Murder Ballads

This is really not my thing. It felt like the ramblings of a half stoned old man in some seedy bar. If that's your cup of tea you'll love it, but to me it was boring, depressing and badly sung.

only listened to the first half but i feel like that's all i needed to hear. idk maybe my mind isn't sophisticated enough but i just don't get it sad face emoji

A wonderful album. Each track an excellent story of murder in different styles. Features two duets, one with Cave's former partner PJ Harvey and the other with another of Australia's finest exports, Kylie. The duet with Kylie I think represents the attention to songwriting that both artists are appreciated for. Cave and Minogue still perform the track together today. I believe this album, along with the previous Let Love In highlights Nick Cave's final step in transition from hard post-punk toward more experimental alternative rock and the run of albums following Murder Ballads go from strength to strength. It feels like Cave unlocked his USP in Murder Ballads and Let Love In which had always been there but needed the platform and right moment to bring it to the front. Today Nick Cave plays more of a piano man persona but the core link back to Murder Ballads is still at the forefront of his performances.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds open their "Murder Ballads" album with a deep-voiced Nick on "Song of Joy" - a spookish tall tale about a lady named Joy... or possibly about the mere concept of joy itself. Nick's storytelling is brooding and gothy, and I'm here for it! And after 4 minutes of this 6+ song... I can trust this album will be a horror movie for the ears. "Stagger Lee" is another story-telly song about a "bad mother fucker called Stagger Lee" and the bartender does not care. It's campy and fun! And devilishly spooky! "Henry Lee" is the next track on the album and it opens with guest vocals from PJ Harvey (I saw her open for U2 once when I was 11!). Another melancholy tale with accompanying piano and bass AND a pleasantly catching "la la la la" from the duet. The next track, "Lovely Creature" has a build up of tension that is carried throughout, with backing vocals from an unfeatured lady (and more "la la las") that I can only describe as "spooky consistent". "Where the Wild Roses Grow" features vocals by Kylie Minogue (she is the wild rose!) and is another spooky tall tale pop-ish goth song with piano and string arrangements that would make Ben Moody blush. "The Curse of Millhaven" comes in hot and has a head-boppy percussion with an accordion, and it's very fun! Reminds me a lot of My Chemical Romance (Mama comes to mind)... "even God's children they have to die". "The Kindness of Strangers" is yet another murder tale, about a woman named Mary who is tied to her bed with a bullet in her head. This track features an upbeat piano rhythm with guitar and drums. It's easy listening! This track also features a crying woman, which isn't very easy listening, but it is fantastic story telling. The next track, "Crow Jane," continues Nick's storytelling of murder and guns. This song features more piano and even more bass and drums. It's slow paced and has me tapping my foot and bopping my head. "O'Malley's Bar" is the penultimate track on this album, and at 14:28, it's by far the longest song (it's nearly 4 songs worth of song!). Nick does some adlibbing over some piano plucks while singing about a killing spree and how it makes his dick feel, for which I have the utmost respect. My personal favorite line from this track: "And with an ashtray as big as a fucking really big brick I split his skull in half His blood spilled across the bar Like a steaming scarlet brook" After that truly horrific tale of O'Malley's bar, the album comes to a close with "Death Is Not the End" (featuring Anita Lane, Shane MacGowan, PJ Harvey, and Kylie Minogue) - a cover of Bob Dylan - and it's a truly wonderful closer. "Just remember, that death is not the end." A haunting, yet comforting message for the pale, pasty, gothic audience Nick and his friends are surely targeting. Overall I really enjoyed this album. It's weird, it's disturbing, it's haunting. It is simply wonderful! Favorite track: The Curse of Millhaven Honorable mention: O'Malley's Bar

