Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Murder Ballads

Nick Cave's been writing songs about killing and other evil things since he first surfaced in 1980 as the Birthday Party's pale, skinny, goth-punk Jim Morrison. But the murder ballads that provide this set's title are different, tantalizingly deliberate. Sure, there's plenty of trademark Cave here, but Murder Ballads is a fascinating concept album that uses the narrative ballad form of the English folk tradition to tell of murder: random deaths, passion crimes, and killing sprees, all in one package. Cave clearly thrives in this genre, and he produces some of his sharpest and most facile writing to date. "Song of Joy," a genuinely scary campfire mystery of a murdered family and an unnamed killer, chillingly weaves clues into the lyrics, while "Where the Wild Roses Grow" is a narrative duet in which killer (Cave) and victim (pop star Kylie Minogue) reveal parallel tales. Cave even shows his knack for adaptation on Bob Dylan's "Death Is Not the End": he recontextualizes a song of heavenly comfort into a sort of zombie "We Are the World" (featuring Minogue, PJ Harvey, Shane MacGowan, and others) in which "death is not the end" of pain and suffering. Above all, Murder Ballads should be heard as a work of pulp fiction--as sensationally funny as it is harrowing. The already violent traditional song "Stagger Lee" becomes gangsta folk, so ridiculously packed with obscenity and brutality it would make the Geto Boys cringe. And Cave's (unintentional?) point to would-be censors--that bad-ass songs existed long before rappers polluted the airways--should not be missed. --Roni Sarig Amazon.com

"All things move toward their end..."

True to its title, Murder Ballads is a collection of songs about death at its most unnatural and humanity at its darkest. It's a strange, nightmarish album, full of backwoods serial killers, barroom brawlers, sadistic predators, and knife-wielding townies. Cave and his fellow travelers create a world without rules, where arguments end in stopped hearts and revenge is the only form of justice. Of course, Nick Cave being the uniquely gifted songwriter that he is, things aren't really that simple; the darker lyrical themes of these songs are balanced by humor (admittedly of the gallows variety) and a sharp eye for narrative and social commentary. This isn't violence for its own sake- Cave uses his gruesome little vignettes as a means to create atmospheres, whole worlds full of paranoia, rage, and mordant wit. When filtered through the Bad Seeds' raw, punkish versatility, it works incredibly well. "Lovely Creature" and "Crow Jane" are menacing, apocalyptic visions with lyrics that grow gradually unsettling. "O' Malley's Bar" is an epic bloodbath, anchored around a creeping electric piano riff and vocals that are simultaneously deranged and hilarious. "The Curse Of Millhaven" is nothing short of breakneck black comedy polka metal, as Cave takes on the role of an adorable fourteen-year-old girl who goes on a gleeful killing rampage. A rendition of the classic folk anthem "Stagger Lee" is a screeching goth-punk rocker with a wailing guitar and cruel vocals. "Song Of Joy" is a heavy slab of pure doom, and a rousing cover of Bob Dylan's "Death Is Not The End" closes out the proceedings on a strangely ironic note.

A few tunes do prevent this from earning top marks- "Where The Wild Roses Grow," despite probably being the album's most popular song, is a dull, somewhat tedious ballad, and "The Kindness Of Strangers" wallows in cliches, melodrama, and awkward phrasing. There's also a version of the old folk tune "Henry Lee" (no relation to Stagger) that plods along without an ounce of mystery or tension. Boo! Still, the good stuff here makes this a great purchase for fans of Nick Cave. November 25, 2007

Scary and Beautiful all at the same time.

This record has been a favorite of mine for a long time. But you have to be in a very particular type of mood to listen to it. It's definately a destination CD, not one you would put in your regular rotation. It reminds me of a quote I heard during an NPR interview with Tom Waits once, where Terri Gross asked him what type of music inspires him. He replied by saying "I like beautiful melodies telling me terrible things."
That, in a sentence, sums up this record. October 19, 2007

Good, Bad, Bad, Bad, Good, Bad

This is the first Nick Cave album I have ever listened to, so I can't compare it to his other work and I didn't know what to expect. The first two songs on this album are really, really good. I was delighted that this album could perhaps be a new favorite. Then, tracks 3-8 hit me with the fetid sound of boring, familiar music. Really horrible. The female voices (Kylie Minogue and PJ Harvey, among possible others) were all out of place and annoying. The songs were predictable and had choruses that repeated about 12 times too many. After somehow staying awake through tracks 3-8, track 9 brought back the feeling of the first two. Track 10 is better than 3-8, but still nothing too great. The good songs on this album are interesting stories with dark and appropriate music. While I really do like tracks 1, 2, and 9, the album is far from an "enjoyable album experience," which is what I usually look for in music. Skip it. September 4, 2007

soundtrack for a dark room

The painting on the front of the CD is clearly NOT a Bob Ross, for there is just no way that Bob Ross could adequately paint up some Nick Cave. The main problem has to do with the fact that there are no 'happy trees' in Nick Cave, and none especially in _Murder Ballads_. If there were, they were burnt down long ago. This disc may be one of his most popular, which gets some die-hard 'fans' to doubt it, but the tracks on this disc are soundly dark and violent and tender. Aside from a fine ensemble Dylan cover at the end, with PJ Harvey and Shane MacGowan among others, I find myself clinging to tracks like "Lovely Creature" and "Song of Joy," and "O'Malley's Bar" is its own western movie AND soundtrack combined.

So turn down the lights and break out a couple of bottles of your reddest wine. I'm going to be listening to this one all through Christmas. December 17, 2006

bad seeds most popular..BUT i think:

One of their not-that-great cd.

the songs: Stagger Lee,Henry Lee,Where the wild roses grow and O'malleys bar are the only good songs on the album..the rest is just borrowed from other bad seeds records.

Lovely Creture - i hate the choir of girls lalalalalalala thing,yuck.

The curse of millhaven is just a faster henry lee melody..its not even good lyrically..

The kindness of strangers,i guess is quite alright,but i dont like the name,it's too similar to Stranger than kindness from Your funeral..my trial album.

Death is not the end is alright..but nothing more..a plus to Shane MacGowan.

Buy The good son instead.. October 18, 2006

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