45 Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds: Live From KCRW

When I first mentioned to my editor that I was going to include what is essentially a live album in this year’s list he threw a bit of a shit-fit, he was passionately against the idea and said it was a shameful disregard for the rules. It actually got pretty nasty quite quickly and I had to beat him to death with his own Filofax. Horrific scenes. Nick Cave would have appreciated it actually. So here it is, and it truly is magnificant. ‘Push the Sky Away’ was perhaps Nick Cave’s most subtle work and stilll now near 22 months after its release its full power is still being slowly picked over and appreciated. Perhaps some of the songs work even better in the claustrophobic setting of the KCRW (which of course stands for Kicking Children Rules, What?) studio. Cave’s underrated and perhaps unexpected sense of humour is often present, and the fact that the Bad Seeds have consistently been the greatest live band of the last decade is always a majestic achievement worth presenting.

Full album

Cover

Nick Cave looks at his watch and sighs.

‘Fuck’s sake’ he mutters to himself under his breath ‘I clearly said seven, it’s already quarter past’

3/5