Murder Ballads - Nick Cave/Bad Seeds (The)

...listen. A mixture of traditional murder ballads and songs written by Nick Cave himself, this unusual album displays a mastery of song writing and great vocal talent.

**Tracklist**
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 ...
...After nine tracks of death, murder and violence, a quietly uplifting song extolling that death is not the end seems fitting. This song features several artists, including P.J. Harvey and Kylie Minogue who dueted on songs earlier in the album.

**Overall**

It might seem morbid to buy an album called "Murder Ballads", but there are some beautiful songs on this CD, and some that really evoke feelings of melancholy ... more

An album titled 'Murder Ballads' is never going to be particularly cheery, but this collection of morbid songs is definitely worth a listen. A mixture of traditional murder ballads and songs written by Nick Cave himself, this unusual album displays a mastery of song writing and great vocal talent.

**Tracklist**
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

1. Song of Joy (6:47): Like a lot of the tracks on this album, this is a story set to music. It tells the tale of a series of murders in a small town. Despite the morbid nature of the story being told, this is quite a pleasant song to listen to. Nick Cave's voice is very good, and he sings this well. The main instrument used is the piano, and in between verses it is almost as if the sounds of the piano are 'describing' the murder. A good song.

2. Stagger Lee (5:15): This song is my least favourite on the album. It's very crude, and harsh on the ears…a feedback noise backs Nick Cave's rough vocals. The song tells the tale of a mass murderer, Stagger Lee. There's a lot of swearing, and sound effects that leave a bitter taste in your mouth. The ending of the song is almost painful to listen to, with a horrible, grating noise. Not a happy song.

3. Henry Lee (3:58): As different from 'Stagger Lee' as could be, this is a duet with P.J. Harvey. This is a true ballad, with a lilting piano backing track. The lyrics combined with Harvey's clear vocals evoke a feeling of sadness, and you get the feeling that whilst 'Stagger Lee' was a tale of violence, 'Henry Lee' is a tale of sadness and emotion. One of my favourite songs on the album.

4. Lovely Creature (4:14): This has an altogether different sound from anything else on this album. It's quite a fast song, with Nick Cave's deep vocals soaring over a backing track of electro-pop, 'lalas', and a windy, breathy sound effect. There's a lot of repetition of words, which seems to give a sense of urgency to the song. It takes a couple of listens, but this song definitely grows on you.

5. Where The Wild Roses Grow (3:57): Probably the only song on this album you'll have heard of, because it is a duet with Kylie Minogue. This is the song that inspired me to buy the album: I've liked this song for a long time, and was curious about the rest. This is the tale of a man obsessed with a woman called Eliza Day, and he believes that she should die because she is beautiful. This song showcases some of Kylie's best vocals, and together with Cave's gruff voice, this is a particularly haunting song with a horrifying conclusion. My favourite song of the album.

6. The Curse of Millhaven (6:56): This opens with a noise that reminds me of a noisy bar brawl, and goes on to tell the story of a curse on the town of Millhaven and the murders that befall it. Cave's singing sounds hurried and urgent in this song, with the verses interspersed with "lalalas", giving quite a grim subject matter a lighthearted feel. The backing music occasionally has bursts of what reminds me of circus music. This is a strange song, full of oxymorons: cheerful singing about a terrible circumstance, but it's a good song - one that will grow on you.

7. The Kindness of Strangers (4:39): This is a slow ballad, with Cave's deep vocals accompanied only by a piano. It tells the story of Mary Bellows, 'found cuffed to the bed, with a bullet in the head'. Compared to the hurried urgency of the previous song, this is a slow building track, with an almost painful-to-listen-to sobbing behind the words as it nears the end. A melancholy song.

8. Crow Jane (4:15): This song sounds vaguely Country, with a strumming guitar and a breathy "aaahhh" backing Cave's vocals. Like 'Song of Joy', this is more a story put to music, in that Cave 'speaks' more than he does sings. It's quite a repetitive song, with the words 'Crow Jane' mentioned over and over. Not a favourite song, but not a bad one nevertheless.

9. O'Malley's Bar (14:28): This is a whopper of a song at almost fifteen minutes long. In style it reminds me of 'The Curse of Millhaven', and it tells the story of O'Malley's Bar and the horrors that befall it. It's not a bad track, but I find myself weary of the tune by about halfway through.

10. Death Is Not The End (4:28): A cover of the Bob Dylan song, I think this is quite a good way to end the album. After nine tracks of death, murder and violence, a quietly uplifting song extolling that death is not the end seems fitting. This song features several artists, including P.J. Harvey and Kylie Minogue who dueted on songs earlier in the album.

**Overall**

It might seem morbid to buy an album called "Murder Ballads", but there are some beautiful songs on this CD, and some that really evoke feelings of melancholy and horror.

Perhaps not the best album to listen to when you're in a good mood - as it might bring you down, but I like it nevertheless.

There are a couple of songs that I just cannot listen to, such as 'Stagger Lee', but there are also wonderful vocals and clever lyrics.

Recommended. 

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