Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds — The Mercy Seat

• Artist: Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds
• Title: The Mercy Seat
• Year: 1988
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 9
• Owner: Mary
• Acquired: 1988 – At our store, RIP Records in Norfolk, VA
• Keeper: Yes

“The Mercy Seat” is possibly the greatest song by Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds. This 12 inch has a “full length” version which seems longer than the one on the LP, and a “video mix” version. There is also “New Day”, a sort of Nick Cave style gospel number. It’s another great one. Nick Cave is my girl’s favorite music artist of all time. It’s probable that we have more records by Nick Cave than any other artist, and if you include The Boys Next Door and Birthday Party it is a certainty.

And speaking of birthday parties, today is Mary’s birthday. So, today’s artist has to be Nick Cave. Like Nick, Mary marches to her own beat. It’s just one of many reasons I’m in love with her. We’ve been together a long time now, and she remains completely punk rock. Don’t change a thing baby!

Happy Birthday!

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds — Tender Prey

• Artist: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
• Title: Tender Prey
• Year: 1988
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 8
• Owner: Mary
• Acquired: ?
• Keeper: Yes

We (Mary) have so many Nick Cave records I feel like we’re never going to get through them all and move on to the other “C” artists. But Tender Prey is a really good one and I suppose I shouldn’t complain. The usual Bad Seeds suspects are here including Kid Congo Powers who was in another band I really liked, The Gun Club. The biggest hit is “The Mercy Seat” and if you haven’t heard Johnny Cash’s version check it out. He makes the lyrics sound even more grim. Another “hit” is “Deanna,” which I really like, but my favorite may be “City of Refuge.”

Mary and I went to see Nick on tour for Tender Prey at the 9:30 Club in D.C. I remember digging the show, and seeing Blixa in person was very cool. But the most salient moment for me is when Nick first walked out on stage in his trim dark suit with a bottle of water and exclaimed with a big smile “I feel great!” Not the first thing I expected Nick Cave to say.

Some facts about Tender Prey.

Barry Adamson — Moss Side Story

• Artist: Barry Adamson
• Title: Moss Side Story
• Year: 1989
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 8
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1989 – Bought it at our store RIP Records in Norfolk, VA
• Keeper: Yes

Moss Side Story is a film score by Barry Adamson for a three act murder mystery that doesn’t exist. Most people that have this album seem to really love it. I really love most of it, but I have to tell you that the opening cut “On The Wrong Side Of Relaxation” really gets on my nerves. Which, based on the title, seems appropriate. I played Moss Side a number of times over the last week and most of the time I put the needle down on the right side of that song. He has also done music for real movies as well as performing on many albums with Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds.

More about Barry Adamson at Wikipedia and BarryAdamson.com.

Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds — Deanna

• Artist: Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds
• Title: Deanna
• Year: 1988
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 8
• Owner: Mary
• Acquired: 1988 – RIP Records in Norfolk, VA
• Keeper: Yes

I love the song “Deanna.” And it’s surprisingly sing-along for a song by Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds. Despite it’s and fast tempo and upbeat feel the song’s lyrics come across as typically dark, for Mr. Cave, that is. I don’t know what it’s about, but “I’m not down for your love, I’m not down here for your money… I’m down here for your soul” sounds like this character is up to no good. “Girl at the Bottom of My Glass” on the flipside is very minimalist, but also very good.

Oh, Deanna… Oh, D-E-Anna…

Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds — Kicking Against the Pricks

• Artist: Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds
• Title: Kicking Against the Pricks
• Year: 1986
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 7
• Owner: Mary
• Acquired: 1986 – When she worked at Plan 9 Records in Richmond, VA
• Keeper: Yes

Mr. Cave likes his covers. This is the third album by Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds and the first collection of cover songs, but not the last. Kicking Against the Pricks may sound like an offensive title to some but it’s part of a passage from the book of Acts in the Bible. So there. This is a very eclectic collection and on the whole more mellow than most of his records. My favorite song is “The Singer“, which was also on a 12 inch single previously posted here.

