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Underground > Radio & Music >

Nick Cave - Nocturama

19:07 / 14.12.02

Nick Cave has a new album comming out Feb 3, 2003. Press release here.

As always, this is already making the file sharing rounds. Going to go give a listen now.

Solitaire Rose as Tom Servo

04:11 / 15.12.02

I love Nick Cave, and any new album is a reason to celebrate...but I also harbor no illusions that this will sound different than the last two CDs.

Why is it that artists rarely stretch themselves anymore?

Matthew Fluxington

04:41 / 15.12.02

Why is it that artists rarely stretch themselves anymore?

God, I don't know where to start on that one. Howzabout this : maybe yr just listening to the wrong stuff? Nick Cave isn't the most versatile guy around, he's pretty good at what he does. There's no shame in sticking to yr strengths, I don't think.

The Return Of Rothkoid

08:26 / 15.12.02

It's OK. I need to listen to it more. More Warren Ellis is a good thing, but "Rock Of Gibraltar" comes across as one of the more dismal pieces of lyric-writing he's ever come out with, in a sort of house/mouse way.

08:55 / 15.12.02

The thing about Cave is that he and the Bad Seeds have already pushed the boundaries of what they're capable of a a huge degree. They mapped a vast territory in their early records (and those of the Birthday Party), so a lot of their later career has been exploring the implications of their earlier work. I've got no problem with that, and it seems a shame to single out Cave as non-progressive musically when that was never really the point.

Regrettable Juvenilia

15:36 / 15.12.02

Well, personally I don't really understand how you can accuse The Boatman's Call of not being Cave & the band stretching themselves - what, so because it's not all sturm und drang or whatever, it must be easy? Gah.

Ah, anyway, I loved the last couple of Bad Seeds records, so I'm looking forward to this one. Can't wait to hear 'Bring It On', although it sounds like the video could be... controversial.

15:47 / 15.12.02

There's also a huge difference between the early bad seeds stuff and this stuff. Boatman's Call onwards has been 'Nick and his piano' mostly, but it's still pretty far from Henry's Dream and Let Love In.

...not that I've heard this new one yet...

18:16 / 15.12.02

>>>More Warren Ellis is a good thing<<<

I dunno, I thought Mek was a bit dull, and...

Oh. Right.

23:55 / 13.02.03

Just got it today and goddamn it's great.

Especially the 14 minutes and 43 seconds of "Babe I'm on Fire". I think it's the greatest song EVER. Wow.

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

00:08 / 14.02.03

"Rock of Gibraltar" sucks. That said, that's the first Cave song I haven't liked. Ever. Which isn't a bad track record.

The rest of the album's great- especially "Wonderful Life", "Bring It On" and "Babe I'm On Fire". And he even slags off the Daily Mail on it.

Class.

"There Is A Town" builds really nicely, too- for some reason it reminds me of Michael Gira's Angels Of Light.

07:21 / 14.02.03

Hmmm, well I dunno. I think it's a bit ... feh. Unremarkable. Uneccesary. It sounds mostly like stuff which didn't make the cut from the last two records. I thought he/they could've been a lot more stringent in their selection of which songs they let in.

I loved the last two records, though another predominantly piano-based record is perhaps a bit much, and I'd very much like to see more use of the band in future records. But I don't particularly care whether it's piano or guitar or electronic bleeps, if the song quality isn't there, it's going to be weak.

"Wonderful Life" and "Babe I'm On Fire" are indeed very cool, and verily "Rock of Gibraltar" is arsebleedingly bad. When I first heard it I thought he was saying something about going on honeymoon to Bolton. Then I realized he was saying Malta. And rhyming it with Gibraltar. Ouch.

07:55 / 14.02.03

Another thumbs up here for Nocturama. And also I'm not afraid to admit to liking 'Rock of Gibraltar'. It's got a nice little melody and I'm going for the claim that the simple, full rhymes are there to mimetically enact the unity of the relationship rather than Nick Goes Nursery. I rilly, rilly like 'Wonderful Life' and 'Bring It On' and yes, 'Baby I'm On Fire' rocks like a mofo as well as being laugh out loud funny in places. Fave album of the year so far I reckon.

In fact, though it's early days yet, I reckon this could be my favourite album of his for a while. The Boatman Calls is undeniably great and , like, totally blew me away when I first heard it, but it maybe lacks a bit of light and shade. No More Shall We Part meanwhile doesn't get many spins at all around Harhoo Towers. I think the problem there is, however, that when I first brought it, I listened to it while laid up ill in bed for a couple of days. Ever since then I've found it a bit sickly and overly-rich. The strong foregrounded of his religious impulse doesn;t help, and some of the lyrics are that little bit too barm-pot and OTT for me at times.