56/100: Every song on this album is basically a worse version of “Ballad of Hollis Brown” and the best song on the album, “Death Is Not The End,” is just a Bob Dylan cover anyway. In fact, if you ever wondered what you get when you cross Bob Dylan with Ted Bundy, well here’s your answer. I can’t think of a bigger red flag than someone getting in their car and blasting the song “Stagger Lee.” Reading the lyrics of these songs while listening along was a deeply uncomfortable experience. I guess that speaks to the power of Nick Cave’s writing and it could be argued that’s what makes this album good, but it’s also the reason I’m rating this album so poorly. I can handle and even appreciate a troubling story in a song when it’s written well and has a thought-provoking moral like Bob Dylan’s “Ballad of Hollis Brown,” but this album is not that. I mean what type of message is “The Kindness of Strangers?” The final line is “So mothers keep your girls at home / Don’t let them journey out alone / Tell them this world is full of danger.” This album feels like murder ballads for the sake of writing about murder, which is the most troubling part to me. I can never see a situation in which I would want to listen to this album again, and if anyone ever hears me or anyone else listening to this, please call the police or a therapist.

I felt like I should like this album but, the more I listened the more I hated it. The musicality was good but the songwritiing was lazy. You could tell which songs were traditional songs that Cave left mostly intact and which ones he took liberties with. In every case, it seemed that the changes were designed to shock listeners and not to make the songs better. Additionally, Nick Cave's vocal performance on almost every song on this album was sub-par which was surprising to me b/c, in the past, I've enjoyed his performances. Overall, a very disappointing album and one that I frankly am mystified is on this list.

I liked this more than I thought I would. The dark storytelling reminds me a lot of Eminem, with more of a Johnny Cash spin on the beats. I hope death is not the end.

What a dumb fucking album

Nick Cave has a unique way of making you envy the characters who die in each of the songs on this album, by delivering vocal performances so bad that you’ll wish that you were dead too. Hated the vibe, hated Nick’s singing, hated the production (and the addition of a woman crying or other strange noises throughout). Just total shit.

I sure hope he was just joking about all that stuff.

This is one of the weirdest things I've listened to in years.

I already adore this wonderful silly album. Stagger Lee deserves awards just for its ridiculous use of the word motherfucker. It's hilarious. Henry Lee with PJ Harvey and Wild Roses with Kylie are both darker and moodier - and have a nice balance - Cave is murderer in one and victim in the other. Curse of Millhaven and O Mallets Bar are the highlights for me. Gloriously dark silliness. The latter is 15 minutes long bat feels like three. And Death is not the End is like Band Aid but not for idiots. Perfect perfect perfect.

Rarely do you see a more blunt and descriptive title for a record. This is about an hour of MURDER BALLADS. Listen bud, guy who is thinking about trying Murder Ballads: Consider where you are at mentally. If you are not in a tip-top mental state, maybe skip Murder Ballads. This album is brutal. It's a great listen but I was not ready when I heard it. Alright, now if you are ready to hear some f****d up s**t listen to this one. The tracks here are very cinematic if that makes sense. It is very descriptive of some of the worst concepts I have heard in music. Cave's writing is extremely verbose, but he has you hanging on every word. Fantastic record.

I try to hold out on giving out fives, especially so soon to each other, but man, I love this album. Some insane compositions throughout. A

This is barely an album, sounds like it was made by people who hate music and are taking their anger out on it.

this is a new all-time favorite album. fuckin awesome

In a nutshell: you wanna hear a cool story? Take your pick of ten. I can actually picture Nick sitting in a comfortable chair in a study or home library, reading the lyrics out loud. The espresso shot dark tales of vengeance, woe, loss, fetish and torture are delicious instead of repulsive. Buckle up, motherfuckers. You're gonna love this album or hate it. Overall: 8/10

Cinquenta e três. Pobre Sylvia. Nunca lhe encontraram o corpo. Esqueceram-se de procurar no lago. MotA: Stagger Lee "Have mercy on me, sir Allow me to impose on you / I have no place to stay And my bones are cold right through"

superb

"Essentially, Murder Ballads is a comedy record. It’s not supposed to be a serious look at murder and its social ramifications. It really ended up being a record about storytelling more than anything else. The murder side of it is treated quite lightly. Overall it’s quite funny, I think." -- Nick Cave in interview with the LA Times. Nick Cave takes his "dark" tendencies to their ultimate conclusion, and ends up with an album that is cartoonishly violent, morbidly funny, and above all wildly entertaining. I particularly like his take on Stagger Lee. Great guest appearances from PJ Harvey and Kylie Minogue. Band is in top form. Heaps of fun.

