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janusff

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
18,160
Austin, TX
I absolutely adore The Proposition OST, which is by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis. I understand that his music is probably different than the stuff in this soundtrack but I'm curious about the artist non the less. I like the dude's style and feel like I'm not getting his entire essence from the album. If you could please recommend me some stuff to dip my toe in Cave's music, it would be much appreciated.

Cheers

Here's a Moan Thing

 
Dec 2, 2017
1,544
Tender Prey will always be my favorite album.



But really, just listen to whatever strikes your fancy. There isn't a bad Nick Cave tune out there.
 

Bulby

Prophet of Truth
Member
Oct 29, 2017
5,043
Berlin
All of it man.

And Grinderman

And Dirty Three

Skeleton Tree and Push the Sky will be the most stylistically comparable to that soundtrack in terms of its minimilism. Definitely check out Dirty Three though.
 
Dec 6, 2017
11,008
US
His music can vary quite wildly actually.

If you like The Proposition soundtrack, immediately check out the Assassination Of Jesse James soundtrack which is a collaboration between the two as well and fucking absolutely fantastic.

My favorite Nick Cave & Bad Seeds tune is as follows:



Tender Prey will always be my favorite album.

Absolutely my favorite Bad Seeds album as well. Up Jumped The Devil is another highlight but the whole record is fantastic.
 

eXistor

Member
Oct 27, 2017
12,324
Well now!

I'd say any of these is a good introductory album:

The Boatman's Call (the one that got me into Nick Cave)
Murder Ballads
Tender Prey
Let Love In
Henry's Dream

But really you can't go wrong with almost any of his albums though Nocturama is widely considered his weakest, I personally think his double album Abattoir Blues/Lyre of Orpheus is the weakest by far (I really dislike the background singers in it as I can't stand gospel). His latest album Skeleton Tree is one of his best, but it's a pretty tough listen if you're not into Cave already. I also really like Kicking Against the Pricks, but it's a cover-album. Some really good ones on there though.

Also don't sleep on his side-project Grinderman (only 2 albums, the first one is...okay, the second one is amazing) and his band before he went solo, The Birthday Party (if you're into post-punk, I think Cave himself hates the term though).
 

Blader

Member
Oct 27, 2017
26,637
His earlier stuff is by and large a lot rougher, and for me at least was harder to get into at first. If you're coming from his soundtrack work and looking for something that imo is more accessible (but also still really really good) I recommend his last two albums, Push the Sky Away and Skeleton Tree. Both fantastic and both more comparable to what you've heard already. And then from there you can work backwards to albums like The Boatman's Call, Murder Ballads, Let Love In.
 

Deleted member 49179

User requested account closure
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Oct 30, 2018
4,140
If you're interested in knowing more about Nick Cave, I definitely recommend you watch the movie 20,000 Days on Earth:




It follows Nick on his hypothetical 20,000th day. It is more or less centered around the Push the Sky Away album. It's a very beautiful, strange, touching, poetic movie.

After seeing this one, stop everything you're doing and run see One More Time With Feeling:




Now this is an incredibly special movie, and it gets a lot more closer to a real documentary than the other one. It was made by Andrew Dominik who is also the director of The Assassination of Jesse James. It follows Nick and the people close to him after the tragic death of his son, Arthur. It talks a lot about the different transformations an artist can go through after a deep trauma. This movie is an incredible, intimate piece of art. It's genuine and poignant. It blew me away.

As for album recommendations, you cannot go wrong with their latest two, Push the Sky Away and Skeleton Tree. I also really like Tender Prey and Murder Ballads. But honestly, if you're new to Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds just grab Lovely Creatures - The Best of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (1984-2014). It has all their important music pieces and everything you need, except for the music from their latest album (Skeleton Tree).

A recent song from them that I really like is I Need You:

 
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janusff

janusff

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
18,160
Austin, TX
Thanks guys! Gonna go through this thread after work and dig in. Went ahead and bought Tender Prey outright for the ride home.
 

Deleted member 49179

User requested account closure
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Oct 30, 2018
4,140
Let us know of your thoughts!

I would also like to add that if you ever have a chance to see Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds live, do not miss the opportunity. Even if you're not yet familiar with much of his work, Nick Cave's concerts are an absolutely transcending experience. Every time.
 

Deleted member 6769

User requested account closure
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Oct 25, 2017
396


Truly one of the best Austin City Limits videos I've seen. Nick Cave has such a command over the stage and you can tell he likes putting on a good show.
 

flook

Member
Oct 28, 2017
969
Yeah I'd recommend all of it - The Birthday Party stuff too. My personal favourite is:
 

King_Moc

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,129
Murder Ballads is probably a good choice of introductory album. It's got his narrative story telling style but falls between two periods of his music while hinting at both - the noisy chaos of the past and the more melodic future. The stories are genuinely entertaining and it has some huge guests too - Kylie Minogue, PJ Harvey and Shane MacGowan.
 

Deleted member 49179

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Oct 30, 2018
4,140
The Mercy Seat live:




I really like the long crescendo of the song until it just... explodes in the end.

Also, isn't Warren Ellis just the best?
 

TheHolyTurnip

Banned
Oct 31, 2017
672
Tulsa, OK
First Nick Cave song I ever heard, I still love it. It just sounds so damn different from any other artist, or even most of their own music. And definitely check out Murder Ballads, fantastic album.

