Audio CD review:
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Abattoir Blues / Lyre of Orpheus

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Abattoir Blues / Lyre of Orpheus

Band: Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds Title: Abattoir Blues / Lyre of Orpheus Rating: Release Date: 26 October, 2004 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: Get Ready For Love 2: Cannibals Hymn 3: Hiding All Away 4: Messiah Ward 5: There She Goes, My Beautiful World 6: Nature Boy 7: Abattoir Blues 8: Let The Bells Ring 9: The Fable Of The Brown Ape 10: The Lyre Of Orpheus 11: Breathless 12: Babe You Turn Me On 13: Easy Money 14: Supernaturally 15: Spell 16: Carry Me 17: O Children

Customer Reviews Oh Mama... That changed on Nocturama, which I just thought was a let-down. Let me first say that I've been a fan of Nick Cave since the Boys Next Door and I've hardly found an album I disliked in those 25 years. Now, we get 2 albums of similar material. Abattoir Blues is marked by 2 major shifts - the departure of Blixa Bargeld and the drum seat being taken over by Jim Sclavunos. Overall, this album sounds like generic Alterna-Rock circa 1995. It isn't BAD, just generic. The guitars are up-front, the songs structured in a very straight ahead rock mode. It doesn't sound like the Bad Seeds. None of this would matter if the songs were memorable, but they just aren't. I mean, when I first listened to this, I had to look at the packaging to make sure I hadn't put on a CD of B-sides. Lyre Of Orpheus finds Thomas Wydler back in the drum seat and a return to a more familiar sound. Again, though, the songs just are not very strong. The most memorable melody is Easy Money, which quite frankly, is a stupid song. Even some of my least favorite Cave albums, Henry's Dream for instance, had top-notch songwriting. Hopefully, these albums are just glitches in a long and storied career. Maybe his best I hope they use the same studio and equipment to record again !. The total package - great songs, great band, amazing sound. A Nick Cave Must-Have! Frankly, I was a little afraid of what this album would mean. I didn't get this album until relatively recently. Nocturama was solid but certainly not earth-shattering. Thankfully, Nick and the Seeds have come up with this little 2-disc, that not just relieved my apprehension, but delivered beyond! For those of you still a little in love with Boatman's Call, this is a great new side of the band, brooding in a whole new way and rockin' while they're at it! Here's a great example of a band that keeps on growing and learning and just keeps on getting better with time. Every track on these 2 discs just grabs you in a unique way. Abattoir mixes elements of gospel, southern rock, blues with a Tom Waits-ish twist. Lyre transitions with a track that blends a sound between the 2 discs and then weaves into a folk-like manner of song for the rest of the album. The track, Breathless offers an original use of flute that adds an innocence not often heard in their songs. Hearing this album is like a wayward soul that has has found redemption. And how sweet it is!. . You can see a complete list of all Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds discography, or go back to the Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds tabs