murhaaa raa raa raa.. tuuppa tänne pikkutyttö... ja HAAAA veistä rintaan... raa raa raa murhaa murhaa... pimeillä kaduilla kävelee ja ja ja mitä AMPUU PÄÄHÄN... raa raa RAA murhaa!! aamusumua vedenpäällä, kalastaja huutaa AIJJAIJJAAA!!! RAA raa RAA muRRRRHaaa!! luulipas vanhaeukko että oli vain lomilla mutta RAAA RAAA RAAA MURRHAAA!!!!!! MURAHAAAAAAAA!! RAAAA RAAAA RAAAAA.. there for nick cave some lyrics idea, mby for 2.0 version deluxe remaster album.. (use google translate to interpret) ei paras luolamiehen neandertaalimies.. new species: homo economicus (money-obsessed.......) the curse of millhaven

I'm a huge fan of Nick in all his permutations. This is him close to his hard core best. Not quite up to his previous album Let Love In (with the iconic Peaky Blinders theme song Red Right Hand) but still pretty great.

Maybe it’s a short span of attention or undiagnosed ADHD, but “story” songs have never really intrigued me much. In general, I’ve always been more interested in music rather than lyrics. So that’s what I’m connecting with here, primarily. I know, I know…I’m missing the point of this record. Sorry, I can’t help it. This is a great record - excellent, even - but I think I’ve figured out why I struggle with Nick Cave’s music: Lyrics just aren’t the most important thing to me and his music is usually very driven by narrative. So it goes.

Listening to "Junkyard" by the Birthday Party was a bad experience and made me doubt that Nick Cave could make a good album. But his next project with the Bad Seeds made me think otherwise. The songs are brilliantly written and could be poems. Fun fact: Cave actually provides the gunshots on the second track. 4 stars for "Murder Ballads".

I don't hate this, but it sounds a little like if punks redid the soundtrack to Sweeney Todd.

The cabaret is in good faith, but the stories entertain without leaving much substance to reflect on, and the music exists purely as framing: listening to this, indeed most Cave I’ve heard, is usually like hearing a lurching avant garde musical production, but the theatrics lack the deep-felt sorrow of Brecht; for all the violence, the knife never twists. I wonder about the purpose of the subject matter: it’s too comic to titillate, which is fine, but why set it to music?

This is made for theatre kids (derogatory)

1001 Albums Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Murder Ballads - Song of Joy. Interesting storytelling and vocal style. The orchestration in the background music is interesting. Intriguing but not distracting from the story. - Stagger Lee. Cool vibe and style. Incredibly profane for kind of no reason. Not sure who the audience is for this album yet. - Henry Lee. PJ Harvey gives a nice vocal. It’s nice to have a song with a little more structure after the first two songs. This is the first song that wasn’t 2 minutes too long as well. - Lovely Creature. Really cool background music again that is intriguing and stays out of the way. By this point in the album though, we’re getting dangerously close to “didn’t we already hear this song”. - Where the Wild Roses Grow. Nice to have some nice string arrangement for a change of instrumentation. Kylie Minogue gives a nice vocal performance too and her voice fits well with Nick Cave’s. - The Curse of Millhaven. Sounds like a circus said “okay, we need an opening act where the ringleader comes out and tells a weird story behind a sort of “Devil Went Down to Georgia” vibe from the band. Again, at least 3 minutes too long. - The Kindness of Strangers. Back to our normal instrumentation and back to a 6/8, wandering style. - Crow Jane. Sounds like the kind of thing that happens at a lame open mic night jam. The kind of thing that people think is “jazz” when it 100% isn’t. - O’Malley’s Bar. Finally, a different groove and feel. Reminds me of a Jim Morrison, Doors-style vamp. Nice to have some actual structure again too. Probably the best tune on the album BUT IT’S 14 minutes long for no reason. - Death is Not the End. This is the most “normal” song on the album and feels super loose, like they did this in 1 take in the studio with no rehearsal. I’d rate this album a 2/10. I appreciate the risk and uniqueness but I personally would never choose to listen to it ever again. I know it has an audience but I’m not a member of it.

