OK, I'm back with his next five songs of my favorites which will take it down to number 40. So without further ado, here is...
45. Nick Cave and Warren Ellis - The Journey
This is the longest track from the last film score by these two. This is the third for a full length movie. They have also made music for documentary's and theater's in the last five years. Cave has been doing more of these than anything else. I'm enjoying these more than say Grinderman project or even the last Bad Seeds' album and I'm not going to say anything about his dirty joke book. This really should be listened to as a whole album and I think these work totally great without the movies too. The Journey as a track has elements included in it which runs all the way though the whole score. Also did you know the "Ethnic" percussion was played by Paul Clarvis here but the year before he was the main man who did the crazy drumming beats for The Dark Knight film on those mad Joker theme songs?
Find it on: The Road (Film Score) 2009 or White Lunar (Compilation) 2009
44. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Hallelujah
This is the real beginning of the Nick Cave and Warren Ellis collaboration. Both worked together in the 90's with Ellis official joining The Bad Seeds in 1997 on the previous album the Boatman's Call. Ellis only co-wrote two tracks on this album but by the end of the decade both of them could be joined at the hip. Amazingly Ellis' violin takes over this album. Hallelujah as the third song in sets it up the rest of the record. Kate and Anna McGarrigle sing backing vocals on this album but they sing the final verse here. Please note this is not the same song as the famous Leonard Cohen track which Jeff Buckley did in the mid-90's, two completely different songs.
Find it on: No More Shall We Part (Album) 2001
43. The Boys Next Door - These Boots Are Made For Walking
Back to the very start of Cave's career with his most earliest cover. The song was original written by Lee Hazlewood and recorded by Nancy Sinatra who took it to number one in the United States and United Kingdom Pop charts. This is from a re-release by Aztec Music but originally came out on vinyl back in 1978. Suicide Records only ever released one album which was called Lethal Weapons (not anything to do with the Mel Gibson movies). This was way before The Boys Next Door debut album, also before Rowland S. Howard joined the band too. It's way more New Wave than pure Punk and you can tell how much Howard added to this band later but here that is not a bad thing because I think this is by far the best version of this song and there have been a lot of covers. The album features two more Boys Next Door songs and six other late-70's Melbourne bands and all new liner notes which is a great read. So it's well worth getting the whole album.
Find it on: Lethal Weapons (Compilation) 2007
42. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart
This is an odd one I have to admit but I love it so much I can't go past it. Cave did this in 1986 which is two years before Marc Almond's more famous version. The song was written by Roger Greenaway and Roger Cook and originally recorded by David and Jonathan and then Gene Pitney did his one in 1967. Off-course Marc Almond and Gene Pitney did a version together which went to number one in the UK in 1989. Anyway I'm supposed to be writing about the Cave cover which I find just so much more sincere and stripped of all the usually pop slime that it's covered in. It's so unlike anything Cave's done before this and with the simple three piece band arrangement with Mick Harvey on piano, Barry Adamson on bass and Thomas Wydler on drums. It's just perfect like this and proves that some times less is more but being the third track from the end of the album it's almost always just totally forgotten by everyone.
Find it on: Kicking Against the Pricks (Album) 1986
41. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Death Is Not The End
To finish up with the cover songs this is one of the last he ever did with the Bad Seeds as a group (plus a few friends too). A Bob Dylan song from his 80's forgotten songbook which was the last song on the Murder Ballads album. I really didn't think much of the record but this is so great. Also the only song from that album which made it into my list here, Murder Ballads is over rated as a whole album. Anita Lane, Kylie Minogue, PJ Harvey, and Shane McGowan with Cave himself and his bandmembers guitarist Blixa Bargeld and drummer Thomas Wydler all each sing a verse but the real surprise to me is Wydler's singing vocal which I would like to hear more of. It was recorded in Melbourne with Brian Hooper on bass and it's just a beautiful way to finish such an disappointing and silly album. This song is so different and unlike anything else on the album, it really seems out of place.
Find it on: Murder Ballads (Album) 1996
40. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Brother, My Cup Is Empty
Well, this has to be Cave's ultimate drinking song so I have to include it here. This was recorded in California after him leaving Brazil where he was living for a few years. I remember him saying he was sober for a little while before arriving there but as soon he got off the plane he said something like with all the sun and girls everywhere it was just a 24 hour party so it was like "Fuck this" and he started heavily drinking again. So this track would have to be Cave's anthem for getting pissed plus it would make a wicked shot game song too.
Find it on: Henry's Dream (Album) 1992
Top photo from Herald Sun with Nick Cave looking back on his past at the exhibition of his work at the Arts Centre in Melbourne.
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