Seeds [Enhanced] [EP]

seeds [enhanced] [ep]

Track Listings
1. Remember Me the Wind
2. Chickaboom Cocktail
3. Sonno
4. Cloud Splitter
5. Chickaboom Cocktail [Multimedia Track]

Seeds,Sky Cries Mary,Collective Fruit,American Trad Rock,Neo-Psychedelia,Pop,Rock,Rock/Pop

Seeds [Enhanced] [EP]
Seeds
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • From Boston busker to buying his own home in the country
  • Catchy tunes but uninspired vocals
  • Light on blues, heavy on Happy
  • At last!
  • Vintage Sexton!
 Seeds
Martin Sexton
Manufacturer: Kitchen Table
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music
Alternative FolkAlternative Folk | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music
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  1. Live Wide Open
  2. Black Sheep
  3. Careful What You Wish For
  4. Camp Holiday
  5. West

ASIN: B000N3SSN0
Release Date: 2007-04-03

Tracks:

  1. Happy
  2. Thought I Knew Ya
  3. Wild Angels
  4. Will It Go Round In Circles
  5. Goin' To The Country
  6. I'm Here
  7. There Go I
  8. Right Where You Belong
  9. Marry Me
  10. Failure
  11. Still Think About You
  12. How Far I've Come
  13. Wild Angels
  14. Keep It Simple

Amazon.com

Flaunting the playful, bluesy voice that has kept him popular for almost two decades, folkie extraordinaire Martin Sexton returns on Seeds, his first new set of songs in seven years (not counting 2005's holiday-themed Camp Holiday). Of course, for a renowned road warrior like Sexton recorded work isn't really the point, as this release like all the others is just more fodder for his famously blistering live sets (memorably captured on 2000's Live Wide Open). Still, it's a welcome dose of the man's music--a mix of broadly appealing jams, Van Morrison-esque drama and Sexton's earthy pipes, reminiscent of R&B greats like Otis Redding. "Happy" opens it up with a cheery, gospel-tinged vibe, riding easygoing organs and guitars straight into the equally summery "Thought I Knew Ya." Later, an electrified vocal track plugs a charge into the hop-a-long tune "Marry Me" while guest Nils Lofgren's juke joint guitar vibe livens up "How Far I've Come." Sexton can get a little corny with his lyrics ("Wild Angels" contains a few samples), but as a musician his overt earnestness is the secret to his success. It's not always subtle but the guy has an absolute knack for classic roots music. With the energy of a true believer, Sexton manages to infuse a timeless appeal into every track. --Matthew Cooke

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars From Boston busker to buying his own home in the country.......2007-07-04

According to his April interview on NPR, that cabin just got running water, but this is Sexton's dream.

"Seeds" sows some joy along with the music. Gross describes Sexton's song as 'setpieces'. Sexton took his inspiration from Mel Blanc, the voice of Bugs Bunny among others, that he can sound any way that he wants to. All the voices in this CD are his--even the gospel choir. He even can 'replay' his voice speaking backwards--which literally made me wonder if something had gone wrong with the radio.

"Marry Me" has recorded sounds from his cabin in the Adirondacks. Listen close and you'll hear dinner bells, salt and pepper shakers and all kinds of low tech devices.

"Failure" is even inspiring. In this song, Sexton thanks God for failure because he believes that a man learns when he fails. To me, Sexton's reached that contented place we all wish we could find and it rings true in his music. The CD's worth listening to again and again because you never get the whole message the first time.

2 out of 5 stars Catchy tunes but uninspired vocals.......2007-06-02

After all those years of hearing Martin perform live (since 1989 in that church basement in Worcester, MA)...when you hear this recording you just want to grab him, shake him, and yell, "SING!" The performer who has blown us all away with that amazing, soaring voice, refuses to put his trademark energy into any of these tunes. I don't know why, and it's very frustrating. The tunes are catchy, and several lend themselves to be taken "out" a bit...you can feel it coming...then it doesn't happen. Those who have never seen Martin live may enjoy the music: it is not bad at all...it's just not Martin.

3 out of 5 stars Light on blues, heavy on Happy.......2007-05-24

An upbeat and catchy album, with a good dose of soul, but less than previous albums. Perhaps I am a bit of a cynic, but Martin's happy-go-lucky lyrics:

Happy like the first day of summer vacation
Happy apple pie and relaxation
-from Happy, track 1

and

All you did to mold this kid
You filled my heart you blew my lid
Oh you make me feel so good
Ya give me good home cooking and gravy too
...
Everything's okay now
-from Failure, track 10

don't grab me like those of his angst-filled and broken-hearted earlier work. Two Parts Gospel one part blues-folk-rock compared to past albums where the four were more homogenous. Probably appropriate for an album whose overall theme is the realization of one's dream.

Martin has always nailed blues, putting his own spin on it, but the only bluesy tune on "Seeds" is "There Go I" which is more of a psalm than a blues song. Do you have to be beaten up and busted down to make a good album? Not necessarily, but to make one with the blues-infused magic like any one of his past? Maybe...

5 out of 5 stars At last!.......2007-05-22

It's been many years since Martin Sexton has released new material and, if you like Martin Sexton, you will like this album. There is nothing special or extraordinary here, just straight ahead music that his fans have become accustomed to. I just saw him in concert and he sang many tunes from here, and all fit perfectly in with the rest of his material.

This is a must for current Sexton fans; if you are new, I would start with 'The American'...I know, many purists think that record is "overproduced", but that is only in comparison to the sparse arrangements on previous albums. However, you really can't go wrong with any Martin Sexton record.

5 out of 5 stars Vintage Sexton!.......2007-05-21

Once again, Martin Sexton has created a collection of new hits which hopefully will make their way to our airwaves and give him the artistic credit of which he is so long overdo. Martin Sexton is one of those rare, raw vocalists who leaves his heart and soul on every lyric he sings. Whether performing live or in the studio, Martin's voice always rings strong with his reverential resonance especially on the lead track "Happy" and continuing on thru his politically laced and hopeful "Wild Angels". Spiritually soulful overtones carry on "There I Go" just as a carnival feel runs thru "Right Where You Belong", "Marry Me" and "How Far I've Come". But believe me folks, every song on this record has a way of embedding itself in your cranium to return later for you to enjoy even when the songs are not playing.

I remember seeing Martin live and hearing "Failure" prior to the new album and have to say it is one of my favorite tracks right along with the ballad "Still Think about You" which are both stand outs on this new album for me. "Keep It Simple" took a little time growing on me but as with some of Martin's other songs, it takes some time to fully enjoy them until you have had a chance to absorb all the sounds and songs created by this clever and creatively unique performing artist!

Thanks for a great CD!! Martin Sexton's SEEDS is a must own for EVERYONE!

So plant some SEEDS in your soul today!!
Abattoir Blues Tour (2CD+2DVD)
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Great disc set
  • Next Best Thing
  • Wall of sound?
  • What a deal!
  • An Antti Keisala Comment: These Are But Wild And Whirling Words
 Abattoir Blues Tour (2CD+2DVD)
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
Manufacturer: Mute U.S.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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  1. Grinderman
  2. B-Sides & Rarities
  3. The Proposition
  4. The Weirdness
  5. Grinderman

ASIN: B000N3SSP8
Release Date: 2007-03-20

Tracks:

  1. O Children (Dusseldorf)
  2. Hiding All Away (Manchester)
  3. Breathless (Dusseldorf)
  4. Get Ready For Love (Dusseldorf)
  5. Red Right Hand (Cophenhagen)
  6. The Ship Song (Paris 1)
  7. The Weeping Song (Munich)
  8. Stagger Lee (Munich)

Tracks:

  1. Carry Me (Dusseldorf)
  2. Let The Bells Ring (Lausanne)
  3. Easy Money (Milan)
  4. Supernaturally (Paris 1)
  5. Babe, You Turn Me On (Paris 2)
  6. There She Goes, My Beautiful World (Amsterdam)
  7. God Is In The House (Paris 2)
  8. Deanna (Hamburg)
  9. Lay Me Low (Munich)

Tracks:

  1. Hiding All Away
  2. Messiah Ward
  3. Easy Money
  4. Supernaturally
  5. The Lyre Of Orpheus
  6. Babe, You Turn Me On
  7. Nature Boy
  8. Get Ready For Love
  9. Carry Me
  10. There She Goes, My Beautiful World
  11. God Is In The House
  12. Red Right Hand
  13. The Ship Song
  14. Stagger Lee

Tracks:

  1. Bring It On
  2. Babe, I'm On Fire
  3. Nature Boy
  4. Breathless
  5. Get Ready For Love Abattoir Blues/The Lyre Of Orpheus, A Short Film
  6. Christina The Astonishing
  7. Wild World Short Film: `Bring It On' Video ShootPromotional Videos:

Amazon.com

It's a delirious treat, watching the full weight of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds open their November 2004 Brixton Academy gig with the menacing thwack of "Hiding All Away," as they do on the first of two DVDs in this live mega-set. They're swept away, Cave and his mates--Warren Ellis and Mick Harvey and the keyboardists and drummers and background singers. Feet stomp, hair flies, the sounds wallop. Without Blixa Bargeld for the first time, the Bad Seeds have a gospel-tinged bigness, an urgent intensity. The multicamera DVD shots are brilliant, the sound impeccable. Of course that last bit is all that matters on the pair of CDs that round out this set, and they sound phenomenal. Cave knows drama, from the lyrics to the vocal bellow to the full-on unrelenting orchestral power of a guitar, a bass, a violin, a couple keyboards, and a couple drummers--backed by four ingeniously true-to-form backup vocalists. If you've even a passing interest in the ecstasy of live musical abandon, this is a necessary indulgence. If you're a Cave fan, you won't be able to get enough. --Andrew Bartlett

Album Description

THE ABATTOIR BLUES TOUR features songs from critically acclaimed 2004 double album ABATTOIR BLUES / THE LYRE OF ORPHEUS, plus an array of classic material from the band's repertoire. The 2 CDs contain live recordings from various dates on the 2004 "Abattoir Blues" tour. The 2 DVDs contain footage from two live concerts: first disc taken from one of the bands' 3 sold out "Abattoir Blues" concerts at London's Brixton Academy (November 11th 2004); second disc offers excerpts from London's Hammersmith Apollo show filmed during 2003 "Nocturama" tour. The DVDs also include all the promotional videos from the last two albums, plus special bonus behind the scenes footage of the "Bring It On" video.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Great disc set.......2007-05-25

The CDs and DVD's were awesome. Great music and video. Had a skip on one disc, but other than that quality was great and nicely packaged. Got Grinderman CD afterwards and still a Nick Cave fan bigtime.

5 out of 5 stars Next Best Thing.......2007-05-14

A Nick Cave live show has so much raw intensity, grit, strength and emotion that it is awfully difficult to imagine capturing it on any recording medium. This set does its level best to record and share all that is involved in the experience of a live Cave show and, like some of the past video efforts, provides some rare behind-the-scenes footage of this very private, tortured artist (who just happens to be the greatest songwriter alive today, in my humble opinion). We in North America have been a bit neglected of late by Mr. Cave, but for those of us who can't afford to travel to see this phenomenal performance, at least we can still see what his live shows offer today, without the dancing, sweat and ringing ears...

5 out of 5 stars Wall of sound?.......2007-05-13

In all due respect to Phil Spector, screw him! The amazing layered sound Nick Cave and his cohorts have created since the Nocturama album has just gotten more and more nuanced and blown apart. This CD and DVD set is a must for any fan of Nick or just simple damn rock'n'roll. No one else even comes close to this pure musical experience. And then there's Grinderman...

More later..................

5 out of 5 stars What a deal!.......2007-04-19

As fans know, Nick Cave didn't tour Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus in America. Too bad because it's some of his strongest material. I saw him when he was in Seattle touring No More Shall We Part and it was one of the best concert experiences of my life. He's an incredible performer and the Bad Seeds are a great band.

This is 2 DVDs and 2 CDs for about $27. The quality of the contents will not disappoint anyone. It's not quite the same as being there live but it's very good and its the best we're going to get until he decides to tour America again.

5 out of 5 stars An Antti Keisala Comment: These Are But Wild And Whirling Words.......2007-03-31

I might have already let out my high appreciation for Nick Cave both as an artist and personality previously - here on Amazon he's been called both the gothic Elvis and vampire Springsteen, a remark both comically to the point and hilariously absurd. Yet he deserves a little louder praise just as Tom Waits does for taking our whole way of listening music into new territories, transcending the mainstream; and now that we're at it, the thing about Springsteen and Elvis is that transcends both - beside him both of them sound pressingly unadventurous; Cave is the shadow - to use a grim metaphor - and what he brings to the concepts (Elvis, for an example) is the shadow in itself, the matter of the soul that makes them interesting. And the playing is terrific all the way through.

You can either watch this DVD or listen to the live recording provided, especially "Hiding All Away", to get some sense of how amazingly and terrifyingly intense his presence really is - priestly, delirious, furiously energetic, phlegmatically ironic. Add to this the self-referentially comic side and the soulfully introspective; there are moments that define whole stations of emotions. "O Children" - not available on the DVD - is what an opener should be: a miniature life in itself; bold and contextually unfolding, vibrantly merging into the rest of the concert in a way that makes it constantly referrable, its presence residing over the whole record. This song is worth the purchase alone, yet what a treat are we for: there's a lot of new material, barely no "No Shall We Part" except for "God Is In the House" and some older treats: the triptych consisting of "The Ship Song", "The Weeping Song" and "Stagger Lee" (the first two from "The Good Son" and the third from "Murder Ballads", respectively) is a high climax.

The second DVD offers some artful extras, an example of high showmanship. I recommend you get the set that includes both the two DVDs as well as the double-album; they're not from exactly the same concerts, so it gives room to dream. So heartily recommended.

With best regards,
AK
Murder Ballads
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • soundtrack for a dark room
  • bad seeds most popular..BUT i think:
  • Faces of Murder
  • "This world full of danger..."
  • The stuff that nightmares are made of
 Murder Ballads
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
Manufacturer: Reprise / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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  1. The Boatman's Call
  2. Let Love In
  3. No More Shall We Part
  4. Tender Prey
  5. Abattoir Blues / Lyre of Orpheus

ASIN: B000002N5S
Release Date: 1996-02-20

Tracks:

  1. Song Of Joy
  2. Stagger Lee
  3. Henry Lee
  4. Lovely Creature
  5. Where The Wild Roses Grow
  6. The Curse Of Millhaven
  7. The Kindness Of Strangers
  8. Crow Jane
  9. O'Malley's Bar
  10. Death Is Not The End

Amazon.com

Nick Cave's been writing songs about killing and other evil things since he first surfaced in 1980 as the Birthday Party's pale, skinny, goth-punk Jim Morrison. But the murder ballads that provide this set's title are different, tantalizingly deliberate. Sure, there's plenty of trademark Cave here, but Murder Ballads is a fascinating concept album that uses the narrative ballad form of the English folk tradition to tell of murder: random deaths, passion crimes, and killing sprees, all in one package. Cave clearly thrives in this genre, and he produces some of his sharpest and most facile writing to date. "Song of Joy," a genuinely scary campfire mystery of a murdered family and an unnamed killer, chillingly weaves clues into the lyrics, while "Where the Wild Roses Grow" is a narrative duet in which killer (Cave) and victim (pop star Kylie Minogue) reveal parallel tales. Cave even shows his knack for adaptation on Bob Dylan's "Death Is Not the End": he recontextualizes a song of heavenly comfort into a sort of zombie "We Are the World" (featuring Minogue, PJ Harvey, Shane MacGowan, and others) in which "death is not the end" of pain and suffering. Above all, Murder Ballads should be heard as a work of pulp fiction--as sensationally funny as it is harrowing. The already violent traditional song "Stagger Lee" becomes gangsta folk, so ridiculously packed with obscenity and brutality it would make the Geto Boys cringe. And Cave's (unintentional?) point to would-be censors--that bad-ass songs existed long before rappers polluted the airways--should not be missed. --Roni Sarig

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars soundtrack for a dark room.......2006-12-18

The painting on the front of the CD is clearly NOT a Bob Ross, for there is just no way that Bob Ross could adequately paint up some Nick Cave. The main problem has to do with the fact that there are no 'happy trees' in Nick Cave, and none especially in _Murder Ballads_. If there were, they were burnt down long ago. This disc may be one of his most popular, which gets some die-hard 'fans' to doubt it, but the tracks on this disc are soundly dark and violent and tender. Aside from a fine ensemble Dylan cover at the end, with PJ Harvey and Shane MacGowan among others, I find myself clinging to tracks like "Lovely Creature" and "Song of Joy," and "O'Malley's Bar" is its own western movie AND soundtrack combined.

So turn down the lights and break out a couple of bottles of your reddest wine. I'm going to be listening to this one all through Christmas.

