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Two albums packaged together, the hard-hitting ABATTOIR BLUES and the quieter, more balladic THE LYRE OF ORPHEUS were recorded in a single burst of creativity in spring of the same year. Even though this release marks the first time in Nick Cave's solo career that he'd recorded without guitarist/partner-in-crime Blixa Bargeld, there is no diminution of raw energy. "Nature Boy" may boast a pop-friendly chorus, but ABATTOIR BLUES come charging out of the gate with the furious "Get Ready for Love," and "Fable of the Brown Ape" contains some extremely Blixa-like, discordant guitar squalls. Even the potentially risky gambit of adding a gospel choir for some tracks pays off, successfully upping the drama quotient.
THE LYRE OF ORPHEUS is the more contemplative half of the set, but is no less intense for that. In fact, the title song--essentially a retelling of the Greek legend--bears as stunning an impact as anything on the disc's more raucous partner. Throughout both albums, Cave's lyricism is at a peak; from the violent-but-inspired imagery of the driving, bluesy "Hiding All Away" to the almost shockingly vivid nature symbolism employed on "Babe, You Turn Me On," Cave truly earns his stripes as one of the finest wordsmiths of his generation.
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds: Nick Cave; James Johnston (organ); Martyn Casey (bass instrument); Conway Savage, Jim Sclavunos, Mick Harvey, Thomas Wydler, Warren Ellis.
Personnel: Nick Cave (vocals, piano); Wendy Rose, Donovan Lawrence, Stephanie Meade, London Community Gospel Choir (vocals); Mick Harvey (guitar); Warren Ellis (bouzouki, mandolin, violin, flute); Conway Savage (piano); Jim Sclavunos, Thomas Wydler (drums, percussion).
Audio Mixers: Nick Cave; Nick Launay; Warren Ellis; Mick Harvey.
Recording information: Studios Ferber, Paris, France (2003-2004).
Arranger: Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds.
Additional personnel: London Community Gospel Choir.Rolling Stone (p.86) - 3 stars out of 5 - "[T]he Bad Seeds summon a torrent of noise both awful and exquisite. It's a gothic alt-squall that pokes fun at itself yet remains decidedly creepy."
Spin (p.118) - "The pile-driving ABATTOIR BLUES disc of this double album opens with one of the greatest songs of Cave's 26-year career, 'Get Ready For Love'..." - Grade: B
Entertainment Weekly (p.69) - "[Cave] remains a singular sensation." - Grade: A-
Uncut (p.113) - 4 stars out of 5 - "[W]oozy lust anthems and quasi-biblical junk-blues eruptions. With this feast of fearsome rock'n'soul, Beelzebub's favourite lounge singer has returned to claim his throne."
Uncut (p.75) - Ranked #13 in Uncut's "Best New Albums of 2004" - "Cave roared back to deliver not one but two albums of fiery genius."
Alternative Press (p.158) - "[T]hey're spending middle age churning out the best music of their career....Alternating between funky and uplifting, the Seeds turn these rants into devotionals, finding the prayer that's always lurked beneath the blasphemy of Cave's best work..." - 5 out of 5
Magnet (p.94) - "[T]he songs are steeped in blood, loneliness and hard redemption."
Living Blues (p.71) - "[T]he musical equivalent of a hurricane, as guitars, drumbeats, and angelic gospel singers swirl around Cave's demanding, demonstrative voice."
Mojo (Publisher) (p.57) - Ranked #73 in Mojo's "100 Modern Classics" -- "[I]t's a perfect blend of rumbling, bilious rock and ancient folk themes cleaving true to the uniquely skewed gyroscope at the centre of Cave's music."
Mojo (Publisher) (p.94) - 5 stars out of 5 - "Both ABATTOIR BLUES and THE LYRE OF ORPHEUS are stuck all over with burr-like catches and hooks, so warmly intimate The Bad Seeds might have set up in the corner of the room....The scope and breadth is startling..."
Abattoir Blues/The Lyre Of Orpheus Music
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