Reviews (page 7 of 8)
Bernster - 4 Big L - 5
Oh my.
Before: Never been a big fan of Nick Cave. Find him pretentious and the music never really grabbed me. After: yeah it’s pretentious. Some of the music and production is cool.
I struggle with a full album of Nick’s voice. A track or two is fine, but it wears on me after a while.
2.5 of 5. Some good some okay
This has been an experience. I didn't love it. I'm probably going to listen to it again at some point. But only once.
You really have to be in the right mood for this one. I was not.
+mamá, podemos comprar Pink floyd de época mala (the grass was greener)ft. Johnny Cash? -no, hijo, ya tenemos Pink floyd de época mala (the grass was greener)ft. Johnny Cash en casa Pink floyd de época mala (the grass was greener)ft. Johnny Cash en casa:
I don't get it
The Good: We’ve managed to plant seeds… The Bad: Do I have to say it?… The Ugly: How these ballads left me… There is a universe where Men in Black rule, and I am not talking about the kind who need to go chase after aliens. This is a universe where gloom and doom, at least the way that they present themselves, is all the rage, and people will throw themselves at the feet of these Men in Black, and herald them as kings… It is the universe where Johnny Cash and Nick Cave vie for supremacy… I don’t live in that universe… So why have I being dragged into it? I’ve listened to the album, I can put the notch on my belt… and dish out 2* as there was nothing that stood out for me, shame on those who want to live in the MiB universe...
Wow this was a tough listen. All the songs where Nick Cave was alone on the track were dreadful. The songs with featured singers were decent. It's a shame because the instrumentals aren't bad, but Cave's drunk, creepy rumblings drown it out.
This guy is a sick freaking cyclepath.... Fav song: Henry Lee or Death is Not the End
Just not for me, "Draining" is the first word that comes to mind. Even the better songs on the album like O'Malley's Bar just drag on and on for far too long. Not 1/5 because I listen to artists who were primarily influenced by this guy.
Sounds a lot like it’s trying to be a concept album. I don’t know this band enough to know what is satirical or not, like the last song. The storytelling is okay but a bit weird and not in the way that I like weird songs. I liked “the kindness of strangers”. Sound a bit like pink Floyd wannabes. 2/5 Also the 13 minute song was unnecessary
Starting to learn to love the not-so-big Caves, and I do like this a lot! But I’m not quite there yet.
Some cool sounds and story telling but overall I think I just don't get it. Its Broadway but for hicks...
It was more fun then music , reminded me of forgetting Sara marshal
Correcto
I swear I tried to like this, but it’s just not that great. The songs Stagger Lee and Henry Lee were good enough, but I just can’t get into this overall. I think it’s partially his vocal style, I don’t seem mind so much when he’s sharing the lead vocals but most of the songs where Nick is the only voice it kind of annoys me.
Not for me, thanks. I’ll pass.
I fell like I should like Nick Cave more. His music has alot of markers of things that I generally like. For whatever reason I just can't get into his music. I even saw him and the bad seeds live (at Lollapalooza but still) and I couldn't get into it.
No thanks.
I'd never listened to Nick Cave until I was given the Birthday Party (aka Vulva from Spaced, the album) album a few weeks ago. That was my first introduction and this is the second. I can't see a love blossoming any time soon. The music is good enough but his vocal is painful. The guests were crap too. It reminds me of slam poetry. I imagine the average fan is a depressed and unemployed English Literature graduate. I don't get it.
How does an album of murder ballads end up sounding so silly?
Bad poetry spoken over ok music.
Exactly what it says on the tin. If you're into an hour of murder ballads and songs with wild stories then this is for you. I didn't connect with it at all, but I appreciate the effort and care that clearly went into the albun
I always want to like Nick Cave, but he’s hit and miss for me. This one’s a miss. Murder Ballads is exactly what it says on the tin. Performed in a dark Tom Waits-esque pantomime that I don’t appreciate. 2⭐️
Average album, didn’t like the style of it, it’s not a bop but more a spoken lyric over a beat, which I normally don’t mind but this was what I can only describe as a frustrating listen. 4/10.
I like the idea of this album a lot more than the execution of this album.
Obviously Nick Cave's whole vibe is to sing like a vampiric crypt keeper, but this was a gimmick
I don't understand the obsession some people have with Nick Cave. Another depressing Nick Cave album; the first track is "Song of Joy" which is anything but joyful. The track "Lovely Creature" is almost happy. The track "Where the Wild Roses Grow" features Kylie Minogue and was a big hit apparently, but it's just as depressing as the rest of the album.
13/04/25 I dislike long, silly songs. There is creativity here, it's just boring.
Stagger Lee Henry Lee Where the Wild Roses Grow
Its a weird thing…songs about murder and murderers. Kind of interesting as a concept, but the music does not really capture me
Fairly cringey
I don't get it. He's a mechanic vampire that goes for sticker shock.
A chilling & warm record
This was a pretty heavy slog. There are a couple of songs that would be fine if listened to on their own but as a whole, this album was a chore and I didn't enjoy it.
