Reviews (page 8 of 12)
Nice album. Great writing and musicianship. Just bored me.
This is a lot. I'd probably need a many more listens to digest all of this but I'm probably not going to do that.
Dark and sentimental, not necessarily mine.
This is a marked improvement over Henry's Dream. On the whole, it just felt much more sonically engaging to me, and actually had some compelling energy contained within it. Even the more reserved tracks didn't feel quite as plodding or morose, and Cave isn't doing so much of his signature wailing either. However, at 82 minutes in length, it's a thumbs in the middle for me as far as its replayability stakes are concerned. I wouldn't be averse, but equally I'm not chomping at the bit to hear more.
Very good, well made all songs sounded good
Superbly mixed. Rock, blues and soul. Very nice backing vocals on many tracks. Nice piano on side 2
An artist I had heard a lot about but never really listened to. A solid album with some good tracks.
Basically two albums. Bowie-ish at times. Enjoyed it, except for what seemed to be a mocking tone towards God. Will definitely revisit.
Really enjoyed this. Hard to rate (all albums) after one listen, actually not fair to artists. Will definitely revisit this one, a lot going on. Strong take on religion.
A super imaginative romp that uses gospel music and imagery at times beautiful and at times disturbing to make one of the more unique albums I’ve listened to thus far. I think some of it drags, particularly The Lyre of Orpheus half of the album, and not every song is a hit, leading to a pretty inconsistent listening experience. Nevertheless, I have to give points for creativity.
Abattoir Blues = 4/5 Lyre of Orpheus = 2/5 The first half, Abattoir, works much better than Lyre. It is high-energy, and I dig Cave's preachy spoken vocals contrasted with the choir and grand piano behind him, like a dark twist on gospel. It has a big feel, like you can picture the live concert. Lyre is quieter, more mellow, and dare I say pretentious. Maybe I'm just not in the right mood for it or it needs another listen, but it just kind of feels tacked on to the coattails, like they knew it wouldn't sell well as its own release but they didn't want to throw out the songs. I'm just glad they didn't mix them in since I enjoyed the momentum of Abattoir alone, and Lyre songs would certainly derail it. Honestly this seems like an odd choice to include on the list. There are better albums in Nick Cave's catalog. Maybe there was recency bias when this was released. It's not bad, but it's not particularly memorable, and I don't think I'll reach for it again any time soon.
An album that represents Nick Cave well, perhaps too much so
This is my first experience with a Nick Cave album. It was fine. Decent background music. I didn't feel it's length.
Meh
- entspannte Platte, ohne mir jetzt super viel zu geben, aber irgendwo bei 2-3 mit der Neigung zur 3/5
I've known about Nick Cave's popularity for a while, and I had been meaning to listen to one of his albums. While I can see why some people like his work so much, I'm not joining the cult for now. This is a pretty good album, and Cave is an excellent songwriter, his lyricism is very good and his voice is very distinctive, giving him a very stylish delivery. It can be a bit overly theatrical at times, but he manages the balance well throughout the record. The composition is great too, I particularly liked Abattoir Blues' sound, the gothic/gospel rock combination is super ambitious but works so well, the chorus backing voices along with Cave's voice mix superbly. My main issue with the album is that, being a double album, it feels pretty long, and while it's good, the low energy moments can be a bit dull. This happened more on the second disk, which is more delicate and less energetic. The beginning of Abattoir Blues is the highlight for me, from "Get Ready For Love" to "Hiding All Away" is the best the album has to offer for me, super high energy, hard hitting and catchy. Aside from that, "Let The Bells Ring", "Fable of the Brown Ape" were good too from the first disk. From the second, "The Lyre of Orpheus" was superb, loved the lyrics and "O Children" is very good too.
Not exactly what I usually listen to, but I had a pretty good experience with it. The songs feel very grand and immense and it was nice to get through. Not something I'll likely listen to again but I did not have a bad time.
Nick Cave is hit and miss. Really like "The good Son", this not so much.
This was pretty interesting. It’s Nick Cave so you have a decent idea of what it’s going to be going in. It’s long but other than that I liked it
I had heard of them but never listen to any of their stuff. Solid album but I wish my first exposure was not a double album. I was ready for it to be over by the end, but the last song in particular is fantastic.
real ones remember this from harry potter and not from when it was trending on tiktok
Grandiose, brooding blues rock with classical and choral elements. I acknowledge the high quality of the arrangements and performances, but I just can’t tolerate Nick’s groaning voice.
listened over period of a few days which is a flop but also like... double albums... you're doing yourself and your songs a disservice like i'm never gonna finish one of these and not feel a little burnt out. too much of a pretty good thing.
Not bad.
I haven't heard this one in a long time but I bought it when it came out.
While I enjoyed listening to this, I need more time to really absorb this. In my opinion, Nick Cave is great, but there are too many songs that sound samey. Fable of the Brown Ape stands out as sounding different. Anyway, I may listen to this again when I have time, but I probably won’t.
I have never listened to a Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds album before. I liked the album quite a bit, but there were a number of songs that I had to remind myself that this wasn't David Bowie singing.
Double album of Cave the crooning degenerate preacher, backed by a bluesy punk gospel band. The band finds emotional and exciting climaxes that really soar at its highs. Otherwise, a bunch of the music across the 82 min is just fine but not unique enough from the best parts to be memorable. The first half is edgier and heavier than the softer second side, which in particular made the second side not stand out much. A few more listens could change my mind upward.
Pues tiene momentos buenos. El disco suena muy bien. Pero sinceramente es repetitivo y previsible. Y sigo sin entender por qué este señor tiene ese prestigio de culto. No creo que nadie realmente lo escuche por placer en su intimidad.
a double parted album that consists of gothic rock with blues elements on the first half and more of an elegant, waltz-like sound on the second half with the inclusion of a gospel choir throughout. Definitely pretty dark throughout, but still interesting.
like 4 incredible songs on this and the rest i did not care about
O children war nice und der war ja laut Wiki bei Harry Potter, aber der Rest war so "mjoah, geht so", sehr schwankend
Zwischen Genie und Wahnsinn. Leider mehr Wahnsinn
Boring 3 stars
That was perfect background music for reading in bed
***An ok album
Nick Cave is a great vocalist, showman and songwriter but somehow it’s not enough on this one. I’d rather listen to Let Love In
Didn’t need to be two CDs
Another Nick Cave album? Dammit. *Clicks Spotify link* A DOUBLE NICK CAVE ALBUM?! Noooooooooooo! Actually, this wasn't so bad! Starts off strong with Get Ready for Love, and I also enjoyed Nature Boy, Let the Bells Ring, Babe You Turn Me On, Supernaturally, and the gospel-y choir in Carry Me. A few others I couldn't stand and ended up skipping the last minute or two. But overall, decent! 3.5 rounded down.
I like Nick Cave, but this was a little bombastic and way too long. Did not het through it all
Interesting, and would likely improve on further listening. 3.5
cool punk-garage rock sensibility with a bit of funk, R&B and Blues tossed in for variety.
Kind of weird and drone-y. A little longer than I wanted it to be but hey there's that random song from Harry Potter
Valamiért nem az igazi, de nem rossz
Second nick cave album for me - does suffer the curse of most double albums of being a bit long. I think I prefer him when he's being a bit angry. When it's right - Get Ready For Love, Hiding All Away, Lyre of Orpheus - it's fantastic, but some of the songs seem like poems that would have been better left on the page. None of it is "bad", but I can't see myself wanting to listen to the whole thing again.
