Customer Reviews

Mutiny/Bad Seed Ep

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The first full length album by the Birthday Party already shows them in all their glory. You either love 'em or hate 'em for their blues oriented anarchy. This howling and raging beast creates a danceable jungle. Not as abstract as it's follower probably the best introduction to their dark but exciting world.

It's hard to imagine the now older, more focused Nick Cave ever ran this machine that is The Birthday Party. It's nearly schizophrenic to think this was the same man that shells out dark ballads in his sleep. But as exceptional as some of the Bad Seeds music may be, The Birthday Party make them sound like music for librarians. They were absolutely brilliant and Prayers on Fire shows Nick Cave at the top of his powers.

While the first 2 tracks were hints of things to come on the follow-up and even more maniacal "Junkyard", the real genius lies in the slower numbers. Capers, Nick The Stripper, and my personal favourite track, King Ink, not only shows a band that controls their jazzy chaos to a science, but shows Cave as a competent beat writer and introduces Genevieve McGuckin as a fitting juxtapose on Capers. Rowland S. Howard even stands in as a ghoulish vocalist on Ho-Ho to compliment his strangling no-wave guitar riffs. From start to finish, the album is perfect.

It's a crime this band would only release 2 full length albums and a number of EPs. But a band like this couldn't survive long. Any loyal fans that swear by The Stooges "Fun House" will be exhausted after hearing this one. And they were just getting warmed up.

I dunno. It's really hard to impress the uninformed with the power and energy of this band. This epitomises the fervour and feeling (sometimes I think naieve when put into the context of modern writing and recording - though not a bad thing) of the post punk era, NOT Britney Spears, thats for sure. Even though the Birthday Party's last releases (Mutiny in Heaven et al) and the following album (Junkyard) are, to me, better in their fullfilment as albums, Prayers On Fire is a baptism by fire - brave, gregarious and terrifying, but nonetheless thought provoking on where music can take you. King Ink is probably the most truculent song I'd heard when I first heard it - the band probably laughed their heads off after completing it! Drop your guard, and leave your preconceptions of what music is about at the cloakroom and listen.

I have owned this album since it was first released in 1981. The purchase was a result of being a "Boys Next Door" fan. What a shock!! I was lucky enough to get a chance to see the Birthday Party perform most of these songs in London. This was a band to see live and gave me greater appreciation of this recording. I think their finest work and gives insite to the later work of Nick Cave. No track is as good as Release the Bats however King Ink, Nick the Stripper and Cry stand out. Certainly pushes the limits of contempory rock.

Easy to see how Nick Cave got his start doing the fatuous, self-important crud he does today. It's a real shame that drek like this is still in print while you can't even find used vinyl for the Scientists, a superb Australian band from the same era.