Nick Cave and Warren Ellis — The Proposition Original Soundtrack

• Artist: Nick Cave and Warren Ellis
• Title: The Proposition Original Soundtrack
• Year: 2005
• Format: CD
• Rating (1-10): 7
• Owner: Mary
• Acquired: 2006 – Christmas gift!

I was shopping around for Mary this Christmas when I stumbled on this. I hadn’t even heard of the movie The Proposition. It turns out, not only did Nick Cave, her favorite music artist, write and perform the soundtrack music, he also wrote the script. Best of all, it seems people really like it, the movie, that is. I don’t know much about his collaborator Warren Ellis, but I do know he is not the comic book author.

This really is movie music, and I would call it a “score” rather than a soundtrack. I don’t think the “songs” here are meant to stand alone; for the most part they are more like music cues. Overall, I dig it, but I like listening to scores/soundtracks probably more than most folks. I really don’t want to use the word “ethereal”, but there, I’ve done it. Of course, it’s ethereal with a very subtle Western movie edge and a not unexpected old man Nick Cave sound. Listen for yourself.

Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds — The Singer

• Artist: Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds
• Title: The Singer
• Year: 1986
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 8
• Owner: Mary
• Acquired: 1986 – Plan 9 Records in Richmond, VA.
• Keeper: Yes

I do dig this 12 inch single by Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds. The main track “The Singer”, by Johnny Cash and originally titled “The Folk Singer” is perfect and Cave makes it his own, just like Cash does when he covers a song. The two songs on the flipside are also covers: “Running Scared” by Roy Orbison and “Black Betty” by Leadbelly. This recording of “Black Betty” is definitely the most minimalistic, primitive, and just plain spooky I’ve ever heard.

All three of these songs ended up on the full length album “Kicking Against the Pricks” which I think came out later in the same year. The production guru Flood helped shape the sound of this disk.

Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds — The Firstborn is Dead

• Artist: Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds
• Title: The Firstborn is Dead
• Year: 1985
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 7
• Owner: Mary
• Acquired: 1985 – Plan 9 Records in Richmond, VA.

I’ve listened to “The Firstborn is Dead” by Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds a couple times over the last few days. I’m not sure what I think about it. I’ve always loved the first song, “Tupelo”, and it’s still my favorite. Like most music by Mr. Cave it’s not the kind of thing you’re likely to put on the turntable when you’re having a party. That said, some of it definitely sticks in your head. Whether that’s a good thing is really up to you, but it will stick with you either way.

(And excuse my fuzzy reflection in that glossy black album cover.)

Nick Cave (Featuring The Bad Seeds) — From Her To Eternity

• Artist: Nick Cave (Featuring The Bad Seeds)
• Title: From Her To Eternity
• Year: 1984
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 10
• Owner: Mary
• Acquired: 1984 – Olsson’s in D.C.
• Keeper: Yes

This is the first solo Nick Cave record. Most people would not recognize it as music. Of course, Mary and I do, but we’re not most people. “From Her To Eternity” is full of very original and very challenging music and lyrics, or stories. In many ways it sounds a lot like his work with Birthday Party. Mary can’t help but rate this a 10, even though she likes his later work more.

Below lies Black Paul
under the upper but
above and beyond the
surface flat-fall there.

* The original vinyl record had only seven songs. I see from this article about “From Her To Eternity” at Wikipedia that three more songs have been added.

Anita Lane — Dirty Sings

• Artist: Anita Lane
• Title: Dirty Sings
• Year: 1989
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 5
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1989 – Bought it at our store RIP Records in Norfolk, VA.
• Keeper: Maybe

I saved the sticker on the shrink wrap to this EP “Dirty Sings” from Anita Lane. Except for that she was in The Bad Seeds for a bit, I didn’t know anything about her when I got this record. So, I’m guessing it was the words “in a musical collaboration with Nick Cave, Barry Adamson, and Mick Harvey” that prompted me to grab it. The first song, “If I Should Die” is so unbearably arty that I didn’t think I could make it through the whole thing. But I did make it through all four songs and I’m happy to report it got much better. I think the best cut is an excellent remake of Sister Sledge’s “Lost In Music.”