Look, there are some good Nick Cave songs and probably a good Nick Cave album or two out there, but I find it hard to believe that this is one of them. There was just nothing spectacular or anything at all that stood out about the music or songwriting.
I will be the first person to shout at the top of my lungs how much I love the Bad Seeds. Why this list chose a rambling messy concept album instead of some of their incredible early work is beyond me. Sure, there’s some incredible songs, especially his duets with PJ Harvey and Kylie Minogue. But this is such a weird one-off take on murder ballads, and by the end the whole thing just drags itself along, culminating in the absolutely mind-numbing 15 minutes of “O’Malley’s Bar.” Nothing has the haunting, neurotic yelps of “From Her to Eternity” or the terrible creeping fear of “The Mercy Seat.” The whole time I’m here I’m just thinking of other good Nick Cave albums. Maybe, just maybe, we could’ve left this one off the list.
I hate this.
This isn’t for me but I get it
Very strange album which I didn't really like. Basically just stories spoken over music. That's fine, but the stories are very graphic for some reason. The music itself is decent - drums, guitar, some piano.
This is just Nick Cave talk singing stories about murder. Maybe nice for a thunderstorm evening or late October, but I don’t find much value in this. Overrated.
You know what I've never said to myself? "Hey I could sure go for some murder ballads right about now".
Holy shit! I for sure could have happily gone through my life without experiencing this. And if it doesn’t give me some nightmares there may be something psychologically wrong with me. Enjoyable it wasn’t, but it’s going to get an extra star just for the sheer twistedness of it! Life tip: please keep your distance from the people who are give this album five stars and say they love it. They worry me.
Disastrous
Nick Cave is just goth Chris Martin
Peaky fockin blinders, at first this album lost me but it slowly got me back to thinking it’s aight
Just likes the album cover; cold, bleak and unrelenting. A fun record, but by no means does it offer Cave's best lyrics or songwriting. Stagger Lee is a classic, and the features from PJ Harvey and Kylie Minogue are highlights, along with the 15 minute epic O'Malley's Bar only slightly outstays its welcome. Best Tracks: - Stagger Lee - The Curse Of Millhaven - Where The Wild Roses Grow Worst Tracks: - The Kindness Of Strangers Rating: 4/10
I couldn't wait for this to be over
I thought I liked Nick Cave. Guess I was wrong as far as this album is concerned.
Insipid, a bit dul in parts.
One of my favorite tunes along the lines of murder ballads is Country Death Song by Violent Femmes. I only like a couple of songs off this album and those had help from guest singers.
I've heard enough of this to decide it wasn't for me. I love PJ Harvey though so I'm going to give this a 2 star. - edited, a pretty low value of 2 star though
conceptually a very cool album, murder ballads are what you get. moody, dark, interesting storytelling. prior to listening to the entire album, the only song i had heard was where the wild roses grow, and i thought it was great. goddamn was i not expecting stagger lee, wild song. this isn't really an album where i'd save a song or listen repeatedly, but it does feel like a fun, morbid experience. nick cave is definitely an acquired taste.
What did I just listen to? The songs were all long but they seemed even longer than they actually were. Weird homophobic lyrics in "Stagger Lee" were offensive and the song devolved into something real annoying. This must have been Nick Cave's Leonard Cohen era. Between his voice and the style of the songs it might as well be Cohen but way more annoying. Did I mention annoying? Wow, that 14+ minute "O'Malley's Bar" was a slog. The one song that was worth the list was "Where the Wilde Roses Grow" not surprisingly the most popular song on the album based on Spotify listens.
Only a little familiar with Nick Cave. I like the name and art. Let’s see how it goes. Jesus Christ, Stagger Lee. Okay, I see what we’re dealing with here. Ok. So ok one hand I appreciate the lyrics — dark and often beautiful. On the other hand, does every nick cave song sound like a guy talk singing in a low voice? I love me some Dylan and waits and others with non-traditional voices but Nick cave’s just sorta bugs me. Otherwise this album kinda reminds me of the magnetic fields 69 love songs, just… murder themed. Some surprises: didn’t expect Kylie Minogue to show up, the aforementioned stagger Lee, and to a lesser extend PJ Harvey’s appearances. All in all something I’m glad I know about but wouldn’t seek out again. I wanted to rate it a 3 throughout most the album but the 14 minute o’malley’s bar was like a torture I never thought would end. By the end of this album, I think it’s a 2 for me.
What the Hell was that?!?!? So strange.
When I listen to this I can't help but hear Leonard Cohen, who has tortured us with numerous albums on this countdown. I did my best to listen to this, but it's just not my cup of tea. I'm sure Nick's family and hometown are proud.
Nick Cave is like the macabre version of Kid Rock. Some of his work sucks less, but it’s still obnoxious and creepy.
2 out of 5. Murder and Nick Cave's slow music wasn't a good fit for me here.
