NC. C'mon now.

Yes the decadent noir Schtick is a bit heavy and there are plenty of missteps. But there a few truly great albums and the weaker ones have at least a couple of worthy songs.

Whatever the lineup, the Bad Seeds are always a great unit. He knows how to pick 'em. Probably doesn't deserve them sometimes. I only got to see them once, 2015 I think, but hands down one of the best shows I've seen.

Non-Bad Seeds special mention: the last time I saw NC was his tour with Colin Greenwood, who was possibly the most unnecessary musician I've ever seen onstage. And I'm a bass player.

I love all of the records. Skeleton Tree is absolutely beautiful. Start to finish.

Jon

ErikG wrote: Wed May 22, 2024 5:59 pm
Non-Bad Seeds special mention: the last time I saw NC was his tour with Colin Greenwood, who was possibly the most unnecessary musician I've ever seen onstage. And I'm a bass player.

THIS interests me. I always liked songs featuring electric bass + piano and that guy seemed like he could at least play. Maybe it was missing some long-haired bohemian in a ruffled shirt pitter-pattering along.

I would pretty much always prefer to see a band though.

I'm not sure how Cave's relationship with Mick Harvey soured, but I always saw him as like the wind beneath Cave's wings; not flashy, but a multi-instrumentalist and stable presence who seemed to be in line with whatever vision Cave had over several decades.

twelvepoint wrote: Thu May 23, 2024 8:10 am I'm not sure how Cave's relationship with Mick Harvey soured, but I always saw him as like the wind beneath Cave's wings; not flashy, but a multi-instrumentalist and stable presence who seemed to be in line with whatever vision Cave had over several decades.

He was also the financial manager and musical director. Harvey leaving was a really big deal. He basically ran the band.

Harvey's work with Crime & The City Solution was cool.

Gramsci wrote: Thu May 23, 2024 10:55 am

twelvepoint wrote: Thu May 23, 2024 8:10 am I'm not sure how Cave's relationship with Mick Harvey soured, but I always saw him as like the wind beneath Cave's wings; not flashy, but a multi-instrumentalist and stable presence who seemed to be in line with whatever vision Cave had over several decades.

He was also the financial manager and musical director. Harvey leaving was a really big deal. He basically ran the band.

I just read Kid Congo Powell's memoir and that was his take on MH, too.

I vaguely remember once reading something about your typical band tensions in regard to TBPs breakup, but also issues between Bargeld and Harvey around the time of Blixa's guitarring on "Mutiny in Heaven." I could be wrong.

Never really understood folks levelling the schtick accusation against Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. That vibe has been around in some form or another since The Boys Next Door. Besides, it's not like he's carrying around a bindle singing songs about shells from a thirty-ought-six (I dig TW too). Some of my deep appreciation lends itself to nostalgia. I had a torrid collegiate affair with the gent who turned me on to the various music of Nick Cave. Henry's Dream and Let Love In remain favorites. Barring shooting my ashes into space while "Telstar" soars place me into the ground to the sounds of "Lay Me Low."

NC

Yeah Harvey's departure and the ascent of Warren Ellis shifted the trajectory from "cool but occasionally irksome" to "irksome and maybe occasionally cool but I wouldn't know because irksome".

We used to watch the God Is In The House live dvd religiously but I remember never being able to hear Blixa’s crazy ass guitar at all, as if it were mixed right out of the fucker. He looked all business with those slides, though.

Has anyone watched that un a while with speakers worth a damn? It’s quite possible the 3rd hand tv we were watching on it was pure trash.