the worst part about being murdered by nick cave is that you'll die knowing he's gonna sing one of his little shitass songs about it

Weird, self-indulgent, murder porn. This guy sounds like Lin-Manuel Miranda’s cringier older brother. Way too theater-y for me. I get the impression the lead singer was jerking himself off the entire time he was writing this.

ehhhhhhh

They call me The Wild Rose but my name was Elisa Day Why they call me it I do not know For my name was Elisa Day On the third day he took me to the river He showed me the roses and we kissed And the last thing I heard was a muttered word As he stood smiling above me with a rock in his fist On the last day I took her where the wild roses grow And she lay on the bank, the wind light as a thief As I kissed her goodbye, I said, “All beauty must die” And lent down and planted a rose between her teeth Damn, this album is fire. 5/5

Wonderful great album

A genuine shock. I've listened to Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds before but was turned off by Cave's voice. I still don't really like it. Fuck, I'm not even sure Nick Cave likes Nick Cave's voice, but it fits the bill perfectly in this album. Full of atmosphere, inventive lyrics, great musicianship. Where the Wild Roses Grow, Song of Joy, Henry Lee, and The Curse of Millhaven standout tracks in an album full of them.

If you can stomach some of the craziness and make it through the occasional song that gets a bit lost in its story, you’re in for a narrative treat on this one. “Stagger Lee” is a shocking, wildly vivid story that makes you wish it wasn’t true. “Lovely Creature” is good for its haunting sonic atmosphere with those airy backing female vocals and that constant snare roll. “The Curse Of Millhaven” is an outstanding song, story, and my highlight on this record. Not only does it captivate you with its narrative, but the “la la la la” melody it keeps reciprocating just adds even more to the tension. Nick Cave sells out with the energy he gives this performance! “O’Malleys Bar” probably has the best character portrait of all the murderers on here (crazy sentence to say, I know). Last, “Death Is Not The End” puts a unique bow on the whole thing, but its message is fitting considering the albums concept of innocent people being killed. This album is a rarity to me in that it gets better as you get further into the track list. You sink into these vivid, terrifying stories with ease thanks to thoughtful vocal performances and some helpful backing tracks.

Don’t say you weren’t warned - this is an album that does exactly what it says on the tin. This is a collection of songs about death and bloody murder, from the perspective of both victim and murderer. This bitter brew is sweetened by the addition of guest vocalist Kylie Minogue. Apparently Nick Cave asked for the song Where the Wild Roses Grow to be removed from consideration for an MTV award because he didn’t want any Kylie fans buying this album by mistake without being aware of the lyrical content. It’s strong stuff, but it ends on a positive note with a cover of the Bob Dylan song Death is Not the End. Murder-tastic!

This is a fine concept album. I feel like it's the old school type I need to sit down and listen to with the lyrics at hand. His singing isn't very good, but it's a nice speaking voice for these stories. Made me want to listen to Murder By Death and truly enjoy music similar to this.

A selection of stories about murder with some songs sang in a fun way.

4 it would be a five but the monotony got to me in the end ...

Was given a copy by the man himself, don't think I ever made it through "O'Malley's Bar" until today (sorry, Nick!). Most of this is entertaining, if a bit much; it insists upon itself, one could say. The Kylie and PeeJ ones are lovely, as you know. Generous 4, partially to honor the previous (and excellent) "Let Love In" which is not on here despite the surfeit of NC records.

#427. These Nick Cave albums on this list seem to be pretty hit or miss, and for me this one is a hit. Even though it's a bit of a novelty thing, I liked it much more than I would have thought. 4/5: I dig it

dark and gothic rock, with content that's very morbid, bleak, and artistically suspenseful. songs almost feel spooky at times; these songs would probably be great at a fancy halloween party. i like the tracks with guest singers better than the ones where nick cave sings himself. it's not to say i dislike gothic material, unfortunately this guy's vulgar and slightly creepy vibes aren't completely for me. i feel like there's probably some good in here for most people, and i enjoy the more fantastical stories.

Such a dark, twisted and amazing album. Listened to it driving across a foggy morning in Kansas the year it came out.

