Customer Reviews

Nocturama (Limited Edition) (+ Bonus DVD)

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

First off, I think it's appropriate to note the actual definition of "Nocturama," which is a large zoo pen where animals are kept at night. It is with that imagery fresh in your head that you should approach Mr. Cave & Company's latest effort. The first couple tracks are sullen, resigned love songs. This has been a growing trend with Cave ever since "The Boatman's Call;" his newer material has seemed to gravitate toward an irony-free description of unsullied (or sometimes not) love and admiration. Thrown into this mix are his usual topics of religion, suffering, and...well, more religion and suffering.
The album then kicks into a rockier vein with "Bring it On," another tremendously powerful love song, and "Dead Man in My Bed," which is either -- depending on your point of view -- a hilarious metaphor or a ghoulish portrayal of an unsatisfying love life. The album then dips into a slower pace, similar to the beginning tracks and climaxes with the outlandish, carnivalesque 15 minute epic "Babe, I'm on Fire." The latter is an all out rocker that harkens back to earlier heavier-sounding Nick Cave albums like "From Her to Eternity." The limited edition DVD that comes with the album shows the video in its entirety (with Cave dressing up as Bill Gates, a horse, an alligator, etc.) and is, by itself, worth the price of admission.
The downside to having a track as freakish, loud, and chaotic as "Babe, I'm on Fire," as the final tune is that many listeners may walk away from the album wishing that Nick would put some more oomph into his new sound. "Nocturama" is truly a mixed bag. In a way it could be considered a culmination of his previous styles and sounds, but the slower material does outweigh the harsher stuff. If you enjoyed "The Boatman's Call" and "No More Shall We Part" and you appreciate his newer subject material (love and fellowship versus murder and mayhem) then you should definitely pick up the new disc. If, however, you are looking for "Let Love In Part II," you may as well look elsewhere.
So, in closing, even though the Devil is getting older -- and perhaps happier -- and signing about "being the rock of Gibraltar" to his loved one and promising to "sanctify his love", you've still got to give him his due and give the two-horned salute.

I'm not entirely sure where the concept that Nick Cave singing mournful love songs was wrong came about, but it sure wasn't in his early work (check out "Shivers" by The Boys Next Door). "Nocturama" doesn't contain the frenetic energy of his earlier work, nor does it need to. Nick Cave has captured something with this LP - something beautiful, maybe - which makes it simply excellent to listen to.

That said, maybe I'm just looking at it in terms of knowing where Cave has come from. There are only three songs on this album that could be considered "rock" - "Dead Man In My Bed", "Babe I'm On Fire" (more on that later) and "Bring It On" (and that just barely). Of those, the former is brilliant, fast paced and nightmarish with beautfiul lyrics. The latter (featuring Chris Baily of the Saints) is equally amazing, hitting some kind of odd balance between rock and ballad that sees the Bad Seeds really getting in touch with some kind of new style, a style that they should explore more in times to come.

The ballads dominate the album, with many being excellent - "Still In Love", "He Wants You", "She Passed By My Window" and "There Is A Town" are all beautiful pieces of music - but "Rock of Gibraltar" could have probably stood a bit more work. That said, "Wonderful Life" and "Right Out Of Your Hand" are two of the best tracks on the album. "Wonderful Life", the opener, is a sprawling outlandish affair that is focussed by a beautiful set of lyrics that I've grown to thoroughly admire. "Right Out Of Your Hand" has Conway Savage featuring on vocals, which is always a good thing. Though never really challenging Nick for lead vocal, the almost duet style sees the two pianists complement each other perfectly.

Which just leaves "Babe, I'm On Fire". Clocking in at 14m46sec, "Babe" is one of the longest tracks in Cave's catalogue, and quite probably one of the best. It's long, it's loud, it's thunderous. Yes, it gets wearing there for a minute or two (just as it hits about 10min) but then it just dawns on you that it's still as good and fresh as it was at the start, no matter how long it is.

Some people say that "Nocturama" was just a vehicle to launch "Babe, I'm On Fire". Now, don't get me wrong, I love "Babe, I'm On Fire". But rather, I think that "Babe" was just an afterthought, and that instead it's the tracks like "Wonderful Life" and "Bring It On" that really dominate this album, that make it the masterpiece it is.

Nick Cave has changed across the years. Sure, we may never see an album like "From Her To Eternity", "The First Born Is Dead", "Your Funeral My Trial" or "Tender Prey" ever again. But, just because this is different, doesn't mean it's any worse.

