- 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.
- 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.)
- 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.
- 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.”
- Artist: Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds
- Title: Your Funeral… My Trial
- Year: 1986
- Format: Vinyl 12 in.
- Rating (1-10): 10
- Owner: Mary
- Acquired: 1986 – I have to go with Plan 9 Records and Tapes (tapes, hee hee) based on the release year. I always buy Nick Cave music ASAP.
- Keeper: Yes
Yesterday when Tracy was playing this LP he let the word “boring” slip from his lips. I knew then that he was not up to the task of blogging Nick Cave. I am not as talented a writer as Tracy, but I own all the Bad Seeds LPs (and CDs). So, I’ll practice on these.
This is not the first Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds album after the break up of The Birthday Party. Three EPs preceed “Your Funeral… My Trial” and they are all a bit louder. With this double EP the music calms down, but it isn’t boring. “The Carney” is surely the most memorable. It reminds me of a gory movie scene I would watch with one eye peeking between my fingers. I don’t want to see it, but I can’t stop watching it. I’m not the only one who can’t let that song go, “The Carney” reappears on “The Best of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds” CD. “Stranger Than Kindness” is another song I’ll be humming the next few days and also makes the cut on the “Best Of” CD. I also really like the title track and “She Fell Away.” Well, I really like the entire double ep. And a double ep? Why not just one album? But the packaging is clever! It’s always two things playing off one another. Your funeral / my trial, eyes closed on the front cover / open on the back, right side up / upside down, and virgin / whore illustrations on the two liners.
Rating this is hard. When I compare it to all the Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds material, it’s a 9. However, if there is ever a fire in the Sigler house, the entire Nick Cave discography will be saved right after the dog.
Read more about Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds at Wikipedia and check out the offical band site.