3.7
Best Nick Cave album I've listened to. Which I suppose isn't the highest praise given I didn't really enjoy the first one, but this one feels much grander, while still capturing that melancholy dirge-y vibe Cave seems to gravitate toward
I really like Nick Cave. He's got a huge body of work, and I'm never quite sure where to dig in, so I'm grateful for this little push in some sort of direction. I've heard a handful of his records, but I feel like I've only scratched the surface. Double albums can be tough- tough to listen to if you don't have the patience, or if they are just too fucking long, or they can be tough to absorb all in one setting. They can be tough to make as well. It's risky. You can go too far and end up with a self indulgent mess, or you can do it right and end up with Exile on Main Street or London Calling. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds played it safe and made a double album that is just 2 albums. Not a statement that ion a grand scale with a theme and message so immense that it needed 4 sides to communicate, just 2 albums together. What value! But seriously folks, these records do feel grand at times, and epic, but not in the fucking stupid way people use that word, but as in Greek Myths Epic. Abattoir Blues is the loud record, Lyre of Orpheus is the quieter record essentially. We've got 2 different bands here, for 2 different moods. The one constant is the backing choir that shows up throughout both albums. This choir is used in such a masterful way. I've heard this many times on rock records but either they are too loud, or they feel tacked on, contrived, or tryng to hard to add gravitas to a song. Perfect example- "You Can't Always Get What You Want" by the Rolling Stones. A fucking full minute of a children's choir, followed by "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" part 2. The choir on this record sounds like they are part of the band. They are subtile when they need to be, and when you need to know THERE IS A WAR COMING they swell and shriek. There are some great songs across both of these records. On Abattoir Blues- "Get Ready For Love" is one of the great all-time Side One Track Ones. "Hiding All Away" stands out as well. The band on this record is just so effective, the drummer is awesome, and the guitar and organ sounds shred and pierce so well. As for Lyre of Orpheus- The title track is Track One, and it's a fucking beast. It's a dark, gripping song, and it draws you in. Then, you're at "Breathless", with flutes, acoustic guitar, and brushed drums. It's a an odd way to start. After only one (maybe one and a half) listens, I feel like this could have been one record. This would probably more enjoyable on vinyl, sometimes you feel like a Lyre, sometimes you don't? For now, I'm feeling lukewarm, but this may grow on me over time.
Great songs but way too long for what they were
Of the several too many NC records on this list, this might be the best but it's still a mixed blessing. First side/record is too turgid and overly controlled. The latter half is much better, soulful and interesting, with real sweetness to the presentation and elegant and well judged playing. "Breathless" is the strongest of the several winners late in this record.
Enjoyed it more than I thought I would - Hiding All Away is a huge track, but doesn't save the rest of the album's sameiness
Not my favorite album on the list but it's fine. Nothing particularly great or bad about it.
Meh
Dark, broody rock with a gospel choir and some blues influence thrown in. It's also a bit pretentious Nothing here is bad, but none of it is particularly interesting to me either. Ok, now it'd dark broody ballads with piano. Worse than part one, but not by a lot. Again, nothing particularly interesting. O Children isn't bad, it's just not someone I'm interested in. In the end, not one of these songs made me want to add it to my library. But none of them made me want to turn them off.
faves: Messiah Ward, There she goes, my beautiful world, O Children
This one was a bit lengthy but I did enjoy it more than I thought I would
joo ja ei
Good album enjoyed it all the way through but it will be awhile before I return to it
I was caught a little off guard by the gospel aspect of this album. Maybe I wasn't listening close enough to the other Nick Cave albums I've had so far, but I don't remember them including a gospel aspect. Nothing wrong with that, but when it seems to come out of nowhere, I think it makes that it might be surprising. Anyway, the music. It's one of the more compelling albums I've heard from Cave and the Bad Seeds, musically. The entire thing feels like it has a sense of urgency, like he needs us to know something and know it now, like he needs us to act on that knowledge and act on it now. That alone can make an album compelling. Lyrically, I don't really relate to much of the gospel-themed lyrics. But the music, man. Some of it just really hits and lifts you up. I know that's a lot of what gospel is meant to do, and I've always enjoyed a good, fun-loving, feel-good gospel vibes song. And there's a handful of that here. Songs with ascending key changes, uplifting and soaring instrumentals, and layered and loud instrumentation. I can't hate that. I don't really know what the album was about, much, if anything in particular. But it was good listen and I have no regrets. Three stars. Standout Tracks: Get Ready for Love, Hiding All Away, Messiah Ward, There She Goes My Beautiful World, Supernaturally
Some beautifull songs, but also a bit weird ones that i didnt get
Didn't get to this on Friday but I'll listen today.
Jeez this album came out swinging! The energy in the first song was palpable. This album rips. I don't care for every song and I haven't paid attention to the lyrics even a little bit but musically it's solid. I started getting a little over the album by the time Disc 2 came around. He should have cuz a handful of songs and this could have been a great album.
Man, I really want to like Nick Cave more than I do. I totally get the cult following and I'm sure that some people just love him. Its the creative vocals and songwriting. The kind of fusion post punk with every other genre. Its really really good. And honestly, some of these songs get me stoked. Others though.. just make me want to skip. I feel like I'm listening to someone's passion project and just not getting it. I needed like 5 less songs. I do love sense of irony with the music and vocals. I love the songwriting. I like the singalongs and "hey hos." Its objectively good, maybe I'm just not ready for it and giving it the time it deserves.
bello ma troppo lungo, perde una stella
This is kinda like Leonard Cohen where I wanted to hate it but was actually very hypnotic and some of the songs were downright catchy. That being said it was too long and I’ll probably never listen to the whole thing again but I will add a few to my playlist.
This is an odd album. At first I thought it was a concept album where he was trying for wild church music, then the second album kicks in with a song about Orpheus. Nick Cave is just going for it. Musically it's great, his voice is great, the lyrics are decent, it's just a wild album. I've now listened to it twice. I think this will be one of those albums I put on from time to time while cleaning and get a different take depending on the day. It's solid.
Didn't do much for me.
I didn't listen to the entire album yet - will do this weekend - but it's definitely my style. It's a bit rougher than I usually listen to but I like it.
Me gusta lo david bowie del cantante, Agradable.
This was pretty interesting. I can't say I connected with this a lot, but I think it's better than other stuff I heard from him.
abattoir blues was solid. the songs are all good but nothing really stands out. i like the gospel aspects more than i expected to tho. it’s been great background music for rym exploring while i should be studying in my micro class. i’ll listen to the lyre of orpheus during lunch ig. listening to orpheus rn and i just had to comment on how much i fucking hate the hey ho bullshit. ik this album was released before saying hey ho in a song got really popular and really fucking annoying but i still don’t like it. the two previous songs were great tho and spell is great so far. pretty much finished. i enjoyed the lyre of orpheus much more than abattoir blues. the majority of songs on the second record are more ballad oriented but they all caught my ear. overall pretty solid album enjoyed it more than expected
I was really excited to hear this record as I had already heard, and fallen in love with “O Children”, however the record let me down in the fact it did not keep the energy, disc 2 had the closest songs to it, the songs in general I cannot complain about as they were very great, a solid 7 is i was doing a 1-10, I loved the album I just feel like it had much more potential
Often interesting, half way to tom waits. Its a gravely voice, sometimes a bit rock, and some nice vocal accompaniment. I just have no clue what setting or vibe this is appropriate for
First listen
Nick Cave was the precursor to many things, and has a certain panache for theatrics. This can leave a bad taste in many people's mouths, but I enjoy his music.