SONGS OF NOTE - Wonderful Life, Bring It On, Babe, I'm On Fire

While there is no such entity as a "Bad Nick Cave Album", this is the one I would recommend last in a long line of excellent albums. That is not to say that it is bad, but i pales in comparrison to the former albums like "No More Shall We Part" and "The Boatman's Call".

Like every Nick Cave album, this has it's various themes such as love, god, salvation, depression, and if I am interpreting it right, mental torture. The lyrics are sharp as always, but not as strong and potent as that of his earlier albums. Where "Nocturama" misses the mark is in the production, which makes the album seem over-produced, and I have the strong "been there done that" feeling when listening to the album. Since Nick Cave has built his career on the evolution of his unique sound, this album can be considered a step back rather than the leap forward that "No More Shall We Part" was.

But I will stress again that this is not a bad album, and should please the casual listened with both it's intense and melodic moments. But for people wanting something that lives up to previous works, I cannot strongly recommend "Nocturama".

So Nick and the boys have grown up a little bit since the first days of the Birthday Party. How can you fault them for that? You can't just scream and bang away in the studio forever and find that experience satisfying, can you? So Nocturama is another quantum leap in maturity and sophistication for the Seeds. It is softer and wittier and sharper than anything they have done before. This doesn't mean they have sold out. It doesn't mean they don't love their black fingernail painted, spiked hairdo wearing, black trenchcoat sporting fans. It just means that they are true artists who evolve and grow in their craft. Heck, who wanted John and Paul to sing "She Loves You, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah" forever instead of moving on to Sgt. Peppers or Yellow Submarine. I mean, really, how many songs about finding the girl of your dreams and then clubbing her to death can you do?
Nocturama is pretty close to perfect without a bad track on the CD. Some are much better than others (with, oddly enough, the softer ballads like "Out of Your Hand" being the best) but ALL of the songs here are better than pretty much every other song you heard this week on the radio. There are still some hard tracks here but also a bit of blues and croon to mellow the harsh. Nick sounds great and the Bad Seeds play a big part musically in this effort. The lyrics are tight and sharp with the 17 minute epic "I'm On Fire" using the most complex verbage of any song in recent memory. As the last song on a pretty mild CD "Fire" is a rough and tumble ride that turns a corner somewhere from "too long" (as some here have complained) to "oh, yeah, keep it coming" (somewhere around minute 15 1/2). It seemed to me like this song is a great excuse for Nick and the Boys to remind all of us out here in listening land that it's still THEIR party and they'll play as loud and as long as they darn well please. If you don't like it, go crash someone elses birthday (Bon Jovi perhaps).
Many haven't mentioned that "I'm On Fire" is on the second disc as a DVD video and is extremely cool, possibly working better than it does on the CD itself. The band members and friends dress up as everyone who is "On Fire" to comical and shocking results. During the chorus, Nick sways and screams in his fashion and the band plays on eternally (the video is also 17 minutes long). It is very interesting to note who Nick identifies himself with in the video. The band members appear by name and without costume near the end of the song, but somewhere in the middle there, Nick just looks at you and says, "Yep, this is me." And it probably isn't who you think.
Anyway, the CD is great. And who knows, if Nick keeps "developing" as a musician, the next effort may be Gregorian Chants laced with Ska! Keep the Party Rolling!!!

Like an embittered Bob Dylan tirelessly shoveling dirt over his 60's reputation as "protest singer," Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds have seemed adamant, in recent years, about demonstrating their versatility. Brooding, adolescent swamps of noise, gloom and frenzy that emerged from his years-long "Birthday Party" in the early 1980's slowly but diligently acquiesced to Cave's later, quieter projects with The Bad Seeds.

But the transition from angry teenage poet to sobered balladeer hardly occurred overnight. Cave's endearing pursuit of the perfect love song (he has even taught courses on the subject) surfaced only gradually amid albums that ranged from bellicose to bland. Tender ballads like "Nobody's Baby Now" squeezed into the brilliantly raucous holler that characterized Let Love In, and even 2001's languidly morose And No More Shall We Part breaks into occasional freak-out jams, as in the explosions that deliver "Oh My Lord" and "Sorrowful Wife" to their manic crescendos.

If 1997's gorgeous Boatman's Call represented the culmination of this betrayal of the mosh-pit in favor of a close-hugging slow dance at some late-night piano lounge, Nocturama delves confidently, if unevenly, into both of Cave's distinct personalities. Not since the 80's has Cave delivered as musically schizophrenic an album as Nocturama, journeying from the sexy swagger of gorgeous ballads "Wonderful Life" and "He Wants You" into grueling, Goth-rock festivals like "Dead Man in My Bed" and the nearly 15-minute-long "Babe, I'm On Fire." If Cave teetered on the verge of regurgitating old notes after the beautiful but predictably gentle No More Shall We Part, Nocturama's mixed bag of fluff and ferocity revitalizes a band nearing the end of its second decade. One would be rather hard-pressed to accuse Cave of softening in his middle age after experiencing Nocturama's occasional cacophonies.