Almost tolerable, for once. Hardly a fan of toe tapping melodies though, is he And I hate how he's supposed to be some kind of god level musician
Just didn’t do it for me. Songs were not very good and that 14 minute song was a chore to get through. 2/5 Won’t listen again
I liked this a lot less than the first album we've listened to by Nick Cave, and probably a lot less than any of the other albums yet to come. The second half of the album with a few duets carried my attention much more but I think that murder ballads are just not my thing. 1.5
Where the wild roses grow und death is not the end fand ich gut. Ansonsten eher grenzwertig.
Ich dachte lange "interessant, Story songs" Where the wild Roses grows ist ein toller Klassiker, ich war bei 3 Sternen, aber das letzte Drittel war so scheiße und unerträglich. Songs der Playlist hinzugefügt: Where the wild Roses grow
3/10. It's not for me. I can see the appeal though, so not quite a 1 star.
I've tried listening to Nick Cave multiple times before this, and I just don't care for him. I didn't enjoy listening to this, I found it very boring.
Found it a little self-indulgent. Not huge on his vocal delivery. I enjoyed Stagger Lee and The Curse of Millhaven 2.5
This is the fifth Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds album I've had. Ridiculous. I actually found this album to be tolerable, unlike the other ones on this list. But, out of spite, I cannot rate this anything above a 2.
I get the style but I just don’t like it
I just don’t get Nick Cave. I’ve tried, because I’m sure I’m missing something, people with similar music tastes seem to love him, but the songs just aren’t for me. The music on this album felt quite simple and repetitive with exhausting rambling over the top. O’Malley’s Bar was particularly painful.
I didn’t find this to be very cohesive, but did enjoy the duet with PJ Harvey.
Too intense to listen to casually but pretty good as like, art and stuff. Somewhat unbearable... especially the 14 minute track. 2 star listen unfortunately. But I do like Nick Cave's other stuff.
this album was as big as a really fuckin big brick!!
Oh no no. At least it’s near Halloween
Not the type of Nick Cave that I enjoy. Too much Murder. Too many Ballads.
I didn’t expect the album name to be a literal description. I won’t rate it highly because I do not like the lyrics (I’m sure you all know by now that I am staunchly against murder). But the music is kinda fun. And nick cave’s voice is really compelling.
"So much joy" Where the wild roses grow - 5/5 Rest of the album was pretty annoying, id rather listen to Gogol bordello than this.
When I've been referring to overwrought murder ballads as Nick Cave's worst impulse in previous reviews, I was forgetting that he had an album flat out called Murder Ballads. The idea that O'Malley's Bar wouldn't fit on the other records and needed a whole album of murder ballads around it is a funny idea. Which Bad Seeds record did you think wouldn't fit a murder ballad, Nick? Henry's Dream? Really? anyway some of the instrumentation is cool at times. There's a little bit of interest in the idea of noting murder ballads as a fucked thing and deciding to take it to the extreme. But it totally misunderstands what's weird and fucked about murder ballads. It isn't grisly content. It's that we carry them around like they're just normal songs about timeless stuff. You hear a lovely rendition & wonder what the lyrics might be about - oh. well. kinda weird to sing that so nice isn't it. The stuff on this that isn't bathing in gore doesn't even get at the haunting part of traditional songs, only a fear of strangers. I think in the end Willie Nelson's Red Headed Stranger is a more disturbing piece of work. This one is like retreating from the world into comic books. music: hated. (⌐■_■)
I expected more. 5/10
I bought this album back when it came out and it was very disappointing. There are way better Nick Cave albums. The stories here get in the way of the music. Good stories don't necessarily make good songs. Some of the stories are just gratuitous violence without a point. Sure "Where the Wild Roses Grow" and the cover of "Death is Not the End" are fantastic, but, otherwise, it's hard to listen to this.
objectively good, but not really to my taste 5/10
Way too morose and “edgy”
Dreary dirges done in a Lenny Coen stylee. Just too much.
Not so alive
This might be the first album I doubt it has to be listened before die. No nothing
I don't think Nick Cave's style is really suited to this schedule of listening to an album every day. I think he does something well, but I'm just having trouble getting into it. Maybe if I were in the mood and had time to process, I would get it. But it was a rough listen.
Nick Cave and violence. My two favorite things to listen to during this project.
Well, it’s relentless, to be sure, as only an album where every song is about brutal murder can be. And, see, I guess that’s a clever concept, but maybe not quite as clever as Mr. Cave would want you to believe. As for the execution, I’m a bit torn. Some of the songs are quite beautiful, especially Ms. Harvey’s and Ms. Minogue’s. It’s good to get a break from Mr. Cave’s voice, which, again, I’m not as impressed as he is. Ultimately, though, I think even one more full listen would be quite difficult, not because the subject matter is so difficult to bear, but because so many of the tracks just go on and on into dullness.
This sort of spoken word-y thing + highlighting Cave's voice is not for me. Favorite songs are with the features…where I don’t have to listen to him as much.
