Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds Abattoir Blues Tour 2004
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Back in 2004 when Nick Cave released his double cd Abattoir Blues/Lyre Of Orpheus he only toured Europe. Thankfully he released a CD/DVD of the tour which was recorded at The Brixton Academy in London. The cd portion contains songs from different shows throughout the tour. Nick Cave, the only man who can take you thru a lush and beautiful ballad then thru hell in the same night. Nick backs up his songs with a gospel chorus which adds a touch of soul and a new sound for older ones. The setlist contains mostly new tracks but "Deanna", "Red Right Hand", "The Weeping Song", "God Is In The House" and "Stagger Lee" made the cut. Speaking of "Stagger Lee", its an amazing song performed live. Its vile and vulgar and destroys every preconceived notion you had that humans are decent creatures. The song takes you on a journey thru a killer's rampage at an old saloon. This song first appeared on The Murder Ballads and one I remember quite vividly. The promo cd was sent to our college radio station with a big sticker on it warning us NEVER to play the song on the radio unless we wanted the FCC to break down our door and arrest us. We all laughed but of course followed the warning since our own rules prevented swearing on the radio as well. The gut wrentching rendition is 8 minutes of terror that repulses yet intrigues you at the same time.
Switching gears, the beauty of Nick Cave is not lost on this release, there are a few songs that showcase the soft and profound grace of his work. The first would be "Breathless" a song from his last cd. Its full of life and charm bringing images of springtime and rebirth. Another one would be "God Is In The House" from his No More Shall We Part release. This cd is one of my favorites, it took me a while to appreciate it but in the end stands out of some of Nick's best work. The addition of the choir broadens the sound and gives new meaning to the song.
Many artists try but few can pull off the scope of emotion present in Nick Cave's catalog of music. Seeing Nick live will give you a new appreciation for his sheer genius and talent. I just hope he makes a trip back to the states before he calls it quits.
Posted by mardenhill 4/15/2007 01:17:00 PM
Labels: Music
