Nick Cave : Classic or Dud ?

So far...is this Nick's "New Jersey"?

Sounds pretty, wonder if he's done ever rocking out again.

natural progression from the past couple of records. lovely microkorg work. typically gaudy and perfectly cliched, lyrically.

so far it sounds like the NMSWP to Skeleton Tree's Boatman's Call, if that makes any sense. more ornate and elaborate extension of the same general vibe

Sounds pretty, wonder if he's done ever rocking out again.

fwiw he has said to expect a third Grinderman album

Sounds pretty, wonder if he's done ever rocking out again.

― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, October 3, 2019 2:14 PM (nine minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

did the last two records "rock out"

I don't think so? But he did play a couple of rocking hits on tour, iirc, which seemed kind of weird and obvious compared to the quieter introspective stranger new stuff.

It would be pretty funny if Grinderman 3 turned out to be another album of synthy drumless ballads

I liked his last couple of albums a lot, but they made more of an impression in the context of the documentary and concert film, respectfully, then they did on my stereo.

Push the Sky Away certainly had moments of rocking out (the ends of "Jubilee Street" and "Higgs Boson Blues")

I love the last two records but part didn't grab me much, I'm however willing to believe this sounds way better in a non-streaming on Youtube format

"Part 1" I meant to say

ah, that was all too samey for me. i nearly fell asleep.

This mostly sounds like Nick Cave reading out poetry over a noodly Cave/Ellis soundtrack.

It sounds a lot like Skeleton Tree but it's missing something.

there's some very pretty bits on this and i think i would really like it if it was only for a few tracks in the context of a more varied album but it's too much all at once. i felt the same way about skeleton tree and never got into it the way i did push the sky away, which is one of my favourites of his.

ok the second disc rules, the longer songs allow for much more movement and progression so they end up more engaging overall

Worthy but tedious album. A real slog to get through. I'm sure the Guardian will love it and Nick's new legion of hipster fans and edgy moms will be all over it, but I miss the Bad Seeds as a band and the excitement and energy from their old albums.

I'm sure the Guardian will love it

Bingo:

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/oct/04/nick-cave-and-the-bad-seeds-ghosteen-review-the-most-beautiful-songs-he-has-ever-recorded

i loved skeleton tree and y’all are being real nerds about this

Nick's new legion of hipster fans and edgy moms will be all over it

Hipster fans and edgy moms how? Haven't heard the new one yet, but why do you think this is the case?

dnftt

the good bits on this are really so good that i already regret being vaguely dismissive of it earlier when i was halfway through it

I had already pre-ordered it so I think I might hold off on listening to it again until I have the physical copy in a month or so, but on first blush it wasn't really for me, certainly the obvious next step after Skeleton Tree, but not as engaging

The bit I heard there was some (relatively) high-register singing. Was that Nick, or Ellis, or someone else?

I couldn't really tell, feels like it wasn't always Nick or Warren

I don't know that anyone is gonna write a better Nick Cave song than Elena Setien this year:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43rYIsnoPug

at the end of "Hollywood" i'm pretty sure it's Cave who sings for a while in a higher register

tried cutting it down to five tracks because i found the first disc to be a bit too meandering and found it to be completely transcendent like this:

Ghosteen
Bright Horses
Night Raid
Galleon Ship
Hollywood

Idk about y'all but I'm crying to every single beautiful and devastating song on this album

this was a lovely listen

I must say I never dreamed I would hear a Yamaha DX7 bell on a Nick Cave album ("Night Raid"). I don't begrudge him wanting to make beautiful music to mourn his son but I feel uncomfortable listening to it.

certainly the obvious next step after Skeleton Tree, but not as engaging

― chr1sb3singer, Friday, October 4, 2019 9:08 AM (yesterday) bookmarkflaglink

so if I found Skeleton Tree difficult and dull, I'm going to find this one borderline unlistenable, yes?

it's much better imo, but i found skeleton tree to be mostly tension without much release. this one's much prettier and there's more to grab onto, at least for me. i still think it's a little much overall but the highs on it are incredible and some of his best ever work

i kinda do hope that since this one is supposed to be the "end of a trilogy" they'll make something more rocking next time, but keep the wonderful sound design from these last few albums around

i love the all tension no release quality of skeleton tree. it's like it's stuck in a loop. ghosteen seems like the other side of its coin, all that tension in service of total gorgeousness

"night raid" is incredible btw

tried cutting it down to five tracks because i found the first disc to be a bit too meandering and found it to be completely transcendent like this:

Ghosteen
Bright Horses
Night Raid
Galleon Ship
Hollywood

― ufo, Friday, October 4, 2019 6:09 PM (yesterday) bookmarkflaglink

i respect this reduction bc these are all the songs that blew my mind on contact, but i think i’d still miss the others particularly “spinning song” and “leviathan”

my initial read on this album still feels correct, so good job me. "Bright Horses" got me right in the gut on second listen and I suspect I'll feel that way about much of this soon

Fried Egg Sandwich at 6:15 4 Oct 19

Worthy but tedious album. A real slog to get through. I'm sure the Guardian will love it and Nick's new legion of hipster fans and edgy moms will be all over it, but I miss the Bad Seeds as a band and the excitement and energy from their old albums.

yeah really sad to see Nick Cave appealing to hipsters as opposed to his old working class, salt of the Earth, sports bar crowd cranking The Good Son from their Ford F150s

on first listen, I don't like it as much as Skeleton Tree but feels like something that could grow with further listens

I absolutely love Push the Sky Away but always seems to get a lukewarm response on ILM

“edgy moms” jfc

sheesh, moms are the worst

i don't know if i think the whole is better than skeleton tree but i'm pretty sure part 2 is the best thing he's done this decade

i'm pretty sure part 2 is the best thing he's done this decade

with the analogue synths and the choir sounds... it's like he's singing over a Kosmische album from the late 70s sometimes

the second disc is absolutely better than push the sky away and i say this as a big fan of that album

weirdly what this album reminds me the most of is magical cloudz which i never really expected from a nick cave record

haven't fully digested it but surprised anybody would prefer it to the last two. It's certainly beautiful and but seems to be a bit too soundtracky (and not unlike some of Cave and Ellis's soundtracks) and a bit too lacking in variety and tension? And surprised anybody would say Skeleton Tree is all tension and no release, when the penultimate song Distant Sky is perhaps the most beautiful recording of the last 10 years.

for me it's the most interesting thing he's done, or at least the thing i like the most since Abattoir Blues. probably because some of the first disc definitely sounds influenced by mid 90s Current 93.

the opening of the title track feels very "warszawa" to me

the whole album is continuing to grow on me, i think i was caught off-guard by it opening with "spinning song" which is one of the most minimal and skeleton tree-like tracks, but i even like that a lot now. "ghosteen speaks" is the only one i haven't gotten into yet, it's still quite formless and is mostly synth drones plus backing vocals "wwhoaaaaaaaaa" over and over

with the analogue synths and the choir sounds... it's like he's singing over a Kosmische album from the late 70s sometimes

I'm sold on that!