New Nick Cave album.

[CaledonianGonzo]

PR company doesn't have to pay for blanket good reviews for once

I've now seen three separate publications describe it as a masterpiece.

Admittedly on first listen it does sound pretty good, but I dunno if any great deal better or worse than Push The Sky Away.

[Jon]

I saw this the other night, and noticed something a bit odd. The Guardian review says this:

But the film returns again and again to Cave's bewilderment and sublimated grief – which only once briefly explodes in a moment of rage against the media for its treatment of the accident.

Unless I missed it, I don't remember this moment of rage against the media. So it sounds like they inserted an extra scene just for the review copies sent to the press?

[justin_bennett]

I saw this the other night, and noticed something a bit odd. The Guardian review says this:

Unless I missed it, I don't remember this moment of rage against the media. So it sounds like they inserted an extra scene just for the review copies sent to the press?

One of his voiceover poems lashed out at the tabloid treatment.

[Noodle Lizard]

I've now seen three separate publications describe it as a masterpiece.

Admittedly on first listen it does sound pretty good, but I dunno if any great deal better or worse than Push The Sky Away.

I think it's definitely better.  I really didn't get much out of Push The Sky Away, not many songs I'd want to revisit, whereas there are at least a handful I can imagine putting on playlists to bum people out in my car.

[non capisco]

It's way better than Push The Sky Away for me, and I liked Push The Sky Away a hell of a lot. 'I Need You' and 'Anthrocene' in particular floor me every time I listen to them. The former I find impossible to listen to without the old throat getting a bit tight. His fragile vocal with the swelling backing vocals. Jesus. After a weekend's worth of listening I'd say this is one of the best albums he's out his name to. "Just breathe...just breathe...I need you" at the end of that song, fuck me.

[holyzombiejesus]

I thought that PtSA was his best album in years and I actually prefer this new one. If anyone else saw the film, that piano, fiddle improv between Nick and Warren isn't on this, is it?

The backstory to the album has obviously and understandably overshadowed the release but I think I'd like the record more if I was unaware of the tragedy. Particularly when there's some debate regarding whether the songs were written pre or post Arthur's death, it's difficult to listen without trying to work out which imagery relates to what rather  than just appreciating the songs for what they are.

[Puce Moment]

I saw the film on the opening night in Leeds (2D naturally) and it was packed, the audience were well-behaved and the majority stayed until the end of the credits. The film itself is more upsetting and intimate than I thought it would be - I thought the death would be on the periphery, and at points it did feel voyeuristic. I would agree with the comment above about how touching it was to hear his comments on Ellis. I think at one point he says "look at him, holding everything together." And as a long-time Bad Seeds fan it was nice seeing Jim just turn up and hop on the organ and the nice little exchange between him and Cave.

The album itself to me sounds like the best thing he has done for a while, or at least since Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus, but it has the same problems I have found with his recent work. Quite over-produced, samey, too piano-led, and lacks the narratives of his best albums. It's a great deal less interesting to me than his soundtrack stuff with Ellis. I really don't know if this album would be reviewed and received in such glowing terms without the knowledge of the tragedy that accompanies it, but it is great that something so vital can still be attached to an artist at an age when most other artists have retreated into karaoke versions of their back catalogues.

[Noodle Lizard]

Judging by the videos they're putting out, it looks like the album was one of those "recorded live in studio" type deals.  Is that true?  Haven't seen the documentary yet.

[Puce Moment]

Judging by the videos they're putting out, it looks like the album was one of those "recorded live in studio" type deals.  Is that true?  Haven't seen the documentary yet.

I would say no, it is edited to look like that, but it is significantly over-dubbed, evidenced by sections where Ellis is conducting, or playing the organ, or just fucking about with effects pedals even though we can also hear his violin.

[Noodle Lizard]

I would say no, it is edited to look like that, but it is significantly over-dubbed, evidenced by sections where Ellis is conducting, or playing the organ, or just fucking about with effects pedals even though we can also hear his violin.

Oh yeah I'm not saying they didn't add extra stuff afterwards.  But in those videos we're definitely seeing at least Cave doing the vocals that ended up on the record, so it was a reasonable assumption.  Until I actually watched them properly and noticed the Ellis stuff is being filmed/recorded at a completely different time to the Cave stuff.  That makes more sense.

[Nobody Soup]

well, I actually saw the film last week and thought it was really good. it doesn't really get to deep into things, the music videos were gorgeous but also I was very aware they were in the pad the thing out a bit and you did get the sense nick was making a film about making an album while coping with the loss of his son whereas dominik would probably have liked to make a film about coping with the loss of your son by making an album.

some lovely quotes, but cave is too mistrustful and clever to let his guard slip and really let you in.

the album is excellent and easily the best thing he's done in years.

ps. loved the t-shirt that said "I believe" on it that when the jacket was half closed turned into "I lie" dunno if that was intentionally the design or not.

[CaledonianGonzo]

The album finishes strong. The last three tracks are great, and Distant Sky is an all-timer.

[Ferris]

Not worth a new thread, but I'm re-listening to this and it is brilliant. Sparse, and emotional, and just great.

I know NC might be a bit of a twat[nb]though I can't bring myself to dislike him, his music has meant a whole lot to me over the years[/nb], but it's a brilliant bit of work.

Mmmmm lovely.

[The Mollusk]

Why's he a bit of a twat, out of curiosity?

[Ferris]

Why's he a bit of a twat, out of curiosity?

He has some dodgy views about cancel culture and everyone being too woke these days or something.

If I'm honest, I didn't read them because I love his output so much I didn't want to ruin it for myself. I think he's just old and his social compass is behind the times on that kind of stuff, so a bit of a wally but not a fundamentally bad person or anything.

[Oz Oz Alice]

I'd agree with that: his pronouncements on how terrible cancel culture is and whining that someone had a go at him for playing Israel are embarassing but far outweighed by the brilliant records he's made and keeps making and how he has reinvented himself as a cuddly goth agony uncle who writes movingly about grief. I could be reading too much into it but as I posted on the thread on the new new Nick Cave record Carnage it seems that he's starting to touch on politics in his work to an extent he has rarely done before with the explicitly anti-racist White Elephant.

[JohnnyCouncil]

He has some dodgy views about cancel culture and everyone being too woke these days or something.

If I'm honest, I didn't read them because I love his output so much I didn't want to ruin it for myself. I think he's just old and his social compass is behind the times on that kind of stuff, so a bit of a wally but not a fundamentally bad person or anything.

I would definitely agree that this 'godlike' mythos has got a bit much.

[holyzombiejesus]

Shouldn't we sack this thread off seeing as it's about an album that's 5 years old?