3 out of 5 stars bad seeds most popular..BUT i think:.......2006-10-18

One of their not-that-great cd.

the songs: Stagger Lee,Henry Lee,Where the wild roses grow and O'malleys bar are the only good songs on the album..the rest is just borrowed from other bad seeds records.

Lovely Creture - i hate the choir of girls lalalalalalala thing,yuck.

The curse of millhaven is just a faster henry lee melody..its not even good lyrically..

The kindness of strangers,i guess is quite alright,but i dont like the name,it's too similar to Stranger than kindness from Your funeral..my trial album.

Death is not the end is alright..but nothing more..a plus to Shane MacGowan.

Buy The good son instead..

5 out of 5 stars Faces of Murder.......2006-07-17

4.5 stars

Watching Cave's amazing movie, _The Proposition_, last week brought me back to this highly noteworthy release in Cave's catalog. This is because _The Proposition_ is like one big, long murder ballad; like the album, it alternates between brutality, lyricism, a confusing mix of the two, and other emotions besides. I came close to wearing this CD out when I bought it at its release ten years ago (I know that's not supposed to be possible), but in the decade since it got lost in the mix of the rest of Cave's huge catalog (I'm especially partial to _More Pricks Than Kicks_, _From Her to Eternity_, and _The Boatman's Call_).

I have to say that _Murder Ballads_ definitely stands the test of time and is one of his best releases of the '90's. After the lukewarm _Henry's Dream_, Nick and the boys really hunkered down in the studio to create a truly distinctive piece. Its only true weakness is the ho-hum cover of Dylan's "Death Is Not the End" at the end of the CD. Otherwise, these are songs you can return to over and over, while always pulling some new sort of sensation out of the experience.

Starting with "Song of Joy," we hear the band spinning the kind of atmospheric psychoticism that they began to move away from more and more around the release of _Tender Prey_ (which, surprise, brought them more commercial success than ever before). What I'm suggesting here is that this song and a lot of the rest of the album is like a successful fusion of the bands more-ragged Birthday-Party-inspired Southern Gothic craziness exhibited on _Your Funeral My Trial_ with the slicker stuff like _Tender Prey_. Oh and "Song of Joy" is an absolutely terrifying beginning to this CD.

"Stagger Lee" is kind of a murder blues, much like "Crow Jane" and "O'Malley's Bar"; the band sets up a vamp and Nick just waxes evil over the whole thing. You'd be hard-pressed to find songs like these anywhere else.

The highlights of the album are the lyrical moments, all of them featuring female singers like PJ Harvey and Kylie Minogue. "Henry Lee," "Lovely Creature," and "Where the Wild Roses Grow" all manage to wrest considerable pathos from the most morbid of subject matter and this has everything to do with Cave's compositional skills, both on the keyboard and with his pen. The soaring duets also add to the uncanny effect. Absolutely indispensable listening.

With the release of _The Proposition_ to compare and contrast to this CD, we can rightly call Nick Cave the Master of the Macabre Love Lyric. Granted, there isn't much proper competition, but there is certainly something very noteworthy about exploring the sublime in the subject of death. On this album, Cave and the Seeds put it all out there. On _The Proposition_ he took it to epic proportions. Cave's got a lot of juice in him yet; one can only wonder what spin he will put on the faces of murder next.

4 out of 5 stars "This world full of danger...".......2006-07-01

The title of this album refers to a style of folk music who's lyrics often deal with death, violence, and grief. As such, Murder Ballads is an album full of some of the darkest songs that Cave has ever written. Over the course of ten songs, Nick creates a universe populated with psychotic serial killers, depraved outlaws, religious maniacs, and other unseemly characters. Musically, Murder Ballads is kaleidoscopic, an amaglamam of screeching goth, muted blues, eerie lounge jazz, and a plethora of other styles; witness the psychotic polka-metal epic (seriously), "The Curse of Millhaven," in which Nick takes on the role of Loretta, a seemingly innocent 14 year old girl who turns into a murderous psychopath by night. Cave's performance is brilliant. He sings at a breathless pace, snearing, snarling, and practically frothing at the mouth, turning the song into a dimentedly catchy, blood-soaked sing along. "Crow Jane" is another highlight. Cave's lyrics are at their most opaque and grimly poetic, telling the story of a lonely old woman who takes out a grisly revenge on 20 miners. In the background, the Bad Seeds are churning out a smoky, atmospheric groove, driven by a thick, misty bass line and hypnotic percussion. "Stagger Lee" is a drastic reworking of a classic murder ballad, which tells the story of the song's title character, an outlaw in a stetson hat. Cave turns Stag into a depraved, irrideamable lunatic who kills two men and yells at a prostitute for no aparent reason. Meanwhile, the Seeds are cranking out a greasy, crunching barroom rocker, before exploding into a crescendo of squealing feedback and nearly white noise levels of chaos. The album's twisted centerpiece is "O'Malley's Bar," a nearly fifteen minute lounge-jazz bloodbath, in which Nick plays the role of a religious maniac who slays the entire population of a bar. Cave relates the song's grisly narrative with a spastic, enthusiastic vocal performance, often extending the ends of verses into little verbal roller coasters, shifting into spoken word sections, barking, wheezing, sneering, and strutting his way through this grim little tale. A total masterpiece.
But Murder Ballads isn't always successful: "Henry Lee," another reworking of an old folk song, is transformed into a dull piano ballad that lacks an ounce of the tension or mystery that made Dick Justice's version (found on Harry Smith's legendary Anthology of American Folk Music) such a classic. "The Kindness of Strangers" is pure banal melodrama, which features such unbearably awful lines as "She wanted to see the deep blue sea/ She traveled across Tenessee." The cover of Bob Dylan's "Death is Not the End," despite the ensemble vocals, goes absolutely nowhere.
Still, Murder Ballads is a great listen, and at it's best it's a dark, heavy masterpiece.

4 out of 5 stars The stuff that nightmares are made of.......2006-05-05

After "Let love in", the ultimate ode to lovesongs, loverman Nick Cave traps us all with his tongue-in-cheeck collection of murdurous hymns. Legends, myths, fairytales, rainy serial killer-stories, and even a Dylan cover, all are filled with dead bodies, buried underneath the soil, floating in a stream, wrapped in electrical wires or scattered across the floor of O'Maley's bar.
But these tales of vengeance, lust and mayhem aren't to be taken too serious, and fortunately so. Nick Cave likes to fool his listeners every now and then, and the black comedy genre, which is often filled with irony or cynism, is the right medium to trap your fans.

"Song of Joy" tells the tale of a man who wanders from place to place after his family got brutaly murdered. But there are hints that the narrator isn't what he appears to be, either. Add some quotes from John Milton's "Paradise Lost" (a refference also to be found in the 1994 serial killer movie "Se7en") and it's that Apocalyptic, end or the world-feeling Nick is bringing us, as he has done so many times before.

Next stop: "Stagger Lee", a delightfully obscene tale about a trigger-happy guy with itchy killer fingers and a smoking gun. It's sung in a kind of half spoken-word-like manner, much in the way Nick's famous "Red right hand" from the "Let love in" album was.
"Henry Lee" is the real ballad here, or shall we call it duet. P. J. Harvey and Nick Cave sing together this intimate little graveyard song.
Another duet follows, but this time it's the more widely known "Where the wild roses grow" with Kylie Monigue as both co-singer and victim of this tragic love story that ends in death and dismay.
"The curse of Millhaven" is simply all fire, lightning and chaos and with a length of 7 minutes, one of the bigger murder sprees.

The disc end with the the entire cast (Cave, Minogue, Harvey, Shane MacGowan, Blixa Bargeld) each singing some lines from Dylan's "Death is not the end". But not before "O'Maley's bar" is finished. Lasting more then 14 minutes and with some 36 plus strophes, this is the song in which both Nick Cave as his nameless narrator go `all the way'. Shooting his dumdum-like words to the audience as easily as the protagonist of this gruwesome story is shooting his bullets at all the visitors of the local bar, Nick Cave definitely must have a big wide grin on his face while performing this one.

Nobody survives in these collection of 10 musical thrillers, except the listener, who, like the audience in a movie theatere, sigh in relief after the the bad guy is shot, the demons are hushed back to their dwellings, and the end credits roll across the screen.

