Reviews (page 7 of 9)
dark af. but great 1. 4 2. 3 3. 5 4. 5 5. 5555555 I've loved this song since I've first heard it years and years ago 6. 5 7. 4.5 8. 5 9. 3.5 O'Malley's Bar - I see this one is a fan-favourite, but to me it was so... tiring? I see it's a masterpiece, but I found it too long and disliked some of the 'singing' 10. 5
3.75
I used to listen to this all the time! Love Nick Cave
Suddenly Nick Cave makes sense for me! A proper album, Old Testament-thumping American Gothic that peaks and troughs perfectly, with "Where the Wild Roses Grow" as its tenderly beating heart.
Spoko muza ale nie będę tego słuchał
4.5
I'm not sure if I'm just not in the mood for Nick Cave this morning, or what, but I didn't like this album quite as much as the previous Nick Cave albums that I've gotten. It's not bad at all, but I really enjoyed his other works, while this left me a bit flat, though, to be fair, I am in a shitty mood 3/5
As much as I like the idea of Nick Cave, I've just never been into his music.
C'est insoutenable.
1h de lamentations de la part de Nick Cave et ses mauvaises graines, qui revient une nouvelle fois dans le générateur sans que personne ne comprenne bien pourquoi.
Terrible.
Nick decides he wants to make an album about murder and invites two of his ex girlfriends (Anita and PJ) and his current girlfriend (Kylie) to sing. You can’t make this stuff up. I remember the first time I heard The Kindness of Strangers and the the line about Mary Bellows: “They found her the next day cuffed to the bed, rag in her mouth and bullet in her head”. This is sung while there is haunting weeping / whimpering in the background (provided by one of his exes of course). Just when you think the level of depravity could not get more extreme, O’Malley’s Bar comes on. Jerry Bellows (perhaps Mary Bellow’s dad?) is taken care of in that song. This is done by using an “ashtray as big as a fucking really big brick” to split his skull in half. Wow. How could you not conclude that Nick was one weird motherfucker? The album ends with a Bob Dylan song that nobody ever heard of and I see that song as a helpful message to those in need which is an interesting way to finish. I’ve heard of Nick singing at a couple of funerals which is interesting. One was Shane MacGowan’s funeral last week. Shane sang one of the versus on Death is Not the End (each of Nick’s girlfriends also contributed a verse.) Do you not have to be fucked up to write these songs? Nick could of course throw it back at me by saying “Do you not have to be fucked up to enjoy listening to this?” Guilty as charged. I really like this album but try to make sure people don’t see me enjoying it. Sort of the same surreptitious behaviour I employ when reading something like Anaïs Nin’s Little Birds.
My favourite songs are the ones where Nick brings in PJ and Kylie as co-vocalists. I like the other tracks individually, the production more than Nick’s delivery, but at the end of the day it’s difficult to listen to a whole album about murder, sometimes graphically recounted.
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.
This is the most deplorable, disgraceful, and depraved collection of songs I think I may have ever heard. It’s beautiful. The album thrives in the gutters of life. I wish it was just a little more exciting and that he took a little more time with the writing, but I’m fine with everything else. 3/5
If I wanted a bunch of short stories about murder I’d read them, not listen to some poorly sung boring songs.
3 Nick Caves in a month after ~600 albums without him, better late than never I guess In the first 3 songs, I couldn’t decide whether this was going to be a 5 or a 1 star. Lyrics are certainly grisly and profane, yet there’s something admirable about the stubborn commitment to the titular murder ballads. Will need more time to process, but loved much about the music, even though the over-the-top morbidity of the lyrics started to wear me down. Highly recommend listening after dark HL: “The Curse of Millhaven”, “Henry Lee”, “Wild Roses”, “Song of Joy” 3* or 1* or 5* November 29, 2023
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.
Estava pensant "bua quin estil més interessant, m'encanta" i aleshores a la segona cançó una senyora ha començat a cridar a tota ostia. A part dels crits de la senyora, m'han agradat molt. Trobo que és el tipus de música que mai fa pal escoltar i l'he gaudit molt en conjunt. Especialment com canvia de "balades" més lentes a un estil més animat però sense que es noti o xoqui
Liked it more as it went on. Definitely unique and think it could be more enjoyable if I was in a better mood for it. Rating: 3.7
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.
I had reservations about the album, especially after listening to the first track. It is seldom that I am in the mindset to listen to this type of theme. But it grew on me. I am secretly wishing I remember this next time I mentally need something comparable. Will listen again
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.
story
I often enjoy off center/ballad albums, but this one just really did not do it for me
I really wanted to like it more than I did! 😂 I find the concept interesting but the final result a bit stale. And how much more Nick Cave do we really need on this list?
I love murder ballads!
Reminds me of Spanish train
Fucking terrible. The second track is over the top dirty and just dumb. It's hard to take this seriously at all.
This is made for theatre kids (derogatory)
I like the one with PJ Harvey. But overall, it's not one of the albums I like. Probably because I am not in the mood of murder today :))
2nd cave so far. I preferred ghosteen, but this album is very very good. Song with pj is good, song with Kylie is excellent, Dylan cover at the end with everybody is good. It's creepy it's haunting, it's good. Omallays is another highlight Strong 4/5
Zero interest in this, overwrought lyrics, weird screechy sounds
didn't listen to the whole thing, but i got the vibe. the vibe was weird.
Rating: 9/10 Amazing album. Great storytelling, loved the way Nick Cave used his voice, he was singing the songs in a multitude of ways. Instrumentally this is fantastic as well, very creative. The band have their own style and sound which deviates enough from popular music to make it interesting for the entire listen. The second half of this album is not as musically interesting or creative as the first but still great, first half is a 10/10 for me. Favorite songs: Song of Joy, Stagger Lee, Lovely Creature, Where the Wild Roses Grow, The Curse of Millhaven, Death is Not the End. Least favorite song: The Kindness of Strangers.
This record was a mixed bag for me. There's musical ideas all over this thing that I love. The drawback is often Cave's (unarguably impressive) vocal performance. It's so cabaret at times that I struggle to connect with his narration. He's often playing a character but it's often a character so repulsive that it can make it a tough listen. Some of his vocal inflections are in general just a little irritating to me despite his very skilled performance. There's more to like than dislike on this thing so overall I give it a decent 7.
