Murder Ballads - Nick Cave/Bad Seeds (The)

Advantages: Great vocals and lyrics
Disadvantages: Morbid subject matter

...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 ...
...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 ... Read review

Advantages: Great lyrics, Great songs, Great Concept, Great Album
Disadvantages: You will become a lifelong fan of Cave, costing money,

Murder Ballads is possibly Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds most well known album, partly thanks to the duet with Kylie Minogue, but mainly because it is one of the greatest albums ever released. The concept was that each song would tell a tale of murder, amongst other subjects, and the addition of some guest stars playing the parts of different characters (PJ Harvey on "henry lee" and kylie on "where the wild roses grow") simply adds to the effect. ...
...with his own brand new compositions, but also when taking traditional songs and giving them his own sadistic twist, as on what is possibly his heaviest and dirtiest ever song, "Stagger Lee". When you take into account that all these tales are completely seperate, it is amazing how well the album flows together. The heavier tracks such as "The Curse Of Millhaven" and "Stagger Lee" melding perfectly with the softer tracks such as "Henry Lee" and "Lovely ... Read review

Advantages: Great music and lyrics
Disadvantages: None

...-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.... Read review

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