This was a bit of a slog. Occasional good bits, but felt like homework. 2/5
This wasn't actually as bad as the other Nick Cave albums I've had. It was still bad though, so 2 stars.
O’Malleys bar might the worst song I’ve ever heard. Rest of the album is kind of interesting though. This is a weird one
Not his best album
It’s tough. I have a really hard time getting into this casual, melancholic style. There’s no redemption in it, it’s sad for the sake of the sad. His singing style is unrefined and the music choices are odd to say the least.
Nothing gets you going in the morning like listening to multiple songs about psychos murdering people.
That's not my taste in musik.
A fun album from a concept perspective, but I didn't love the lyricism, and the ballads themselves didn't feel anything special. Favorite song was "Where the Wild Roses Grow", though, which was very nice.
Second Nick Cave album in two weeks? I guess Murder Ballads is an apt title based on the first song alone; this could be in a horror movie or a depressing musical. This is ok but not my jam, 2*. This album has Kylie Minogue in it?! Highlights: the curse of millhaven, death is not the end (for the fee-fees it gave me)
Looking back at my history, this is my fourth Nick Cave album and I have rated all of them a two. This one is no different. I'm not a fan.
Meh
Struggled with this one
On paper I should really like Nick Cave but I just don’t. Maybe this should be a play rather than an album? Idk but still 2 stars.
I wasn't a big fan of this one. Kind of a weird album and not in a good way.
I think I like Nick Cave; I don’t think I like Murder Ballads, in particular. Maybe it’s because I’m listening to it in the dead of summer while I sweat my ass off with the AC on full blast, not on a dark snowy night deep in the throes of the Winter Blues. Maybe I don’t like the balladry concept, maybe I don’t like the traditional folk and lounge elements. Maybe I dislike the theatricality, and miss the harder edged post-punk of Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus. Maybe it’s a grower. It’s not completely devoid of value, and there’s some tracks I really love. I like Cave’s general vibe – dark, edgy, brooding, death obsessed and referential. But most of this was a slog, most of it was too edgy, and most of it never caught my ears or made me perk up. But then again, maybe I’m just burnt out.
Like listening to the cast recording for a musical you've never seen and have absolutely zero interest in ever seeing. I like Nick Cave's voice, and I like that he's found his niche, but I just couldn't find a single track on this album to really appreciate or enjoy. I was digging a bit of O'Malley's Bar, but then saw that track was like 14 minutes long and that pissed me right off. Sorry, but nobody's got time for songs that long! That is so overly self-indulgent, I just can't get behind it. Very cool album cover though.
97/1001 🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑
I honestly was not a big fan of the vocals on this LP, all of my favourite songs featured guest vocals, such as where the wild roses grow, and Henry Lee. Otherwise this album and the genre as a whole just isn't really up my alley
I disliked this more than I thought I would
Mid album Top tracks: Where the Wild Roses Grow
Far too cool for me
Wow. This was uh. Something. It’s fun if it’s a campy murdery ballad thing. But like. It’s not fun to listen to. I’ll add a few to our Halloween playlists but like. I’m not gonna listen to this album again.
The guy singing sounds like the grinch. Even though I didn’t really like this. I’ve got this strange feeling that my friend Tyler is loving this. 4/10
Grungy, hard and a little dark...not really my vibe
I had a Nick Cave phase a few years ago but somehow never listened to this album all the way through. I love Henry Lee and Where the Wild Roses Grow very much. There are a lot of interesting parts of The Curse of Millhaven and I think the crying in The Kindness of Strangers adds a lot to the song. I think I like Nick Cave on a song level because listening to this album all in one go felt like a slog, even though there are definitely elements of this album I thought were great.
I just don’t think Nick Cave does it for me. Very monotonous, but I appreciate the storytelling aspect of this album
Great voice, great story teller. Maybe he should just read an audiobook
Couple of great tracks followed by too many paint by numbers Cave songs
Interesting concept for an album and cool for the novelty but fairly boring musically.
Not my sound, but Where The Wild Roses Grow isn't bad.
Not really enjoyable.
Classical example of a poet who should let someone else sing his work. Alas, ego. 2 stars for being uniquely bad.
The album goes around one theme, murder and has a lot of weird lyrics. The music is really not my cup of tea and I can't stand his voice and singing style. The 14-minute song, O' Malley's Bar would be far better as a poem, not a song which was just pretty unbearable. 2 stars - only because of Where The Wild Roses Grow, and Crow Jane.
Probably the best album of all time that features back to back songs called "X Lee"
Nope. 😂
Nick Cave just has this weird brooding thing for me. Pretty sure I said the same thing about a different album of his that I've had in this list. Reminds me of the vampire musical that is in the plot line of Forgetting Sarah Marshall.
Kinda sad kinda weird
If you’re feeling depressed and want to wallow in it, this may be exactly what you need
I love the dark atmosphere but vocally this album just irritates me. Nick Cave is by far the weakest part of this album and it's such a problem that the really cool instrumentals are over shadowed by how terrible Nick Cave is. Vocally the best parts of the album are the ones done by the guest singers. This has the potential to be a good record but it is marred by the terrible vocal performance and the incredibly cheesy lyrics.
