Grinderman 2 (1 Viewer)

JohnnyRaz

where the crow ate the man
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where the crow ate the man
following on from the much loved/hated musical prick that is Frank Zappa, I present to you the second output from the ever adored/reviled Nick Cave and Warren Ellis side project grinderman (I know there were others involved, but lets face it, this is the two lads).
Personally - while I would not like to go for a pint with Nick Cave, find some of his past output and statements troubling, the man can write a good tune, and is one of the best performers I've seen. There's some great stuff on this album, which is almost the 'lonesome death of bunny monroe' in musical form.

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IMO Nick Cave has only improved over the years. Ghosteen (2019) is a brilliant album, and his performance of Girl in Amber on the live album Idiot Prayer (2020) is one of my Actual Favourite Songs

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As for his "troubling" output ... meh, never mind. Don't want to derail the thread arguing the same old stuff over and over. But anyway - the site where he answers fans' letters is a good read, I think, and puts his artistic oeuvre in context The Red Hand Files

RHF is a great read for anyone with even a passing interest in the man/myth/music.
 
I hung in there a bit longer than you @nuke terrorist. My interest faded around No More Shall We Part. I think it was Ellis with his big overplaying head's arrival that turned me off.
I bought the Birthday Party - Hits comp and Henry's Dream in 1992.
The Birthday Party blew my mind and I used to often listen to that 20 song tape twice every night when I was 16/17.
I then got all the Birthday Party stuff (except for The Peel Sessions which I can never find at a decent price). I also got a few earlier Bad Seeds albums then in 1992/93.
But despite hero worshiping Cave for a while, I quickly had lost interest around the time Live Seeds came out - just moved onto other things.
I was hoping Grinderman would be more of a return to The BP but the first album didn't click with me either.
I never liked The Dirty Three or heard any Bad Seeds material with Ellis that I liked as much as previous stuff.
Every time Ellis turns up playing with people I like it gets worse.

I didn't listen to the last few Bad Seeds LPs at all, so don't place too much stress on my comments.

Still listen to Birthday Party.
Great band.
 
I love Ellis live. His between song banter/rambling anecdotary is probably the best of any artist. Saw Grinderman live a couple of times over the years, thought they were great but was never bothered with the studio albums.

Never know where to start with Nick Cave. I want to like his stuff but it never clicks. Where does one start?
 
I love Ellis live. His between song banter/rambling anecdotary is probably the best of any artist. Saw Grinderman live a couple of times over the years, thought they were great but was never bothered with the studio albums.

Never know where to start with Nick Cave. I want to like his stuff but it never clicks. Where does one start?
best of
 
I love Ellis live. His between song banter/rambling anecdotary is probably the best of any artist. Saw Grinderman live a couple of times over the years, thought they were great but was never bothered with the studio albums.

Never know where to start with Nick Cave. I want to like his stuff but it never clicks. Where does one start?
Grinderman live were awesome. Saw the dirty 3 a few times, and thought they were kinda boring, plus Ellis's habit of spitting on stage was pretty off-putting ... Mrs. egg_ saw them supporting Nick Cave in the Olympia once (I was away on a work thing) and some poor bastard had to come out on stage with kitchen roll to wipe up all Ellis's spit before the Bad Seeds came on stage
 
Gross! Yeah, not a job I'd want.

I like their music a fair bit but especially love the theatricality of Dirty Three. I know some of the performance is probably contrived, but I could watch Jim White sway around the drum kit all day.
 
I love Ellis live. His between song banter/rambling anecdotary is probably the best of any artist. Saw Grinderman live a couple of times over the years, thought they were great but was never bothered with the studio albums.

Never know where to start with Nick Cave. I want to like his stuff but it never clicks. Where does one start?
THE BIRTHDAY PARTY!
They were originally called THE BOYS NEXT DOOR and their first album the lightweight Door, Door recorded 78/79, is poorly produced and a bit embarassing.
But the next EP Hee-Haw from late 79 was a huge evolution, heavily influenced by The Pop Group.
A 1980 s/t LP was released under the BP name in a similar vein. They moved to London in Feb 1980.
Loads of great stuff followed although the 1981 LP Prayers On Fire has a few weak tracks.
Junkyard (1982) is one of the best rock albums of it's time. Rowland's guitars sounds huge, the bleakly intense songs all rip and by then Cave's lyrics have changed from existential stuff to his American southern gothic fixation.
They soon sacked their mild mannered drummer Phill Calvert. Mick Harvey moved behind the kit and they relocated to Berlin. Two more stripped down EPs The Bad Seed (late '82) and Mutiny! (1983 Blixa plays guitar on the song Mutiny in Heaven). 1983 saw the band grind to a halt with Mick Harvey having left before their final tour of Australia that year.
the final two EPs segue into where Cave was going on the first Bad Seeds LP From Her To Eternity (1984) with Cave staying based in Berlin for their first few albums.
EDIT: fixed a few typos
 
I always think The Birthday Party was Cave's finest hour.
I'm not too interested in him after the 80's. the most recent album I've bought by him is Henry's Dream (1992).

That’s one of his best

Stellar record
Almost a concept album, or a full rock opera or whatever

Loved that one
Probably listened to it more than any others



Cave is a top notch lyricist and a proper showman, but I find him hard to take at times.
Very taken with the idea of himself as an artist.
He wouldn't have a pint with you. He'd decide you were boring within 2 sips and fuck off.
 
Stellar record
Almost a concept album, or a full rock opera or whatever

Loved that one
Probably listened to it more than any others



Cave is a top notch lyricist and a proper showman, but I find him hard to take at times.
Very taken with the idea of himself as an artist.
He wouldn't have a pint with you. He'd decide you were boring within 2 sips and fuck off.
Worth a repost. Shane the only one that doesn’t come across as a complete arse! Like the sound mate trying to save the buzz when the house party turns sour…
 

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