I was aware of Nick Cave in the 1980s (unlike Dimery, who doesn't seem to rate his 80s output), but the first song that really caught my ear was 'Deanna'. That single was all over Triple J radio in 1988 when it was released, and I loved it. It was raw and raucous and funny and smart and dumb and dangerous, and it had a great beat. A perfect rock and roll record really. I've bought a bunch of Nick Cave albums over the years (but not nearly all, and not many during the late 90s), and seen him live a few times. He's one of the great front men of rock and roll. I can't remember why I bought this record when it came out, but I did. I had an office job where I could play CDs during work hours, and I absolutely fanged this album. It was on high rotation for a good year, I reckon. So what is it about this record that hooked me then, and I still love? it has a lot of the qualities of 'Deanna" that I loved back then and still love now, especially in the louder material on Abattoir Blues disc. But the gentler material moves me greatly too. The blend of desire and apocalyptic vision that permeates the whole album is a heady mix, most vivid on Babe, You Turn Me. I quote the line "You leapt into the abyss, but find it only goes up to your knees: from that song all the time. It's an image that sticks in my mind. The album is scary and smart and often very funny. generally, you could make the argument that this is sophisticated and mature songwriting, although with the occasional moment of scatology or smut, and you could make an argument that the joke songs (Fable of the Brown Ape or Lyre of Orpheus) are a bit unnecessary. I quite like Lyre of Orpheus though; it makes me laugh. Did the departure of Blixa Bargeld, replaced by Warren Ellis as Nick's main musical foil, breathe new life into the band? Quite possibly. I always had mixed feelings about Blixa; he scared the shit out of me (see my review of Einsturzende Neubauten's Kollaps for the tale of how I met and failed to interview Blixa). And I love the gospel choir; it adds weight and power to the songs whenever they chime in. Hiding All Away is a really good example, especially in the coda when they are all singing "there is a war coming!" I think Nick Cave has matured considerably since then, and I think has moved into a place of being one of the great poets of grief. I wouldn't wish the misfortunes that led him there on anyone, but find his writings on the Red Hand Files comforting. So, where does this sit in the pantheon of this project? Is it an album that everyone needs to hear? I don't know if it's for everyone, but I love it. There is so much richness in there, I always take something away from it when I listen to it. Perhaps not perfect, but I love its imperfections. It makes it more human. I love many of the songs on here, and I don't really care what anyone else thinks. 4.5 stars, rounding up.