Lights on. Curtain closes.
And all that we're left with is each other, alive and well, ands a worn-down theatre floor scattered with popcorn and empty coca-cola bottles.
The Boatman's Call
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • An Antti Keisala Comment: Blessed In The Spirit
  • Beauty, Truth & Grace
  • Alas, no masterpiece from the master
  • Who is this guy, Elvis?
  • close the door
 The Boatman's Call
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
Manufacturer: Reprise / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Australia & New ZealandAustralia & New Zealand | International | Styles | Music
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EccentricsEccentrics | Warner Brothers Records | Stores | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Murder Ballads
  2. No More Shall We Part
  3. Let Love In
  4. Abattoir Blues / Lyre of Orpheus
  5. Tender Prey

ASIN: B000002NE4
Release Date: 1997-03-04

Tracks:

  1. Into My Arms
  2. Lime-Tree Arbour
  3. People Ain't No Good
  4. Brompton Oratory
  5. There Is A Kingdom
  6. (Are You) The One I've Been Waiting For?
  7. Where Do We Go Now But Nowherer?
  8. West Country Girl
  9. Black Hair
  10. Idiot Prayer
  11. Far From Me
  12. Green Eyes

Amazon.com essential recording

After a career spent tearing down the world with horror and disgust, Nick Cave finally sounds ready to start rebuilding from scratch. He's begun to find a quiet grace, and perhaps even beauty, past all the darkness that's long consumed him. Amid the ashes of a world unable to exorcise its demons, Cave actually finds love; a strange, twisted, doomed love, perhaps--but love nevertheless.

On The Boatman's Call, Cave's latest collection, the singer-songwriter finds room for the personal, the spiritual, and even the hopeful in his grey psyche. With only the sparest accompaniment--often just a piano or organ, light percussion, and violin (care of Dirty Three's Warren Ellis)--Cave employs traditional folk song structure and simplicity to weave tales saddened less through tragedy as through emptiness. Songs like "Into My Arms" and "(Are You) The One That I've Been Waiting For?" are among Cave's most self-assured and soulful to date. Stripped down and grown up--though still ghoulish and grave--Cave the storyteller has turned into something of a vampire Springsteen.

Ultimately, The Boatman's Call sounds like Cave's attempt to poison his cake and eat it too. For a record so resolute in its denial of divinity, The Boatman's Call's obsession with religious themes and imagery might seem contradictory if they hadn't come from someone like Cave, who fancies himself a fallen angel searching for a ladder back to heaven. Where Gothic meets cathedral, there resides, for better or worse, our dark saint Nick. --Roni Sarig

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars An Antti Keisala Comment: Blessed In The Spirit.......2007-04-02

It's becoming somewhat of an old saying amongst the fans that Nick Cave is incapable of making bad music. When he records, it's either amazing or heavenly. This is, in my books and in those of many, the most heavenly alongside "No More Shall We Part". Say, look for the triptych consisting of the two aforementioned albums and "Abattoir Blues/Lyre of Orpheus" and you have a pretty remarkable retrospective.

As has been pointed out, whereas "Shall We Part" is a collection of songs with ellaborate compositions such as the spine-tingling "Love Letter", the precedant doesn't appear as immediate. "Into My Arms", a song into which you might bump in rather unexpected places, couldn't be more of an introspectivel minimalistic opener: it's a whirlwind of emotions, limpid (that is, I'm using the word as understood as serene, calm) rising to high heavens. Each of the songs builds upon the one that precedes the other. There's a solitary sorrow in songs such as "Lime-Tree Arbour", "People Ain't No Good" and "Where Do We Go Now But Nowhere", yet solemn and quiet grace in "Brompton Oratory", "There Is A Kingdom" and "(Are You) The One I've Been Waiting For?", a triptych that shapes the middle of the album, and to my ears and soul the climax of the album. There is truth in that experience, beauty that's impossible to define and to believe. "Green Eyes" aptly ends the album, again of the highlights of a career.

This is an album to which you can wrap yourself around, ease the stop from your throat and lull for and by yourself. Spiritual sadness has never sounded and felt so good.

With best regards,
AK

5 out of 5 stars Beauty, Truth & Grace.......2007-03-12

Nick Cave is in my opinion the most fascinating living songwriter other than perhaps Tom Waites, PJ Harvey or Bjork......

But let me get back to Nick - this album is simply magical. The more I listen to The Boatman's Call the more I am drawn into a magical world of love, tenderness & sadness. I just love this album & it may be my very favorite of Cave's (but then I dearly love Henry's Dream, Let Love In etc...).

I purchased this CD as soon as it was released & it was an epiphany of what music can & should be. The lassitude & longing in Brompton Oratory & Far From Me hypnotize & haunt me. Into My Arms fills me with a blissful loving feeling (I confess that sometimes I cry when I listen to it). Even my musician partner loves this tune (he loves that I cry listening to it too - he says that girls should cry to songs like this). :) He first believed he didn't care for Cave but this album has changed all of that.

I write this review while unpacking over the past several weeks. One of the great things about moving is the re-discovering of things past. All my tenderly loved books, music & even articls of clothing which I had forgotten about. All seem like good friends. Cave especially because I always have a feeling of "re-remembering" when listening to Cave.

Living in a foreign country is so interesting for me & I enjoy discovering what singers, artists & writers are popular. I am not surprised that so many of the French I have met all know & admire Nick Cave. It was rare for me to meet anyone in the US who even knew who he was! let alone someone I could discuss his music with. I've also found that the Italians are crazy for Cave. His sensibilities (even with his rock-a-billy Elvis homage) are much more old world troubadour than modern rock star.

For me, Nick Cave is like a mad monk shining his lantern & illumining the way for those who wish to follow along his rocky journey. For me I hear a beautiful message & see the light of a gorgeous vista which a large portion of the rest of the world doesn't believe in & I suppose believes is mad. This message is that even though this world sometimes seems dark & unbearable Love is the power & light of all life - there is nothing greater.

Amen

2 out of 5 stars Alas, no masterpiece from the master.......2006-06-27

Sometimes a record, book or movie comes out that seems to get everybody excited but me. For some reason I fail to see what's so good about it. The critical praise amazes me as much as it irritates me.
Nick Cave is my idol, icon and favorite mad preacher. I've tried on amazon.com here to express my feeling toward most of his albums. Most of them I liked, liked very much actually, and there really are just a few things Nick can do wrong.

But with "The boatman's call" he does menage to completely disappoint me. A range of twelve introvert ballads are offered here, and there is not one I really care about. Not one that moves me, and believe me, Nick Cave has sung some ballads that really got underneath my skin. "Mercy" on the "Tender prey" album, "Stranger than kindness" on "Your funeral... my trial", even with his former band, the punk act The Birthday Party, he offered some really moving low-key songs like "Jeniffer's veil" and "Several sins".

In 1994 Nick came with the sublime "Let love in", which would be the album with the most perfect blend of manic burst-out songs and paced ballads like the sing-along title track and the beautiful and echoing "Do you love me (Part 2)".

Next output was the inky black "Murder ballads", and although it was very tongue-in-cheek, it still offered us some catchy slow songs like "Song of Joy" and the P.J. Harvey duet "Henry Lee".

But is was in 2001 that one of Nick's most marvelous albums saw the light of day: "No more shall we part". All ballads, no rock songs. But the songs here all had something unique and harsh.
Deeply rooted blackness and anxiety were made into songs of everlasting beauty.
Nick Cave surprises with each song, like with the rainy piano-guided opener "As I sad sadly by her side", with the Godfearing whisper on "God is in the house", the female choir during the coda of "Hallelujah", the tender but haunting "Sweetheart come" and with "The sorrowful wife", on which he does loses his temper for a brief moment and cries out in vein.

For some reason every song hit the bull's eye and therefor I cannot understand why "The boatman's call", released between the gem "No more shall we part" and the other two winners, "Let love in" and "Murder ballads", is such a let down.

But hey, everybody else is cheering, so maybe, just maybe, it's just me.

5 out of 5 stars Who is this guy, Elvis?.......2006-06-02

So I saw The Proposition on Friday and bought this album Saturday. The music in the film was great and the screenwriting was tight as well so I started reading some reviews for his albums. Apparently I'm jumping on some kind of bandwagon. So be it, I hope we have a good driver.

I am a hardcore Tom Waits fan so this is definitely my taste.
The first time I listened to it it felt a bit cheesy but it is quickly gaining my respect.

Went ahead and bought the rest of albums so I have yet to know if this these are his style limitations or if this is his best.