Tough for me to rate: his music has never appealed to me--something about his harshness--but he's a good songwriter. I enjoyed this more than I expected to, but I don't think I'll ever listen again.
Nowhere near good enough to be this damn long.
Insert somewhere between Pogues and Tom Waits (the shouty growly stuff) for me. Guess you have to be in the mood.
Should have stopped at just the first album. The music on the first I liked for the most part. I took a long break before listening to the second album so my views of the album wouldn't be tainted solely by the run time; it was terrible at first and slowly got better, starting with 'Supernaturally.' But not too much better. The second album focused too much on the vocalist's shitty voice. The first album had good music and a backing choir to cover that up. Averages out to a 3.
Pretty good, definitely liked the first album more than the second
Some kind of Stockholm Syndrome situation here. I don’t even like ballads!
I was surprised how listenable it was given my experience with The Boatman’s Call (1⭐️).
Sounds a little like a lot of things, doesn't really land for me, but I can see the appeal.
Hele albummet ganske kjedelig, men elsker siste sangen!!
Fine album, good background noise but not my fav
Surprisingly enjoyable
I wouldn't particularly rave about this, but it's put together well, and it's enjoyable.
Delectable
A little Jesus-y in a Spirit in the Sky way. Very vibey and full of symbolism, but the question is begged as to why. Like Talking Heads took a trip to gospel rock. Interesting composition at points but overall the singer’s character is not for me. Not bad overall but I do not enjoy it
The highs on the album are very high but has too much filler in it
It was fine. I am once again not in the mood for this style, I think. I read up on Nick Cave afterwards, and have thus concluded he's a dick. That doesn't influence my enjoyment of the music, but since there was none, it does not encourage me to seek out more.
Pretty good rock when he's not on his jack skellington bullshit. Retroactive 1 for Murder Ballads since he can make half-decent music and just chose not to.
Pretty alright, nothing really stood out to me
3.5
The usual problem with Nick Cave: I can’t tell if his lyrics are too deep and meaningful for me to understand or if they just don’t have that much meaning.
3.5
3.0
😊
Fairly hit or miss for me I’d say, but not bad. Waiting for these guys to click
I dug this! Could see this improving if I ever remember to revisit
not rlly a nick cave guy ... this album was interesting but also i guess sounds like every other nick cave album ive heard ?
Some of this I loved, some of this I just couldn't connect with. Maybe because it was Monday morning? Maybe it needs more than one listen? Who knows?
This was a different and chill listen that played a little long. A different kind of “blues fusion” of sorts. I saved a couple but at the end of the day most of it was largely forgettable.
You pretty much can always bank on knowing what yer gonna get with Nick & The Seeds: a strange odd rocking group of songs. This effort falls right in line with that. The biggest bummer unfortunately is that it’s just too long. For a shorter yet still odd journey, check out 1990’s The Good Son and Henry’s Dream.
I really enjoyed parts of this, but yet another example of why double albums should rarely exist. Cutting half of these would yield a really solid rock album. Still liked it
No idea what to expect. Especially with the album cover art this looked like a classical album and I was strapping in for some calming piano. Was pleasantly surprised by the first song and fully expected to like this a lot. Ultimately the rest kinda fell back to the average. Good not great.
This is decent but cmon man with the double album. Good not great. No need for double dose. 2.75/5
6.5/10
I have heard Nick Cave and the bad seeds before and they never drew me in. Its music that I wouldn't skip on shuffle but most songs aren't something I would listen to daily. The singing style is something I don't like very much which is sad because the rhythms and instrumental parts are great. That being said I found some songs on this album that I really liked so forcing myself to listen through the entire album paid off today. I might have to listen to some more of their songs to see if I'm missing out on something else.
This is the second Nick Cave album I got for this challenge, and I didn't like "The Boatman's Call" at all, though I gave it a much too generous 3 star rating. As for this album, I found it way more accessible than the other one. It's really well-arranged with some gripping lyrics, but I still dislike Nick Cave's half-spoken, half-sung delivery. His voice makes listening to this album a chore instead of a pleasing experience it should be. It's a shame, 'cause some of those songs are truly amazing. 3.5 stars
Enjoyed a few songs, but sometimes he sings like he thinks his voice sounds better than it does. Was a little much for me. Excellent lyrical content.
A lot more subdued than I'd usually expect out of Nick Cave (after having listened to a good chunk of his gothic '90s work - obviously 'Boatman's Call' aside). And while Nick Cave, his voice, and his lyrics are the usual draw on his albums, I found the production on here to be more uninteresting and unalluring than usual. There are some gospel elements here, especially in the first half, and I did enjoy some of the bluesier and country elements of the second half (which I liked more overall), but the production, especially in the first disc, didn't sound as grand as I feel like it should've been - it felt sort of washed out. Nick Cave also tones it back lyrically, it's more intimate, warm, and calm. You'll get those story-driven tracks like 'The Lyre of Orpheus' or 'Fable of the Brown Ape', the subtly twisted themes of 'Cannibal's Hymn', the explosive climax of 'Let The Bells Ring', and a genuinely catchy and enjoyable love song with 'Breathless'. It's all very dense, yet at the same time, some of the more easily digestible in his catalog. While not my favorite from him, it was a nice listen front-to-back and an album that really embraces its double-album format.
I still don’t know what to make of Nick Cave and this is my second album of his that I’ve listened to. The middle of this album was so good to me that I have to rate this higher than I want to because the other songs weren’t doing it for me. I know it’s not terrible music but something about it isn’t fully hitting, maybe a whole album consisting of the middle song types would do it.
A double album was a lot of Nick Cave for me, but there's definitely some good songwriting here.
I'm sure there are some people on this earth that feel strongly about this album
I've been meaning to get into Nick Cave so I don't mind that there are 5 of his albums on this list. This album was really enjoyable. Its hard for me to rate this any higher due to its length but I could see myself increasing my rating upon a relisten in the future. Favorite track: O Children 3.5/5
If this album had been half the run time I may have listened a second time.As it was I struggled to get through once.
Some songs were really good. Others felt uninspired. I liked Nick Cave's voice on some tracks, and the piano and backing vocals worked quite well. Overall, I kinda liked parts of it, but it isn't consistent enough quality wise. Favorite Track: The Lyre of Orpheus
Pretty good but not for me :(
You really need to be in a certain mindspace for a Nick Cave double album, otherwise the side effects can be jarring.
A couple good songs. Not terrible.
The thing about this album is that I really didn’t care for Abattoir Blues, but I liked The Lyre of Orpheus. I guess it averages out to a 3. Bye
OH MAAMAAA
Disc 1 me gustó. Disc 2, not so much. Le bajó al final.
Underwhelmed 2.5/5
Better than I thought it was going to be. Wonderful lyrics!
beautiful o children is just amazing
Lyre of Orpheus > Abattoir Blues
3.5 - liked some of the upbeat songs more than others
Not my style
Good but not quite there to great
Good background, little angsty
I weirdly liked it
3/5, sorpresa positiva ma troppo lungo, hiding all the way, nature boy, supernaturally le piu belle
Alright
I would have liked the album a lot, if not for Nick’s overindulgent (or even somewhat pretentious) vocals. He’s a great singer but he sounds like he’s trying too hard. I didn’t realize at first that O Children sounded familiar because of Harry Potter, but it’s a great song and probably my favorite in the album.