Dark and darker, as advertised. Edgar Allan Poe would be pleased. Difficult listen. Musically OK.
As much as I like the idea of Nick Cave, I've just never been into his music.
C'est insoutenable.
I'm not a fan of podcasts or rap music because one needs to focus and give one's undivided attention to the words and lyrics and when I listen to music I typically just want to relax and let my mind wander through the music. That being said, this album is basically poetry or narration set to music. There is some variety when PJ and Kylie appear as vocalists, but overall Nick Cave's morose and very dark delivery of his dialogue is a bit of a slog for me. Yes, the lyrics are well written but this is not something that I would seek out.
Don't know the appropriate time to listen to a full album of murder ballads 2
Quite a disastrous experience by listening to this album. When your best song is supposed to be with Kylie Minogue, you are not doing things right. And it still was pretty bad. The album was saved by "The Kindness of Strangers". Liked that track. The rest was mid to bad.
I just gave Dimery a heart attack by telling him "Nick Cave and Tom Waits are nowhere near as important to the history of recorded music as you think." I despise the premise of the album. I'm tired of listening to Nick Cave treat his albums like e-books. PJ Harvey and Kylie Minogue are the guest artists from my personal hell. The instrumentals...are actually kinda cool. They'll spare this album from the 1 I truly want to give it.
didn't listen to the whole thing, but i got the vibe. the vibe was weird.
Not a big Cave fan generally, but on this one he seems to lean into everything I like least about him, without any of the payoff.
It was fine. Not my type of music.
For masse Nick Cave
Disgusting album cover
Listened to about half of it Another dodgy guy Thought every song was grim and sounded like a halloween song Certainly not music to hype oneself up Not great
Jesus Christ…then I remembered it’s called Murder Ballads so it shouldn’t have come as such a surprise. But then I went back to be like, “Jesus…”
Sure but I don't get how I would listen to this on daily basis
For a second, based on the cover I thought this was an Iron Maiden album but was very dissapointed to know it was Nick Cave and his dirty bad seeds. This album cover is still killer, even if these songs almost all got skips from me. I'm sure I said it on his other albums on here, but he's in the same category as Tom Waits. I don't connect to his music at all.
Gee, what do I say here? I've actually been looking forward to this album because I've heard people sing its praises. It's an interesting concept, an album of murder ballads. But Nick Cave just doesn't hit the right spot for me. It's funny that PJ Harvey is featured because it made me think of her "Let England Shake" high concept album, where there was a strong message being delivered but the music was just boring. This music is a lot less boring than that album, but it's just goofy. I think Nick Cave belongs in a category with Tom Waits, under the label "troubadour." This is the kind of music that plays in that tavern in Shrek 2. Favorite tracks: Stagger Lee, Where the Wild Roses Grow. Album art: Honestly really cool, a painting of an isolated shack in the woods. Love the primary color scheme. 2.5/5
Ballads about murder, literally. Musically, the album is very boring. At some point I found myself skipping ahead or just reading the lyrics, because they are what makes the work artistically valuable for me. Should have been "Murder Poems".
The album sounds great and I like Nick cave but it’s like the saw movies
Good God this album was tough to finish. He just droned on and on and on and on and on and on!
In terms of listenability, I didn’t like like this album. The storytelling/poetry is good but I much prefer their other albums like Abbatoir Blues and The Boatman’s Call.
4/10 Last song was best
The Kylie Minogue feature is alright I guess
Aww, sweet! People getting murdered! I like the concept but the execution is far from interesting
There's a small handful of Nick Cave songs that I like but this album doesn't have many of them. Stagger Lee is probably my fav on this album.
As you'd expect from the title, this album is not full of sunshine and rainbows. It's desperate, dark, and, at times, downright deranged. I mean, the FBI or Interpol or somebody definitively has Nick Cave on a watch list, right? There was a hint of Jim Morrison at his self destructive best that stood out and the featured vocals were nice, but overall, I think this album was forgettable. Or at least I hope so.......
This was difficult to rate. I really like the idea of this. There are some cool songs: The Curse of Millhaven. But the lows were really low. In O’Malleys Bar, his vocal delivery is awful. Honestly that whole song is horrible. There are many moments throughout the album that I had a hard time taking seriously. Many times I felt like I could be listening to Tenacious D. Also, he has to edit out his creepy breathing. Perhaps that’s a choice, but it’s really jarring. I guess this is a 2. Idk
They weren't lying, this truly was an album full of ballads about murder. A little morbid and not my personal cup of tea but they sounded well made I cannot deny. Stand out songs: - Death Is Not the End
“I’m a bad mother fucker, don’t you know And I’ll crawl over fifty good pussies just to get to one fat boy’s asshole” Said Stagger Lee 2.5
musically middling, content too dark for my taste
Still not convinced by Nick Cave, perhaps i never will be...
