Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!!
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Free Music Notes for Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!!
Free Music Review: Picking up where Grinderman left off...
Hit: 5 Stars
There are a few songwriters who have taken the English language and crafted it into something entirely different. A brief list of some of my favorite songwriters comes to mind: Kris Kristofferson, Tom Waits, Hank Williams, Jackson Browne, Bob Dylan, and perhaps Sting (somebody, somewhere, is arguing these last two; too bad, this is MY review, and I stand by it). This list isn't anywhere near complete, of course, but it serves to give you an example of the category we should file Nick Cave into. If, of course, you can put him in one simple category (I don't recommend wasting your time trying to do this).
With Nick Cave, of course, it isn't just about the lyrics. A Nick Cave record is an aural experience--a delight the which you've only dreamed of. This is thanks in large part to the rest of the Bad Seeds, expert musicians who specialize in f***ing things up (in a good way). Take, for instance, the title track here, with Cave bellowing "I want you to dig!" over pounding electric guitars. Or the metafictional songwriting forray "We Call Upon the Author," with the enduring chant: "Prolix, prolix, nothing a pair of scissors can't fix!" Or the groove of the Odyssean epic "More News from Nowhere." Or the gentle, romantic sway of "Jesus of the Moon."
Basically, DIG, LAZARUS, DIG!!! picks up where the Grinderman project left off, this time with ALL of the Bad Seeds contributing. It's nice to see Cave rocking the f*** out again (am I cursing too much?). There really isn't much of a title for music like this; I think "rock" comes closest to it. If you aren't familiar with Nick Cave: I'm not sure how you wound up here...but buy the record and see what you've been missing. If you're a longtime fan, or a recent one, then I'm not sure why you're actually reading this, but you, too, should buy the record. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds are one of the most interesting things the music world has to offer us nowadays; in this world of fake celebrities and Pro-Tools and reality-show singers, it's nice to see a guy who just doesn't give a rat's petoot about doing anything other than making music HIS way. Here's to Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, for helping to keep this thing we call art honest and sincere.
Free Music Review: Cryptic and catchy!!
Hit: 5 Stars
This is the first CD by Nick Cave that I own. Before this, I'd heard (and liked) the odd song of his, usually on some soundtrack or compilation; "There is a light" from the "Batman forever" soundtrack, The songs he did on the "Leonard Cohen: I'm your man" album, "People ain't no good" from "Shrek 2" (which coincidentally I saw last night again on DVD) and the dark but brilliant ballad "Where the wild roses grow" with fellow Antipodean Kylie Minogue.
"Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!!" is a rock album steeped in biblical imagery, and reminding me in parts of Bruce Springsteen (vocally) or Robbie Robertson (his dramatic narrative style). The title track is a chugging rocking narrative about Lazarus set in modern day New York.
The midtempo groovy "Moonland" is a killer song. Other standouts are the eerie effect laden "Hold on to yourself" (with nice twanging guitars), the bouncy and extremely catchy "Lie down here (and be my girl)", the brooding ballad "Jesus of the moon" (brilliant!), the lilting and shimmery "Midnight man", and closing , the midtempo verbose "More news from nowhere" (which wouldn't sound out of place on a CD by the Boss).
It did take me a few listens to really get into it, but it's turned out to be one of my favourite albums so far this year...
Free Music Review: Deserving 5 stars
Hit: 5 Stars
If you appreciate the Bad Seeds and Grinderman, you can't go wrong with this release. I'll spare you the "music critic wannabe" prose and just get to the point by saying that this is some of Cave's best work in quite some time. It sort of lands somewhere between Grinderman and earlier work of the Seeds. The only track I don't care for is "Dig, Lazarus, Dig". To me, at least, Nick's singles always seem to be a bit weak. As for the delightful criticism found in one review here of needing to be on heroin in order to appreciate this material, I know of quite a few former addicts (Nick himself) who have unbelievably excellent taste in music. Perhaps this music isn't for tweakers.
P.S. If you're taken aback by some of the negative reviews, I suggest that you go to the "read all my reviews" sections and look hard. Criticism of Dig, Lazarus, Dig and praise for Maroon 5's latest crapola pretty much says it all. The latter are an affront to the modest talents of Hall and Oates.
Free Music Review: Hard Driving Rock with Dirty Blues Mixed In
Hit: 5 Stars
Nick Cave has been an outstanding musician for decades. Although he has written amazing songs throughout the years, he has not yet achieved great success (his albums on the top 10). Even though what I know of him, he'd probably prefer it that way, to not be in the mainstream of the rock world (you know being classified as commercial). This release of Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!! is considerably one of his best. It's released after he took time off to work with his side project Grinderman last year then returned and recorded this album.
Whatever he did, like getting out other frustrations with Grinderman, worked because this album contains fierce hard driving rock tunes with dirty blues mixed in. He has a song "Jesus Of The Moon" that is a more mellow piano style track and the title track that hits you with it's pounding drums and then there's "Moonland" that has a more funk sorta vibe to it. Overall this is a great album with strong interesting songs.
Free Music Review: Phenomenal Album
Hit: 5 Stars
Best album of the year. I can't get this out of my CD player. If this CD came out from a better known artist than Nick it would be all over the radio. That is my only problem with the CD. Not enough people will hear it. Sorry Nick but I've burnt a bunch of these and gave them to friends who otherwise would not have heard it. The response has been great, everyone loves it. This CD more appeals to the masses than most of Nick's other stuff so I hope the hardcore Nick fans aren't hating it. I've purchased a lot of music I really like lately; Consolers of the Lonely, Mudcrutch, Felice Bros, Weezer Red album and REM Accelerate but I keep coming back to Dig Lazarus Dig. I have tickets for him at the Wamu Theatre in October. I haven't seen him in probably 20 years and I can't wait.