The Secret Life Of The Love Song & The Flesh Made Word: Two Lectures By Nick Cave [Special Edition]

Nick Cave | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 9, 2000)
• Original Release Date: May 9, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Special Edition
• Label: Mute U.S.
• ASIN: B00004TBX7
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #67,753 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #40 in Music > Miscellaneous > Poetry, Spoken Word & Interviews > Poetry

Track Listings

1. Secret Life of the Love Song

2. The Flesh Made Word

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thoroughly Edifying and Enjoyable, June 27, 2002

By 

Kurt Harding "bon vivant" (Boerne TX) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Secret Life Of The Love Song & The Flesh Made Word: Two Lectures By Nick Cave (Audio CD)

Since I have become a Nick Cave fan and have evangelized his music to friends and acquaintances, I've been frequently asked why his music is so dark and brooding. Well, now here I've found some answers and you can too.
In Cave's first lecture, he explains the concepts of "saudade" and "duende" and puts forth the proposition that a love song is not a true love song unless it contains elements of these concepts. Then he goes on to explain why this is so. His lecture is interspersed with his playing of five examples of love songs he has written that are steeped in saudade and duende.
In the course of his talk, he also mentions other musicians like Van Morrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Waits and others whose writings betray a deep understanding of those concepts.
In the second lecture, Cave speaks of how the Bible came to influence his writing after the death of his father who had inspired him to write. Songs from his earlier band Birthday Party and early Bad Seeds are informed by the Old Testament and filled with "bile and puke", but also with the beauty of the Psalms. Later Cave songs have been inspired by the Gospels and show a new and brighter view of life and love. He talks a bit about God and his view of humanity's connection to the divine. Lest this scare anyone off, I should add that his talk is exploratory and explanatory, not preachy in a Jesus freak sort of way.
I learned quite a bit by listening to this fine CD and have come to understand the music of Nick Cave to the point to where I can explain it to others. Cave has a good speaking voice and a manner which makes interesting what he has to say. I find The Secret Life of the Love Song & The Flesh Made Word to be thoroughly edifying and enjoyable. I recommend it highly not just to hard-core Nick Cave fans, but to anyone who has an interest in writing.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars sad waters, rushing words...it's Nick, May 29, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Secret Life Of The Love Song & The Flesh Made Word: Two Lectures By Nick Cave (Audio CD)

I was in the cd store and looking for Leonard Cohen's 'The Future' but took a glance over to the Nick Cave section and saw this sitting there. I've been waiting for this cd for a long time now and I grabbed it. Now, I know Nick Cave is not the same as he was 2 decades ago. He has matured in his writing and music. This cd shows that fully and truly. Nick Cave tells stories of his personal feelings towards different events in his life. This is a VERY PERSONAL cd. I don't think this is for anyone. This cd is a Lecture, that's what it is. It includes 3 new recordings of love songs from 'The Boatman's Call' and 1 new recording from 'Your funeral my Trial'. I must say the new recording of "Sad Waters" is excellent. After all the first version is over dubbed with echo from Nick. There is a new song called "love letter" which just shows what Nick Cave is all about. The music on this cd is nothing less then Nick, and nothing more. Him sitting there at his piano looking at his book of poetry. I can't wait 'til Nick does a new album...IF he does a new album.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beyond Amazing, August 4, 2001

By 

Bill R. Moore (New York, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Secret Life Of The Love Song & The Flesh Made Word: Two Lectures By Nick Cave (Audio CD)

This CD is amazing. Amazing not only in how good it is, but even the mere fact that it exists. How many artists would release a CD like this? And in case you are wondering what kind of CD this indeed is, I will attempt to clarify. For one thing, it's not "a bunch of boring lectures" like you may be fearing. What it is instead, is this: the nearly 50 minute title lecture-which features Nick waxing philosophical on the love song, it's meaning, purpose, and relevance, it's role in his career; laced with commentary on his works and autobiographical ancedotes that any Cave fan will love. This piece also features 5 musical interludes, West Country Girl (considerably different arrangement), People Ain't No Good, Sad Waters (a new take on a classic), Love Letter (subsequently released on No More Shall We Part, and new at the time), and Far From Me (Cave talks a lot about the song and it's origin.) The second track is a 17 minute entirely spoken word piece in which Cave talks about The Bible-his view of it, how it influenced him and his writing, and a bit more about his life. Although this CD is usually pretty hard to find and perhaps a bit expensive, I declare it a must for any Cave fan. It is very enjoyable to listen to, Cave picks some great topics, waxes enjoyable on them, and has, to boot, an excellent speaking voice. Stunning.