Más rockero que sus discos posteriores. Interesante.
The best Album so far, some really good Songs and interesting lyrics ( finally in a Language I can understand). I also liked the background singers. Whish I could give 3.5 Stars but I Need to Leave Open some room for the 4 Stars Albums
I like some of these songs, especially the ones with a gospel feel, but too much filler.
a bit long and not entirely my style but the good songs really hit
Album 1 has mixed sounds, some track more energetic than others, great production. Album 2 has a soulful side, slower songs and a more sentimental feeling, with tones of gospel and alternative.
Enjoyed a few songs. Think I preferred the 2nd disc to the first. But ultimately nothing jumped out at me and it didn't leave me completely satisfied.
I find this album weird to think about. I broadly like everything on here, it contains some of my favourite Nick Cave songs and yet it still feels like less than the sum of its parts to me. I think my issue is that it’s such a 2004 sounding album. The influence of the then contemporary garage rock and post punk revivals are very audible in the it’s produced, giving it a sort of pristine quality that would have allowed it to sit comfortably alongside the bands of the day. Whilst this does mean it sounds great, it does also mean that it sounds too great for Nick Cave. The grit of his older records is missing here, making listening to this less like being enveloped into its own world and more like consciously listening to ‘proper music.’ What with the album being THIS long, it does make the whole thing a bit of a slog after a while, despite ultimately enjoying all of it. I sort of think the songs work better when played on their own than inside the album. My particular favourites are the punch to the face that is ‘Get Ready for Love’, the impassioned ‘There She Goes My Beautiful World’, the ominous and broken sounding ‘The Lyre of Orpheus’ and ‘O Children’ which despite being somewhat cheapened by Harry Potter remains an absolutely astonishing piece of music. I dunno, maybe I’d feel more positively if this was just the length of one disc, and therefore less of an undertaking to listen to. As it is though, ehhhhhh.
Random thoughts review: * I always wanted to like Nick Cave. His name sounds cool. Somehow, I've never liked him as much as I have wanted to like him. I'm not sure that makes sense. * What if you mixed the Black Keys with a gospel chorus and Leonard Cohen? You'd get this album. * I had to look up abattoir twice. Maybe I'll remember it means slaughterhouse.
Following his Bookending of the '90's with The Boatman's Call, and the disappointing followup, Nocturama, Cave was looking for direction. Most fans will point here as the album that kick-started his later-career arc. I would disagree. Rather, I view Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus a detour. Clearly, Cave and crew had a desire to up the energy, as evidenced by the follow-up record Dig, Lazarus, Dig and Cave's side project from this period, Grinderman. There's a a lot of ideas on this double album (of course) but this could have been pared down to one good album (each album has a handful of truly great songs). "Cannibal's Hymn" and "O Children" bear flashes of the 90's Cave and hints at the style he would adopt for Push The Sky Away, later down the road. The choir, while a nice though, generally holds back most songs. The repetition, especially when there's so much from it, seems wasteful when a wordsmith of Cave's calibur is the one doing it. I love Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, but not this record. I revisit this every few years to see if it's aged any better, but he answer continues to be "eh". Not his worst record by any stretch, but rather middling.
The first time I've ever really connected with him. Tastefully loud, full of energy perfectly arranged, beautiful harmonies, very weird but very cool lyrics.
Starkes Album, reife Songs, sehr energetisch.
Decently interesting, clearly dragged into length by a lot of songs in side 2, ultimately average x
Clasping two red hands together in prayer
• 3/5 • not a big fan of indie goth rock or of Cave’s vocals, but the songwriting and arrangements on a number of the tracks are great • particularly enjoy There She Goes, My Beautiful World
I like Nick Cave and I appreciate the holy roller energy he brings to his rock and roll. He shows multiple gears throughout this double album, but it does get a bit tiresome after 80+ minutes, so it would benefit from some trimming. This is solid, but Let Love In deserves a spot on the list before this one.
This is a tough one to dive into knowing nothing about the artist... coming deep into his career... from my count it's his 24th album, including 5 with the Birthday Party, and the rest either solo or with the Bad Seeds, and that's not counting other collaborations. And this came out 20 years ago, and he's still going strong. One should be warned: these are two separate albums, with two separate lyrical conceits and two different sonic approaches. In my mind they should be approached separately. It's interesting -- Why Cave will never be accepted by the mainstream listener, just look at something like the "single" "Nature Boy" versus, say, Counting Crows "Mr Jones"... each have free-flowing rambling verses and a repeating chorus... It's just that the "Mr Jones" chorus is a BIG HOOK that plays well on the radio, and "and she moves among the sparrows" just doesn't get there, although it sounds like it's trying to. Cave doesn't really do "hooks". Instead, he is a poet, a bleak, ecstatic-experience seeker, a morose romantic, a hopeless optimist, a lover of the profane and the spiritual. A contradiction, and absolutely not for everybody. I appreciate him more than I like listening to him. These two records, though, are a helluva lot more palatable than the old days of the Birthday Party, which to me was the audio equivalent of drinking cold black coffee while getting kicked in the head in a rock club at 11 am. Cave has somehow developed an elegance I would have never expected in the '80s. In the end I think he's a better lyricist/poet than songwriter. "Let The Bells Ring" being a prime example: a heartfelt tribute to Johnny Cash on his passing, it's kind of a boring song, but a great lyric. There weren't enough songs in this thing that I wanted to come back to and hear again. The opening track on each record turned out to be my favorite.
Not sure how I feel about this, it kinda bounced off me
Well, wasn't quite a trip to the abattoir
Nick Cave always has a lot of vivid stories to tell. I often wonder how he comes up with all these images in his head. This album is a good example of just that - from stories of family and relationships, to tales from high fantasy worlds - he has it all in his head. At points during this record though, it felt like too much for one sitting. Not to take away from the incredible vocal conviction and great narrative-based lyricism. But towards the end I got a bit burnt out on it all. “Hiding All Away” is a great anthemic rock song. And “Messiah Ward” has some really cool guitar harmonies that make it my favorite listen here. Soft 3/5
nick cave não me pega nem um pouco
Its not really bad but I didnt like it at all. A des song stuck out but overall pretty boring
I surprised myself and liked this one.
-interesting. a bit different from The Boatman’s Call. some things I liked more and others I liked less -the move toward gospel and more straightforward rock, especially on The Lyre of Orpheus was cool. Nick Cave has an excellent voice so it was easy to stay engaged -maybe it was bc it’s a double album but def felt a bit bloated -Favorites are There She Goes, My Beautiful World, Breathless, and Spell
Not my kinda vibe but some cool sounds.
Relaxing and chill to listen to, but my god it is massive. Comforting as Nick Cave's voice is, I don't think I'm going to revisit it.
I was really excited when I saw this come up bc I know of the one song from the Harry Potter movie. But this album didn’t jump out to me in any special way. A lot of the songs sounded the same to me.
