Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
Formed: 1983
Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Genre: Singer-Songwriter, Post-Punk, Piano Rock
Years Active: 1983 -
Meaning of the Name:
Core Members: Nick Cave, Mick Harvey, Blixa Bargeld, Thomas Wydler
Way of Working: Collaborative in the early years, later led by Cave & Warren Ellis
Associated: The Birthday Party, Warren Ellis, Grinderman, Anita Lane
Essential Releases
The Good Son (1990)
Tender ballads replace rebellious angst in a stylistic shift away from the punk of earlier efforts.
Let Love In (1994)
Sinister goth rock.
Murder Ballads (1996)
Grizzly collection of haunting songs about violent, brutal death.
No More Shall
We Part (2001)
More refined and reflective work concerning mature themes such as marriage and religion.
From the fire and brimstone of their early post-punk to the forgiveness and tender mercy of later projects, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds weaved religious themes into their piano-driven music to stand out from their peers. Crafting work that was at times romantic, gothic, contemplative, and brutal, the group evolved over a lifetime by replacing the rush of drugs with spiritual and artistic highs.
Precursor band The Birthday Party emerged on the late-'70s Australian punk scene as confrontational misanthropes who defiled society's sacred cows. 'Two dead marines standing in a line. Drink to me! (from 'Junkyard'). The group collapsed after only a few short years due to a combination of creative stagnation and spiralling drug use. It was the sober Mick Harvey's job to wrangle members onto tour buses while Cave's heroin habit became severe, but even King Canute couldn't hold back the tide.
The multi-instrumentalist Harvey, who has since produced records for artists like PJ Harvey, hesitantly formed the Bad Seeds with Cave and a rotating line-up of musicians. Though ostensibly an Australian project, the band's core roster was international and operated out of London and Berlin rather than Melbourne. Members have included the venerated German guitarist Blixa Bargeld, a Swiss drummer who strikes with Accurist precision, Thomas Wydler, and the painterly English bassist Barry Adamson.
Establishing a new band provided Cave with the freedom to improvise fresh ideas. Members swapping in and out was invigorating, but the one constant was Cave and his piano. Sometimes menacing, sometimes intimate, it was always contrary to the received wisdom that rock music should be dominated by the guitar.
As polyphonic instruments, both the piano and the guitar can play chords and melodies simultaneously. This makes them the tools of choice for singer-songwriters everywhere, as they can effectively captivate an audience without the need for additional accompaniment. At heart, Nick Cave is a lyricist in the literary vein of Leonard Cohen, but he writes in the style of blood-soaked pulp fiction (see Murder Ballads).
Perhaps his biggest influence, however, is the master storyteller Roy Orbison. They stalk the stage with the same brooding intensity, both dressed in mysterious black suits, but their connection goes beyond mere performance. It's a cruel irony that Cave shared a similar tragedy with Orbison. Both men outlived two sons.
Already poignant songs such as 'Into My Arms' take on a new, devastating meaning in the face of such loss.
"I don't believe in an interventionist God, but I know, darling, that you do. But if I did, I would kneel down and ask him, not to intervene when it came to you."
The song's immense spiritual aura reveals Nick Cave wrestling with his familiar opponents: belief and doubt. This underscores his use of religious imagery to explore fundamental parts of human nature: 'I don't believe in the existence of angels, but looking at you I wonder if that's true.'From the nihilism of a young man furious at a meaningless world to hard-earned redemption from drug addiction and grief, Nick Cave has poured a lifetime of experience into his work. He's an essential listen for anyone who enjoys high-quality music and wants answers to life's big questions.
Skills
*This is a work in progress. Values are subjective.Emotional Impact
90
Mental Impact
80
Originality
80
Artistry
90
Authenticity
70
Live
95
Production
70
Musicianship
85
Singing
70
Songwriting
95
Danceability
35
Fun
45
Consistency
95
Range
75
Cool
70
Charisma
60
Commercial & Critical Success
Awards >>>
- ARIA Award WINNER! x7
Certifications >>>
- Let Love In - Gold in Australia; Silver in the UK
- Murder Ballads - Gold in the UK
- The Boatman's Call - Gold in the UK
- No More Shall We Part - Silver in the UK
- Abattoir Blues - Gold in Australia, UK
- Dig, Lazarus, Dig! - Gold in Australia, UK
- Push the Sky Away - Gold in Australia, UK
- Skeleton Tree - Gold in Australia; Silver in the UK
- Ghosteen - Silver in the UK
Charts >>>
- Let Love In - #8 in Australia
- Murder Ballads - #3 in Australia; #5 in Germany; #8 in the UK
- The Boatman's Call - #5 in Australia
- No More Shall We Part - #4 in Australia; #8 in Germany
- Abattoir Blues - #5 in Australia; #7 in Germany
- Dig, Lazarus, Dig! - #2 in Australia; #4 in the UK; #6 in Germany
- Push the Sky Away - #1 in Australia, Holland; #2 in Germany; #3 in the UK
- Skeleton Tree - #1 in Australia; #2 in the UK; #3 in Germany
- Ghosteen - #2 in Australia; #4 in the UK; #6 in Germany
- Wild God - #2 in Australia; #2 in Germany; #5 in the UK
Critics >>>
- Melody Maker: Henry's Dream - Best Albums of 1992: #7
- Mojo: Dig, Lazarus, Dig! - Best Albums of 2008: #1
- Mojo: Skeleton Tree - Best Albums of 2016: #3
- Mojo: Ghosteen - Best Albums of 2019: #1
- Mojo: Wild God - Best Albums of 2024: #2
- NME: Henry's Dream - Best Albums of 1992: #5
- NME: Murder Ballads - Best Albums of 1996: #7
- Pitchfork: From Her to Eternity - The 200 Best Albums of the 1980s: #63
- Pitchfork: Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus - The Best Album of the 2000s: #180
- The Observer: Ghosteen - Best Albums of 2019: #1
- The Times: Ghosteen - Best Albums of 2019: #1
- Uncut: Skeleton Tree - Best Albums of 2016: #3
- Uncut: Wild God - Best Albums of 2024: #1