5 out of 5 stars close the door.......2006-03-25

let the good times roll, and by good times i mean bleak thoughts and or sleeping.
Indianola Mississippi Seeds
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • What price standard
  • Not Your Usual B.B. King
  • Nice Enough, But It Don't Sound Like Mississippi to Me
  • Beautiful and Relaxed Record
  • Edible "Seeds"
 Indianola Mississippi Seeds
B.B. King
Manufacturer: Mca Special Products
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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  1. Live in Cook County Jail
  2. My Kind of Blues
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  4. Completely Well
  5. Why I Sing the Blues

ASIN: B000002PEA
Release Date: 1989-05-19

Tracks:

  1. Nobody Loves Me But My Mother
  2. You're Still My Woman
  3. Ask Me No Questions
  4. Until I'm Dead And Cold
  5. King's Special
  6. Ain't Gonna Worry My Life Anymore
  7. Chains And Things
  8. Go Underground
  9. Hummingbird

Amazon.com essential recording

In the late '60s and early '70s, B.B. King made a series of albums in Los Angeles using rock-world ringers and session players as ABC sought to replicate the chart success of "The Thrill Is Gone." These recordings are mostly dispassionate filler, but this album is an exception. Produced by Bill Szymczyk and featuring guitarist Joe Walsh, pianists Carole King and Leon Russell, and drummer Russ Kunkel among its players, B.B. delivers minor classics in the stirring "King's Special" and the hard blues "Until I'm Dead and Cold." He also takes his only recorded turn at piano, vamping briefly through a flippant croon he calls "Nobody Loves Me But My Mother (And She Could Be Jiving Too)." --Ted Drozdowski

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars What price standard.......2007-05-13

This is standard stuff from BB, which is to say it is better than most other blues singers.

4 out of 5 stars Not Your Usual B.B. King.......2006-03-10

Although Indianola Mississippi Seeds is not a classic B.B. King album in the same sense as "Live at the Regal," it has some inspired moments and offers a different perspective on the Blues with its incorporation of strings. B.B. is in fine voice here and adds some welcome humor to his piano blues on "Nobody Loves Me But My Mother." And check out his guitar solo on "Ain't Gonna Worry My Life Anymore." B.B. says it all in just a few notes. But the real highlight of this album is a completely different departure from anything B.B. has done previously. B.B.'s rendition of Leon Russell's "Hummingbird" is soulful and beautiful, especially the final choruses belted out by some of the sweetest sounding angels you will ever hear.

4 out of 5 stars Nice Enough, But It Don't Sound Like Mississippi to Me.......2004-02-19

honestly, i purchased this cd on impulse. having recently moved to indianola via teach for america, when i saw a cd that beared the name of my newfound hometown, i couldn't resist picking it up, especially given that bb king hailed from indianola.

i expected some kind of true mississippi delta blues, where bb would wax poetic in a rather gritty and depressing way about life in indianola. after all, having seen a fair ammount of live blues down here (in the home of the blues no less), the singers and their music are every bit as miserable and soulful as they are caricatured to be. however, this album sounds "bluesy" but not like the down-home blues that one might expect.

first of all, the album is rather slickly produced, with stings oddly inserted in various tracks, and horns blaring in the background. the tracks sound almost more "pretty" than "blue", with a driving drumset and bb's at times joyous voice pushing the rhythm and making you want to move your feet.

in one word, the album is pleasant. very much so, in fact. while i don't profess to know very much about bb king, i imagine it would be a good cd to begin with. that said, the music at times feels like it's pandering to commercial and pop sensibilities. fortunately, it does it well, and i don't see anything wrong with pleasant music.

however, if you're looking for something that feels a little more like the delta, check out some junior kimbrough and other artists currently signed to fat possum reccords.

5 out of 5 stars Beautiful and Relaxed Record.......2002-08-11

This is a very powerful and moving record. Good for both serious and dilettante blues listeners. You'll never tire of it. Can't recommend it enough. And when you love it, go buy Luther Allison's Motown 1971-75.

wks

4 out of 5 stars Edible "Seeds".......2002-01-31

Although not quite as strong and cohesive as B.B. King's previous release "Completely Well", "Indianola Mississippi Seeds" contains some sweetly scintillating, chills up and down your spine musical vibes. These bluesy, rhythmic pulsations are supplied by a bevy of young, then unknown up and coming musicians, featuring the likes of Joe Walsh (rhythm guitar), Carole King (piano/electric piano) and Leon Russell (piano/electric piano). Together, along with "The King Of The Blues" himself, these four individuals (B.B. included) really put their own unique brand of polish to the tracks featured on "IMS", such as "You're Still My Woman", "Don't Ask Me No Questions", "Until I'm Dead And Cold", "Go Underground", and let's not forget the Russell-penned "Hummingbird", where Leon gives his all both musically and lyrically here. "King's Special", the CD's lone instrumental, is indeed special. It is on this track where "Lucille" gets wonderfully downright sassy, and she pulls no punches in the process! The main thing about these "Seeds", is not only are they edible, they also contain an extra amount of sweetness, and will make any set of taste buds come to life! With that ultra-hip, snazzy CD cover (featuring a watermelon carved in the shape of a guitar), including the noteworthy musical selections featured on this disc, one would think MCA would give "IMS" the remaster treatment, to which it rightfully deserves (and thus is long overdue), complete with the original album cover artwork, including liner notes and a lyric sheet. One major drawback to various parts of the instrumentation, as featured on this "Compact Disc-Compact Price" version of "IMS", is that Joe Walsh's rhythm guitar, Leon Russell's and Carole King's piano/keyboard playing comes across as sounding barely audible in spots. Hopefully MCA will adress this issue if they decide to remaster "IMS". These pre-mastered seeds are still quite tasty, nonetheless, and will leave you craving all the moreso. So please, by all means, eat to your heart's content! After all, B.B. wouldn't have it any other way for his devoted fans (even though I consider myself to be more of a casual fan, but a lover of B.B. King's music, nonetheless).
Best of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • best of cds are deadends for me
  • A Great Start For Beginning Cave Fans
  • Not quite the best of Nick Cave, but coming close...
  • A Terrific Compiliation....
  • Brooding rock music features outstanding Kylie duet
 Best of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
Manufacturer: Reprise / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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  1. Murder Ballads
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ASIN: B0000062WD
Release Date: 1998-05-26

Tracks:

  1. Deanna
  2. Red Right Hand
  3. Straight To You
  4. Tupelo
  5. Nobody's Baby Now
  6. Stranger Than Kindness
  7. Into My Arms
  8. (Are You) The One That I've Been Waiting For?
  9. The Carny
  10. Do You Love Me?
  11. The Mercy Seat
  12. Henry Lee
  13. The Weeping Song
  14. The Ship Song
  15. Where The Wild Roses Grow
  16. From Here To Eternity

Amazon.com

This culling of the "best" cuts from the Bad Seeds' songbook avoids the pratfalls of many best-of compilations. First off, the songs aren't arranged chronologically, but instead for effect, raveling new with old, weepy ballads with adrenaline-pumped rockers. In addition, there aren't any rare live tracks, alternative takes, remixes, acoustic versions, or B-sides that clutter other compilations. What you get is pure Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds in all their gloomy glory. Things get off with a bang with the rollicking "Deanna" and the carnivalesque "Red Right Hand" that display Nick Cave's literary and narrative talent. After the wacked preacherman blues stomp of the excellent track "Tupelo," the disc slides into a series of ballads that highlight his baritone croon. "(Are You) The One That I've Been Waiting For?" captures Cave in a, gasp, sentimental and lovely mood. The disc closes out with "From Here to Eternity," and the band hits the steamroller tempo with apocalyptic might. The Best Of... is a wonderful introduction to Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, but even weathered purists will enjoy the juxtaposed presentation of these songs. --Tod Nelson

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars best of cds are deadends for me.......2007-02-20

I'm always very reluctant to introduce myself to artists through best of cds. It's a survey and I know that if I'm buying a survey that's probably because I'm not interested enough in the artist to get full albums. Nothing wrong with that but I like to be damn sure before I walk down that road that I'm not missing out on something better when I do it.

Nick Cave is a case where I'm glad I didn't go the best of route. He's had such a long career with definate shifts in style that a single disc can't even really give you a proper introduction to all that Nick does. Which is of course what this cd tries to do. It's all over the place. If you're interested in getting into Nick I would recommend just get an album. I know there's an intimidating number of them and honestly alot of them are the sort that don't hit you right away. So if you're still interested I'd recommend starting with Henry's Dream or Murder Ballads if you'd like the more rocking Nick Cave. The Boatman's Call (or as I like to call it "Nick Cave in Love") is the softer more lyrical alternative if you, you know, like your violent references less obvious.