A bit boring
A double album from an artist I’ve had a lot of recommendations to listen to. I was hopeful that this album would click straight away for me and I could buy into the Nick Cave hype train. However I think the first disc starts relatively weakly. I mean the song structure is good, the production sounds great and the individual elements are well performed. The vocal style is cool and I’m never not turned off by them and as far as I can tell so far the lyrics are fine. However nothing in the first two tracks is grabbing me so far and I can’t put my finger on why yet. The vocals and the bass and drum lines is reminding me of Michael Gira and Swans on some of their more recent records. Which on Hiding All Away is great, a much better track after the first two, it doesn’t overly rely on the choral unison vocals but the short sweet punches of it in the verses really add emphasis where you want it to be. The track really feels like it earns its runtime and the chaotic crescendo at the end of the song is excellent. Things continue strongly on the next track Messiah Ward, which starts a bit slower than the other songs so far but creates a great atmosphere with the piano melodies and the more haunting vocals from Cave. Again doesn’t overstay it’s welcome and stays interesting for its nearly 6 minute run. There She Goes, My Beautiful World has a bit more of a positive feel than the last two tracks, but feels a bit too predictable and follows mainly the same plan, there’s no addition of anything unique and it feels like it’s sticking to the game plan a little bit too much. That being said it’s still extremely well made if a touch too familiar by this point. Nature Boy keeps up the tempo and energy of the last track and doesn’t seem to be straying from the defined sound so far. The hook and the writing on this song is a bit more fun and absurdist. Cave’s delivery on this song is perfect for this track. Track could maybe a minute shorter to really nail the landing. Abbatoir Blues is another slow moodier song which I think tend to be the stronger songs of this disc. It also has a sub 5 minute runtime which is a nice change of pace and I think this song is a great change of pace for this point in the track list. The lyrics are also pretty solid and interesting. The song itself is pretty strong but not a huge standout compared to the Hiding All Away and Messiah Ward. Let the Bells Ring maintains the mood of the last track and is another fairly strong moody song but fails to leave any lasting impact. Fable of the Brown Ape closes out the first disc with probably the weirdest and most interesting sound palette. Really cool sounding and doesn’t feel as long as 3 minutes, so could actually do with another verse or something new. Disc 1- overall an enjoyable listen but a bit too one note on occasion leaving a lot of the songs, although enjoyable hard to distinguish in my mind after listening. Could have been a shorter moodier album or an EP. 3/5 Moving on to disc 2… Straight off the bat on The Lyre of Orpheus Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds lean into the more interesting post rock sounds sprinkled throughout the first disc with a spacey hypnotic guitar and reprise vocal that really gets stuck in your ear. The strange retelling/twisting of the story of Orpheus and the creation of his lyre makes for a really captivating lyrical concept. The drums also sound incredible and the vocal harmonies are crisp. Cave’s vocals also have a bit more of a sinister bite, especially when singing as Eurydice and Orpheus towards the end of the track. Loving this track a lot, high hopes for the second disc. Breathless kicks off with some nice woodwind sounds. The sonic pallet of this song is really pleasant and the song seems to be placed as a bit of a breather after the tonally heavier previous track. A very nice and relaxed song although after the first track I was ready for some more dark expansive sounds. Still very nice and warm. Babe, You Turn Me On is a sweet track about the attraction Cave is feeling to his partner, unsure if written about anyone in specific, but the lyrics are tender and touching. Easily one of the stand out tracks which is surprising, when I saw the title of this song I was expecting a more raunchy bluesy song but the appreciation and attraction that Cave feels for this person rings out as not only passionate but mature and deep. Easy Money is a powerful track which as far as I can tell revolves around a relationship built on financial/class differences, shame and guilt. I can’t quite fully understand/grasp the story off a first listen, but is captivating enough to warrant returning to. The structure and arrangement of the track are top notch and so far this second disc is setting up to be a much more interesting and enjoyable listen. Supernaturally is faster paced and more energetic, with a more indie rock style. The driving rhythm leads to a more cinematic feel for the track, feeling like a victorious climax point of the disc with a big hook group vocal and a very short but great guitar shred at the end of the track which left me wanting more, maybe a full solo and another chorus. Spell continues with the moodier post rock inspired soundscape of the second disc, with haunting strings and understated eery vocals the track really builds on the atmosphere and tension of the album. The song flew by and I could’ve listened to another 5 minutes of it. Carry Me maintains the creepy tense strings but with a dramatic piano melody and more overt vocals. The choral vocals bringing the reprise and alternating against Cave sounds great and the lyrics on this one are super strong. Another great song for this half of the double album. O Children has a real downtrodden and defeated energy which thematically feels perfect after Carry Me. The lyrics and vocals sit lingering in your head after each line with excellent pacing. I can see why this is the bands most streamed song. It really is perfect. Disc 2: If this is the normal style of the band then I’m buying in 100% after the first disc. I had really mixed feelings and was starting to dread another 40 odd minutes of middling blues rock adjacent tracks. But this completely blew my expectations and I wish I could rate this album on the merits of the second disc alone. I can’t help but continually thinking the vocals seem Bowie-esque, especially those found on Blackstar. I don’t want to keep drawing similarities to other artists but this one kept reoccurring in my mind throughout this second disc and it is no way a negative. 4.5/5 Overall considering both discs I’d give this a 3.5 but man the second disc is infinitely more interesting.
need to listen again but pretty good?
Meh. It’s not bad, but gets boring soon.
Mon Dieu que ça me fait mal d'écrire ça. Croyez-moi. Mettre un 3 sur 5 à un album de Nick Cave, c'est comme mettre une mauvaise note à un membre de sa propre famille. On l'aime, on le vénère, on lui doit tant de moments de grâce et de fureur... mais parfois, il faut être honnête. Parfois, l'amour ne suffit pas à masquer les défauts. Et "Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus", aussi génial soit-il par moments, est un album décevant. Remettons-nous dans le contexte de 2004. Trois ans que l'on attendait le successeur du magnifique et apaisé "No More Shall We Part". Et surtout, c'était le premier album sans une pièce maîtresse des Bad Seeds : le guitariste Blixa Bargeld, dont les scarifications soniques et la présence décharnée avaient hanté chaque disque du groupe depuis le début. L'attente était immense et puis la nouvelle tombe : ce ne sera pas un, mais DEUX albums. Un double. La panique et l'excitation. La double dose de Cave. Le concept, est celui des deux faces d'une même pièce. Deux visages d'un artiste arrivé à une forme de maturité. D'un côté, "Abattoir Blues", c'est le Cave prêcheur, le rockeur possédé, le poète de l'apocalypse. C'est un disque intense, rageur, porté par un putain de choeur gospel qui transforme chaque morceau en une messe électrique et survoltée. Des titres comme "Get Ready for Love" ou "There She Goes, My Beautiful World" sont des uppercuts, des hymnes à la vie et à la luxure d'une puissance phénoménale. C'est le Nick Cave du samedi soir, celui qui danse avec le diable en pogotant. De l'autre, "The Lyre of Orpheus". C'est le Cave du dimanche matin, la gueule de bois mélancolique, le poète au coeur brisé. C'est un disque de ballades somptueuses, portées par le piano et des arrangements d'une finesse inouïe. Des chansons comme "Breathless" ou "Carry Me" sont d'une beauté à pleurer. C'est le Cave qui nous murmure à l'oreille des histoires d'amour et de mort avec une tendresse infinie. Alors, où est le problème ? Le problème, c'est que c'est un DOUBLE album. C'est la maladie classique des artistes qui ont trop d'idées et personne pour leur dire "stop". Sur les dix-huit titres que comptent ces deux disques, combien sont réellement indispensables ? Sept ? Huit ? Dix, si on est généreux. Et ces dix titres, si on les avait rassemblés sur un seul et même album, auraient constitué l'un des plus grands chefs-d'oeuvre de la décennie. Un 5/5 sans la moindre hésitation. Mais voilà. Au lieu de ça, on a un festin gargantuesque, mais inégal. Pour chaque "Get Ready for Love", on a un "Fable of the Brown Ape" un peu anecdotique. Pour chaque "Breathless", on a un "Babe, You Turn Me On" qui, bien que joli, n'a pas la même force. Le génie est là, bien présent, mais il est dilué. Noyé dans une profusion de titres qui sentent parfois le remplissage, la face B de luxe. L'écoute complète des deux disques est une expérience éprouvante, un marathon qui laisse sur sa faim, paradoxalement. On passe d'un sommet à un plat, puis à un autre sommet, et on finit par se dire que le voyage aurait été bien plus marquant s'il avait été plus court et plus direct. C'est pour ça que ce 3 sur 5 me fend le coeur. C'est une note de frustration, la frustration de voir un chef-d'oeuvre potentiel transformé en un très bon double album, ce qui n'est pas la même chose. C'est le disque d'un artiste en état de grâce créative, mais qui a manqué d'un producteur ou d'un ami pour lui dire : "Nick, calme-toi. Garde le meilleur, et fous le reste de côté pour plus tard." Il faut l'écouter, évidemment. Pour les quelques morceaux qui comptent parmi les plus beaux de sa carrière. Et pour se faire sa propre compilation, son propre album idéal. Mais en tant qu'oeuvre complète, "Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus" est une oeuvre frustrante. Et de la part d'un artiste qui nous a habitués à une telle exigence, c'est une petite déception.