Shew. This was a rough listen. The vocals were obviously done before auto tune. Lyrically it was rough too. I won't be revisiting this album.
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.
Astonishingly violent. Astonishingly captivating. Will return.
It was fine. Not my type of music.
For masse Nick Cave
tositosi raskas, samalla kyl varsin vaikuttava! ei ehkä paras lattiakaivon pesun yhteytee eikä sellanen et päätyis mun listoille mut mielenkiintone nontheless
Not my thing.
Sounds like nights out in the late 1990’s. My flatmate loved this album. I like it quite a bit, but Nick Cave’s delivery is easily mocksble, second only to Type O Negative’s Pete Steele.
Will def give it another listen. It’s a fun concept album
Absolutely terrible album. Music to commit suicide to. Horrible
Disgusting album cover
This is some dark shit. Seems the perfect music to be hearing just past Halloween. They're all really good, but the songs with guest vocalists PJ Harvey, Kylie Minogue and Shane Macgowan I like a lot. Death is Not the End and Where the Wild Roses Grow are my favorites.
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
Completely mixed feelings. 1 or 5 stars so I split the difference. Interesting and riveting on one hand and disgusting garbage on the other hand. Draws me in or pushes me away.
I was listening to the podcast Behind the Bastards and the host, Robert Evans, was talking about his love of this album. Just a funny little coincidence. I would call it spooookkkkyyyy, but it happened the day after Halloween
That was terrible
Just a bit too avant garde for me.
Haunting. Nick Cave is an excellent story teller. This album to me is more or less a really, really sad western movie in the format of song.
Quite shocking lyrics for a first timer but the melodies and keys were quite seductive. Increasingly grew on me. Good for what it was. Ended on a high.
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.
Why’d you try to ruin Stagger Lee like that?
Like why though?
More murder
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…”
Interesting one! I probably wouldn’t seek it out for a re-listen but it’s unlike a lot of albums I’ve heard.
Excellent.
I'd forgotten how good this album was. 4.5 stars, to leave room for his even better ones.
starts bad but gets great in the second 2/3
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
What crazy album. Great fir holloween. Literally Folk Murder Ballads.
Un gran álbum de rock-pop gótico. A pesar de contar con canciones largas y densas, la experiencia de escucha se hace bastante corta y agradable. Las pistas más destacables del disco son las colaboraciones con PJ Harvey y Kylie Minogue, con quienes Cave interactúa de forma casi perfecta.
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".
I think I had listened to this before, but probably a long time ago. I recognised Stagger Lee, the PJ Harvey song and the Kylie Minogue song. Overall a very interesting and well written album. Not one I would be in the mood to dive into often, but I would listen again.
Cool stories
The album sounds great and I like Nick cave but it’s like the saw movies
Love this album, So many great tracks! Standouts: Where The Wild Roses Grow, Henry Lee, Crow Janes, Stagger Lee, The Curse of Millhaven, The Kindness of Strangers, Death is Not The End Others: Song of Joy, O'Malley's Bar 4.5
Ah the campish drama of a Nick Cave record. Lyrically descriptive storytelling like Country music paired with theatrical melodies and vibe. No doubt there is some deeper meaning with this record which is going to fly over my head as, to be honest, I don't care. It doesn't really move me musically or interest me intellectually though I didn't mind The Curse of Millhaven track, that I could listen to more than once. The rest, less so.
Good God this album was tough to finish. He just droned on and on and on and on and on and on!
I can't say anything bad. Nick Cave has his style and this album fully shows it. It's adventurous, calm, brutal. It's like a long poem. It has character, great stories, and even an epilogue.
Favourite tracks: death is not the end; O'Malley's bar; where the wild roses grow
That was interesting, but tried to carry and unearned weight. It didn't say anything, just reveled in darkness. It was interesting, but I cannot say I enjoyed it.
This made for a weird and fun listen while driving one of my favourite country routes. This worked pretty well for that! I don't know how much of this I'll come back to, though. Some of the songs passed me by a bit. Where the Wild Roses Grow really moved me though. A beautiful-yet-macabre tale of a lady murdered by her lover, and an overall amazing duet between Nick Cave and Kylie Minogue. Almost impossible for me to pick my favourite between this and the next song on the album, The Curse of Millhaven. I think that one might win out just because of how ridiculous it is. A tale of a psychotic young girl on a murderous rampage, complete with a tuneful and almost circus-esque folk backing. Definitely the highlight of the album. This was generally a weird, fun and disturbing record. Not my favourite, but certainly different! Favourite: The Curse Of Millhaven
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.
I love a good concept album.
Great. The big song with Kylie Minogue is definitely not the high point. First and second songs are an awesome introduction. O'Malleys Bar is SO GOOD Last song with Kylie Minogue again is not very good. I feel like this is a 4.5 for me but it's definitely not a 5, so just going with the 4.
4/10 Last song was best
I didn't really enjoy the concept behind this album and I'm not a massive fan of Nick Cave's voice but I liked the the duets and a couple of other songs with quite pretty vocal arrangements.
I kind of liked it. Melodious enough with dark tales within when I tuned in. Second to last song went on tho.
Incredibly weird but a good listen a high 3.4
Moody and powerful
Ok
The Kylie Minogue feature is alright I guess
This album has got such a sense of style and mood to it. From the cover alone the tone is set, and the album really carries that promise through the whole thing. I'd had 'Where the Wild Roses Grow' on my main playlist for years, but this was another classic case of not delving into the album as a whole. I think I did once, but maybe got unstuck after the first song, which frustratingly is a bit of a slog. It picks up a lot from there. Stagger Lee has some real bite, and that's followed by Henry Lee which is a lovely duet. Outside of those, I thought The Kindness of Strangers was also one of the better individual tracks. O'Malley's Bar threatens to derail it as it's SUCH a long samey song again, but it's then finished off with Death Is Not the End which is a great closer. As an album and overall piece of art I think it's very good.
Why is there a 14 minute song.Besides that it’s fine.Nick caves usual spooky sounds.
Love it!
