite in general, but it provided a needed break and tone shift from the melancholy. Do I hear Latin influence in Spell with string inclusions??? Neat. Love seeing the return of the gospel choir at the end of this album, but I wish it were more prevalent throughout. I'm not into the percussion on O Children at all, to the point where it's distracting for me, and it really weakened the ending of the record. The mixing was too loud and it felt out of place. Without those damn drums, this might have been my favorite track on here, but it's still a big standout. It's kind of a tragic ending to an album with some, at times, sickly sweet lyrics. This record has a time and place and is a good intimate dinner party album, but not one that I'll be returning to often. Initially, I thought this record as a whole overstayed its welcome a bit with that runtime, but honestly, it gets a pass since it's a double album. Although I think they went well together, I almost think that they would have been more effective individually. Some of the really powerful and driving messages of Abattoir Blues seemed to have been subdued by Orpheus, and it would have been more impactful and punchy as a standalone record. Overall, I prefer Abattoir Blues a bit for the complexity of sounds, angry, punk feel and instruments as well as the timely political lyrics. Both were pretty good, if not repetitive in places, and Cave is a super talented songwriter. Abattoir Blues gets a 4.5 and The Lyre of Orpheus gets a solid 3.5, so let's call it a 4 average. 4/5.

Definitely grew on me. Was worth a listen.

A truly brilliant album. Was aware of his work but never really explored it but absolutely loved this. Will be getting many relistens.

Quite diverse suite of songs. Very similar to TFS on first disc. Love the lyrics on many of the songs. Very amusing.

This is my third Nick Cave album on here, and they are all wildly different. This one is my favorite so far. This is Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds 13th album, and it's a double album. Reviews describe it as gothic rock, blues rock, and gospel rock, and those all seem pretty different but they all kind of make sense. It's a powerful album, one that seems like it should be listened to on a big speaker on max volume. Even the more low key songs have this energy about them that's really awesome ("O Children" is the closer, and it really has this big building sound despite being a slower song). The best song on here is buried near the end of the first disc, "Let the Bells Ring" is super catchy and has been stuck in my head for days since listening to it. I still don't know exactly what to make of Nick Cave. There were moments on here that felt like Bowie or Iggy Pop ("Nature Boy" for example), sometimes I get a Father John Misty vibe (not as funny though). I think I like him, but the discography is so big and varied that I feel like I've barely scratched the surface. This is a long album so I don't know how often I'll revisit the whole thing, but there's a lot of good on here. Any double album that manages to keep my attention is a good one. Favorite song: Let the Bells Ring Other: Get Ready for Love, Cannibal's Hymn, Hiding All Away, There She Goes My Beautiful World, Nature Boy, Attaboir Blues, Breathless, Babe You Turn Me On, Easy Money, Supernaturally, Carry Me, O Children 3/22/25

Pretty cool fusion of piano rock and folk with some blues thrown in, reminds me of early Bowie and Elton John, although a bit long imo

Масштабный двойник, немного занудный, мрачный, чувственный.

Interesting album with a lot of variety and some cool instrumentation choices. 3.5/5: Very Good

This was good

Some of Nick Cave best work. A good balance between the more punkish sound of the early days of the band and is more theatrical, piano driven vampire-crooner direction

klassisch instrumentierter rock mit charaktervoller stimme. gefällt, oder aber nicht. und ja, literarisch anspruchsvoller als die hitparade.

Ok so I think punk Nick Cave is the best Nick Cave. He brings the passion and energy right out of the gate with, Get Ready For Love and the Bad Seeds absolutely match the energy. Elevated by There She Goes and Abbatoir Blues, I think the first half is the stronger of the two but the second half had its moments. Double albums are tough for me though and an 1hr 20 is alot but this is the best I’ve heard of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. 4 stars

Like an amalgamation of all his other albums- dense, passionate, brooding, rock (in places) and unmistakeable. Not instantly enjoyable- I guess it would take several plays before the hook bit but it's undeniable a cut above the norm.

Holy shit! Where did this come from? The first track slaps, and I really enjoy all of the big numbers--with groove, a choir, and this massive sound. Nick cave's voice itself has trouble sustaining a double album, and in the middle of disc two I'm sick of his sound, and just want more choir. All-in-all the arrangements are killer, the songwriting original, and the grooves deep, and the sounds exciting. I know he's known for them, but I'd skip the ballads.

This album ran long, but I remember enjoying some of the messages and deliveries throughout the runtime.

I do enjoy a bit of Nick Cave

another album from nick. compared to the last one, this album has a much stronger gospel sound, a deep, preaching-like way of singing with choirs chiming in often. lyrics are sometimes artistic and absurd. romantic and emotional, this one i wanna say i like more than the last one too... still not an artist i would listen to every day, but i can appreciate it for what it is... some gutwretching tracks here and there.

Loved it!

I really liked some of the songs, while others were a little more bland. I got Mumford & Sons vibes from Supernaturally on Disc 2.

I think this is easily my favorite Nick Cave release so far, though I did break it into two sittings and the score reflects that.

I really like the variation on show with this album, and I’m generally impressed with the quality over the two halves. Musically it’s very good, and at the least it's always interesting. He’s feels like a true artist forging his own path and I admire that.

For some reason I've always skipped out on listening to Nick Cave, glad I got to hear this album, it was quite a good surprise.

I am compelled to give this a 4, mainly because it's better than Boatman's Call, which I gave a 3. There were several good tracks, and a lot more soul and energy in this album comparatively, however, shit doesn't need to be so long. It's hard to intimately connect with the songs in my opinion if there are just so many. But also of note, Nick Cave being my first repeat artists on this list, when I had not even heard of him previously, was quite surprising.

all sorts of full sound and a lot of clever words

I think i like the second disc a little better. Wonderful but not as impactful as some of the more overtly s/s albums from this era of Nick Cave. Amazingly, equal parts post-punk and gospel and it WORKS

One good song

Bloody loved this, only really listened to NCATBS individual tracks and with them being spread across such a long time they all sound great but so different. Solid 2 disk album some bangers on here. Only not getting a 5 because although it's fantastic I can't see me coming back and listening to it again. High 4.

Slapped!