A pretty great record about murder ballads! Americana-based with blues, bluegrass, and American gothic. This is his last album until he gets sappy and orchestral and loses the energy. He embodies the spirit of Tom Waits and Bruce Springsteen in his deep raunchy voice and cold demeanor. Only a few weak songs, but the majority of it is strong, and there's good diversity in there, each representing some unique mood and emotion one could correlate with acts of spontaneous murder. I love the dark atmosphere and sense of urgency. Favorites: Stagger Lee, Where the Wild Roses Grow, The Curse of Millhaven, O'Malley's Bar

I've heard of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds but I'm not sure I've heard any of their songs. I definitely didn't know that they had a whole album of good ol' fashioned murder ballads. This should be entertaining. TL, DR: They absolutely 100% Commit To The Bit! Body count is at least 64, possibly in the 100s I'm loving the drama of Cave singing "Hit It" to launch a piano solo after the intro to "Song Of Joy" ... and then repeating it again before the narrator's next victim is surely claimed. Song 1 - Guy murders his wife and 3 daughters with a knife and possibly countless more. *Body Count - 4+ Holy shit, "Stagger Lee" is an insanely obscene song, I'm dying. Stagger Lee is just cursing, fucking, and shooting motherfuckers dead. Song 2 - Stagger Lee murders a bartender and Billy Dilly by shooting them. *Body Count - 2 "Henry Lee" features PJ Harvey, who I love. A pretty tune, their voices go well together. Song 3 - The woman stabs Henry Lee and throws his body down a well. *Body Count - 1 "Lovely Creature" is the most rocking tune so far, faster drums and guitar riffs pepper the opening. This is also the least explicit song, but someone has certainly died and some wickedness has happened. Song 4 - a woman has been murdered and body buried somewhere in Egypt? *Body Count - 1 "Where The Wild Roses Grow" features KYLIE MINOGUE (Aussies stay aussin') This is the most straightforward pop structured song so far, with them trading verses and dueting on the chorus. They sound great together. Song 5 - A man murders Elisa Day, aka Wild Rose, with a rock! *Body Count - 1 "The Curse of Millhaven" is a rollicking one. The choruses are CAMP - La lala la - everyone has to die! This was a hoot to listen to. Song 6 - Lottie kills Bill Blakey's son by bashing his head in and drowning him in a creek, cut off Handyman Joe's head with a circular saw, attempted to murder Mrs Colgate with a knife but failed and got caught. Lottie also caused a group of 20 children to drown after they fell through the ice on Lake Tahoo. Lottie also burned down the Bella Vista slum. A dog is also murdered, but not by Lottie (it was Stinky Bohoon and his friend with the pumpkin sized head) *Body Count - 22+ that are explicitly mentioned "The Kindness of Strangers" aka the ballad of Mary Bellows, a slow and sad piano crooner about the tragic fate of poor Mary who left Arkansas traveling east to finally see the ocean. This is an exceptionally bleak song about a woman travelling alone with a woman's voice crying and speaking added softly in the background of production. Song 7 - Richard Slade handcuffs Mary to her bed, puts a rag in her mouth and shoots her in the head. *Body Count - 1 "Crow Jane" is very slinky and jazzy. This is a revenge song. Song 8 - Crow Jane buys a gun and shoots 20 coal miners who robbed and raped her. *Body Count - 20 "O'Malley's Bar" is a 14 minute long account of a blood bath in a bar - it's all shuffling percussion, organ and bass with little pierces of piano while the narrator describes just killing every single person he interacts with. Song 9 - A man kills O'Malley, his wife, his daughter Siobhan, Caffrey, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Holmes, Mr. Brooks, Mr. Richardson, Jerry Bellows, Henry Davenport, Kathleen Carpenter, and Vincent West *Body Count - 12 "Death is Not The End" is, hilariously, the final song. It's a Bob Dylan cover featuring multiple guest singers, including PJ Harvey and Kylie Minogue and other.

Some good singles, including the smash hit "Where the Wild Roses Grow" and "Henry Lee" with PJ Harvey. "The Curse of Millhaven" was also a familiar tune. Didn't care much for the rest of the album. Will stick with the singles.