Brit rock
good
bueno, más no es de mi agrado
Never listened to Nick Cave before. But this was a fun album. Some good songs, some not so good. Breathless and Hiding All Away were a blast. Fable of the Brown Ape was odd, and not in an interesting way. Bit on the long side though, could have been a 4 if they cut out a bunch of the weaker tracks and made a tighter album. A couple songs had some great guitar work, such as Easy Money and Spell. Best song: Hiding All Away
I'm not really sure what this is, but I do think I like it. This is the first album I have listened to by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Previously, I have had very limited exposure to the band, having heard just a couple of singles (Red Right Hand, notably). Let the Bells Ring is the standout track for me on the first volume of this double album. Volume II of this set is by far far my favorite. I'm definitely coming back to all this 3.75
I liked the second disc(album) a lot more than the first.
Extremely driving and menacing gothic rock. A very long double record.
Initial thought: I'm kind of blah about it. I don't know a ton about Nick Cave. I *think* I've heard some and didn't love it, but I don't think I hate it either. I'm not excited about this, but I guess I'm not dreading it either. Actually, I just took a look at my history and I've had TWO Nick Cave albums already! That's hilarious, and it shows how memorable his music is. Too long, wtf. Why is this an hour and a half? It's whatever. some songs are pretty decent, some are stupid and annoying. I'd give it a 3 but I'm annoyed at how long it is.
Cool
Great songwriting and compositions though something about it just seemed..meh. It’s 3 stars though because it is very interesting and new to me
# 383 : ungh! Not a Nick Cave album. In saying that, this was alright. Not bad, not great, but somewhere in the middle.
There's an album of great stuff here. But like most double albums, it's too long. Editing is key. But the good here is really quite good.
guy who is a little too into Greek mythology:
very good song at the end but all around pretty cool
This wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.
I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would
I could see this one growing more on me, it takes a while to get familiar/comfortable with Nice Caves singing. I’ll give this a generous 3/5 since I wasn’t feeling it for most of the album, but it rounded out towards the end for me
Typical Nick Cave. Plus Harry Potter this time.
i liked it, but didnt really love any songs other than the last one
3 booms BOOM 💪 BOOM 💪 BOOM 💪
Really good one but as I know how amazing is last one can't rate higher
high 3, p good
Pre-listening thoughts: Harry Potter song okayyy Post/during listening thoughts: listen this is good but why does Nick Cave need FIVE albums on this list. Like it’s good but not revolutionary or anything. Also my controversial opinion is double albums should be split up into… well, two separate albums. I understand the point. I don’t care. It’s too long. This is kind of good though whatever. 6.5/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: no Fav tracks: Get Ready for Love, There She Goes My Beautiful World, Nature Boy, Carry Me, O Children Least fav tracks: Fable of the Brown Ape
It was just ok. I wanted to like it more than I did. I wish it was shorter
Nick's usual mix of rock and some orchestral-ey stuff, with his deep cracky voice
You would have thought that a double album being 82 minutes long would get old but surprisingly it didn't It wasn't anything special but the varied songs kept me somewhat engaged Solid throughout, higher side of 3
Second Cave album to come up in this process. I liked this one a good bit less. Nick Cave is undoubtedly an important musician but a bit like Tom Waits in that when he's on he's on...when he isn't he's still tom waits. For me, to truly enjoy Cave's music some stars really need to align in a way they didn't really do for abattoir blues.
3 - first songs were weird but it picked up a good sound further in. I just didn’t like the narrative rock,
Very good! Nicely done all around.
Either absolutely amazing songs, or just kinda whatever songs. Just the 1st half would've been an easy 4-5
Long.
Why are they eating cold potatoes? Why is this the only thing I remember about this album?
Not really my vibe But some okay songs
I grooved with an early song, then a couple later. Then I grew bored. Sounds like very good music that I just don't vibe with.
Didn't love it, didn't hate it. Would have kept half the songs for another album. This was one band I've heard of but never actually listened to them. It was nice to discover them, but not sure I could listen to them on the regular.
Musically this album is phenomenal but the vocal style gets old fast. Good ol Oogie Boogie.
I quite like the 'organic' feel of some of the instrumentals, where the percussion is not just drums, and other things like chimes etc. However imo quite a lot of the songs are quite boring and seem like something ive already heard, possibly because this particular style has been imitated/adapted by others. Favorite songs: easy money, carry me, o children overall around 6/10 (potentially higher though)
Abattoir: 4/5, actually quite liked this! Band rocking on, vocals sounded more fresh/energized than that last album. Orpheus: 2.5/5, I just don’t care much for his ballad-ing. Supernaturally is the standout/high point
High 3.5/5 This isn’t a double album but two different albums in 1. Liked both but preferred the Second One. This would need a lot of listens but definitely could go up to a 4/5 eventually
No sure I agree with all the creative choices. Loved the gospel influences though.
This has a really interesting sound that I'm digging about half of the time, and the other half is just kinda mediocre.
I have heard of this guy so many time. Never went out of my way to listen to him. I know how legendary of an artist he is on his own right. I can understand why he is legendary. Almost avant garde- with garage rock/punk rock influence.
3+ Stars (9/15)
Oh come on, he’s not that good. Where’s the evolution, man?
Not my thing, rock - interesting vocals
Jag gillar Nick Cave men han matchar inte tunnelbanan och jobbet så bra. Ett dubbelalbum är också väldigt mycket Nick Cave
Not my brand of alternative and not an album that I never wouldve picked up on my own (which I love this for) Nevertheless, I did find it interesting and added one song to a playlist (There She Goes, My Beautiful World). There were moments where they sounded like the rolling stones. The gothic vibe was cool and different. The album itself being the sandwhich of two distinct sounds was also fun to experience as well. Wouldnt mind if someone had this playing in the background of a party, but I wouldn’t be the one to request it
Will revisit artist. Album a bit long but some good stuff and nice variety. A bit 6music mind
Favorite track: O Children other picks: messiah ward, abattoir blues, the lyre of orpheus
I liked the blues sound. Fable of the Brown Ape and The Lyre of Orpheus were my favorites. Nothing else stood out to me.