Hard pass on this one Nick Cave
Aww, sweet! People getting murdered! I like the concept but the execution is far from interesting
halfway through, I really dont want to finish the album but I will. At some point they stopped trying to make "music" and instead just played the blood-curling of a woman dying in an industrial meat grinder and somehow that didnt make the album worse than it already was
He does write a good murder ballad. This is my first Nick Cave album and I’d be happy to check out more.
I’m not gonna lie: I did not enjoy most of this. I tend to like ballads and murder ballads and I think it’s cool how much of early American folk is just about crime. That said, the grung-y 90’s sound on these tracks abandons almost all that is charming about these songs and replaces it with bad and lazy rock. These songs belong in a B horror movie (derogatory).
Given the name I’m not sure why, but I hoped Murder Ballads would be an alright album to put on during my morning Amtrak ride. Alas, I was wrong, and from the very first track, Nick Cave makes clear that he intends to give us some murderous ballads indeed. He somehow gives a Tarantino vibe (particularly in “Where the Wild Roses Grow”), so this music definitely has a time and a place, but I’m just not feeling it right now. To complement my morning train ride, I instead put on Orange Blossom Special by Johnny Cash about halfway through Connecticut. New England may be on the wrong side of the Mason-Dixon Line, but starting off my day with the Man in Black is always good for my attitude, regardless of my latitude.
Indulgent, but when isn't he?
One of my favourite Bad Seeds albums.
I was a little apprehensive when I saw Nick Cave’s name come up for today’s album because I really disliked the album by the Birthday Party that I listened to. But then I remembered that I quite enjoyed Abbatoir Blues by him with the Bad Seeds, so I’m quite hopeful with this today. Songs I already knew: none Favourites: Where The Wild Roses Grow, Death Is Not The End For the first couple of tracks, I wasn’t too sure about this. However, this album grew and grew on me as it went on and I found myself really enjoying it. Unsurprisingly, given the album name, it feels like it could be the soundtrack to a crime drama. Nick’s voice is as discount as I’ve come to expect and kept me hooked as a listener. I was also very surprised by how much I loved the song with Kylie. I’ve never particularly been a fan of Kylie so thought it strange that she features on a song, but is sounds fantastic.
Interesting concept, kinda like a vulgar version of The Doors. Which I'm sure that's gonna offend someone that I compared these two but its just the vibe I'm getting. Tons of ambient soundscape work in these tracks, I actually had to mute the song at one point to make sure I wasn't hearing background noise from another browser tab. Really enjoyed it.
Great band, great singer, great ballads, great contributions from PJ Harvey and Kylie Minogue, but not the greatest album. 10 ballads in a row is quite a struggle to get through, although every song is almost perfect. Light melody, some nice bass lines, bit of a toned drums and Nick Cave reciting or sometimes singing the lyrics. Only problem is, one song per day is enough. Definitely their other albums are more approachable.
Very creative. I had no idea O'Malley's Bar was so long because it is engrossing.
Sauvé par les feats
ça tue littéralement
Great stuff
Saw this come up for review... and I thought... oh great, another Nick Cave album... this is gonna be shit. However, as I listened to the album I had a growing appreciation of how correct my gut feel was for the album. As it was very much Shit. The guy can't sing, just incredibly depressing narrative of dumb inert lyrics. Not even Kylie could bring a rose to save a track on the album for Nick!!
It’s a no from me
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.
A little over the top and almost goofily dark at points, but overall fun to listen to and well-done.
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.......
O'Malley's Bar wears out its welcome so much it knocks this entire thing down a peg
Personally, I would have survived in these situations. A bunch of ballads about murder (shocker) from everybody's favorite Australian Disney villain. It always sucks when the worst song is also the longest song. There is no reason why "O'Malley's Bar" had to be 14 minutes long. Thankfully, that's the only stinker on the album, and the rest is really solid. Nick Cave's got one of the best voices in music. Can't get enough of that scary gremlin. Wouldn't want to meet him in a dark alley though.
Weird concept album by a progenitor of the emo movement.
Didn’t like his voice and the whole thing felt cheesy to me.
Tough to rate, I actually love the arrangements and concept and vibe. Some of the songs were cool, very dark and fucked up. I really liked the duet and the storytelling. But the vocals were so awful it kind of ruined the album for me. Such a shame bc it could’ve been a really cool album with a better singer. Someone like colter wall I think could’ve made this an amazing album. Idk 2.5?
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
Song of Joy // Henry Lee // The Curse of Millhaven // 2.5-3/5
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.
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
Another Nick Cave classic. The guests are great, and I don't really particularly care for PJ Harvey but she's good here. I like the concept of the album (does having an overall theme count as a concept album?) It's just "fun". There are better Nick Cave albums but this is no slouch.
Easiest 5 stars ever. This album has it all, sadness, sorrow, hope, joy and a whole bunch of gruesome murders. The Bad Seeds at the top of their game here, though to be fair they are on most albums. Ending it all with the Dylan cover 'Death Is Not The End' is a stroke of genius. Long live Nick Cave.
The kind of thing you’ll like if you like this sort of thing. To others, this will feel an overcooked art project. There are a few moments – “Lovely Creature” and the new spin on “Stagger Lee” are interesting and“The Kindness of Strangers” and “Death Is Not the End” feel like authentic efforts. Everything else is contrived, though perhaps it can be said it's effective in what it sets out to achieve. The band is tight and Kylie adds some badly needed sparkle, but overall this thing dies slowly and the corpse is pretty bloated. Cant’ say we weren’t warned by the title.
Plenty of LARPing here that demeans the album a bit but it's still amongst Nick's better albums.
Pretty unique theme. I got bored of the tracks without a female singer on them. Didn't really like the sometimes crass lyrics.
Tales of misery and woe from a guy whose voice sounds like he’s Seen Some Shit. The duet with Kylie Minogue is particularly lovely.
It's a good solid Nick Cave album, which is an automatic 4*. Probably not up there with his best but a strong listen through. Fewer standout tracks, though the guest spots from Peej and Kylie are good and fun. There's more than a hint of Pogues on some tracks, so Shane Macgowan popping up later feels appropriate. Henry Lee is excellent. O malleys bar is wild. Stagger Lee is so over the top with the dirty I do hope it was intended to be funny. Little touches in the shifting perspectives in Where the Wild Roses Grow absolutely make it, 'on the last day' from the murderer, 'on the third day' from the unsuspecting victim. Death is Not the End is a lovely song. The multiple guest stars though render it impossible now not to think of the comic relief destruction of Lou Reed's Perfect Day a few years later. Still, lovely.
