Nick Cave has always been one of those artists who consistently delivers quality music.
While his style remains distinct, his music is fresh and innovative. From his early work with pioneering Australian post-punk act The Birthday Party to his work with The Bad Seeds, or more recently with Grinderman, there is one thing for sure: fans will always be treated to something unique.
B-Sides & Rarities is testament to this. Spanning from 1984 to 2004, Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds offer up three discs packed full of everything ranging from gospel-inspired tracks such as ‘City of Refuge’, to filthy blues punk as heard in ‘Scum, Cocks ‘n’ Asses’ and everything in-between.
Fans and casual listeners alike will enjoy alternate versions of classic tracks such as ‘Deanna’, ‘The Mercy Seat’, ‘Where The Wild Roses Grow’ and ‘Red Right Hand’. However, the real stand-outs on this compilation are forgotten originals, such as the rollicking ‘God’s Hotel’, the upbeat should-have-been-a-hit ‘The Ballad of Robert Moore and Betty Coltrane’ and the haunting ‘Time Jesum Transeuntum Et Non Riverentum’.
The third disc, collecting Cave’s most recent offerings, does not let up. ‘Opium Tea’ and ‘Little Empty Boat’ are surely amongst the best tracks of his entire career.
While the bands’ cover versions of popular tracks at times fall short of the originals (namely Louis Armstrong’s ‘What a Wonderful World’), others such as ‘Rye Whiskey, Black Betty’ and J.B. Lenoir’s ‘I Feel So Good’ are performed with conviction.
B-Sides and Rarities is a fantastic collection, and is evidence that Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds have much more to offer than what is contained within their classic studio albums. There are simply too many quality tracks to discuss here. Go out and buy it. Now!