I'm into this. I like what I've heard of Nick Cave in general but a lot of these were new to me. My favorite was Hiding All Away (I think because it was reminding me of the white stripes, specifically elephant) Would definitely listen to again but not at the top of my list. 3.5/5
Started as Meh, but ended up kind of digging it. I'd give it another spin at some point and see how it goes.
would not think this is from 2004
Bleak and dirty literary hymns. I'm genuinely ambivalent towards this.
Listening to this album reminds me of that kid who is so geeky about something that you should feel secondhand embarrassed for but there’s just something about their passion that’s infectious. Objectively I should feel embarrassed about the fable of the brown ape but every time I get a nick cave album he wins me over. I don’t think it’s great music but he does move me.
Couple decent songs here and there but overall not my style. 2.5/5
Part one: This is bombastic, gospel-tinged rock that's honestly kinda awesome - where's the miserable bastard Nick Cave gone? Part two: Oh, there he is. I've never been one for Nick Cave normally, but there are definitely high points on this album that got me thinking this might be alright actually - however there's also plenty of Nick going so far up himself he could check for tonsil stones... Also, it's about four tracks too much, but I'd be hard-pressed to say which four to remove to make it a better listen overall. Good, great in places, but overall not really for me. Faves: There She Goes, My Beautiful World; Supernaturally; Hiding All Away
This was more gospel-y than I was expecting. I generally liked the vibes of the songs, but there were just too many of them and some of them didn't hit for me.
(nunca lo había escuchado) un álbum que al principio me parecía de rock de nuevo, y con lamento digo que me dolía la cabeza y pensé que lo iba a odiar, pero la verdad que al final resultó ser alternativa y hay un par de canciones que disfruté bastante. me gustó la melodía al igual que las letras de algunas que me pude fijar. me sorprendió.
Do you like rock music? Then this album is for you. To be honest I thought this album was gonna be calm music but instead it was intense music. The lyrics are decent the beats are also decent. But it's not really my type of music so I don't really recommed this album if you don't like rock. But if you do like rock music then I do recommend this album just because of the beats
I didn't really like this album. now the lyrics in my opinion were good, and sounds were good, but I just really don't like this album. I honestly just really didnt like it. Overall, despite my feelings, its a decent album.
1st song-i don't like it because they don't singing good 2nd song- I don't like it to because it so weird idk why 3rd song- I like it because it is so good
Good
Actually enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would
Enjoyed more than I thought I would
I love Nick Cave but this isn't his best. It's pretty indulgent with all the backup chorus vocals and in general feels mostly filler. I think this is an album only for the diehards, which is fine because I'm a fan of his but it begs the question why it's on this list.
Solid
I can appreciate this album. I can tell it’s really good, but it doesn’t do a lot for me. It’s weird there’s a lot of elements that are right up my alley but as a whole I just couldn’t fully get into it. Also, it is incredibly long, I was fatigued by the end of this. I could almost give this a four because I could probably get a lot out of it if I dug in deeper, but I’m giving it a three because I don’t see myself listening to it again.
# Album Name: Abattoir Blues - The Lyre of Orpheus (Double Album) # Artist: Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds # Rating: # Comments: Another double album. Sigh. Every double album i've had, minus the wall, should not have been a double album imo. You really gotta have something special to put a double album out imo. I gotta give it a chance though because its my first nick cave album. Hiding all away grabbed my attention. My beautiful world, was a good tune. Some good piano, vocals and melody. Let the bells ring. Neat little guitar lick and a good chorus. Overall a decent sound with some good use of vocals and strings. No song really stood out as being really good on first listen though. I stand by my comment on double albums, i dont see the point. It makes it an incredibly long listen. # Top Tunes: Hiding all away / My beautiful world / let the bell ring / supernatural # Would I listen to it again? Overall, not a bad album. Definitely feels like i will need to listen to this a good few times if it was to grow on me.
I appreciate that it's a good album - it's well mixed, excellent production, and the music is good, etc. But it just didn't resonate with me.
I'm surprised by what this is, but it feels pretty generic. Nothing outrageously poppy about it. I'm not listening too deeply to lyrics, so there may be something artistically meritorious about it, but as something in the background I'm not generously impressed
Bumping little album. Solid
Okay.
Måske ikke den mest spændende Nick Cave
Album 539 of 1001 Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus (2004) Rating : 3.75 / 5 Have heard a lot from Nick Cave from this list. I think I prefer some of his older stuff but it is all good. He is a unique guy with a unique style. His music is "characterized by emotional intensity, a wide variety of influences and lyrical obsessions with death, religion, love, and violence." This one runs a bit long so a loss of attention is possible. Nothing to complain about yet not really nothing to write home about, either.
Blegh, I like Nick Cave at his most bombastic, like on My Beautiful World. But the rest is so boring and just blegh.
3/5 I get why it’s highly regarded and people love it, but I still can’t get into Nick Cave sorryyyy. He’s the kind of artist I should vibe with, but it sounds like droning background music to me. My fav tracks were ‘Cannibal’s Hymn’ and ‘Breathless.’
Favorite Track: Breathless
meh
2.5
Ok, but not a fave
This is #day25 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... yet another first-timer here. I'm aware of The Bad Seeds' discography and album covers, but somehow I've never listened to this one (as some of their other works either). Now, I'm not a big fan of double albums. I like Nick Cave, but listening to this was rather tiring as I prefer the band's later works, such as Skeleton Tree and Ghosteen. A couple of highlights are "Hiding All Away" and, of course, "O Children." There might be some others, but this isn't the record I would be giving another spin to remember them. I'm giving it a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day26.
Schönes Album.
Long, heavy, dramatic, and pretty interesting if occasionally boring. His voice took a little getting used to but I think I liked it. The arrangements never really hit a sweet spot for me, either too formal and "arranged" or too slapdash and experimental, but I still would say I liked this more than I didn't. Best song: Hiding All Away
I’m more familiar with older Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, so this was a first listen for me. I’ve always thought of Nick Cave and Tom Waits as being in the same genre and experimenting in similar musical spaces. But I’m more partial to Nick Cave, primarily because the vocals are more melodically pleasing and some of the music remains more accessible while still pushing traditional boundaries. This double album did not disappoint, with some great songs that I would play on repeat (There She Goes, My Beautiful World, Nature Boy, Messiah Ward, Let the Bells Ring, Easy Money, Supernaturally, and O Children) and some others I would not (Fable of the Brown Ape, Lyre of Orpheus, Cannibal’s Hymn). Overall, makes me wonder why I waited so long to seek this out. 3.5⭐️
It's better than Henry's Dream, but still not my kind of music.
Nick Cave does his thing and I'm kinda into it but also not so much. I can't decide completely where I stand. This album was a little softer than Henry's Dream but similar with the storytelling style. Disc 1 better than 2 with title tracks topping the bill. If I came across a Bad Seeds album under 5 bucks...I'd pick it up. This one comes in slightly lower than Henry at 2.75.
