Today's pick is truly special. Even with a career so advanced as his, Nick Cave can still make my jaw drop. 2013's 'Push The Sky Away' is rightly regarded as one of his very best albums, and in the middle of it is a song that is, quite simply, genius. One of the best examples of Nick's work of any period. The album version is the one to have, of course, but although the video is soundtracked by an edit that fades out way too soon, it's worth posting here for the appearance of Ray Winstone who UK readers will know as the mandatory hard man in nearly every British drama of the past 30 years. Probably not suitable to watch at work though...
For the full effect, here's an amazing live version recorded in Hollywood during the 'Push The Sky Away' tour. This is just fucking phenomenal; it knocks me for six every single time I watch it.
UPDATE 2020: Unfortunately, the clip the above paragraph refers to is no longer available, so instead, here's another gigantic performance in a much smaller venue but with just as much energy. Up close and personal with his audience as always, whether he's playing to 100 or 100,000!
I see a post like this, and I begin smacking my own head with disbelief that I've never yet taken the financial plunge (which it most certainly is nowadays) and purchased tix to see Cave in a live performance.
ReplyDeleteI was fortunate enough to see him perform in the context of GRINDERMAN (supporting their 2nd album) a few years back, and it was every bit as grimy, dirty and gutteral as I had hoped it would be - pure sexy rock.
But a full-on Nick Cave performance... it really must be breathtaking and beautiful. Next time, I can't let myself down again.
Very special indeed - tremendous stuff.
ReplyDelete(Warren Ellis interview on 6Music at the weekend, in case you missed it. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p052rr8t)
Beautifully written post on one of the most wonderful songs of the 21st Century. Hard to imagine it's from the same man who a few decades ago gave as such amazingly gutteral and terrifying songs like 'Tupelo' and 'The Mercy Seat'
ReplyDeleteThank You.