Nick Cave and the Bad seeds put their best songs together on an album and this is what we end up with. A sixteen track CD, wich has songs dating right through their career together (almost). Cave got with the Bad seeds in 1984 and this album goes as far back as that an all the way upto 1997 (The boatmans call). The album takes songs from each of the albums in this time peroid (though as the inlay booklet confess, not in chronological order).

Cave and the bad seeds, have been described as being "Post-punk", "alt-rock" and "rock" all of these and more could be used to explain the bands sounds. Caves deep vocals as well as the musical arrangements which spand from simple to incredibly difficult, mixed with the dark and deep lyrics, allow this album to be a show case of Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds.

So the songs list from their rather extensive back catalogue of songs are:
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 I've Been Waiting For
9.: Carny
10.: Do You Love Me
11.: Mercy Seat
12.: Henry Lee
13.: Weeping Song
14.: Ship Song
15.: Where The Wild Roses Grow
16.: From Here To Eternity

Deanna, the fast pace catches you off gaurd with the simple and strong beat whilst the lyrics seem to be about stealing "Deanna's" soul. These dark lyrics seem to contrast the some what cheery sound and speed of the music, which gives it an odd effect. As with the entire album the lyrics are really mind blowing as are Cave's vocal's, and the song is a brilliant introduction to the album. 10/10

Red right hand, A bell opens this then simple guitar (I think though possibly piano which Cave can play) plays a soft backing, as Cave's vocal's take charge from start to finish. The lyrics are as morbid as ever also the slower pace of this song disappoints considering the previous title, but still the track would be highly rated on any album in history. Just perhaps the wrong place to put it on the album. 8/10

Straight to you, The third song on the album this brings back emotions of good time, and the soft sounds that it opens with allowing Cave again to take charge with his vocal's and lyrics. A seemingly happy tale of someone in love with someone else so much that they'll go to them no matter what. The song almost has a dreamy happy feel to it (doesn't sound like Nick does it :-P). A brilliant song that has you wanting to be loved as much as the person Cave seems to be singing about. 9/10

Tupelo, This song opens with a storm like intro, then simple guitar chords play, allowing an opening before Cave's vocals kick in sounding almost like a pirate. The vocals sound somewhat angry, with backing singing giving the song a slight softer edge. Unfortunately it's got the worse lyrics so far into the album, and It's among my least fave off the disk, which may say more for the quality of the disk than anything. 6/10

Nobody's baby now, The first real piano song on the album and Cave plays it wonderfully, sitting his vocals over the top of it and the lyrics that helps make it a wonderful song. Many people are fans of ballads, but this is a ballad with a difference, it's actually A GOOD BALLAD. The soft sweet theme to the song carries you away and your sat wondering how someone who's lyrics are often so sickening could perform such a wonderful and enlighting peice. This song is a highlight from the album and even none Cave fans should listen to it. 10/10

Stranger than kindness, It starts with a somewhat warped feel of Cave's vocals, I can't understand this move personally as Cave has such a wonderful natural voice. The backing music is somewhat poor to, peronally I cant understand why this song is on the album compared to some of the other tracks, it's poor. worth a skip imo. 3/10

Into my arms, Another piano peice and again played to perfection by Cave's wonderfully apt talents. The vocals again hit the nail right smack on, and the lyrics match equally well. The somewhat religous tones of the song may put some people off, but I can't understand what sort of a person would go off such a wonderful song of love and peace. This is very similar to "Nobody's baby now" in every way, and just like "Nobody's baby now" this is a must for botch Cave and non-Cave fans alike. 10/10

Are you the one I've been waiting for?, A soft indiesh guitar opening to the song with Caves vocals retaining their own very high standards. The song has you swaying in time to the music, and singing along with the chorus. I'm not sure if even Cave realises how much better his "love songs" are compared to some of the nonsense like "Tupelo". Tge lyrics are brilliant with wonderful imagery and a feel of just pure amazement hits the listener. Another ong that eserves the highest award. 10/10

The carny. By far the longest song on the album, a warped violin sound opens the song before typical carnival sounds kick in (you know the things, the up down feel of over sized drums and simple strumming of a string instrument). As they die down Caves vocals climb over the top of of it, with again amazing lyrics. The music picks up again after the first verse, then dies down to allow Cave a chance to again speak over the top of them. The story is seemingly about a carnival that left without any sign of where it went. The inlay book explains that the song "...seems to escape death- or embrace - death byvanishing into thin air, leaving only rumours..." which does seem to sum the song up very well. 9/10