A reluctant 3
“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
Well, I've counted. And unless I've lost count, at least 65 people are brutally murdered during the course of this album. Plus maybe a whole lot more, whose exact demise is not directly specified... Oh! And there was one dog, too. Crucified on a door. What a crazy album. I do remember feeling a little queasy during my first listen though. I knew what the record was all about beforehanded, and started counting the deaths on that very first listen. But I didn't expect the tally to be *this* high, to be honest... It's hard to get an accurate death count anyway, because there are no precise numbers for how many people died in the fire Lottie set in the Bella Vista slums. And speaking of unreliable narrators, there's also the doctor in "Song of Joy". It is never clear whether he is telling the truth or whether he is the killer, making up this story to gain access to people's homes (and a third possibility is that the story is true, but that his grief has turned him into a copycat killer). But whatever the "truth" really is here, this concern about the reliability of storytelling makes "Song Of Joy" a very apt opener for a record named *Murder Ballads*, and it's one of my favorite songs on this album filled with so many horrific wonders. As you go to the next tracks, subtle menace indeed quickly turns into full-blown terror. Which doesn't mean some things are not kept ambiguous. The other fate that's left hanging in the air in the record is the one of Nellie Brown in "Stagger Lee" for instance. Stagger Lee never directly describes her murder after he shoots Billy Dilly in the head. But the female screams you can hear at the end of the song make it pretty obvious she doesn't survive the night either. Slaughters abound in this record, and the most memorable of them is to be found in "O'Malley's Bar". Devoid of any free will, and describing himself the way an author would describe a fictional character, the unnamed protagonist of this song is impossible to forget, as is his murderous rampage in said bar, described with all sorts of graphic details and psychologically harrowing comments about the victims. I think there's almost a "meta" aspect to this song, by the way. Somehow, the story we have here--the longest and final one on the album--presents a character who's related to Cave's position as an artist in the sense that he wishes to accomplish something extraordinary. But given the gruesome topic he addresses here, said artist/storyteller knows his work will never be universally recognized anyway, and that *he*'ll be the one ending up being labeled as a "piece of work", instead of his made-up character. This here is a very personal interpretation of the meaning of the song, I'll grant you that. But whatever the (nut)case may be, a shiver went down my spine during its conclusion, when the police takes the killer away in their car. The last thing you hear Cave doing between moans and rasps and growls is... him counting. Just as I had been doing since the start of the album. I'm not surprised Cave loves stuff like Flannery O'Connor after listening to it, by the way. Because somehow, as gratuitous and violent as the concept of this record sounds and looks, Cave never loses the human angle here. You *feel* for these characters. Empathy, pity, sadness, contempt, terror, disgust, awe... Just as in any good piece of fiction. What makes us feel empathy for the victims is that they all have such colourful memorable names and details about them, for instance. It is superb lyric-writing to identify the characters. Particularly in "O'Malleys Bar", where each victim has a description of their personality or physical appearance given to the listener. They're a sample of humanity at large. Normal, simple, humble, innocent folks leading normal simple lives, here gathered in the wrong place at the wrong time... It's all in the details, like in the great novels or short stories of old. And those details are conveyed by the greatness of the writing, with a few very memorable one-liners here and there, up there with best (and most shocking) lines Eminem could come up with. One example: "Rorschach & Prozac now everything is groovy" Cave sure has a knack to convey the "voice" of his doomed characters in a very striking manner, doesn't he? And let's not forget the music: of course, this being a narrative-driven album, the music is mostly used as background for Nick's menacing voice, but it also does a great job emphasizing all the key moments in the stories that it deserves high praise as well. It's lush, it's moody, it's evocative, it's theatrical. It's all it needs to be for such an original project. Besides, with "Henry Lee" and "Where The Wild Roses Grow", Cave wrote perfect duets giving welcome respite during the LP's tracklist--even if they're still about tragedy and murder. The first of those duets was sung with his old flame PJ Harvey, and it's a delicate performance through and through. As for "Where the Wild Roses Grow, everyone knows this stunner was performed with fellow aussie pop star Kylie Minogue, and most will remember that the tune was quite a surprising indie hit back in the day. It cracks me up every time I think of unassuming listeners liking that latter single on the radio and buying the LP because of it. They were certainly in for a wild ride--one they probably didn't expect in the first place. This album was made for such a list. It is indeed "essential" in the sense that it uses the album format and turns it into something else altogether. And you don't have many records like that in the world. So even if *Murder Ballads* is the sort of LP you would NOT play for a family function, a christmas dinner party or a casual evening with friends--therefore limiting the occasions you would listen to it--it still fully deserves its 5/5 grade here. Great concept, great songwriting, awesome execution... And when I say "execution", you probably get what I'm saying here. Right? Number of albums left to review: 517 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 232 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 110 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 141
This is probably one of the darkest albums I have listened to. But then, with a title like "Murder Ballads," you should probably EXPECT that going in. I'm glad I listened to this with the family not around, because songs like "Stagger Lee," YIKES. I felt a few of the songs did overstay their welcome, like "O'Malley's Bar" (14 minutes, really?) and "Death Is Not The End." That last song could have lost at least a verse and its poignancy would not have been diminished. I think I liked "Henry Lee" and "Where The Wild Roses Grow" best. The duets worked well. I find it interesting that "Where The WIld Roses Grow" garnered so much attention, and I wonder how many people bought the album because of the song and were horrified by what they got. I think this was a good experiment, an album of these type of songs. But it's definitely not something I would find myself coming back to. It's way too dark and depressing.
I saw this is pure theatre; it felt like a dark rock musical. And it's either Nick Cave's voice or his face but I kept picturing Matt Berry/Laszlo the vampire from What We Do in the Shadows. Anyway, the heavy material just felt like farce / satire or tongue in cheek; not bothered by it at all and it felt like a unique combination with the musical stylings chosen (lots of piano and pomp). Very unique, and as a genre it's worth being on the 1,001 list to know it exists. Solid 3 and I thought about a 4. The Curse of Millhaven (uptempo) and Death is not the End (somber) were my favorites.
