Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds - Murder Ballads
For weeks I've been listening to this record in all the available devices that I possess...during my trips by car , in my studio and in my house. When I like a record I listen to it in an obsessive way and I keep on playing it over and over again. Let's get to the point.
The artistic project underlying the LP "Murder Ballads" by Nick Cave and Bad Seeds consists in a modern reinterpretation of the old Anglo Saxon folk tradition. In this tradition the storyteller used to go from village to village telling stories and singing about cruel fortunes of love, death and passion. In this way violent deaths, love stories and insane passions became, thanks to this popular representation, a moment of gathering and a moment for sharing curiosity and novelty. The title of this work is explanatory of the album's content. The album unravels into 10 homicide ballads with rhythms and arrangements that are strictly linked to the above mentioned tradition. A reference to western music is present and in it other music styles find a little space. It is a mix of styles that goes from blues to pop up to the industrial wave rock of "The Bad Seeds" Leader of this band is the great guitarist Blixa Bargel that is also the co-founder of the famous Einsturzende Neubauten band. The histrionic Nick Cave has a peculiar baritone voice that is husky and broken by all kind of abuses experienced. He sings with pleasure the explicit lyrics of these songs while the music, hypnotic at times, surrounds the listener with rhythms that are sometimes self controlled and sometimes offbeat. Nick Caves duets with famous voices such as Kyle Minogue in the track "Where Wild Roses Grow" and P. J. Harvey in "Henry Lee". The latter, when the album was released, was the girlfriend and probably muse of Nick and she participated in the arrangement of some tracks. It's a very varied album and it's also very engaging; it must be listened to at a high volume. I want to highlight these tracks: "Stagger Lee" that has a histrionic bass line and a industrial overdubbing in which Nick gives his voice to the different characters of the killing story told. "Crow Jane" is a syncopated and deathly blues. "O'Malley's Bar" is a ballad that lasts 14 minutes. It has a pressing and paranoid rhythm in which 12 homicide stories that happened in O'Malley's Bar are told. It's a refined record with lyrics and arrangements of premium quality. It's This is a concept album that is a must in the collection of music enthusiasts. It's a recording that has a very good quality but not audiophile. Vince Genovese Translation: Francesca Rubino |