Abatoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

Unlike the other reviewer so far here, I don't have a bias to confess. I like some of Cave's work a great deal, some of the rest (typically the punkier work) leaves me cold. But this album gets an unqualified thumbs up from me. It's actually a very beautiful album which showcases Cave's undoubted songwriting genius in some of his most touching and accessible songs to date. A folky theme runs through much of the album, with songs like 'breathless' and 'nature boy' having an almost pastoral feel to them, but still recognising the rawness of nature rather than a picture-postcard view. In other places, the double album takes a more ...  Read the complete review

While all reviews are naturally a subjective personal opinion, I must confess a particularly strong bias in the case of Nick Cave. I've been a huge fan for coming up to 20 years - ever since I heard John Peel. People tend to love him or hate him. This double album, appearing in 2004 after the (only relatively) disappointing Nocturama and No More Shall We Part, is an absolute cracker. Backed by the London Community Gospel Choir as well as the tight-as-you-like Bad Seeds, Cave spins between fear-of-God noisy rocking (Get Ready for Love) to soft 'n' gentle piano-heavy tracks like Babe You Turn Me On. Personal faves include Breathless with its ...  Read the complete review