I remember listening to these songs on the radio late at night when Nick Cave was on some radio program when I was a teenager. I remember keeping the radio very quiet because I was supposed to be sleeping and these songs were not rated PG :-)

No. 252/1001 Song of Joy 2/5 Stragger Lee 2/5 Henry Lee 3/5 Lovely Creature 2/5 Where The Wild Roses Grow 4/5 The Curse of Millhaven 3/5 The Kindness of Strangers 4/5 Crow Jane 2/5 O'Malley's Bar 2/5 (2x) Death is Not The End 2/5 Average: 2,55 Two songs on here I liked. The rest was not really.

starts bad but gets great in the second 2/3

It is commendable that Nick Cave can write songs about such gruesome and unpleasant subject matter without sounding too grim. He does set the atmosphere and mood admirably with his "Tom Waits-like"growl with interesting storytelling. I'm not a big fan, but I'm intrigued and I'll categorize this under the, "listen again later" file.

A pretentious album that sounds like the soundtrack of a high school play. What’s the point of this crap? Tedious melodies, pretentious lyrics, and boring as hell… a two is the highest score this miserable listening experience deserves.

I quickly tire of deep voiced men singing brooding lyrics over weak instrumentals. Maybe it's why I never got into bob dylan, and maybe it's because I don't appreciate poetry enough, but this type of music doesn't excite me.

WHAT DID HE SAY?????

Disney Villain ahh music

difficult listen as someone who hates murder and hates ballads

Store brand Leonard Cohen

Hated this, it was about murdering women so much

Hard one to review because it's such a mixed bag. On tracks like Stagger Lee, Henry Lee, Where the Wild Roses Grow, Death is not the end, it's a swaggering, raunchy, redblooded compendium of passion and woe. But on tracks like Song of Joy, The Curse of Millhaven and the absolutely interminable O'Malley's Bar, it's the dullest, most cringeworthy school-shooter incel power fantasy you can imagine, with lyrics that telegraph their rhymes from over the horizon. The good bits are great, but the bad bits are an absolute embarrassment.

I can't ignore how the criticisms we've already levied at various hip hop records also apply here. Violent fantasy, frequently misogynistic, recounted over limited, repeated musical material. Of course, that's the murder ballad form and there is an argument that Cave and the same rappers we've rebuked are burlesquing the same tradition. What distinguishes the current record is the revelling in an out-dated - even out-of-time - tradition. The bitches and hoes referenced in hip hop are the women of a contemporary culture, whereas the murdered women here are all individuals and the subject of a literary tradition. This is a small distinction and the ability of the gangsta rap fantasists to blur the line between their fantasy and their cultural reality is interesting in its own way. However, Cave's position as a storyteller, rather than playing a persona, allows him to adopt different perspectives and is probably more successful when he subverts expectations of the murder ballad - if it can be considered a subverted expectation for the band named after William Marsh's Bad Seed to foreground a female pubescent psychopath. More significant than this slight ethical justification is the fact that I like the sound of people playing in a room together. The plodding ballad form can be exhausting and Cave's shtick here is wearing, but the musicians - especially Mick Harvey - occasionally let loose with a worthy lick. That said, none of Nick Cave's mid-period work is really it for me. Lacking the wildness of the Birthday Party and the consideration of the later Skeleton Tree, it all sits precariously between the two: neither fully haunted nor humane. 2 Reggie Chamberlain-King 8:47 AM (5 minutes ago) to me Somewhere near the beginning of this project I sneaked a look at an overview which showed that Nick Cave is among the artists with the most albums in this list. Assuming I make it all the way then, I will have opportunity to explore in detail my contempt for this artist I consider less a hack than a charlatan. For now then it will do to say that Murder Ballads is, in my opinion, trash. Turn your attention if you can from the hypnotic combination of self-regard and intellectual insecurity that blusters up front and listen to the band. They sound like shit. Most of this album is mind-numbing two bar grooves that feel barely rehearsed. It isn’t even recorded well. Where there are attempts at substantive arrangements or production ideas the result is often worse - the twee strings on Wild Roses or the plain daft backing vocals/dramatic sobs on Kindness of Strangers. As in most rap the music is a mere backdrop; just another excuse for the loudest, most abrasive boy in the sixth-form drama class to pursue the attention he needs. 1/5

What on earth is going on in here on this day?