08:12 / 14.02.03

The rhyme thing is quite interesting in popular music, especially with Cave, because for all his wonderful and original lines which make him one of my favourite lyricists, he's also used, throughout his career, shitloads of obvious rhymes and cliched images. Sometimes they jar and sometimes they offset the seriousness of the subject. More often than not it's the latter, and the dextrousness with which he plays with these expectations is what makes him so damn good. However I do think he sometimes gets let off lightly because we luv 'im so much. There are times, like in "Rock of Gibraltar", where I find it just jars too much, though it's a fair point that Harhoo makes. I'm sure Cave would be aware of the obviousness of the rhymes, and no doubt had a reason for using them. But still, fucksake!

And all I'm saying is that the guy better have really gone to Malta on his honeymoon. If he just put that in for the rhyme, then he needs a good kick in the shins by Weeman from Jackass.

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

09:39 / 14.02.03

I dunno... as regards Cave and rhyming, I've always liked the way he forces lines to rhyme, rather than here ("Rock...") where the rhyme seems to dictate the rest of the line, rather than the other way round...

I'm particularly fond of the way he managed to contrive a rhyme with "confetti" in "John Finn's Wife" (Henry's Dream) -"And a gang of garrotters were givin' me stares/Armed, as they were , with machetes".

Sorry. I hate "Rock of Gibraltar".

Hopefully 'twill grow on me,
Like G-Force will overcome Zoltar.

12:29 / 14.02.03

Well, some folks are naturally live-and-let-livers
While others are gotta-find-faulters.

12:39 / 14.02.03

I think it's because he won't use his full name,
just like Disney was never called Walter ...

... I can't believe I just said that. Brane hurts now.

13:03 / 14.02.03

Some sing their hymns from their hymnals,
But Nick sings the psalms from the psalter.

15:22 / 14.02.03

I hope I have not caused
This conversation to falter.

03:04 / 15.02.03

Did no one else's copy arrive with a DVD containing the 15-minute "Babe, I'm On Fire" video?

Fucking brilliant. I can't believe a video might actually have the unimitagated sack to show the band, and the band having fun, at that. Nick and the kids haven't showed themselves having fun in official press for some time now and this is a welcome change. No more standing about in suits, playing a funeral gig, no, no, it's t-shirts and rock this time out.

Well, except for Blixa, who's still in his 'Cabaret' phase. Good enough.

I've had the MP3s for months but have rarely listened to them. Picked it up today and in the two spins it' shad I quite like it, not even finding so much fault with "Gibraltar", which I just glossed over. I liked the mix on the last record and like this one perhaps more. Though the songwriting isn't his strongest, I find it feels like the Seeds are knocking a few back and banging out a record. I like it.

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

13:03 / 17.02.03

Finally got round to watching the DVD. Fucking brilliant. The song already rocked, but it rocks so much more with the visuals.

The Bad Seeds are having fun, but Nick seems to be having the most fun of all- it's like a healthier, happier version of Birthday Party-era Nick.

And as both the goth and the stalker, he's hilarious.

I also liked the very sedate shot of him as "the Christian apologist".

That was ace. I may watch it again now.

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

13:06 / 17.02.03

And if I was Mark E Smith, I'd review the video thus...

Cave DVD
Which I can't fault-ah

18:29 / 17.02.03

I don't have a DVD player, but a friend is currently putting it onto video for me... hee hee

The Return Of Rothkoid

22:19 / 17.02.03

Lemme know if the DVD track makes it online - I decided it was worth saving the five bucks...

Lilly Nowhere Late

06:14 / 18.02.03

hey Chair Mao, Can yoo please run(not walk) over here right away with
that DVD. I've been a Cave accolyte for far too long haven't I? I
know it won't be groundbreaking or different but I nnnnneeeeeeed to
have a look.

17:55 / 21.02.03

Don't forget to let the DVD play for a bit past the credits. some priceless stuff on there.

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

11:12 / 23.02.03

Cutest thing ever- I took the DVD (as requested) round to lilly's house, and about halfway through her 17-month old kid started doing a really good impression of Mr Cave's dancing on the video. Only smilier. Rock.

22:14 / 23.02.03

Speaking of videos, you can see the "Bring it On" video at the Anti website. Is this on the DVD?

02:42 / 24.02.03

My friend didn't tape the bits after the credits... what are they?

The video did rock though. A lot. Very silly, and they look exhausted by the end of it. hee hee.

05:13 / 24.02.03

Good album, great video to Baby I'm On Fire. So much more punk in spirit than a lot of much younger bands. The "Christian Apologist" shot is possibly my favourite Cave moment, period.

05:45 / 24.02.03

After the credits are a number of out takes.