Review Summary: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds get cool points for talking about dead bodies and psychos
For those of you who don't know about Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, this probably will be; or at the very least, should be the first album you hear. Now myself being a metal head, i was hesitant when my sister gave this to me out of her collection years back. Being young and naive, i thought that any band whose name had the lead singer's name in it HAD to be freakin' awful. In my mind i conjured images of CSNY or Bob Marley and the Wailers. Although older and wiser i must admit that i at least like CSNY (not Bob Marley, he still strikes me as a sellout for the rasta movement). But I took the album from my sis anyway. I figured it was called the Murder Ballads, and it must be at least okay. Not only was it okay, it was brilliant.
The album starts off with " Song of Joy ", which is actually one of my least favorite songs, but it also sets the mood of the album. With the stark, old-timey sound of the piano. Cave paints a picture with his lyrics throughout the album. But this being the first song, some may be shocked or put off by the direct telling of the story of a man murdering a woman named Joy. The song itself languishes slightly to let Cave tell his story in a more intense manner, as do most of the songs. Most songs here clock in at over 6 minutes, so be patient, give Nick some time to get inside of your head.
The next song is " Stagger Lee ", which is actually a very old legend in music. I've heard another story about him in a Leadbelly tune which bears the same name. This song is one of the more manic of the whole composition, while also being very listenable. The song starts in 1934, when times were hard. The main character is Stagger Lee, obviously a drifter of some sort. He walks into a bar, and starts harrassing the townspeople. As the song goes on, you learn alot about this guy and his lifestyle. It certainly is NOT a fairytale. " Stagger Lee " is a journey through sickness, and vile creatures.
It's hard to write a review on this album in the sense that by telling too much you give away the ambiance and mood. To sum this up. This is an album about murder in many forms by many different people. It is disturbing, it will weave itself into your psyche and make you think about the true meaning of death. The cause, the effect of it. That's probably why i like it. The Murder Ballads is exactly what it implies, and so much more. This piece of work is a short work in sociology and psychology.
If you can open your mind and take a good listen, you should be able to at least appreciate the music. Also has guest appearances by PJ Harvey and Kylie Minouge