Highlights from:

Henry's Dream
--Papa Won't Leave You Henry
--I Had a Dream Joe
--When I First Came To Town

Murder Ballads
--Stagger Lee
--O'Malley's Bar
--Where the Wild Roses Grow

The Boatman's Call
--Idiot Prayer
--West Country Girl
--People Ain't No Good


So, in summary if you want a survey cool. This isn't a bad one, but if you (like me) know buying a best of means you'll never buy another disc by the band, and think that might not be a good thing, go ahead and check out an album. You won't regret it (unless you do).

5 out of 5 stars A Great Start For Beginning Cave Fans.......2006-09-10

I first became familliar with Nick Cave through an article in Entertainment Weekly. I found him to be a very interesting person and I seriously considered getting into his music, but I didn't buy one of his album until about a week ago.

"The Best Of The Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds" is a 16 track collection of some of the most amazing songs I've ever heard. Cave's lyrics more often than not approach the same level of complexity and brilliance as those of Dylan and Lennon. Songs like "Red Right Hand", "Tupelo", the achingly beautiful "Into Your Arms" and many other songs here are some of the most vivid musical experiences one can ever have. Other standouts include the wild "From Her To Eternity", the eerie "Stranger Than Kindness" and the heartwrenching "Nobody's Baby Now".

The liner notes makes for a good read and the sound quality is great. Definitely a must for fans of good music.

4 out of 5 stars Not quite the best of Nick Cave, but coming close..........2006-07-03

I never understood Nick Cave's fixation with his uproaring, cheerful sounding song "Deanna", but it is the opening track on an album which is called "The best of Nick Cave" so apparently I must be missing something crusial here.
More understandable choises follow, like the Godfearing thunder of "Tupelo", the instant spoken word classic "Red right hand" and of course Nick's micro-epic tale of a dead horse "The Carny".

A couple of ballads are carefully mixed in, like "Into my arms" and "(Are you) the one I've been waiting for?" from the very overrated "The Boatmans's call", but nothing, I say again, nothing from the sublime "No more shall we part".

More classic songs from the mad preacher catalogue can be found, like "The mercy seat", to me still untouchable, for its message about "good and ungood" and its maniacal tension build-up. There is the omnipresent "The weeping song", which can't be left out of any serious Nick Cave anthology, just as his podium-trasher "From her to etirnity". (Being made an instant classic, partly because of the "live" performance in the movie "Wings of desire")
The real surprise is "Stranger than kindness", not much mentioned where Cave dwellers go, but to me still one of the man's most haunting songs.

But with the inclusion of "Henry Lee" and the cheesy Kylie Minogue duet "Where the wild roses grow" the choises become a little too obvious and less serious. Not only are they really not the best Cave has done in general or on the "Murder ballads" album specifically, they occupy space that should be left open for songs that are infinitely more important. What to think of early Cavian art like "The six strings that drew blood" from "The firstborn is dead" LP, "She fell away" or "Saint Huck"?

The reason for not including these ones are, seeming to me, very simple: these last three songs are, well... let's say... just not so very accessible for any first timer, who might nowadays be a little more straight popmusic orientated. The songs are too experimental, so the editors of the "best of" CD have left those out, knowing that the true fans will remember them and cherish them anyway. A poor excuse.

In the end it's a collection that is perhaps more of a great introduction to the man's vocabulary, than a quintessential "Best of". And, mind you, there is a little difference.

5 out of 5 stars A Terrific Compiliation...........2005-08-24

This is an outstanding compilation of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, however, you could probably piece together another 20 songs or so of Bad Seeds material and create a compilation just as strong if not stronger. Nick Cave is an outstanding songwriter and sings with a great dark and deadpan delivery. My only disappointment with this band is that Blixa Bargeld's influence is minimal which has always made me wonder why he joined the band to begin with other than to probably pick up a steady paycheck.... The Best Of is well worth the price especially if you're new to the band.

5 out of 5 stars Brooding rock music features outstanding Kylie duet.......2005-05-03

Nick has clearly led a troubled life as his music is always of the brooding, melancholy kind. The obvious comparisons are with Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits, but some of Johnny Cash's darker music, especially the albums that he recorded with Rick Rubin towards the end of his life, also ventures into this territory. The difference being (apart from their musical styles) that the others cheered up some of the time - I don't think Nick recorded any cheerful music at all. While Nick built up a significant following for his albums, it is no surprise to find that his singles made only limited impact.

The real surprise is that Nick recorded a duet with Kylie (he should be so lucky, lucky, lucky, lucky) about a death pact - Where the wild roses grow. It features Kylie singing in an almost whispery voice, very different from her usual style. If you regard Kylie as just a singer of lightweight pop music, this song will make you think again. I love the song but it doesn't sound like the type of song to be a hit. Nevertheless, it just missed the UK top ten in 1995, becoming Kylie's first UK hit of any size for over two years and Nick's biggest UK hit ever, by a considerable margin.

Nick made the UK top forty on one other occasion, when he recorded a duet with P J Harvey. This was with the song Henry Lee, a traditional folk song for which Nick wrote new backing music. Despite making the UK top forty, it spent just one week on the chart, as did all of Nick's other minor hits, some but not all of which are featured in this compilation. So the only real UK hit that Nick had was Where the wild roses grow.

Apart from the two duets, there are several other outstanding tracks here including The mercy seat (about a convict on death row), Tupelo (about a preacher c and the bible), The carny (about another of life's losers), Nobody's baby now (about Nick at a difficult time in life).

If you like brooding, melancholy rock music, you'll like this. Whether it is possible to enjoy it in the true sense of the word, I'm not sure - I always follow it by something that'll cheer me up, but there's no denying Nick's talent.
Tender Prey
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • not the best album, but one of the greatest.
  • No tender songs for me
  • uneven effort
  • Cave's Best Album!! Moody and Rockin'!!
  • This is a classic.
 Tender Prey
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
Manufacturer: Mute U.S.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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  1. From Her to Eternity
  2. Let Love In
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ASIN: B000003Z51
Release Date: 1992-07-28

Tracks:

  1. The Mercy Seat
  2. Up Jumped The Devil
  3. Deanna
  4. Watching Alice
  5. Mercy
  6. City Of Refuge
  7. Slowly Goes The Night
  8. Sunday's Slave
  9. Sugar Sugar Sugar
  10. New Morning
  11. The Mercy Seat (Video Mix)

Amazon.com

It was Tender Prey that raised the delightfully unlikely specter of Nick Cave the pop star. What was even better was that the song that damn near did it--"The Mercy Seat"--was an epic litany relating the thoughts of a condemned prisoner awaiting his walk to the electric chair. "The Mercy Seat" is Cave and his Bad Seeds at their best: the former leavening his mordant tale with grim wit ("A ragged cup, a twisted mop . . . the face of Jesus in my soup"), the latter conjuring an appropriately demented squall of electric guitars and violins. Tender Prey was a massively important album for Cave: for the first time, he is unabashed about projecting his bleak and often misunderstood sense of humor and his ability to write as good a pop tune as anyone. Tender Prey is the beginning of Cave's voyage toward acceptance by the general public and perhaps himself. Everything good he's done since--and there's been an impressive amount--starts here. --Andrew Mueller

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars not the best album, but one of the greatest........2006-06-28

anyone so dense that they "don't get" the theme of "mercy seat" and why the repetition is necessary for the intensity of the song...should be electrocuted.

4 out of 5 stars No tender songs for me.......2006-01-21

"Tender prey" pretty much marks the border between Nick Cave's raw, more experimental albums ("From her to eternity", "First born is dead" and "Your funeral, my trial") and more accessable song collections that would follow with "The Good son", "Henry's dream" and further. That doesn't mean that our favorite mad preacher is up for cheap melodies and easy listening.
The opener here is the instant classic "The mercy seat", a haunting, seven minute monologue of a convict strapped in the electric chair. A verbal play about self doubt, conviction and unbearable knowledge of the Old Testaments's rage unfolds. The music is one stunning build-up to the inevitable end.
The three Bad Seeds dvd's which are available now, "The Video's" and the live performances "God is in the house" and "LIve at the Paradiso" all contain the song.
The documentary annex roadmovie video "The road to God knows where" shows a scene in which Nick Cave and the boys perform an accoustic version for a radio station, the live album "Live seeds" has it as the blasting first song, and when I saw Oncle Nick and his Bad Seeds in November 2004 at The Heineken Music Hall in Amsterdam, Holland, 'THe mercy seat' was good enough for the closing of the second encore.
That shows how this one song still stands up against time.

Other tracks include the sing-along rocksongs "Deanna" and "The city of refuge"; the angry sounding, half sung / half spoken word "Up jumped the devil" and the brooding, sinister pledge "Mercy", for me the highlight on this album (or the absolute depth, depends on which point of view you have on the world.)