Pari kivaa duettoa, joista toisessa jopa koukun tapainen. Mutta pelkäänpä pahoin, että Caven "kultin" jäsenet luulevat muidenkin näistä olevan huippukappaleita - ja kuoleman ja synkkyyden olevan syvyyttä.
dissapointing. it got worse as the album went on. most of the sounds were just there to support his dumb murder lyrics. song of joy when he doesn't sing is alright.
meh. weird album. not good
Too melancholy
Where the Wild Roses Grow
meh
Those were some really weird lyrics...
Literally what
Big ups to the always great and welcome PJ Harvey, who literally saves this album from a 1 rating. Just when you're ready to write this thing off, out comes Polly Jean to drown out whatever the hell Nick Cave is going for here. She's like Eddie Murphy showing up in that atrocious Dudley Moore movie called Best Defense for seemingly no reason.
No era el día para escucharlo. Es lo que tiene eso de comprometerse a escuchar un disco cada día. Por otro lado, si fuera realmente algo potente me habría despertado. Le voy a dar 2 estrellas y me lo apunto para volver a escucharlo. (lo siento Nick)
I don't know what it is about pervy, charismatic, tall, thin men, but I'm not a fan. Even if I was, this is not the strongest set of Cave songs. Too many dirges, too much meh.
Not good, Nick.
Didn't really vibe with this one. The vocals weren't that good in my opinion I get that there was supposed to be some profound meaning in these Murder Ballads but it was entirely lost on me The Curse of Millhaven was kind of fun 2/5
Very odd album. I didn't like it overall, but you cannot fault the commitment to a naff concept. Much of it was dreary and monotonous, however I didn't mind Where the Wild Roses Grow - nice to break things up. Red Right Hand is a good song, so I might be tempted to go and listen to some of his other work with the Bad Seeds, but I do feel there's no stylistic range.
Now, I like Nick Cave. A lot. But this? Not for me, just seems to be Nick shouting. Struggled to get through it! I’ll stick with his later stuff that got me into him, and sadly award this just the deuce. Shame really, I was looking forward to this one.
Te juro que no quiero darle tan mala nota pero lo termino haciendo porque es un album que no es para mí, no lo terminé de enteder. Ni por la composición ni su contenido, creo que con un poco de contexto antes hubiera mejorado mucho más su nota.
I feel like this album will really grow on me. I’ve heard of Nick Cave before but have never given any of his music a try but he’s definitely pique my interest. Lot of the songs go too long and the whole project is very rough around the edges but the good parts made the album a good listen throughout. The features especially were highlights to me. Worth a listen (and if you don’t like the first 10 minutes just skip it because it’ll be the same the rest of the way)
The first track is called Song of Joy, so I think, "Oh! That sounds hopeful and like maybe it'll be more upbeat than the usual dirges he sings!" Boy howdy I was wrong. The Stagger Lee adaptation is a travesty. There are three tolerable songs on this album, and they're only tolerable because they have other people carrying the load for him. I really just don't get the appeal for Nick Cave. Pretty much everything he's ever released makes me want to throw myself in front of a bus. Or (more probably) want to throw him in front of a bus.
Who did Nick Cave blow to be on this list 5 fucking times. Seriously? This is my 4th album of is and it's just as bland and dull as his others. Again this felt like the same song being repeated over and over again. Thank god I only have one more of this trash left. 2.5/5
Meh
mid, too aggressive for me
I feel like I should like this album more, but I guess it’s just not my thing
Came into this with high hopes and it has some really solid tracks, but felt quite overindulgent at times.
Just kinda listened without listening. Nothing grabbed my attention
If you look up "tryhard" in the Urban Dictionary, there's a picture of Nick Cave (probably). Best track: Where the Wild Roses Grow
Murder Ballads is the ninth album by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. As the title suggests, the album contains songs about crimes of passion - in fact every song except one has lyrics about a death happening. This album received widespread critical acclaim and was the band's biggest commercial success to date. I found the songs to be decent, but the theme of murder/death did get old after a while. Not a bad album, instead it was a unique one that I'm glad I was able to listen to completely at least once.
Music for people who regret their Nightmare Before Christmas tattoo.
Another album from the underwhelming Nick Cave. To give credit where it's due, this one has an interesting theme running throughout, although executed rather haphazardly. He really sounds like a tryhard here. Two very generous bloody knives for you Nick. 🔪🔪
yeah, not my favorite. Kinda interesting stories and vocals but not really my thing.
I like some of their stuff but was really not into this. It all kinda ran together.
The album's true to its title, but it's that one-note focus that makes this record a tiresome listen. I'm especially not fond of the guest singers who seem to spring up on every other track. All that being said, Nick Cave's a captivating performer and poet, a talented visionary. I'm a big fan. (And 'Stagger Lee' is really fun).
is this album any good? that would be an ecumenical matter. actually, pretty sure they would say this was pish. giving it an extra star for annoying the church.
