"The Best Of Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds"

Cave is a 40 year old singer-songwriter whose degenerate indie blues and folk tales echo the work of Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits and Jim Morrison. His music is strangely timeless, existing outside rock, with themes of Americana and the Bible. He sounds like an alienated undertaker or a psychotic evangelist in his bleak, but frequently brilliant, ballads.

His articulate lyrics about the dark side of human experience mark him as a superb raconteur, who has described himself as "a writer who loves making music". "Tupelo" is an unearthly retelling of the birth of Elvis as Biblical metaphor, while "The Mercy Seat" conveys the last thoughts of a unrepentant murderer as he waits to die in the electric chair. Only Nick could write "Deanna", an exuberant song about a murder pact, in which he craves not his accomplice's love, but her soul. "Stranger Than Kindness" was written by his former lover, Anita Lane, about Cave himself.

Cave's writing talent also led to anthologies and a novel, translated into ten languages, which won Time Out's Book Of The Year award. His film appearances include Wim Wender's "Wings of Desire", performing "The Carny" and "From Her To Eternity" (both compiled here), as well as 1991's "Johnny Suede" alongside a pre-stardom Brad Pitt.

This album includes the collaborations with Kylie Minogue and PJ Harvey which took Cave from cult success to sales of 800 000 for 1996's "Murder Ballads". Recently, his songs became less mythic and more personal, inspired by his former relationships with Viviane Carnerio (mother of his seven year old child Luke) and PJ Harvey. Listen to "Into My Arms", the beautiful song he performed at fellow Australian Michael Hutchence's funeral.

Kylie called him a "sweet gentleman", but of course Cave, a former junkie, has his own decadent mythology. Allegedly, while travelling on a London tube train, Cave pulled a syringe from his arm and used it to write a letter in his own blood. Repulsive? I'd instead say compulsive and strongly recommend this excellent sixteen track compilation, marketed with a free live bonus CD.

Farell Russak

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