In Praise of....The Good Son by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds

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In Praise of.....The Good Son by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 22:12 (twenty-two years ago)

it's better than Henry's Dream, I'll give you that much.

― hstencil (hstencil), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 22:17 (twenty-two years ago)

I always liked it. And it's probably where I parted company with ND. After this one i stopped paying attention. "Let's make a little history...baby" I love the way he sez that line. Wait, that's on The Good Son, right? The ship one?

― scott seward (scott seward), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 22:20 (twenty-two years ago)

I mean NC. I still like Nick Drake.

― scott seward (scott seward), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 22:20 (twenty-two years ago)

At this point, Nick Drake can't ruin his career.

― hstencil (hstencil), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 22:21 (twenty-two years ago)

unless you hate Volkswagen, or something.

― hstencil (hstencil), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 22:21 (twenty-two years ago)

Or they keep raiding his granny's attic for his juvenilia.

― scott seward (scott seward), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 22:22 (twenty-two years ago)

But even his kids stuff is properly depressing.

― scott seward (scott seward), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 22:23 (twenty-two years ago)

I have a clear memory of buying this album - it was one of the very first CDs I ever purchased (remember when CDs were a novel format...? Not like these damn whippersnappers today with their IPODs and their Soulseeks grumble grumble). Anyway I was surprised at how over-orchestrated and slow it was - I was expecting fire n brimstone and instead got a bunch of maudlin ballads. I sold it after a couple years and got Henry's Dream instead. Which I like more and still own, but man his lyrics are just unbelievably gawdawful a lot of the time. Filled with totally clunky lines that he has to fight to really spit out and twist to make fit with the melody/music, and really heavy handed with the predictable imagery (the bible! sin! murder! whoah crazy!) In the end, I just don't get his appeal - he seems like a marginal songwriter at best.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Wednesday, 28 April 2004 22:27 (twenty-two years ago)

I think the only things I really enjoy about the Cave records I've heard are Blixa Bargeld and Kid Congo Powers' playing. Cave himself kinda brings things down a bit.

("Straight to You" is still a great song tho, I'll give 'im that one).

― Shakey Mo Collier, Wednesday, 28 April 2004 22:29 (twenty-two years ago)

The first NC i heard, it was a gift from my Cave-obsessed aunt. It's probably my second or third flave-o-rite, after Your Funeral, My Trial and (maybe) Let Love In.

― Ian Johnson (orion), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 22:30 (twenty-two years ago)

mentalists all, Henry's Dream is leagues better than The Good Song

nb that isn't a typo

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 22:41 (twenty-two years ago)

If you are a Nick Cave fan - or a Jason Spaceman fan - you end up overlooking the tired spoon-moon-june rhymes and 4th rate Faulkernisms cuz you are into the vision thing. (same with Sisters Of Mercy come to think of it)

― scott seward (scott seward), Wednesday, 28 April 2004 22:42 (twenty-two years ago)

Ian's on point, Your Funeral rules the school (plus "Long Time Man" live is better than sex & death put together)

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Thursday, 29 April 2004 01:02 (twenty-two years ago)

i think this is probably my fave NC album..

― the surface noise (electricsound), Thursday, 29 April 2004 01:21 (twenty-two years ago)

mentalists all, Henry's Dream is leagues better than The Good Song

The tracks from Henry's Dream that appear on Live Seeds are MUCH better as live tracks than as studio tracks.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 29 April 2004 01:33 (twenty-two years ago)

papa won't leave you henry live = amazing.

― Ian Johnson (orion), Thursday, 29 April 2004 01:38 (twenty-two years ago)

and "plain gold ring"??? daaaaamn, that shit rules.

― Ian Johnson (orion), Thursday, 29 April 2004 01:39 (twenty-two years ago)

The Good Son is the first Nick Cave album I bought, but I'm undecided on what his best album might be. Different songs tend to stay with me more than see his albums as a cohesive piece of work. If that makes any sense.

― El Diablo Robotico (Nicole), Thursday, 29 April 2004 02:03 (twenty-two years ago)

Wow, Nick Cave did a soundtrack to that Macauley Culkin movie? Rad!