Long ago, I knew someone who yakked on and on about his love for Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. That someone was a horrible person, and I mostly found this to be a horrible album, so a few things have at least fallen into place. This might have earned a 3 if the producer had deleted all of Cave's vocal tracks... it's no coincidence that the most listenable songs are when he's joined by female guest vocalists, who bring some much needed balance. I can just about get why Nick Cave is regarded as some sort of creative genius, but it's just no fun to listen to.
Yeah, no. A star for Where the Wild Roses Grow otherwise I'm out.
Again, not a fan. However, I think if I was exposed to NC&TBS more, I might learn to like them. For now, meh.
Mjah, het duet met Kylie is uiteraard prachtig. Maar verder is het me toch iets teveel dronkemans gelal
Geen prettige plaat. Nummers lijken op andere nummers en ik vind z'n stem hier vervelend.
Murder ballads sound cool, but I dreaded listening to more Nick Cave after the execrable Ghosteen. I find his "quirkiness" irritating, and I had to skip the Wild Rose song because it was on the CD that my abusive former workplace used to play on repeat.
Weird talking music, kinda neat tho but not good
I do not like this style of music. His voice is annoying, the "spoken word" style of music doesn't hit me. The songwriting seems like its trying to be deep but I cannot take it seriously
Not for me
Interesting album theme, but not my thing.
I just couldn't get into this one. I got the theme. The instrumentals kept to the theme and were complex enough to be worthy of praise. Maybe I just wasn't in a dark, murdery type places. If I am, I know where to go.
Rock experimental. Aburrido.
Well, Nick Cave, you did it! You took Bone Machine and made it worse! The day we are rid of his albums on this list will be in the top 10 happiest days of my life. 3/10
Ik vind dit een saai album. Stem van de zanger staat me ook niet aan. **
Disappointing and not good.
Not a big of songs about murder
bloederig en grimmig. Te musicalachtig vind ik.
Best cool, maar voelt meer als een luisterboek. Niet echt voor mij
Meh.
I'm sure that musically, it has some merit, but I didn't enjoy this at all. Really was a "WTF did I just listen too" moment for me.
Overall this was awful.
Guest singers are great. Weird style for me but it feels like one of those albums that shock you at first and then you learn how to appreciate...not sure if it's worth more than 2-3 stars for me right now.
What a weird album. Some of the songs were entertaining. I had never heard of Nick Caves before. He sounded like Leonard Cohen a little bit. There is a 15 minute song on this album and that is completely unnecessary. I don't see myself listening to any of the songs again.
Just found it all a bit boring, not much to it.
Someone had to make an album like this, I guess.
This is like type o negative meets Michael buble
Really odd and dark storytelling that was quite colorful. I wouldn’t really listen to this for the music itself. It was really just more of a narrative with a score.
Overall, not my style. Interesting concept overall, crimes of passion. Not a huge fan of the sort of talking over a rhythm section. There were a couple songs I liked: Where the Wild Roses Grow, The Curse of Millhaven.
2/5 too sobby
"Stagger Lee" was pretty good. Otherwise, not worth listening to. On the bright side, this was the fourth Nick Cave album I had to listen to on this list so I think that's the last one.
Boring.
No album title in this collection more accurately reflects its contents. While Kylie’s presence offers a nice break from the mostly tedious vocals, this is mostly gloomy and turgid (but one should have expected that). 2.5 > 2
Couple of decent songs.
Where the wild roses grow - fiu fiu fiu extra. Reszta poniżej przeciętnej, każda piosenka w formie ballady z historią która potrafiła się dłużyć. Niektórych utworów nie mogłem do końca przesłuchać bo zaczął wyć jak w Stagger Lee. 2.5/5
I bet this album is very polarizing. I didn't particularly like it. It wanted to be moody and depressing but I just found it boring. I don't care for the rambling stories for lyrics.
Don’t mind his voice but not my thing otherwise.
There is just a ridiculous amount of Nick Cave on this list. This is another okay, slightly overly pretentious outing of his work..
Meh
Boring
Je peux vraiment comprendre l'attrait de cet artiste, mais pour moi on dirait une version plus rock alternative et moins bonne de Leonard Cohen. Des bonnes tounes par-ci par-là mais plusieurs dont j'avais hâte qu'elles finissent
Just kinda cringey. It’s art but lacks a campfire quality that might make it sound like a western tale. There are a few Nick Cave moments I love, but none of them are here. The best part was PJ Harvey.
From reading the other reviews, seems like there are deeper meanings to each song, but musically I just don’t enjoy it, so I can’t get into it.
weird. And weird in a bad way.
Other than the gimmick of comprising an album full of songs about murder and death, this is a pretty boring album
Hard to listen to! If I didn’t know who Nick Cave was I’d have thought this was a spoof album.
Dark and bluesy but not inspiring
I'm convinced that Nick Cave could have been a theatrical performer. Otherwise, there's not much to this album that I enjoyed other than "Where the Wild Roses Grow". Maybe that's more because of Kylie?
