Live Seeds
| Live Seeds | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Live album by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds | ||||
| Released | 28 September 1993 | |||
| Recorded |
1992–1993 Australia, Europe | |||
| Genre | Post-punk | |||
| Length | 60:35 | |||
| Label | Mute | |||
| Producer | Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds | |||
| Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds chronology | ||||
| ||||
Live Seeds is the first official live album by Australian post-punk band, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. The album was recorded live from 1992 to 1993, at various concerts throughout Europe and Australia, at the touring stage promoting their previous studio album, Henry's Dream. Nick Cave wanted to give the songs a raw feeling as originally intended before production problems occurred. Live Seeds includes a not previously studio-recorded track, "Plain Gold Ring", which is a cover of a song performed by Nina Simone.
Background
Live Seeds was a live album recorded from 1992 to 1993 by Australian post-punk band, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds at various concerts throughout Europe and Australia. The band had formed in 1983 with a line-up including Nick Cave on lead vocals, Mick Harvey (initially on drums) on guitar, Blixa Bargeld on guitar and Barry Adamson on bass guitar.[1] Soon after the release and subsequent tour for 1988's Tender Prey, Cave began experimenting with piano-driven ballads, resulting in 1990's The Good Son. Seeped in sorrow and longing, the comparatively refined and understated album was well-received critically and commercially, yielding the singles "The Weeping Song" and "The Ship Song".[2]
In 1990 two Australian musicians joined, Martyn Casey (The Triffids) on bass guitar – replacing Adamson – and Conway Savage on keyboards. Their next album, 1992's Henry's Dream, marked a step back to harder rock, utilising producer David Briggs (Neil Young). The album's tour is documented on Live Seeds and showcases the new group's aggressive yet accomplished sound. The live album was produced by the band. In mid-1993, Cave relocated to London where Henry's Dream's follow-up studio album, Let Love In, was recorded and released in 1994.[1]
Reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [3] |
| Q | [4] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [5] |
Allmusic's Ned Raggett review of Live Seeds noted that "some fans consider many of the songs on [this album] to be superior to their studio equivalent – a testament to its overall quality".[3] He felt that "[f]ew cuts differ drastically from the more familiar album versions, but generally everything is crisper, at times much more brusque, perhaps exchanging texture for force".[3]
Track listing
All songs written and composed by Nick Cave, except where indicated.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Mercy Seat" (Cave, Mick Harvey[6]) | 4:43 |
| 2. | "Deanna" | 4:42 |
| 3. | "The Ship Song" | 4:18 |
| 4. | "Papa Won't Leave You, Henry" | 6:28 |
| 5. | "Plain Gold Ring" (George Stone (Earl Burroughs)) | 5:03 |
| 6. | "John Finn's Wife" | 5:43 |
| 7. | "Tupelo" (Cave, Barry Adamson, Harvey) | 6:05 |
| 8. | "Brother, My Cup Is Empty" | 3:13 |
| 9. | "The Weeping Song" | 3:59 |
| 10. | "Jack the Ripper" | 3:49 |
| 11. | "The Good Son" | 4:27 |
| 12. | "From Her to Eternity" (Cave, Anita Lane, Adamson, Blixa Bargeld, Hugo Race, Harvey) | 4:53 |
| 13. | "New Morning" | 3:22 |
Personnel
- Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds band members
- Nick Cave – vocals, organ, piano
- Blixa Bargeld – guitar, backing vocals
- Mick Harvey – guitar, xylophone, backing vocals
- Martyn Casey – bass guitar, backing vocals
- Conway Savage – piano, organ, backing vocals
- Thomas Wydler – drums
- Additional musicians
- The Cruel Sea – backing vocals
- Production details
- Producer – Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
- Mixer – Bad Seeds, Tony Cohen
- Studios – mixed at Atlantic Studios, Melbourne, Australia in January–February 1993
- Art work
- Layout design – Slim Smith
- Photography – Ute Klaphake, Peter Milne
References
- 1 2 McFarlane, Ian (1999). "Encyclopedia entry for 'Headband'". Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop. St Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86508-072-1. Archived from the original on 3 August 2004. Retrieved 18 March 2012.
- ↑ Bliss, Abi (9 April 2010). "Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - The Good Son (remastered)". Drowned in Sound (Silentway Ltd., Sean Adams). Retrieved 18 March 2012.
- 1 2 3 Raggett, Ned. "Live Seeds – Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 18 March 2012.
- ↑ "Live Seeds Soundtrack CD Album". CD Universe. Retrieved 26 February 2013.
- ↑ Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (2004). "Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds". The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (Completely revised and updated 4th ed.). New York: Fireside. p. 151.
- ↑ "'The Mercy Seat' at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 18 March 2012. Note: To search for other titles click on Search again and enter track name.
