Ocean Songs

Warren Ellis, Mick Turner and Jim White comprise the Dirty Three. As separate entities they have created and contributed to a number of noteworthy musical endeavors, but together they are a single monolith of musical genius. Stirring, introspective, electric, heartfelt, impassioned and fucking mind bending. Ocean Songs is their fourth full length and was released in 1998. Like the ocean which inspires it, it is brimming with ceaseless energy. It's probably their greatest work, but I may only be saying that because it is playing right now. Put on any of their other albums and I may just switch my vote.

Two notes:
------The cover artwork, as with most of their albums,
was created by Mr. Mick Turner.

------"Authentic Celestial Music" may just be the most appropriately titled song ever penned.

AUTHENTIC

Henry's Dream

So I have just finished off Nick Cave's latest novel, The Death of Bunny Monroe, and am overwhelmed by the urge to revisit Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds' classic 1992 album Henry's Dream. Always the egomaniac, I assume you share this desire as well.

Cave and Co.'s seventh studio effort showcases their coming of age as vivid and emotive musicians. While retaining their unique edge, they have also managed to create a very accessible album. The characters within have a penchant for the macabre and the twisted. There is blood, booze and bedlam. But there is also a presence which has been hinted at before, in earlier efforts, and would become much more prominent with future albums. It is Cave's masterful ability to pen the love song. "Straight To You" is an all consuming ode to love and desire told with a passion of Biblical proportions:

Heaven has denied us our kingdom
The Saints are drunk, howling at the moon
The chariots of angels are colliding
Well, I'll run, babe, but I'll come running straight to you...

For fuck's sake. I'm glad I never got into the business of writing love songs. I would have to quit.

Here's an after thought for ya' ... legendary producer David Briggs (Neil Young) manned the controls for this album... and Cave could not have been more displeased with the results. Cave and Mick Harvey re-mixed it themselves. But were ultiamtely still not content with the production of the album. Oh well...

A warm arterial spray