Murder Ballads

Monday, the mood was high after Aston Villas hammering of Burnley, and I was given a car sticker. Nothing not nothing was going to spoil that mood. Ah. Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds’ Murder Ballads. Curses.
I am a bit hit and miss when it comes to Nick Cave, in Deanna, The Ship Song and The Mercy Seat he has been responsible for some of my favourite songs, but by Christ the man is overly dramatic. He really does create these tales that at first glance seem humourless. Then as Murder Ballads progress I start to really enjoy it, yes I would make some changes, no Minogue for me, I am part of the 1% in the country that really can not stand her, she is an irritation and none more so on this. Her weedy voice is the only downside of the Dylan cover, Death Is Not The End.
The highlight is the variation of Stagger Lee, I love Stagger Lee, I love it in most of its variations and this version does not disappoint.

So he walked through the rain and he walked through the mud
Till he came to a place called The Bucket Of Blood
Stagger Lee
He said "Mr Motherfucker, you know who I am"
The barkeeper said, "No, and I don't give a good goddamn"
To Stagger Lee
He said, "Well bartender, it's plain to see
I'm that bad motherfucker called Stagger Lee"

Superb song on a very good album, the journey in this morning was a little congested, but this album kept me going. 8 out of 10.



Stagger Lee by Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds

Edit. That Nick Cave review is a little shortlived, it was hurried, apologies. A little more about the album, its a death frenzy of an album, full of murder and death, barring the last song, when various stars take turns to tell us death is not the end, its like a big finale on the muppet show really as Kylie, Shane Mcgowan and such like are wheeled out to give us a verse, I kind of expected John Denver and Roger Moore to also sing a line, as it goes though they must have been busy.
PJ Harvey appears on an earlier track, Henry Lee and she gives us her best Nick Cave impression, I wouldn’t have been surprised if she had sang “I’m down here for your soul”. She didn’t.
This really is his most collaborative effort, as well as PJ Harvey, Kylie, McGowan, we have the various Bad Seeds, Terry Edwards, Katherine Blake out of Miranda Sex Garden, James Johnston from Gallon drunk and Roland S Howard. There are a lot lot more on this album. No Bono, but its only a matter time.