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Thursday, 29 April 2004 03:18 (twenty-two years ago)

i'm pretty sure "red right hand" was on the richie rich soundtrack

― cinniblount (James Blount), Thursday, 29 April 2004 03:19 (twenty-two years ago)

that song is on EVERY soundtrack!* at least it made sense in hellboy (though it was some sorta cover)

* probably your point

― s1ocki (slutsky), Thursday, 29 April 2004 04:24 (twenty-two years ago)

i mean, hellboy literally has a red right hand. also it is large and made of stone.

― s1ocki (slutsky), Thursday, 29 April 2004 04:24 (twenty-two years ago)

The tracks from Henry's Dream that appear on Live Seeds are MUCH better as live tracks than as studio tracks.

Quite right. As for The Good Son, well then. Includes special Gene demolition! Another take here.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 29 April 2004 04:39 (twenty-two years ago)

"Red Right Hand" found its way into Dumb & Dumber. Sad but true. Alongside Crash Test Dummies, no less. Cave's worse than Killing Joke in that capacity (the Joke have leant songs to such cinematic milestones as "Showgirls", "Weird Science" and "Mortal Kombat").

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 29 April 2004 11:44 (twenty-two years ago)

His last great record, IMHO. Henry's Dream had its moments but was just too ... literary . I stopped caring after my first listen to Murder Ballads .

― Jay Vee (Manon_70), Thursday, 29 April 2004 13:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Cave's worse than Killing Joke in that capacity

Red Right's a scapegoat of sorts though; the only song he does it with.

― christopher b (kit brash), Thursday, 29 April 2004 13:23 (twenty-two years ago)

The live version of "Red Right Hand" on the bonus disc of the best of a couple of years back is fu-staggering!r

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 29 April 2004 13:31 (twenty-two years ago)

the first cd my girlfriend (now wife) gave me after we started going out, so I love it! even though I lost it shortly thereafter and didn't find it again for two years.

― kyle (akmonday), Thursday, 29 April 2004 13:36 (twenty-two years ago)

I too think The Good Son was his last really good record. But not his best. Tender Prey is better than that. And Your Funeral is better than the both of them.

― Jonathan Z. (Joanthan Z.), Thursday, 29 April 2004 13:37 (twenty-two years ago)

My sentiments exactly, Jonathan Z.

― Jay Vee (Manon_70), Thursday, 29 April 2004 14:11 (twenty-two years ago)

three years pass...

'the good son' is pretty intriguing all the way through. sort of rich and dense, and dark with enough light to keep it all balanced and interesting. 'weeping song' is powerful and affecting, and 'lucy' is a subtle instance of cave's ability to craft a genuinely moving tune.

my favourite cave probably remains 'let love in'. it's uneven, ugly, and brash, but fascinating and on a totally freaky lyrical trip.

i really thought 'abbatoir blues/lyre of orpheus' was a return to form. much of the material in the lead up to that was boring.

― Charlie Howard, Tuesday, 5 February 2008 15:12 (eighteen years ago)

In that vein, I much prefer Boatman's Call, but anyway Tender Prey and Your Funeral are his finest hours.

― baaderonixx, Tuesday, 5 February 2008 15:30 (eighteen years ago)

five months pass...

you haters are insane -- any record with "the ship song," "the weeping song," and "the witness song" deserves nothing but praise.

― Eisbaer, Tuesday, 29 July 2008 09:15 (seventeen years ago)

haha..LOL..I haven't heard "The Witness Song" yet

― Aja, Tuesday, 29 July 2008 09:39 (seventeen years ago)

four years pass...

http://devonrecordclub.wordpress.com/2013/03/16/nick-cave-the-bad-seeds-the-good-son-round-48-robs-choice/

― J-Lo Biafra (Rob Mitchell), Saturday, 16 March 2013 18:43 (thirteen years ago)

seven years pass...

in retrospective- i think it's his best album, and The Hammer song is his best song.(along with Stranger than Kindness)

― nostormo, Thursday, 20 August 2020 06:07 (five years ago)

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