Murder Ballads [Digipak] - Nick Cave/Bad Seeds (The) > Reviews > Sing A Song Of Murder

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Groundbreaking
Lyrics	Sublime
Quality and consistency of tracks	Flawless
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Outstanding
Value for Money

Advantages:	Great music and lyrics
Disadvantages:	None

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Nick Cave first came to prominence in the wave of post-punk goth which spawned a mini-generation of black-clad teenagers obsessed with doom-and-gloom, fascinated with vampirism and the dark side of life (and death). A beanpole drugged maniac with scary eyes and an upturned nose who looked as though he was permanenly on heroin (he was) – Cave at the time looked like a likely candidate for an early obituary..

His transformation in the 90’s to becoming a crooner with street credibility left many puzzled but he was generally welcomed into the mainstream as an eccentric but real talent. A poet and a writer, he has settled nicely into the role of a putative successor to Leonard Cohen – with less romance and more “edge”. Indeed some of his last albums, particularly “And No More Shall We Part”, have even featured girlie backing vocalist a la Cohen.

“Murder Ballads”, released in 1996 marks an important moment in his work and it is, to me, his finest album to date. It is disturbing, absorbing and yet humorous. Musically interesting but lyrically superb it is a concept album which has, strangely, not been derided for what it is.

Although the album has a folky look to it, all the songs bar Henry Lee and “Stagger Lee” are actually Cave originals – the only other exception being Bob Dylan’s closer “Death Is Not The End”.

I believe the album is a serious enough work to warrant a track-by-track review:

Song of Joy

There could not have been a finer opener. From the moment the first portentous notes are heard and then Cave starts singing like a lost soul looking for absolution, the listener is caught in the narrative. A dark tale about the horrendous murder of a sad woman called Joy and her three little children told descriptively and in an agonised manner by her husband……..or is he the killer….or could he even be both? The music matches the mood: heavy, echoing piano notes play a dramatic theme, a male chorus almost howls a wordless tune in what appears to be a storm and the bass and drums anchor the whole. The final lines where the narrator asks to be allowed to stay the night are chilling as we foresee what will happen.

Stagger Lee

There have been many songs about a killer called Stagger Lee who may or not have existed. Cave’s version is a halting (staggering?) punk/blues romp about a boasting sexually rapacious murderer equally happy to have sex with a whore or rape her boyfriend. Lots of bad language for those who may not like it

Henry Lee

A traditional song about a girl who falls in love with a married man and ends up murdering him when he does not respond to her advances. A lovely tune and great duet between Nick and PJ Harvey who were at the time this album was recorded, rather attached shall we say. Probably the closest to folk the album gets.

Lovely Creature

One of the weaker tracks. Not bad in itself but by comparison with the rest of the album. Driven by An almost military drum with a banshee-like vocal accompaniment by Katharine Blake, Nick here plays the part of a guy who picks up a girl the lovely creature and then presumably murders her.

Where The Wild Roses Grow

Yes, everyone surely knows the pre-Raphaelite inspired video featuring Kylie as Ophelia and Nick as a preacher-like lover and murderer. Interesting song sung alternatively by the two from their particular perspectives with the chorus sung jointly. A senseless murder, we get nothing more than “all beauty must die” from the man whodunit.

The Curse of Millhaven

A real hoot. Backed by a track which is close to country music Nick sings about a girl called Lottie who IS the curse of Millhaven as she murders her way through life. A marvellously cheerful chorus goes on variations of
“la la la la la,
la la la la la lie….
sooner or later we all gotta die”!

The Kindness of Strangers

A song basically warning girls against its own title. A poor young girl goes from Arkansas to the seaside, maybe to look for work, and on the first day meets a rake who will murder her later on. A very pleasant tune, in a song laden with tragedy and sadness….Anita Lane is credited with the “sobbing” heard late in the song.

Crow Jane

The second track which does not really stand out. A fairly pedestrian dark story about a girl who murders twenty guys who done her wrong. Everyday occurrence in Caveland! Crow Jane is actually a minor character in Cave’s novel “And The Ass Saw The Angel”.

O’ Malley’s Bar

An astonishing piece. Cave guides us through a loner’s visit to a bar where he murders in succession all the occupants – I lost count of the body count! The music is essentially repetitive and merely accompanies and complements the action. This builds slowly but inexorably as we listen to the murderer rant, from ravings to quasi-philosophy and some remarkably poetic comparisons – he likens two of his victims to Sts. Francis and Sebastian as he thinks of “sparrows” and “arrows”. The final bit where he has one bullet but decides against killing himself and surrenders to the police saying “Don’t shoot! I’m a man unarmed!” is remarkable for its observation of the low cunning which murderers use to get the law to protect them. The way in which Cave ends the song half-humming, half-grunting gives a clue as to how some killers get their kicks.

Death Is Not The End

A Bob Dylan religious paean which is given a radically different interpretation here. The singers are divided into male and female. Each sings a line and then all those who have already sung join in the choruses. Result? The song builds from a quiet beginning to a remarkably harmonious conclusion. Remarkably harmonious given that the singers include drunken ex-Pogue Shane MacGowan and Nick’s deadpan gravel-voiced sidekick Blixa Bargeld. The effect is of a choir made up of ghouls and angels. A musical observation of great humour and panache, Cave seems to be saying that death may not be the end but there sure is a good chance of your meeting a violent one!

This is a wonderful album. Rich in lyricism, musicality and yes…humour. It is a coherent work where the whole of the album is greater than the sum of its part. The coldly beautiful yet intriguing cover is a painting by Jean-Frederic Schnyder.

“Murder Ballads” is available through the usual outlets. Can be obtained on the net from £6.75 at Playcentric.com.
 

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Murder Ballads cover