1: there's one nice thing about the amount of Neil Young I've been subjected to in this project, and it's that it gives me some language to explain why I don't like some Nick Cave. the feeling I get when I hear "they found [name] cuffed to the bed" and I go "oh let me guess she was shot in the head" is the exact same feeling as most Neil Young rhyming songs. the cadence even feels similar sometimes 2: with apologies to Nick Cave, because it's not really something he can control: the vast majority of Nick Cave fans I've met are men who approach me at clubs/bars/shows during downtime and ask me what music I listen to, then ask me if I like Nick Cave, and when I say oh I'm not super familiar they belt out at the top of their lungs a line like "She saw the barkeep, said, "O God, he can't be dead!" Stag said, "Well, just count the holes in the motherfucker's head!"" and I wonder if they're going to get overly drunk and then ask me for a ride home later, because that would be on par with this style of interaction, then I usually try to Irish-exit the function early to avoid the whole thing. this is something weird to belt out to strangers you just met. I am not overly sensitive and I enjoy a murder ballad on occasion, but now is not the time and honestly it might never be the time. 3: with no apologies to Nick Cave, because this is directly in his control: I just think that albums and artists like this wind up getting a lot of renown for being "transgressive" and I don't get it. it doesn't feel transgressive for me to listen to a guy singing overly-aggressive versions of murder folk songs with an over the top orchestral accompaniment. if something is what every Phantom of the Opera obsessed subtype of theater kid would do, it may not be mainstream but it's also not remarkable to me my own past as a Phantom of the Opera obsessed "might have been a theater kid if my school had a theater program" begrudgingly gives the second star

Silly

O’Malleys Bar saved this from one star

"ooooo I'm nick cave and I sing in a forced low voice and write bad poetry and then me and some other guys put it to shitty music ooooooooo smoke cigarettes!!!!" I never got the hype around Nick Cave. This didn't change my mind. We get it you're gloomy and spooky and want to say "suck my dick" in to a mic, write a metal album instead of whatever this is. This is like if teenage horror fanfics was a musical genre unto it itself. I get that each one of these is supposed to be a song about a murder but if you want that there are a million old country songs and a million rap songs and a million emo songs, etc. that are all better than this. At least the instrumentation and playing is good. Saves it from being a 1.

I'm not sure which I hate more, Nick's awful vocals or how he butchers the art form of song writing to try and tell a story but forgot to include any kind of musical competency. But there is Kylie.

I very much did not like this album. This is one of those art poppy album that I just don’t get. I don’t get how Nick Cave got this big star… like this spoken word singing… just not good. At least not for me. One redeeming song on this album is the Where the wild roses grow, but that’s it’s for me. I even skipped the last two songs. Next….

Ummm.... music or spoken word? Either way not a fan

fucking offbeat Gen X nonsense

this mf fantasizes a little too much about killing women

Is this some sort of parody?

i normally reserve my 1 stars for sex offenders, racists, and other terrible people. i have nothing against nick cave personally and don't want to imply anything of the sort with this review. but holy shit - i hated every single second of this. utter misery. terrible vocals, boring instrumentation, *unbelievably* irritating repetitive vocal lines/melodies that bordered on torturous (that "la la la la" will haunt me tonight as i'm trying to sleep, i just know it). i really cannot put into words how annoyed i was for the entire runtime of this album. it is threatening to ruin my day. maybe nick cave will write a terrible murder ballad for me when this record makes me go postal.

Why was that?

I can't believe this guy is on the list so many times. His "music" is unbearable. William Shatner at least puts some energy into his spoken word crap.

God I hate Nick Cave. All shock and very little substance.

fat boy asshole

I do not like Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

OooooooooooooooooK... I guess there's a purpose for this, but I'll be damned if I know what it is... The lyrics detract from whatever musical quality this might have otherwise had. It's like barf on a wedding cake.

I have to assume the kind of person who describes Nick Cave's music as "dark" or "intense" has never been anywhere other than Disney World. I'm 14 and this is deep type music.