I romanticise the notion of Nick Cave. I get really excited to begin with. Then I'm done for a while.
I try and try but I can't get into Nick Cave. Saying that, there are some moments on this that are tuneful and interesting, especially the duets.
Yeah great the closer is a little naff and o malleys bar is too long but the rest is very good 4/5
I have mixed feelings, it was dramatic then sweary then smooth then it sounded out of tune, it was a weird experience
This is prime candidate for seedy bar or very old record store music. At first that point was a negative but then it turned into a positive.
I hate Nick Cave and I hate PJ Harvey and this album has both of them. What the fuck is wrong with Rob Dimery. I get the title because I want to murder myself after listening.
Good!
Hard to not give this one a five, because it’s super fun and vibey and great. Only thing stopping it from being a 5 is wanting to leave space for albums I feel are a little more innovative. But let it be known, I love this.
musically middling, content too dark for my taste
I liked the idea, but I wished it was more musically flushed out throughout the album
Ah Nick Cave, always down for a good time that Nick. He really knows how to pal around. Stagger Lee won me over. Then Henry Lee I started to get. Is this like, that Leonard Cohen album we had, just better executed? This is the first Nick Cave album where it intersects between “interesting concept” and “listenable” for me. I definitely don’t want to live in Nick Cave’s universe. That sounds like a miserable place to be. But I enjoyed this record a lot more than I thought I would going in. 4/5
Love the addition of the women's voices throughout.
I just don't understand this album at all. Overly thematic in concept, sadly flat, and the weirdest attempt at "singing" I have heard. It's a no for me.
Did not enjoy this at all. For someone who is into true crime it might be good. Too dark for me.
Still not convinced by Nick Cave, perhaps i never will be...
this is a new all-time favorite album. fuckin awesome
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.
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.
No jes kaikki kuolee. Vitsihän tämä levy tarinankaarineen on. Mut joku mua kiehtoo kolmeen tähteen asti
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.
Another album from the Harry Du Bois school of drunk, depressed, music. Murder ballads are an incredibly intriguing and compelling subgenre, but it's hard to pay attention to these stories when Nick Cave himself seems absolutely uninterested in whatever's coming out of his mouth. If only every song on this record spotlighted another artist, because hearing PJ Harvey, Kylie Minogue, and his other guest singers added so much life into the tracks they were heavily featured in. Too bad. Needless to say, the standout tracks here were Henry Lee, Where the Wild Roses Grow, and Death is Not the End.
Classic Cave and Bad Seeds. You can tell they’re just having fun on this one. As dark as it is groovy and soulful.
Maybe songs about whole families being murdered just aren't for me ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Song of Joy, Stagger Lee, Henry Lee, Lovely Creature, The Curse of Millhaven(best song), O’Malley’s Bar and Death is Not the End. Amazing lyrics. The music is creepy and chilling. 9/10
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.
som diferente, vocalzao, instrumental mais de acompamnamehto
Only Nick I'd heard before now was the Peaky Blinders theme, and this album has those vibes all over it. Love it.
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 :-)
Uhh this was a really weird one. I enjoyed a part of it, the 12 minutes track was way too much though Saved songs: Stagger Lee, Crow Jane
I love Nick Cave’s tenth album, The Boatman’s Call, which is described on Wikipedia as “a marked departure from the bulk of the band's post-punk catalogue up to that point.” Murder Ballads is certainly… different from TBC. I didn’t hate it, but I don’t know if I’d listen to it again, and I may be concerned if I came across someone who was blasting this album or declared it their favorite album. 3/5
I didn’t hate it but I didn’t enjoy it either
I do prefer the quiet Nick Cave nowadays, but how can we resist Stagger Lee sung by Cave-the-Devil himself and the wonderful Shane McGowan?.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds' Murder Ballads is not your average lullaby album. In fact, these songs are more likely to give your child nightmares than sweet dreams. With tracks like "Stagger Lee" and "Where the Wild Roses Grow," Murder Ballads is like a twisted fairytale come to life. Nick Cave's haunting vocals will lull you into a false sense of security, only to be shattered by lyrics that are equal parts beautiful and disturbing. So if you're looking for a way to terrify your child into staying in their bed all night, then Murder Ballads is the perfect album for you. Just don't blame me when they start having nightmares about "The Curse of Millhaven." Sweet dreams, and don't let the bad seeds bite.
PJ Harvey and Nick Cave are a perfect match.
Decent album from Dr. Nick
meh. weird album. not good
I love this band but some of these lyrics are unforgivable
Album 8 of 1001 Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Murder Ballads "New and traditional murder ballads, a genre of songs that relays the details (and often consequences) of crimes of passion". I listened to this twice, the second time being as I dozed a bit. Made for some nice background music. Hints of Tom Waits for me. Worthwhile listen, especially if you like storytelling. This is all about the stories and the delivery. Favorite Track : O'Malley's Bar 3 / 5
1) то самое за что я не переношу Ника Кейва, 2) да это ж просто унылый киш
Too melancholy
A pretty interesting premise/background of the album and it's subject matter. The song with Minogue was pretty cool, and the lead singer's voice was pretty raspy and ear-catching, but I felt like I was listening to songs from a musical, not a music album. Overall this project was not for my listening pleasure
Where the Wild Roses Grow
+-
Súper odd. Two songs only.
meh
One of my favourite albums so I'm not unbiased here. Kinda like a novelty theme and done with glee and style. There are textures and colours here with the emphasis on red. Every track stands alone with the theme running through it and a tale to tell with a variety of guest stars. So choose your poison?
I'll give this to Nick Cave: If I were going to ask someone to make an album of murder ballads, Cave would be my guy. That said, I don't particularly feel like I need a collection of murder ballads in my life. The concept is clever and musically the album is fine. It's just an unsettling listen and the substance of the music isn't enough to hold up the subject matter. Cave/the Seeds are capable of much better. Bonus star for creativity and a willingness to go pretty dark, but this is much closer to a 2. Fave Songs: Henry Lee, Lovely Creature, Where the Wild Roses Grow
A masterpiece.
Beautifully disturbing.
Couldn't finish it.
You'd think I would like Nick Cave, but I cannot take him seriously, nor can I make it through any of his songs.