 

Deleted member 14459

User requested account closure
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Oct 27, 2017
1,874
He is an extremely gifted lyricist so you're definitely not getting everything from him by his OST work. I'd go in from Skeleton key > Boatman's call > Let love in > The good son > your funeral.. my trial - to get a reverse slide into his music. His discography is very strong with perhaps the exception of Nocturama all his sideprojects are also very good, as are Bad Seeds' projects...
 

Nappuccino

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
13,046
I like him most on the louder, jamier albums. Dig, Lazarus, Dig, Abbatoir Blues, and Grinderman 2 are good starting spots. I'd argue that his first couple of albums are the hardest to get into and enjoy, but I'd hit them up at some point.
 

Blader

Member
Oct 27, 2017
26,637
Oh man that fucking song! So good! Stagger Lee live is no joke. I think this one and also The Mercy Seat are the two songs I like to see him perform in front of an audience the most.
Stagger Lee is a fun one live. From Her to Eternity too. That was a song I found kinda annoying on album, but turned around for me hearing it live.
 

rockinreelin

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,157
The Birthday Party era is his best, IMO.



Birthday Party is the shit! I have a hard time listening to the bad seeds or even Grinderman since The Birthday Party were so bloody brilliant. Rip Rowland S. Howard, what an amazing guitarists. Such a unique sound. The reason why a lot of post punk bands like sonic youth, my bloody valentine, etc used jazzmasters was 'cause Rowland used one.

 

RedVejigante

Member
Aug 18, 2018
5,648
Murder Ballads was my introductory album, and I find Boatman's Call to be nicely accessible as well. Henry's Dream has over the years become one of my favorites, though.
 

Deleted member 49179

User requested account closure
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Oct 30, 2018
4,140
Henry's Dream has over the years become one of my favorites, though.

Henry's Dream has Straight to You, and I always had something for this song.

Edit: Also the John Finn's Wife song... It is indeed a great album. You might be on to something.

Edit 2: And also the I Had A Dream Joe song. Ok, time to sit down and give Henry's Dream a good listen again.
 
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RedVejigante

Member
Aug 18, 2018
5,648
Henry's Dream has Straight to You, and I always had something for this song.

Edit: Also the John Finn's Wife song... It is indeed a great album. You might be on to something.

Edit 2: And also the I Had A Dream Joe song. Ok, time to sit down and give Henry's Dream a good listen again.
Ha, yeah, for some reason it took a bit to grow on me, probably because my entry to the Bad Seeds was with some of their more overall melodic albums, but now I consider it one of their most underrated works.
 

Deleted member 49179

User requested account closure
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Oct 30, 2018
4,140
This thing is slowly transforming into a Nick Cave appreciation thread. Can't say I dislike it! :p

I'm pleasantly surprised of the amount of people appreciating this here on Era.
 
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Deleted member 14459

User requested account closure
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Oct 27, 2017
1,874
This thing is slowly transforming into a Nick Cave appreciation thread. Can't say I dislike it! :p

I'm pleasantly surprised of the amount of people appreciating this here on Era.

Yes, and since this us a Nick Cave appreciation thread he should also get credit for indirectly giving us the best cooking video ever with Blixa cooking risotto calamari while not giving a good god damn, a video I will always push in NC threads:
 
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King_Moc

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,129
Henry's Dream has Straight to You, and I always had something for this song.

Edit: Also the John Finn's Wife song... It is indeed a great album. You might be on to something.

Edit 2: And also the I Had A Dream Joe song. Ok, time to sit down and give Henry's Dream a good listen again.

Henry's Dream is probably a top 3 Nick Cave album for my money. Papa Won't Leave You Henry is arguably his best album opener.
 

Shaneus

Member
Oct 27, 2017
8,903
Anyone here see him do his most amazing Q&A shows? I saw him do one in Melbourne only a month ago, and it's such an amazing insight into him and what makes him tick.

Honestly, I think he probably has the greatest stage presence of anyone alive today. Might even be better than Freddie Mercury or Michael Jackson, but I never got to see them live. Just has this evangelist quality to him that pulls you in, it's fucking incredible.

As for what I love of his, given my relatively recent introduction to him (via my wife, who I met five years ago):

(I was at the same gig, though that's not my video)
Another of the same song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3_swo25ctM



Yes, and since this us a Nick Cave aporeciation thread he should also get credit for indirectly giving us the best cooking video ever with Blixa cooking risotto calamari while not giving a good god damn, a video I will always push in NC threads:

Holy shit lol
 

Deleted member 2595

Account closed at user request
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
5,475
I had never really listened to Nick Cave until this year when I saw him peform at a festival.

Seeing him do Mercy Seat (now one of my all-time favourite tracks) live without knowing what it was beforehand was mindblowing.

I always knew he was renowned and he was clearly a musical legend but it never hit me until I saw it live.

Tender Prey is where it's at.
 

Deleted member 49179

User requested account closure
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Oct 30, 2018
4,140
Yes, and since this us a Nick Cave appreciation thread he should also get credit for indirectly giving us the best cooking video ever with Blixa cooking risotto calamari while not giving a good god damn, a video I will always push in NC threads:


That's awesome!

It made me curious so I searched around, and look what I found: