- 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.
- 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.”