Too moody. I'm glad Nick Cave exists, but it's too much most of the time.
Nick Cave takes time to tell his darkest stories. It feels a little bit steep in Tom Waits' style while still retaining a lot of Cave's original flair for the dramatic. The music itself takes a bit of a backseat in order to not overshadow Cave's storytelling. After all, these are ballads.
Those were some really weird lyrics...
Ah, the edgiest of edgelord albums. The music is great, the lyrics are... Um. Edgelordy. If it wasn't so good, it'd probably be on some kind of watchlist. "I am the man for which no god waits, For which the whole world yearns" is a cracking line though.
Nick Cave continues to impress me with how bad his albums can be.
There's something I find comforting with the over-to-top sincerity performance of this album. Sure, it's about death and murder, but it's also really playful. And PJ Harvey is an automatic win with me. I don't know what about this that scratches an aural itch for me. The performances are tight. The mood is atmospheric. The mix on the bass is astounding. Jesus, Cave is doing a duet with Kylie Minogue on an album about MURDER! I love this to no end. The intro on the Curse of Millhaven is exactly the kind of controlled musical violence that I love. The Kindness of Strangers is really sad. Very good job, Mr. Cave and the Bad Seeds.
Interesting stories in each song.
just some shit ramblings over some unimpressive beats
Literally what
great to listen to with ya nan. a christmas album for the ages not in my top 5 cave albums, but solid ⭐⭐⭐
dunno what else I expected from "murder ballads" but yep its what it says on the tin. Fantastic and bizarre, nick cave continues to deliver for me. each track is so gruesome and dark and are all a wild ride. best tracks: stagger lee, where the wild roses grow, o'malleys bar
All I'll say is I'm really glad I have a Beatles album on deck as a palate cleanser
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.
Absolutely amazing lyrics, really paints a visual picture in each song.
some of the songs were great and some were a worse version of boring dylan mumbling about stuff
Interesting listen. I like the old school Americana vibe, with a splash of goth here and there. I definitely prefer the traditional songs on here, so timeless. His voice can kinda get fatiguing tho.
Good songwriting throughout, tracklist is a bit spotty. Some really great songs, some more boring, overall a cool album. 3.5/5
I just love Nick Cave’s sound, vocal delivery, the whole production is up my alley. The story telling really set the atmosphere in this album. Beautifully done. Bravo. 4! TBz 1. Stagger Lee 2. Henry Lee 3. Where the Wild Roses Grow 4. O’Malley’s Bar
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)
Definitely not my kind of music. It’s like sing talking about very dark stuff
Nick Cave is not totally my jam, but this album obviously has a lot of effort put into it. For me, this is as good as it gets for nick cave
Ironically, only songs I enjoyed were the feature artists.
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.
Sacred? Profane? Nary a difference to Cave & co.
Obviamente já com o título do disco o conceito envolve o ouvinte. Com maestria de um mestre de contos de terror ou suspense, a criação musical criou uma atmosfera única e arrebatadora que me deixou sem fôlego. As letras, a música, a atuação vocal e instrumental, além das participações das cantoras, tudo se uniu de uma maneira que me deixou arrebatado. A mistura de blues, rock e folk fortaleceu a narrativa macabra e assustadora. Cada faixa parecia ser uma peça de um quebra-cabeça sinistro e inquietante, sendo que o quê realmente importava era conhecer todas e não buscar montá-lo.
good album but was slightly strange, felt like i was listening to a crime thriller. also sounded like the peaky blinders theme
Not good, Nick.
I also really like Nick Cave, but this is a really weird album. Some great storytelling, but pretty bleak, it's in the title, it's almost all stories of murders, and he definitely gets into character pretty well as a murderer. O'Malley's Bar (just before the end) is the high (or low) mark for this, basically telling the story of a killing spree, then they bring it all to a close with a much more tender number, with Kylie, Shane MacGowan, and PJ Harvey all making appearances. Not his best album (out of the two that we've had so far!), but still worthy of a 3.
Love his voice!
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
Only Nick Cave could make a collection of songs about historical murders work and be so poetic. Stagger Lee being my favourite story, if not my favourite song. I love Cave when he’s in preacher mode which isnt as often on this compared to others, but it’s incredible anyway. Probably prefer the two albums either side of this but only just. Hes an absolute legend of music in my eyes!
Found this to be really hit and miss. The songs are so story focused that when they contained loads of details or back and forth conversation it sounded really forced, to the point of being cringey sometimes (stagger lee, o malley). On the other side, song of joy and curse of Millhaven were brilliant, think when it's just one character speaking the story flows more naturally and the music is given more focus. First time listening to Nick Cave, great voice, think I'll prefer other stuff.
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.
I thought the prog rock sound aged quite well and the 2008 remaster I listened to was nicely balanced. Some of the songs go on a bit too long but it didn't spoil my overall enjoyment. Highlights were: Dancing With The Moonlit Knight Firth Of Firth The Battle Of Epping Forest
I really like what Nick Cave I've heard before, but this wasn't really what I was expecting. Not generally a fan of concept albums.... On first listen I didn't think it was that good, and I thought "o Malleys bar" was pretty terrible and tainted the album. However, I gave it another listen and enjoyed it far more knowing more what to expect. Where the wild roses grow, the curse of millhaven and henry lee were the best tracks imo. The Dylan cover with the guests on was quite good too. I still don't get "O Malleys bar", which apparently the album was written around.....Maybe I'm missing something? I'd have given it a 4 if this wasn't on the album! I hope there's more nick cave on this list
This is just disturbing. I like it. ‘O’Malley‘s Bar’ in particular is extremely screwed up - him gruesomely depicting how he killed everybody in a bar, especially the one whose head he split in two with an ashtray. ‘Song Of Joy’ is also creepy, specifically the, again, gruesomely detailed depiction of her death. ‘The Curse Of Millhaven’ is my favorite song here; Cave acts perfectly in character, almost singing with glee about his killing spree (I didn’t mean to rhyme). The duets with PJ Harvey and Kylie Minogue respectively are great, too.
As usual, great vocal performance of emotion and passion and lyrical heavy songwriting. My issue is that I can’t get into any song due to the lack of catchy choruses and long runtimes. But always a pleasure to explore his discography.
