As a child of the 80s I must admit to being on the crest of that goth wave. I loved the intensity of The Birthday Party, and even though it was a big stylistic shift to his later work, you could still see his penchant for storytelling even back then within the chaos. Also worth mentioning the on camera cameo of the Bad Seeds in the Wim Wenders film Wings of Desire where we get to hear Cave's inner thoughts before he sings their great song FROM HER TO ETERNITY.
Hal, I've liked Nick Cave for perhaps a couple of decades now, although that appreciation has always been selective. I am especially moved by his more lyrical and melodic work, though even that is an atypical taste for me, and am drawn to his deep, resonant voice as well as much of his songwriting. Most recently, I have found the Cave I like on the album Ghosteen and on the soundtrack to La Panthère Des Neiges, a film about searching for snow leopards that I hope to see. Perhaps it will be as compelling as the book The Snow Leopard by Peter Matthiessen, the great conservationist, nature and travel writer, and novelist, whom the world also lost not that long ago--as we did those two singer-songwriters you've come to an appreciation of lately, Leonard Cohen and John Prine. I was a big fan of Cohen's back in the early days of "Bird on the Wire," "Suzanne," and "The Partisan." Besides listening to him, I read then his poetry and his novels, especially sinking into Beautiful Losers, much of which is about Catherine Tekakwitha. But it took a quarter of a century or more for me to return to his music, especially through his concert albums. John Prine has always been a touchstone for me.
I'm enjoying your blog and having been in Buenos Aires and Patagonia late last year, especially relished the recent one on tango and that lovely city. I had trouble with the sound on the YouTube link. That's okay; I have access to plenty of recordings by Astor Piazzolla and other fine purveyors of tango to help me remember, as your words did, nights in BA. --John Alley
Yes, I am enriched by learning about Nick Cave and your careful consideration of his intensity and music. I have shown you my interest to Loose Cannon Boost, but I'm not sure in what form I can show further support. Let me know because I'm willing to widen my obsessive fan-like attachment.
My friend Andy Hedges reminded me of this phenominal cover of a Nick Cave song by Johnny Cash. take a listen to "Mercy Seat." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoJ0bAp4Eo8
Interesting that you posted this on my birthday. I went to hear Nick Cave at the Berkeley Greek Theatre June 2017 and loved the musical melodrama.
As a child of the 80s I must admit to being on the crest of that goth wave. I loved the intensity of The Birthday Party, and even though it was a big stylistic shift to his later work, you could still see his penchant for storytelling even back then within the chaos. Also worth mentioning the on camera cameo of the Bad Seeds in the Wim Wenders film Wings of Desire where we get to hear Cave's inner thoughts before he sings their great song FROM HER TO ETERNITY.
Hal, I've liked Nick Cave for perhaps a couple of decades now, although that appreciation has always been selective. I am especially moved by his more lyrical and melodic work, though even that is an atypical taste for me, and am drawn to his deep, resonant voice as well as much of his songwriting. Most recently, I have found the Cave I like on the album Ghosteen and on the soundtrack to La Panthère Des Neiges, a film about searching for snow leopards that I hope to see. Perhaps it will be as compelling as the book The Snow Leopard by Peter Matthiessen, the great conservationist, nature and travel writer, and novelist, whom the world also lost not that long ago--as we did those two singer-songwriters you've come to an appreciation of lately, Leonard Cohen and John Prine. I was a big fan of Cohen's back in the early days of "Bird on the Wire," "Suzanne," and "The Partisan." Besides listening to him, I read then his poetry and his novels, especially sinking into Beautiful Losers, much of which is about Catherine Tekakwitha. But it took a quarter of a century or more for me to return to his music, especially through his concert albums. John Prine has always been a touchstone for me.
I'm enjoying your blog and having been in Buenos Aires and Patagonia late last year, especially relished the recent one on tango and that lovely city. I had trouble with the sound on the YouTube link. That's okay; I have access to plenty of recordings by Astor Piazzolla and other fine purveyors of tango to help me remember, as your words did, nights in BA. --John Alley
Yes, I am enriched by learning about Nick Cave and your careful consideration of his intensity and music. I have shown you my interest to Loose Cannon Boost, but I'm not sure in what form I can show further support. Let me know because I'm willing to widen my obsessive fan-like attachment.