In the two decades since Nick Cave (with multi-instrumentalist Mick Harvey, who co-ordinated this anthology) bolted the beloved chaos of his native Melbourne's Birthday Party to focus on a solo career informed in equal parts by Poe, Flannery O'Connor and Biblical goth-chic, he and the Bad Seeds have explored enough musical detours and career side projects to yield the 56 tracks that grace this set's three compelling discs. Variously anchored by the acoustic gospel intrigues of "Deanna" and "The Mercy Seat" and a fascination with American roots music that evinces itself with preternatural conviction on covers of Orbison's "Running Scared," Leadbelly's "Black Betty" and the traditional "Rye Whiskey," it's a forceful collection that further underscores the artist's ever literate, neo-cabaret charms. Fans will relish it as a trove of disparate riches, be they soundtrack cuts for Wim Wenders ("Till the End of the World," "Cassiel's Song" from Faraway, So Close) and others ("Red Right Hand" and "Time Jesum.." from The X-Files), cover project highlights (Leonard Cohen's "Tower of Song," Neil Young's "Helpless" and "There's No Light Out at the Jail," a loving, previously unreleased tribute to Australian country legend Chad Morgan) or such typically idiosyncratic Cave fare as the playful "That's What Jazz Is To Me" and murderous, three-part "O' Malley's Bar." --Jerry McCulley
Review by Thom Jurek
Nick Cave finally gives the dedicated fans what they've desired for years (and have probably amassed in various guises in shoddy bootlegs): an official career-spanning cataloging of the various Bad Seeds odds and ends on three CDs. There are 56 tracks compiled here. There are also some soundtrack offerings ranging from "I'll Love You to the End of the World," "Cassiel's Song," and "I Feel So Good" from various Wim Wenders films to a previously unreleased alternate version of "Red Right Hand," recorded for Scream 3. There are the Bad Seeds' contributions to tribute albums such as Cave's rendition of Neil Young's "Helpless" from the Bridge benefit, and "Tower of Song" from the Leonard Cohen tribute I'm Your Fan. There are familiar covers such as the Cave/Shane MacGowan "collaboration" on "Wonderful World" and the awesome version of Roy Orbison's "Running Scared" that appeared as one of the B-sides of "The Singer" (and yes, "Black Betty" is here, too). (But why is Cave's read of "In the Ghetto" absent?) Real rarities include versions of the traditional "Rye Whiskey" from a flexidisc in Reflex magazine and "Scum," which was only sold at concerts. There is an unreleased version of "Where the Wild Roses Grow" with former Bad Seed Blixa Bargeld on vocals, as well as studio outtakes of "Opium Tea" and "Sheep May Safely Graze." And this is just a smattering. One of the true treasures here is "There's No Night Out in the Jail," recorded for an Australian country music compilation that was never issued. And of course, virtually every B-side is here, including the take of "Nocturama" that was included on the limited-edition 7" single. For Cave fans who have been patiently and exhaustively compiling this stuff in all sorts of dodgy ways, this set is a righteous archivist's gift.
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