Nick has the perfect voice and singing style to deliver murder ballads but even then, more than 50 minutes of them get a bit old quick
This album is not merely a collection of songs about murder. It is an exploration of the psychology, morality, and aftermath of murder. As such, it doesn't attempt to romanticize the material. It portrays murder and the thought process leading up to it as it is, deprived, shocking, and frighteningly tangible. In the world of this album, murder is just around the corner and no one can be trusted. The music itself is driving, grinding, jarring, and in certain moments, beautiful. This gives the album a sense that it is creating and inhabiting a darker world parallel to ours. Nick Cave's vocal delivery is almost deadpan at times, deepening the shock of his character's nonchalance about murder, and more passionate and aggressive at other times. Some of his lyrics seem to be in place just to make a rhyme work, but overall, develop this world and its personalities very convincingly. This is a disturbing album, but it is deeply engaging and interesting.
Tiene atmósferas interesantes. La onda está buena. Los temas son muy similares entre sí eso hace que resulte un poco denso por momentos.
Locurón total de disco.
Good stories, weird songs
I always found this album to be kind of overrated and unnecessarily vulgar compared to Tender Prey, Henry's Dream and Let Love In. It has some absolute bangers, that goes without saying, but I would put it slightly lower than some of the other greats from this era. It also reduced Cave's songwriting to be kind of one note with every song being about the same subject matter. Good album, but not top tier Cave.
Call me old fashioned, but listening to somebody lazily explain how they murdered someone isn't my cup of tea. Especially not for an hour. The singer sounded bored, which, surprise, is what I was after two minutes! Who is this for? Why does this exist? We may never know the answers to these questions.
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.
Un génere, el de les balades dedicades a assassins en sèrie i gent de semblant calanya, que Nick Cave fa seu, com no podia ser d'una altra manera. Hi ha algun dels temes que es fa pesat, com els gairebé quince minuts d''O'Malley's Bar', però en general és un disc excel.lent en una época que Cave semblava tocat per la vareta de l'inspiració. Tot ell, música, lletra, arranjaments i veu encaixen a la perfecció, i les col.laboracions donen el xic d'aire fresc necessari per fer de l'obra un treball gairebé perfecte
Maravillosa sorpresa. La verdad viendo la duración y demás, me esperaba algo aburrido, repetitivo o agotador y sin embargo fue un disfrute. No escuché casi guitarras, mucha presencia de coros, órganos, pianos y bajos. Percusión a full. Excelente.
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.
Well, I missed this record years ago. Stunning. Looking forward to many further listens.
ok
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.
What is there to say about this album that hasn't been said. It's dark, funny, profane, clever and beautiful. Beautiful melodies telling me terrible things.
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
geggjuð
Temat passar ju Nicke. Flera bra grejer men blir lite segt ibland.
Ännu en som aldrig nått ända in i hjärtat. Kanske lite för mycket manér för min smak.
Very weird, but also cool
Meh
not bad, a bit slow
Today's album is my second by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds. This is the album once recommended to me by a friend. This is a very dark album, whose entire theme circles around death and murder. Listening to this album is like listening to a true crime documentary. Nick's writing style and vocal delivery gives an overwhelming feeling of dread and gloom. He pairs with female vocalists such as: Kylie Minogue and PJ Harvey to inject some beauty to his baritone voice. The whole record proceeds through so much death and murder, and finally ends with a song of hope (a cover of Bob Dylan's "Death is Not the End") to pull the listener out of the darkness. This album is beautiful in the most fucked of ways. Nick has a way of genre jumping between albums. The first album of his I reviewed was called The Boatman's Call, which was an intimate acoustic album which featured Nick singing with piano accompaniment. Very soft and mellow. This album was rock oriented (kind of goth rock in a way) and VERY dark. I loved this album. At first, the shock of the material kind of turned me off, but eventually, it won me over, and upon second listen, I really looked past that, and really listened. This is a piece of art! The only way to enjoy this record is by listening front to back. Favourite songs: Stagger Lee, Where the Wild Roses Grow, The Curse of Millhaven, The Kindness of Strangers, Song of Joy, O'Malley's Bar, Death is Not The End Least favourite song: Crow Jane 5/5
So far sppoooky. Accidentally did shuffle, ass. Where the wild rose grows is an easy listen, nice. Henry lee is a nice track, I feel as though this album is worth a re-listen as the sequencing may aid its flow. Stagger Lee is goood. Yeah, this ones in between a 3 and a 4. Probably a 3.6
This was weird. I actually really liked the music, the vocals, etc. The topic really made it hard to totally enjoy though, so I can't see listening again.
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.
Dead is not the end is a good song I don’t like nick caves singing The girl was ok
I am not sure how one of this guys albums made this list let alone two. This album was filled with stories and songs that were so rough to listen to. The singer just talks and it’s mainly anecdotes that are supposed to seem cool or edgy. Overall it was terrible. 1.3/10
A bravura performance from Nick Cave, a dark, twisted, gothic album full of, well, murder. The imagination, creativity and storytelling is incredible and yet the tunes are still singalong toe tapping. PJ Harvey and Kylie join in for the fun. Cave can conjure such incredible imagery and stories from some fictitious past. Few albums as unique as this in this list.
It was okay. Not really my type of thing I guess. 6/10
Music for people who regret their Nightmare Before Christmas tattoo.
Instead of spending valuable time with a therapist, Nick Cave sang about murder for nearly 59 minutes, including a 14 minute murder song. I'm not saying I disliked it, more setting the scene for what you're about to hear.
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. 🔪🔪
PREFS : TOUT MOINS PREF : RIEN
Great album. A more modern Folsom Prison.