Not sure how Nick Cave slipped by me for all these years. His discography is extensive and the unique rock sound seems right in my family's wheelhouse. NC & The Bad Seeds is one of the highlights of a new artist I'm exposed to as a result of this list. I enjoyed the previous entry and was looking forward to this one. Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus delivered again. However, I do think that both of these albums suffer a bit as a result of the 2-fer joint release. Each disc is solid in its own way and feel like individual projects with a different sound. The extended play time unfortunately drags the rating down a bit, but I found both albums enjoyable. I look forward to any other Nick Cave entries and will probably check out some of his other stuff when this list ends. 2.98 stars
Rock. Better than the other album of his I got. A little too long and repetitive for me though.
The more I am made to listen to Nick Cave on this list, the more I think “ah ok he’s kinda cool”. He’s the anti-Costello in that way. This one isn’t as good as Junkyard, but I like it much more than Henry’s Dream
This was ok but got a bit repetitive and overstayed its welcome. Favorite song came at the very end with ‘O Children’ which was a little too late for me. On another day it MAY have gone higher but for now I’m going a straight 3/5
OK, but not really for me
Recognized o children from Harry Potter.
The best Nick Cave album I’ve heard?
Even though I don’t think I’m listening to this with full attention, it’s a good album. Will listen again
Okay. Better than other albums he has on the list. Good opener.
Not hugely strong feelings about this one - too long, mostly boring generic rock and roll. The first couple of tracks on the second side are nice, but then fades back into nothingness. Fave Tracks: The Lyre of Orpheus, Breathless 3/5
En vrai sympa, mais faut du temps pour se le prendre
One of the most accessible Nick Cave albums I've listened to on this challenge. The atmosphere of the album is good, with good songwriting and some very good songs. But it is very long album which is usually a big minus to me.
Enjoyed the first album, not so much the second
ok
Pleasantly surprised. Don't know why. Knew of the power. The energy just simply explodes. There is no wasted note within.
3rd Nick Cave album I've gotten. Good sounds, a bit overly dramatized, but done well.
Another Nick Cabe album, another three stars from someone who doesn’t really get it.
This is a massive double album with some peaks and valleys along the way. I had never heard of this artist, but it was worth a listen
I've been a bit of a Nick Cave skeptic all my life due to all of his fans that I've met being an insufferable group of self-loathing yet preachy people stuck in a loop of poor decisions to keep their mental health just bad enough to not enjoy fun music and maintain an air of pretense that listening to this man somehow makes them more than. With all that being said I've given him the time of day since and his music is great, a real songwriter's songwriter, it feels like there's an element of "throw it at the wall and see what sticks" with his music that in this case is a positive and not a hinderance. It instead results in a large variety of ideas tied together by virtue of Nick Cave going into everything with a lot of passion for music, and a keen awareness of his limitations (I don't say limitations in a negative way, we all have them). Unfortunately, despite my full 180 back into the loving arms of old Nick, I was in turn quite shocked at the sound of this record. There are obviously some greater tracks here that really stand out, mostly in regard to the ballads which is a style he seems to excel at, however during any song that gets a little bit louder and faster, I couldn't help but think about his famous quote about how every time he's annoyed by something obnoxious on the radio it's the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Every second spent listening to these songs I felt exactly what he was describing and couldn't help but think about the hypocrisy of not taking care to curb the obnoxious corners off of your "rocky" songs and instead turning out these tracks of mediocre, boringly produced, and loud without purpose tracks that sound as though they belong in a coming of age film from 2006 (and not a good one). Ultimately, I'm really disappointed by this one, but only because I've set the standards high for him and don't believe I'll feel this way towards the majority of the rest of his albums that I haven't heard yet.
Enjoyed this, a bit too long but some great tracks
I mostly didn't enjoy this album - not sure if its my mood or if it was just too long and too samey? I do enjoy Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds sometimes - but maybe just not this album. O Children saved this album from being a 2
Nick cave aina kova, liian pitkä kyl
This is my 2nd Nick Cave album. I didn't like the other album but this one surprised me. I enjoyed a good bit of it. I think I liked the Lyre of Orpheus disc better but it had good tracks throughout.
It was an interesting album that went back and forth before really artsy and more radio/commercial. Overall I liked their sound a lot. Sometimes the lyrics and music sounded disconnected and didn't go together, but I still liked both parts. Reading about them it sounds like they changed their sound over the years so it would be interesting to hear different albums, and understand why this was the album that was seen as influential and not others. Overall I see how a lot of current alt rock has roots in their sound (Nature Boy's opening reminded me a little of Flo and Machine's ship to wreck.) Really liked There She Goes, My Beautiful World, Messiah World, Nature Boy and Breathless.
I love aussies but. Ehh. It was alright. Liked some parts. Definitely didn’t need to be a double album. Caves voice kinda reminds me of Josh Homme. Kinda cool to have a sound like this in the 2000s. Sounds very 70s but yea pretty mid.
Don’t have time to listen to a double album so skimmed this. It’s fine, a bit repetitive but some pleasant bits. Could not have told you what Nick Cave sounded like before this. 3 because it was good but I won’t play it again.
I have heard of Nick Cave but honestly wasn’t familiar with his music. I don’t know why but I always assumed his genre was punk. Quite wrong. I enjoyed this album.
never really got into Nick Cave's catalog. I like his voice and that each disc of this album is different but still good.
That's straight up the middle of the road for me. It was background music, I cruised through with no complaints, I also wasn't stirred from my work by anything that jumped out and grabbed me.
Almost happy Cave
Liked this more than expected but lasted too long and did not leave a lasting impression after all
This album almost sounds like musical theatre gone edgy and 'nobody gets me I'm just so different'. It actually reminds me a lot of meatloaf. The lyrics are pretty cool considering, just nothing too special to me. I like the lyric writing a lot though. (P.s. the singer's voice is a little whiny but not necessarily in a bad way, just not my favourite)
Funky monkey
Was mowing yhe grass o ly heard half, soild kinda weirs
This was good background music as I tried to sleep on the plane, but probably won’t become part of my regular rotation.
This really was an album of two halves - the first of which I quite enjoyed, up until The Lyre of Orpheus and then it all got a bit boring for me. Enjoyed Nick’s voice though!
This is the second Nick Cave record I’ve received on this project and I’m still unsure about it all. It’s not bad, and the music is casual and charming at times, but his voice kind of throws it off for me. I’m not sold, but I’m also not anti-Nick Cave.
As far as Nicks in music go he’s somewhere around top 5 ….. he’s no Cave but he’s also no Carter or Jonas. Hiding all the Way- best song
This album is a bit boring. The first few songs were pretty good. I thought "Tusk" was long but "AB/TLoO" is 10 mins longer. I don't consider the album to be awful. Well, I have to wait until Monday for the next album. 3 stars for "AB/TLoO".
The lead singer had a really rich tone to his voice. Definitely gave off some theatre kid album vibes with the lyrics in the first half of the album. Favorite Song: There She Goes, My Beautiful World Rating: 3.2/5
Don't know what this is about, sounds orchestral, as if it should be seen performed live, or acted out on stage... Like a soundtrack or something. I like this guy's voice and his energy... I'll give 3 stars
can you can you point it out this can you see it through album can you take it down is can you be a saint pretty can you kill a clown good can you mirror one ill and then make it count say can you wait to die although can you leave your friends a leave them all behind bit all behind the fence too can you kill a saint long... can you be a clown close can you feel the warmth to of your longing gown four
I like Nick cave a lot more in his murder ballad mode, some good stuff on here. He has a way of sounding both 70s and '90s at the same time.
Rock 2004 -> 3
Lots of ups and downs on this album. I really liked the lyrics and the backing video calls were on point. I just really didn’t like the lead singers voice that much.