Cave is the raging carnivore here, the mad musical stalker on stage, but O how we love to surrender ourselves to him, making us easy, willing prey...

2 out of 5 stars uneven effort.......2005-02-19

While it seems to be the tendency of many Cave fans to drool over anything the man records, this is not an album that is up to par with many of his other efforts. There are some stand out tracks such as "Deanna" and "Mercy", but many of the rest come off as either overwrought or overly bombastic. Obviously, if you're already a fan, you'll want this disc regardless, but to anyone new to Nick Cave's work I recommend his "Best of" collection or "The Boatman's Call".

5 out of 5 stars Cave's Best Album!! Moody and Rockin'!!.......2005-02-03

This album always makes me think of East Berlin, when there was an East Berlin. Gloomy Artiste at Work in Desolate City...however, I'm not even sure if was recorded there (in 1987-8). The songs range from the searingly intense "Mercy Seat" to the punk rocker "Deana" to the impishly wicked "Up Jumped the Devil" to the mournful, pleading "Have Mercy", etc. Half these songs rock and half are very moody and melodic, with pretty piano lines way up in the mix. Nick's voice is in top demonic/tender crooner form throughout, and this album is as cool as the black and red motif of the CD cover picture. One of the greatest albums of the 1980's, and in my opinion, this is Nick's finest work.
It's wicked, it's fun, it's pretty, all at once. It's an ABSOLUTE MUST if you like Nick Cave!

5 out of 5 stars This is a classic........2004-12-23

Even aside from the brooding, epic brilliance of "The Mercy Seat", this album is just raw-nerve, edgy, genius Nick at the height of his strung-out, violent, and delicate glory. "Up Jumped The Devil" is maybe the most amazing track here - tongue-in-cheek Vaudevillian Villainy! "Mercy" is smooth and beautiful, making use of his off-key yet melodious baritone croon, and "Sugar Sugar Sugar" would be awful if it weren't for the honest portrayal of self-loathing and helplessness just under the surface of the lyrics. I love the frustration of a flawed line like "Must I kill that c*cks*cker every day?"
I still don't know if Nick wrote better quality stuff before or after he cleaned up, and I don't think it matters - he's still sexy as hell, and literate as the devil, when he's singing gentle love songs - but this is a defining album of the middle phase of his brilliant career.
The Seeds of Love
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • exceptional
  • Should be 6 stars
  • The Return of TFF After 4 Years
  • Long Songs But Very Enjoyable Songs
  • A Disapointment for Synth Fans
 The Seeds of Love
Tears for Fears
Manufacturer: Polygram International
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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  1. Songs from the Big Chair
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  5. Elemental

ASIN: B00000JR2A
Release Date: 1999-08-03

Tracks:

  1. Woman In Chains
  2. Badman's Song
  3. Sowing The Seeds Of Love
  4. Advice For The Young At Heart
  5. Standing On The Corner Of The Third World
  6. Swords And Knives
  7. Year Of The Knife
  8. Famous Last Words
  9. Tears Roll Down
  10. Always In The Past
  11. Music For Tables
  12. Johnny Panic And The Bible Of Dreams

Album Details

Remastered Reissue with Four Bonus Tracks. CD Booklet Contains Extensive Liner Notes and Rare Photos.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars exceptional .......2007-05-28

Tears For Fears is an honest and poetic band bar none. The writers are skilled, well-intentioned, and know how to produce and arrange a full, multi-satisfying genre of music in their own right. Only bands like the Beatles and Seal have been able to compel me in so much with their well-produced, orchestral talent.

Needless to say I would recommend this band and especially, this album to move a spirited thirst for those who appreciate excellent writing, rich vocals, and lyrics that capture all of a listeners soul.

5 out of 5 stars Should be 6 stars.......2007-05-07

This is probably one of the best sounding albums of all time, Tears were
at their peak in the studio and boy it shows.

5 out of 5 stars The Return of TFF After 4 Years .......2007-03-12

The Seeds of Love album was the long awaited return of TFF after a long hiatus after their biggest commercial record, Songs From the BIg Chair. It was a big departure from the heavily synth sound they had on their previous releases. It is definitely more guitar based and the songs are more toned down in the electro-synth sound that they are known for.
There are only 8 tracks on this album due to the on going turmoil the band was going through at that time. Roland Orzabal was going through a period of his best work producing and maybe over producing the songs..and Curt Smith was just waiting and waiting. Curt`s contribution to this album was very small and left the band after the following tour of this album.
Woman in Chains...Wow !!! the best TFF song ever. Roland`s production fairlighting is amazing. Just put on a set of headphones and this song will take you away into another realm. Oleta Adams..the female voice on this song is find Roland and Curt discovered in an Atlanta night club. She has since enjoyed a nice career of her own...remember "Get Here" the song that was heavily played for the troops by their wives in the first gulf war??? That was Oleta`s song. Also the beautiful fretless basswork of the great Pino Palladino gives this song a wonderful tone throughout (where`s Curt? ).
Sowing the Seeds of Love is their most Sgt. Pepper sounding effort and is a great song in its own right. The rest of the tracks are all pretty good if you`re a TFF fan. Roland`s vocals are always great as always and Curt`s only song Advise for the Young at Heart is his last song to sing lead..from TFF.
All these songs are accompanied with awesome videos..if you can get them, they are nice to add to your collection.

4 out of 5 stars Long Songs But Very Enjoyable Songs.......2007-02-21

Like With Their album SONGS FROM THE BIG CHAIR, This album
by Tears For Fears, SEEDS OF LOVE, is also made up of an album of
8 songs that are long. Some are 6 minutes long, one is 8.
The average length is at least 4 minutes. Some of the long songs
may be frustrating to listen to because of their length, but if you
give them a chance and listen to them over and over, they grow on you.
I also felt this way about alot of THE DOORS long songs like THE END
and WHEN THE MUSICS OVER.
Anyway, I bought this album because I love the song SEEDS OF LOVE.
I also discovered new favorite songs like WOMAN IN CHAINS. Great tune.
I also liked the song ADVICE FOR THE YOUNG AT HEART. Great chords and melody. BADMANS SONG is a cool tune too, but again you may get restless
due to its length. YEAR OF THE KNIFE Is decent. FAMOUS LAST WORDS is
boring and tedious. SWORDS AND KNIVES is average. STANDING AT THE
CORNER OF THE THIRD WORLD is decent. There are also bonus tracks on this
album. ALWAYS IN THE PAST is a great rocker.
In my opinion, this album is pretty good. Again, it took a few listens to get me hooked on some of the songs, and like I said before,
one can get restless sitting through some songs due to their length.
But the album grew on me after a few listens. If you are a casual TEARS
FOR FEARS listener, I would start my collection of their music by either
buying SONGS FROM THE BIG CHAIR or one of their BEST OF CD's. Only by
SEEDS OF LOVE if you have establised that you love SONGS FROM THE BIG CHAIR.
Amazon sent me this cd in great condition, unlike SONGS FROM THE
BIG CHAIR which had a HUGE and long scratch on the front cover of the cd.
Luckily I had an extra CD cover, so I changed the cover and put the good
one on SONGS FROM THE BIG CHAIR.

2 out of 5 stars A Disapointment for Synth Fans.......2007-02-20

Out of the trio of albums Tears for Fears completed in 80's before they split, 'Seeds of Love' stands out to me as by far the weakest. TFF started out in 'The Hurting' as a synth band comparable to Depeche Mode or New Order, and while they were always making pop music, the instrumentation they used provided a unique, creative, and interesting sound. While the singles from Songs from the Big Chair were huge pop hits, TFF continued to create interesting sounds via a combination of synths, samples, and real instruments. Songs on that album like "Listen", "The Big Chair", and "Empire Building" were instrumentals and blatantly abandoned radio-friendliness in favor of creativity.

In 'Seeds of Love', the dark lyrics and interesting synth sounds that defined Tears for Fears seem completely absent. By comparison to their previous albums, Seeds of Love feels like "easy listening". TFF touches on some interesting beats in a few songs, but these introductions quickly give way to cheesy, traditional, over-produced pop sounds.

The album's title track, "Sowing the Seeds of Love", summarizes in one song the entire direction of the album (as compared to TFF's previous work) quite accurately. Listen to this song; if you enjoy its' uncomplicated traditional pop quality, then you may well like the whole album. However, if you're like me and "Sowing the Seeds of Love" strikes you as too poppy, too cheesy, and lacking the interesting sounds that made other TFF tracks enjoyable, then don't buy the album; the rest is just as bad, albeit less catchy.