Me ha gustado bastante... ¿Tanto cómo para vinilo? ¡Sí!
first listen meh
I absolutely adored the quirky weirdness of this album. The vocals are a little off, but in a way that actually feels totally appropriate for the vibe they were going for and the music was absolutely amazing the entire time. I can't say O'Malley's Bar is a good song per se, but it was an absolute treat that only gets better on relistens, they absolutely earned that 14 minutes. Best tracks: Lovely Creature, Where the Wild Roses Grow, The Curse of Millhaven, O'Malley's Bar, and Death is Not the End.
na moral, primeira vez que eu ouvi achei uma bosta. pq o cara canta falando assim? e a mina que canta junto faz ficar pior ainda std. Não é minha vibe, não clickou
Couldn't get past the first two songs YIKES
Strangely liked this. Reminds me of going to Trans Siberian Orchestra or something. Gotta say Mr. Nick Cave is hitting the base notes pretty well.
not a big fan of the first few. The lyrics do rhyme and there is a story line through at least some of the songs. "Where the wild roses grow" and "Curse of Millhaven" are better. The latter being more upbeat.
Interesting idea. Some wild lyrics.
yeah, not my favorite. Kinda interesting stories and vocals but not really my thing.
Horrifyingly bad. Listened to all the tracks and they all sounded like songs from a really bad play. Never again…
The most Nick Cave album Nick Cave has ever made. Every aspect, from the choice of guest stars to the copious use of "motherfucker" in his take on Stagger Lee, feels so Nick Cavernous it's almost parodic. As such, is this an album made for an audience of one, that one person being Nick Cave himself? 1996 saw Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds reach their summit, in terms of commercial success and critical cachet. In retrospect, it also saw Nick Cave transition from gothy cult artist to respected elder of rock. The conceit of this album exemplifies this change of status: long besotted with grisly subject matter and its visceral impact on the listener, Nick Cave gathered his Seeds and recorded an album of murder ballads, some covers but mainly from his own pen. The most famous song on this album proved a little left-field: Nick Cave got fellow antipodean and remarkably tenacious popstar/wank-fodder Kylie Minogue to duet on Where the Wild Roses Grow, a sombre countryish number with Cave as the killer in unhealthy love with his victim Kylie. Nick Cave doing an album of murder ballads is not so much predictable as the logical conclusion to his work, like Eric Clapton's album of Robert Johnson covers or Rod Stewart's series of the Great American Songbook. And like those two examples, Murder Ballads has the odour of a passion project that just happened to appeal to other people. Nick Cave just wanted to do an album of murder ballads, which incidentally is exactly what his fans wanted him to do. If you don't want to hear Nick Cave sing about slitting an unfaithful lover's throat, then you weren't listening to Nick Cave anyway, and there's no point in you listening to Nick Cave in the future. Now, I quite like Nick Cave. I accept that he's done excellent work. And on paper, this should be the ideal Nick Cave album for me. I'm warped enough to adore violent art, from Georges Bataille to Paul Verhoeven. For me, a film improves Everestally if there's a close-up of someone's head exploding (that spectacle is one of the oldest special effects in cinematic history, with one of Georges Méliès' shorts featuring an exploding head way back in 1901). And there is greatness on this album. The relish and obscenity Nick Cave brings to his take on Stagger Lee, a American folk song based on a 19th-century African-American pimp, is a true hoot. How can you not embrace a line like "I'd crawl over 50 good pussies just to get to one fat boy's asshole"? But there are minor slip-ups in the delivery. Tragically, the general excellence surrounding these flaws magnifies them, like Jet from Gladiators with a nasal carbuncle. Returning to the version of Stagger Lee, it ends with some very clunky lines that forget to use metre correctly. Have you ever accidentally headbutted your partner at the moment of climax? It's a bit like that. Such awkwardness doesn't happen often on the album, but it happens often enough to be awkward. Yet what really prevents this album from achieving greatness is the totality of murder ballads. I am criticising an album of murder ballads for just containing murder ballads. Yes, the duets with PJ Harvey and Kylie have their pleasures, but by track 7, The Kindness of Strangers, you begin to fidget and wish for some bubblegum. When I was wondering what the audience for this album was, I should have clarified that I was wondering what the audience was for the entirety of this album. If it could leave a gorehound like me wanting to hear Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes) halfway through, maybe the motive of a murder ballads album was better than the execution. That's murder for you. NoRadio, signing off.
Used to like Nick Cave but his recent comments about Palestine have shown him up for the tosser that he is.
I like some of their stuff but was really not into this. It all kinda ran together.
I remember seeing this gothic giant for the first time ever when he and pop Princess Kylie performed Wild Roses on TOTP. I couldn’t believe my eyes, but my ears were mesmerised and have been ever since by Cave’s voice
not my cuppa
Great side A. Side B less strong.
Was not really a fan. I thought the obsession with murder was weird. I did listen to it while studying so maybe I would've enjoyed it more if I was able to listen to the stories more
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).
Concept
I'll never look for this kind of music, but the 1001 list teaches me how (and maybe why) I like Nick Cave. It's not my kind of song, but it's always impressive how much I enjoy their albums.
U OK hon?
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.
3+ I liked a lot of it, but not all of it.
Super album, murders good…
Again, not a fan. However, I think if I was exposed to NC&TBS more, I might learn to like them. For now, meh.
Best Song: Where The Wild Roses Grow. Excellent contrast with Kylie Minogue. Worst Song: Henry Lee. I think PJ Harvey is a nice counterpoint to Nick Cave, but I find the la's a bit annoying after a while. Overall: Lyrically very dense. Clearly poetic, which I think will require several listens to extract their meaning. Cave knows how to use his voice within the confines of what it's capabilities. Definitely feels like it is striving for (and succeeding at) being Art with a capital A.
For masse Nick Cave
Not really a fan of Nick Cave, can't see what the fuss is all about. Got a feeling I'm gonna have to struggle through a couple more of his albums on this list though.
Jú, mjög þétt band, og já, fottur stíll og einstök rödd, og vissulega platan með flott þematískt samhengi, og nei, ekki leiðinleg lög. Ég tengi bara ekki við Nick Cave hæpið, hann er ekki minn. Þið sem viljið Nick Cave, gjörið svo vel, ég leita annað.
Nick Cave is amazing. I think I prefer Boatman's Call but still a brilliant album
very good writing, very spooky
Equal parts dark/violent and hilarious. Probably not Nick Cave's most acclaimed album, but it's my favorite of what I've heard over the years.
Ah yes, "Music To Be Murdered By"
Zeker een album wat in mijn ogen iconisch is. Toen ik het voor het eerst hoorde was ik onder de indruk en dat is zo gebleven. Lekker Nick (en jij hebt het ook zeer goed gedaan Kylie)