Do you love me?, A pacey start that sounds like it was recorded to sound like an awful lot of echoes, a loop that repeats around 8 times before Cave starts singing over the top of it. The vocals this time seem more like he's crazy than usual, which suit the almost stalkerish lyrics. A very well done song, which has some more of Cave's wonderful guitar playing behind a wonderful wave of guitaring. Another set of religous references, which make you perhaps even think about death again. A brilliantly catchy chorus sits brillinatly as the centre peice of the song. 8/10

The mercy seat, I must confess I'd heard Johnny Cash's cover before listening to the original Cave version and I thought Cash's version was sensational, and I felt let down by the original as it (like "Stranger than kindess") feels warped to me. But anyway, take away the low-fi sound and the guitar sounds briliant, Caves vocals as they do in the "warped" songs seems poorer than most at the beginning, but when he ups the ante, you can feel the immediate change. The story is again entwined with religous references, and is about a person on death row originally denying they did anything, then questioning themselves, but for the expected end. The lyrics really are amazing and oddly sick in the end. 9/10

Henry Lee, A duet with PJ Harvey, the track is off the "Murder ballads" album (the same album as the penultimate track "Where the wild roses grow). Apparently the lyrics are traditional (seems odd considering what the songs about), Harvey opens the song singing over Cave's piano playing until the get to the chorus which is sang as a duet. Cave sings the second verse, and then Harvey joins in for chorus, the vocals by both are brilliant. Cave sings the third verse about a woman stabbing a man, before the chorus plays again. The fourth verse is by Harvey and talks about the now dead man being thrown into a deep well. The fifth is again Harvey, before the chorus plays through twice normally, the third time and fourth time Harvey's vocals play a note or two higher. A brilliant duet and shows how impressie they can be if done right. 10/10

The weeping song, The first Nick Cave song I ever heard and it's no wonder I still listen to the guy. The low soft and unforgiving vocals of people weeping, and the questions as to why they are weeping seems to make you wonder what it means. The song isn't a straight forward one to work out, instead it's very complex and makes you think. Cave acting as both a "questioner" and the "Father" in the same verse is an honour to listen to, and shows just how much of a wonderful musician the guy is. The simple music allows the lyrics to take you away, and listen to Cave sing such a brilliant track. From what I'm perceving it's about death (like most Cave songs) but I may be wrong on that one. 9/10

The ship song, (think he got bored of titles? :-P), Another piano based song with Cave's vocals playing over it, and backing singers used softly to back up the feel of the "sea". The lyrics as always are brilliant. Despite a perhaps sad feel to the song, the inlay describes the song "The ship song (1990)...suggest a move away from the metaphorical to the straight fowardly personal, and point to the more restrained, intimate, style of songwriting..." this again sums up the song brilliantly. 9/10

Where the wild roses grow, Now remember what I said about "Henry lee", well this song also from "Murder Ballads" is another duet, this time with a possily more famous female, Kylie Minogue. A wonderful opening vocal by Kylie before Cave takes over, and a story of a guy falling for a girl at first sight. The girl (Kylie's "character") seems to fall for him to. The chorus sticks brilliantly into your head. The following verse talks about Cave giving her Roses on the first and second day. On the third day, it talks about what happens when someone wants to remember someone for the perfections, and as such need to commit a sinful act themselves. The vocals match each other perfectly throughout, with Cave's manly voice and Kylie's soft insecure sounding vocals. Another wonderful track. 10/10

The final track, From her to eternity, also sounds warped and is a disappointment to end the album on. The length (over 5 minuites) really does feel like an eternity when it's vocal so garblered (that how it sounds, not me miss spelling a word). A shame to end a good album with such a poor track. 3/10

Looking in the back of the booklet, it would seem the better songs were all Cave, as opposed to a compilation (on the writing front, not performance front). The inlay booklet contains colour picture and lots of infortmation on the album.

in summary- A brilliant if flawed album of the Best of Nick Cave and the bad seeds, unfortunately theres no "new" content that was done just for the CD so if you have the previous albums I'd advise you not to bother. The albums length is 75 mins 36 secs an maybe 15 mins of that isn't worth listening to.