Despite his ambitions, though, Nocturama is Cave's least-consistent effort since Henry's Dream. Released just on the heels of And No More Shall We Part, Cave and the Seeds sound a bit rushed and beleaguered at times. Where Boatman's Call blossomed with jazzy heart-break, Nocturama sputters and drags. Though the album's first five tracks are vintage Cave with a surprising burst of energy in "Bring it On," and the beautifully hyper "Dead Man in My Bed," the tracks that follow ring hollow and boring by comparison. As on past albums like Henry's Dream and The First Born is Dead on which great songs like "Tupelo" are followed by a succession of tracks that were more filler than killer, Nocturama's second half sounds quite tired of its familiar wail and the piano's flickering teardrops. One wonders whether Cave has lost his sense of humor.

It seems as though Cave has written tunes like `Still In Love" or "Rock of Gibraltar" so many times before that they sound about as fresh as bricks of clay in the sun this time around, while "She Passed By My Window," with its bland, fluttering percussion and dull piano, comes across with little more life than a concrete wall. Even Cave's lyrics, usually as intelligent and biting as the best of his contemporaries, fall flat and stale here, as in these tired lines from "Rock of Gibraltar": "Let me say this to you/I'll be steadfast and true/And my love will never falter" and "You'd stand by me/And together we'd be/That great, steady Rock of Gibraltar." This is hardly the writing one would expect from a man who has published several books of verse.

Similarly, what might have served as an album-resurrecting stomp in the epic "Babe, I'm on Fire" sounds like a shelved outtake from Murder Ballads-perhaps the less-realized counterpart to "O'Malley's Bar"-that still hasn't quite shaken off the dust of years. More ambitious than accessible, the song carries on far too long (the lyrics comprise four pages of the album's liner notes), becoming a monotonous and jarring onslaught of noise.
Nonetheless, Nocturama demonstrates that, even in his less inspired moments, Nick Cave's commitment to authenticity and poetry remains a beacon shimmering in the darkness of pop music's bleak landscape. "It's a wonderful life/If you can find it," the dour, baritone comic quips on Nocturama's fabulous opening track, "Wonderful life," his haunted piano bemoaning the illusion of happiness. If FM radio still turns the other cheek to the music of Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, it still stands as a tribute to the group's enduring authenticity. And that is something that even Cave can be happy about.

Cave's new album has been receiving somewhat mixed reviews among both fans and the press. Allow me to give a sense of perspective. Objectively, this is a good Nick Cave album -- not a great one. Those giving it 5 stars are not objectively comparing it to Nick's other work; those giving it less than 3 are not comparing it to everything else out there. A good, one might even say very good, album, Nocturma is not a Cave masterpiece; indeed, it must be said that this is his least consistent effort since Henry's Dream. Some fans, however, might prefer this to his last two offerings. Whereas the last two were almost Cave solo albums, the Bad Seeds are much more involved this time around. There are full-band raveups on this album the likes of which haven't been seen since Let Love In. Violinist Warren Ellis has a strong presence on the album, which also features prominent backing vocals from Chris Bailey, The Blockheads, and even Bad Seed Conway Savage, who is now apparently relegated to the role as Cave seems to have permanently taken over all of the piano duties himself. Standout tracks include the opener, Wonderful Life, a fine track that would have fit in smoothly on The Boatman's Call; Right Out of Your Hand, a heart-wrenchingly sad ballad; Bring It On, a fairly commercial (for Cave) song that just might win the man some new fans; Rock of Gibraltar, which is not quite "The Ship Song 2003", but quite nice in its own right, and also the rare song that prominently displays Nick's Australian accent; and Still In Love, a classic Cave "ballad" that is so drenched in irony that you can't be sure whether the narrator is dead or alive -- and, if dead, whether he killed himself or if his wife did. Dead Man In My Bed and Babe, I'm On Fire are two insanely upbeat, chaotic tracks the likes of which Cave hasn't toyed with in almost twenty years. Both are lyrically tongue-in-cheek: the former can be interpreted either as a typical Cave exercise in macabre humor, or as a paean from a dissatisfied lover. The latter is a near-15-minute mammoth of a track that, while entertaining, is no O'Malley's Bar. Granted, this track was obviously not meant to be an artistic masterpiece, but rather a fun and loose track and a climatic close to the album. It's likely to become a perennial concert closer. Many long-time fans will, no doubt, embrace these two tracks. Still, on the whole, I see this album faring better with fans of Cave's softer balladeer side. Many have compared this to The Boatman's Call, but it is closer to The Good Son. This is a good album -- a return to form, some might even say -- that any Cave fan should pick up. That said, there are some factors weighing it down. I concur with the observation of several other reviewers in noting that Cave's lyrics on this album are not up to his usual standard. Granted, while No More Shall We Part was not a musical behemoth, it was a poetic masterpiece superior word-wise to anything this side of Dylan and Cohen -- and, in my opinion, one of the 10 best albums ever released by anyone. Though some nice phrases abound on Nocturma, it just does not stack up by comparison. Tracks such as Wonderful Life, while not as optimistic as its title, leave one wondering if Cave has not mellowed somewhat. Cave has always included slow-brooding ballads on his albums -- but, whereas they used to about things like watching little girls undress and killing your mate, they now consist of (mostly) irony-free explorations of love. Also, whereas the songs on, for instance, The Boatman's Call focused on specific situations, most of the lyrics on Nocturma are very general and abstract. There is nothing wrong with this; it's just that much of the irony and sense of humor that attracted me to Cave's lyrics in the first place are no longer as abundant. Perhaps this is due to a long-overdue bliss in his personal life -- whatever the reason, it has arguably been a dearth on his inspiration. Some of the tracks on this album also seem lesser. There Is A Town and She Passed By My Window are very, very simple songs that seemingly could have been written by anyone -- and yet possess a charming and mysterious quality that leaves you wondering if they aren't, somehow, abstractly profound. Overall, though not a Cave masterpiece, Nocturma is a fine album that almost any other living artist would kill to have produced, and any Cave fan should pick it up.