Baz Lhurmann does Dolemite

🎧So much of this album is irritating drivel. It’s not completely unlistenable but good God I do not like this. Nick Cave, I don’t doubt you are talented songwriter, but on Murder Ballads you are one grating motherfucker.

Hellish

I HATE NICK CAVE. PLEASE STOP MAKING ME LISTEN TO NICK CAVE

He has no sense of rhythm and he sings way off key.

This Album is actually hilarious, it sounds like it was made by someone who thinks they're the biggest badass around and wanted to sing about it, but it's less singing and more like he's talking you through the stories he's telling. It's ridiculously lame, lmao.

Nick Cave continues to impress me with how bad his albums can be.

2/10. Stagger Lee was probably the worst Nick Cave song I've ever listened to, and that's saying something. Swearing in his dumbass wannabee-Tom-Waits voice for a whole song, and he just sounds like an edgy 12 year old, and that last statement goes for much of the album.

Got it already.

They made it on purpose. It couldn't have started better. Perfect Halloween album.

I have honestly never listened to a Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds album or really much at all (which I really should have by now). This is like a whole different type of music. I really fuckin' like it. Listened to on good headphones first time and glad I did as this album has crazy-good production. Like holy shit. Every song is an entire story with incredibly rich writing. The music is ridiculously well-made. I'm floored. Not surprising, but I really have been sleeping on Nick Cave. Maybe now is the right time in my life for me to finally get down. Whatever it is, I want more 'cause this is like no other shit.

Strong 4.5

Making death and violence sound so luscious.

Чудесный альбом, сдобренный немного мрачными поп-хитами.

Definitely something I want for certain moods but also not the moods I'm often in (or often want to be in).

Love Nick

This is my seconds Nick Cave album on the list (first was Abattoir Blues). Was looking forward to hearing more of him after that one. Was not disappointed. This one was quite different than the first one, but even better. I'd head these kinds of songs before, but hadn't heard the term "murder ballad" before, and I'm totally on board. There is quite a range of song styles on here, but all of them have a macabre quality. Song Of Joy was really interesting and creepy. Stagger Lee was a total blast. Henry Lee was fun, and I enjoyed hearing PJ Harvey on there, she's better here than on her own albums I've heard. Where The Wild Roses Grow was incredible, Kylie Minogue and Cave are just haunting, sad, and sweet. O'Malley's Bar was a fun one, it was long but never felt like it dragged on. Death Is Not The End was a nice, well, end to the album. Hard to rate. If I had heard one or two of the songs (besides Wild Rose) I would probably give them a 3, but the entire album together, along with the whole concept, pushes it up to a full 5. Loved it, can't wait to hear more Nick Cave! Best song: Where The Wild Roses Grow

sick as fuckkkkkkk

Dark, but moody.

Fantastic. Just overall a cool concept, well executed and with surprising guests. Henry Lee will forever be one of my (if not the) favourite duets. Love Nick

Geweldig album. Hier staan een aantal van hun beste nummers op (Henry Lee, Stagger Lee, Where the wild roses grow ...). 5.0

So... Yeah, this album was awesome. I'd love to write a whole bunch of big, ramble-y paragraphs like I normally do when I discuss albums, but... Gosh darn and dang, I don't think I can. My enjoyment of the album is just that simple that I won't need too many words to describe it. This album's got... Basically all the kinds of murder ballads I'd wanna hear, and they're all great. You've got the uneasy and disturbing ones with "Song Of Joy"; the oddly beautiful ones with "Where The Wild Roses Grow"; the fun yet messed up ones like "The Curse Of Millhaven"; and even an absolutely badass one with "Stagger Lee". Seriously, that song is **so** badass, goodness me. That's one song, along with a few a few others, where he sounds like Godforbid from That Handsome Devil and I am **so** down for it. Not to mention, this is the third album I've tackled from my backlog with a 14+ minute song and "O'Malley's Bar" is easily my favorite of them. Nick Cave pulls a great performance, and so do The Bad Seeds, and every guest he pulls, including PJ Harvey and Kylie Minogue... And I really can't think of anything more I wanna say. I could pad this out a bit more to hit my average word count, but screw it. This is a great album, fulla great songs about murder, and goodness me, I love it. To death, you might say. Hardee harr.