Didn’t enjoy
Un disco muy interesante y siniestro. Es una cosa rara que seguramente jamás habría escuchado de no ser por esta lista, y aunque está bien ejecutado y producido, dudo mucho volver a escuchar por gusto. Por cierto, este está como que en la misma línea del disco de Berlin, justo antes de este.
Points for originality but not for me
“The Curse of Millhaven” was catchy I’ll give them that but I’m NOT listening to a 14 min song that is that mediocre. 2.7
I dont think I get nick cave. probably didnt give it a fair shot
a good album for halloween and nothing else
kringel
- i understand the praise that it receives but its just not for me x - waiting for the kylie minogue feature PLS - 2/5 for me - likes: stagger lee, where the wild roses grow, the kindness of strangers - dislikes: the curse of millhaven (not the motown hoedown i cant)
No sabía que había un género de música que se hace horrible a propósito. Ahora lo sé.
Imagine unironically being Australian. Embarrassing
Exactly what it said it would be.
I hate it. I couldn't finish listening to it. I think he's interesting but it's not for me.
it all got a bit samey to the end of this. i really wanted to like it, but it just isn't grinderman. nigel, come back, i really want to know what you've got to say about this.
Liked Where the Wild Roses Grow and The Curse of Millhaven. Something different and interesting, if not unsettling as hell. Album cover is also pretty cool, one of my favorites so far
5
Not my cup of tea
Yeah I did not enjoy this and there were filthy lyrics in there. I know it is about murder but it was scary music and not enjoyable. I know it is controversial to not like Nick Cave, and I feel like everyone has always just expected me to. But I said it, I'm not a Nick Cave fan. Its out there. Leave me alone
Sonically very interesting. It’s moody and dark but still lush and bright in spots. I dig it but it’s not my favorite so far. It’s kind of same-y for me. I can’t quite describe it. Shoutout to Kylie.
Some fun parts in this, but it wasn’t really my jam. The “la da da da das” and “la da da da dees” got on my nerves lol
I understand it’s relevance in music and can appreciate that, but this is definitely not an easy listen for me.
I don't get it...
Conceptually interesting but completely nondynamic
Just OK.
It's a clever concept but I just can't get into the dark, violent lyrics
Liked the Kylie song the best. Couldn’t get into - lots of creepy stories short on tunes. Sorry.
Not for me.
Melodramatic, and not in a fun, satisfying, or endearing way. The delivery, while not exactly convincing, is fine. The playing is also generally decent. Hasn't exactly turned me off of Mr. Cave, but it doesn't bode well that this is one of his more popular projects. The worst parts of horrorcore, indie-rocked.
I can appreciate the concept but I personally did not enjoy it. The lyrics were almost too good at describing the gruesome deaths in the songs. I also wasn't a huge fan of his singing voice. There were some nice moments like Where the Wild Roses Grow but otherwise I found it off-putting.
How many fucking albums does Nick Cave have on here. Make it fucking stop wasting my time with his terrible singing.
🤮 I’ve had more than enough of this shit as well!
Definitely not my vibe. Snuff songs? No thanks
this listen shortened my life span
O'Malley's Bar was so bad and dragged on for so long, bringing this down from a 2 to a 1
Yikes another Nick Cave album on the list and its the same tired old schtick of talking slow and deep.
non non
In another context, like... an open mic or something, this would be something so bad you'd talk to your friends about it after. 'Remember that fucking weird guy who spoke those interminable songs about murder? Worst thing I've ever seen'. But here he is being revered. Don't get Nick Cave, never will.
Not my vibe
Nah
I won't say the music is bad. It's like a psychopathic Tom Waits. But I don't think the world is a better place with a bunch of demented murder ballads. I'll never listen to this again.
I really don't like this guy's music
Just not my vibe
Nick Cave coming in hot with more drunk uncle ruining karaoke night vibes. Just dreadful.
0/10 listening to it felt like doing a plank if you wanna tell a story make a book dont make a shity song and make your voice deep it wont help the song
cool album art but this was a hard listen
One of the most revolting and sickening albums I’ve ever listened to.
Truly one of the worst listening experiences of my life.
It sounded to me like what a pirate would sing if he was allowed to make an album. I did not enjoy this one
tétrico. No em gusto ni la voz ni las melodías
I would rather do electro shock therapy, than listen to this.
Interesting concept idea after reading about it. But, I’m reviewing based on music and ability to listen and enjoy.
Nick Cave has been added to my 1* club. Not only should he not record music, the people who put him on this list shouldn’t interact with music in any way. They are war criminals.
Not for me. 1/5
These seeds sure were bad
Unfortunately not my cup of tea
I got through the first two songs, then bailed on this one. I like a few of Nick Cave's songs, but I just couldn't stand this at all. He just really doesn't nail that "talking stories along with a musical track" thing the way Leonard Cohen does.
That guy should stick to singing in the shower.
Hey list man, I know you have a thing for Nick, but it doesn't matter how many times (1 is too many) you put him on here, he does not get any better.
Its like a Leonard Cohen thing. Not for me. Not interesting to me at all.
Weird and cringe