The title is misleading: this is the least goth record Nick Cave has ever made. I think that he dropped that tone with Murder Ballads. For the past five years, Cave has just concentrated on pure songwriting, and has been more like his heroes, Van Morrison and Bob Dylan. There is a touch of the poet with Cave. He went into the studio this time just trying to capture the spontaneity of newly written music. Supposedly he has already written ideas for another album. Nocturama has little darkness. There is hope and tenderness instead. Why people listen to him who have been wearing black for the past twenty years is baffling. Most of these songs are about love and devotion. Warren Ellis from The Dirty Three adds his violin to memorable songs. Songs like "Bring it On" are rock and roll songs worthy of the Henry's Dream era. But ballads like "He Wants You" just seem to ring more true.

I discovered Nick Cave in highschool through his appearance in "Wings of Desire". Now, eleven years later I am still hopelessly in love with his music. "Nocturama" is incredible. A little more "rock'n'roll" than "No More Shall We Part", a little less somber than "Boatman's Call". This album is full of everything I love about Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, sweet ballads, chaotic rants, wry humor and of course, deeply moving, heartfelt love songs.

"Bring it On" and "Babe I'm On Fire" were my favorite tracks but the whole CD is poetry, a perfect blending of Cave's old and new styles.

All and all "Nocturama" is amazing, absolutely not to be missed.

This work continues in the style of No More Shall We Part. The more reflective songs contain suspended, elusive & frozen in mid-air melodies and the seething, razor blade pounders are there to remind you who you are listening to . I agree with some other reviews here that this is an album that rewards with repeated plays. The arrangments are in the same consistently high standard of The Bad Seeds and Cave's voice continues in that pleading, breaking desperation(There Is A Town is a favorite, along with Right Out Of Your Hand & He Wants You). This album reveals itself with every spin. Absolutely satisfying. I finally saw The Bad Seeds in Austin Tx, for the No More Shall We Part tour and I have to say it was one of the most brutal, intense and thrilling shows I have seen. Cave & the Bad Seeds are reaching the level of performance similar to those moments in a Bob Dylan show where the groove just takes you or the first time you see Henry Rollins perform. A purging, soul cleansing , wipe the slate clean rock show. Like when you're peaking if you know what I mean.

just about anything Nick Cave attaches his name to is amazing. and he doesn't recieve the credit he desirves. EVER! Here in America we're prasing the work of Brittney Spears and Jesica whats her face, while people who write and play there own music in such a passionate and personal manner are getting the cold shoulder.
Nocturama is a new direction for nick cave. In some ways its more sidate and laid back then No More Shall We Part was, but there are a few songs that obtain the level of agression and wreckless abandon acheived on earlier releases. "Wonderful Life" is the discs laid back beautiful opener, while "Dead man in my Bed" is a raw ballad. A well rounded album for those who appreciate good music.