If you ask me, 'Elemental', the first album made after the break up, sounds like a more appropriate follow-up to 'Songs from the Big Chair' and 'The Hurting' than 'The Seeds of Love.'
Like You Do...Best of the Lightning Seeds
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Simply, Awesome
  • This Band Defies You To Dislike Them!
  • Great compilation!
  • This band is amazingly chilled....
  • Like They Always Do...
 Like You Do...Best of the Lightning Seeds
The Lightning Seeds
Manufacturer: Sbme Import
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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  1. The Ocean Blue
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ASIN: B000007V3D
Release Date: 1997-11-11

Tracks:

  1. What You Say
  2. The Life Of Riley
  3. Lucky You
  4. You Showed Me
  5. Change
  6. Waiting For Today To Happen (97 Version)
  7. Pure
  8. Sugar Coated Iceberg
  9. Ready Or Not
  10. All I Want
  11. Perfect
  12. What If...
  13. Sense
  14. Brain Drain
  15. Marvellous
  16. Three Lions

Album Description

1997 compilation on Epic featuring 13 of the best by Ian Broudie's indie power pop act plus, 'Waiting For Today To Happen' ('97 Version) and the brand new songs 'What You Say'& 'Brain Drain'. 16 tracks total, also featuring 'The Life Of Riley', 'Pure', 'Sugar', 'All I Want' & 'Perfect'. The full title is 'Like You Do... Best Of The Lightning Seeds'.

Album Details

13 of their Biggest Hits plus Two New Tracks.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Simply, Awesome.......2007-04-30

This work is pure and simple all the time. All the songs make sense too.

5 out of 5 stars This Band Defies You To Dislike Them!.......2007-04-16

It can't be done, unless you hate all the elements which make up a good pop record. Ian Broudie and his band created music that sinks into your brain and leaves a mark like a barrel of wine spilled on a white shag carpet. 'Life of Riley' should be distilled and marketed under the brand name Catchy Cola, coming in a very close second after 'Three Lions', a song so melodic it forced me to love it in spite of not caring a tinkers' cuss about Football, American and British definitions of the word included. Not to say the 'Seeds do not have their introspective side! 'Waiting For Today to Happen' is somewhat fatalistic and bleak, a fact that will escape almost everyone until they get past the beautiful music long enough to reflect upon the lyrics. If you're looking for something to validate your drearily held belief that life is Misery and no mortal has ever suffered the misunderstandings the Clods and Philistines have thrust upon your sensitive soul, keep looking. This CD is for people who are happiest when they're happy.

5 out of 5 stars Great compilation!.......2006-11-10

This compilation has the famous songs (Pure, All I want, You showed me, Sense...) and others less famous. Great music from the British group!

5 out of 5 stars This band is amazingly chilled...........2006-06-02

The lightning seeds are a great band. Their songs can best be described as airy and light, makes you feel all fluffy, soft and warm inside. I love this band. When I have a hard time choosing something to listen to I just pop in the lightning seeds and it makes my day. I absolutely adore the lead singer's voice as well. They're simple and kind of popish, but they're a joy to listen to. Highly recommended.

5 out of 5 stars Like They Always Do..........2005-09-23

The Lightning Seeds is one of my favourite bands... And this album just proves why. Like You Do is a collection of britpop at it's best. If you are wondering what The Seeds are about, this is the perfect album to start off with. One spin and I garuntee you'll be hooked - and no doubt will this album make you wonder what is wrong with "pop" nowadays. This album is truly timeless. I can still listen to it after 8 years and the songs just don't sound dated at all. It's just a shame that The Seeds are no more. Give your senses a treat and get this album. You won't be disappointed!
The Seeds
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Crunchingly, punishingly apt
  • Seeds are starting to grow.
  • so-so
  • Good Stuff!
  • Garage Days
 The Seeds
The Seeds
Manufacturer: Gnp Crescendo
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000001OUI
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

  1. Can't Seem to Make You Mine
  2. No Escape
  3. Evil Hoodoo
  4. Girl I Want You
  5. Pushin' Too Hard
  6. Try to Understand
  7. Nobody Spoil My Fun
  8. It's a Hard Life
  9. You Can't Be Trusted
  10. Excuse, Excuse
  11. Fallin' In Love
  12. Mr. Farmer
  13. Pictures and Designs
  14. Tripmaker
  15. I Tell Myself
  16. A Faded Picture
  17. Rollin' Machine
  18. Just Let Go
  19. Up In Her Room

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Crunchingly, punishingly apt.......2006-11-28

The Seeds were nothing short of a phenomenon here in Southern California during 1966-7. Sold out concerts (including a headlining gig at the Hollywood Bowl), screaming fans, and tons of radio play. Even "Tripmaker", a pulsating, percolating track from their second LP, "A Web of Sound", got airplay; their record company would have been wise to release it as a single. This CD contains the entire first and second Seeds LPs, and, as such, is one of the best "2 LPs on one CD" bargains around. Sound quality is excellent, too.

3 out of 5 stars Seeds are starting to grow. .......2006-10-17

The Seeds were a legendary "flower punk" band in the 1960s. "Flower punk" is a term that was coined especially for the Seeds, to describe their music, which is a combination of garage band and psychedelic. The band is best known for their one real hit, the all-time classic "Pushin' Too Hard". This CD features the band first two albums, The Seeds and A Web of Sound. The first album features "Pushin' Too Hard", plus the great songs "Can't Seem to Make You Mine" and "Try to Understand". The rest of the material is uneven. The best song on the second album (A Web of Sound) is "Mr. Farmer". Again, the rest of the album is pretty uneven. The second most noteworthy song is the 14 and a half minute long "Up in Her Room", which was the longest rock song ever recorded at the time. This epic ode to making love is actually the second best thing on the album, surprisingly never getting boring. Three stars for this CD, overall.

2 out of 5 stars so-so.......2005-04-29

Unless you are old enough to remember seeing these guys perform live...as I did.....you probably wont be impressed with the quality of the recordings or the musicianship...these guys are "garage band" at best...They were ok in concert....just your average garage band who had a hit record...

The hit "Pushin too hard"...is the high point of the cd....the rest of stuff is mere filler....Back then...same as now...there was a reason why bands like this never achieved superstar status...they lack that magical charisma to lock you in.

4 out of 5 stars Good Stuff!.......2005-04-06

I bought this album after only hearing one of the seeds songs--"Cant Seem To Make You Mine" and hearing samples here on Amazon. My first impression was, these guys are pretty good. I didnt like how most of the songs sounded repetative. I only listened to like 2 times. A few weeks later i started listening the the album like everyday, and i started to really like these guys. Even though the vocals can get repetative and annoying at times, the more i listened to this cd, the more i liked it. Now the seeds are one of my favorite bands. You should give them a listen!
I recommend The seeds album--Travel With Your Mind-- more than this one.....it is even better, and is more psycheldelic. Good stuff!

5 out of 5 stars Garage Days.......2004-12-30

Flower punks, extraordinaire! I still have the Pushin' Too Hard single somewhere, but never got one of their albums until the late nineties. That album was Future.

This compilation of their first two albums I bought as an import the other day and it brings back a flood of memories. This was music just about anyone could play! That made it very accessible to kids like me who grew up in the sixties.

It is obvious and has been inferred many times by others that the musicianship was marginal at best but for this type of music, who cares? Personally, I think Rick Andridge, the drummer, was the best musician of the bunch but despite that, they worked well as a team and came out with some crude gems that I still enjoy today.

As I said before, I never had a Seeds album until the late nineties, but I heard nearly all of the songs on this album from friends that had them so when I bought this compilation, there were few surprises.

Nowadays, the members have scattered to the four corners except Sky who is still plugging away with a new version of the Seeds. That man is a real character, a genuine 60's personality.

My favorites off this album are, of course, the hits as in Pushin' Too Hard, Can't Seem to Make You Mine, and Mr. Farmer. But I like the rest of the songs as well and they take me back to the incense burning black light days. I like the 14 minute Up In Her Room but Sky's repetitive vocal style gets a little annoying in spots. Most of the songs sound like they were not the final take, but that is also the charm of this group of songs. It is obvious they copied their own riffs over and over again, but I look at it as a psychedelic symphony (yeah, go ahead and laugh) with a recurring theme. If the music was more refined and perfect, it would not have the same impact on me.

Do not look to the Seeds music for virtuosity, look to it for attitude, atmosphere, and one hell of a good time. Highly recommended.

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