[Music] Nick Cave - Distant Sky

wakeytom said:

Couldn't get a ticket!

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symyjym said:

Must be tough for him getting up on stage and singing really depressing songs aimed at mind altered states, when he lost his son in a tragic incident when under the influence of mind altering drugs.

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Tubby Mondays said:

What songs are aimed at mind altered states?

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symyjym said:

Well they may not be aimed at, but his songs appeal to the mind altered state just like Pink Floyd did in their day whether being stoned or stronger. I am not saying that to be a Nick Cave fan that getting off your face is a prerequisite .

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Buzzer said:

Sorry but that's absolute nonsense for so many reasons and even a cursory knowledge of him, his songs or his influences would show that.

For a start, mind altering rock music band will at some point veer towards psychedelia, a genre that Cave has never ventured into. Otherwise, it would typically be standard Stoner-friendly music - also a genre that Nick Cave has never ever touched. Not always but often, mind altering music is long, hypnotic and repetitive viz a lot of Grateful Dead songs coming in at +8 minutes long. Techno tunes seldom are shorter than 6 minutes long. Nick Cave songs are very rarely ever longer than 5 minutes and more often 4 minutes or less.

If he was into mind altering music his influences would also be heavily weighted towards bands that have a history of drug friendly music - Floyd, Doors, Velvet Underground... Nick Cave's influences are extremely well documented - I've got albums of compilations of unofficial "Nick Cave influences" and they are typically Johnny Cash, Leonard Cohen, Mississippi Delta Blues, traditional English folk music, American Rockabilly, bluegrass, Elvis, Hank Williams, love ballads....

This reflects the preoccupations with Nick Cave's life...drinking, sexual perversion, lust, Southern Gothic literature, the Bible, God and the Devil and his inability to be able to pick either side as his true path. Of late his albums were also musical manifestations of a mid life crisis until his son dying turned his world upside down. The last album is by far his most personal, his most sober and the most raw.

His books are an extension of his obsessions. The first is basically the song Tupelo writ large. The second is one long tedious read of a middle aged bloke: angry, horny and tired.

Even with the many instrumental soundtrack albums that he's written with Warren Ellis, there's no hint of drug friendly tunes. They are best described as folk or classical.

None of his literature, his influences, his songs or his lyrics are in any way geared towards being better appreciated by being high as a kite. In fact, I'd say the opposite. Listen to something like Red Right Hand whilst on ket, coke, speed or weed and you will not have a pleasant experience. Listen to that last album whilst off your tits and you won't make it past the 3rd track before you swap it for some Portishead or Underworld.

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Machiavelli said:

I'm not yet convinced. Can you provide any more evidence or analysis to support your case?

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Buzzer said:

Aside from the edit to my original comment, I'd offer up my ace in the pack: that porn star moustache he affected a few years back. There's not enough drugs in the world to make that look good.

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Machiavelli said:

I was being mischievous/sarcastic but, yes, the edit is much snappier. I'm now convinced [emoji106]

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Buzzer said:

I got the mischief...I forgot to add a smiley. I also forgot to pick up on the comment about Nick Cave songs being depressing.

*shakes head, sighs and disappears off to play No Pussy Blues very loudly*

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Buzzer said:

Sorry but that's absolute nonsense for so many reasons and even a cursory knowledge of him, his songs or his influences would show that.

For a start, mind altering rock music band will at some point veer towards psychedelia, a genre that Cave has never ventured into. Otherwise, it would typically be standard Stoner-friendly music - also a genre that Nick Cave has never ever touched. Not always but often, mind altering music is long, hypnotic and repetitive viz a lot of Grateful Dead songs coming in at +8 minutes long. Techno tunes seldom are shorter than 6 minutes long. Nick Cave songs are very rarely ever longer than 5 minutes and more often 4 minutes or less.

If he was into mind altering music his influences would also be heavily weighted towards bands that have a history of drug friendly music - Floyd, Doors, Velvet Underground... Nick Cave's influences are extremely well documented - I've got albums of compilations of unofficial "Nick Cave influences" and they are typically Johnny Cash, Leonard Cohen, Mississippi Delta Blues, traditional English folk music, American Rockabilly, bluegrass, Elvis, Hank Williams, love ballads....

This reflects the preoccupations with Nick Cave's life...drinking, sexual perversion, lust, Southern Gothic literature, the Bible, God and the Devil and his inability to be able to pick either side as his true path. Of late his albums were also musical manifestations of a mid life crisis until his son dying turned his world upside down. The last album is by far his most personal, his most sober and the most raw.

His books are an extension of his obsessions. The first is basically the song Tupelo writ large. The second is one long tedious read of a middle aged bloke: angry, horny and tired.

Even with the many instrumental soundtrack albums that he's written with Warren Ellis, there's no hint of drug friendly tunes. They are best described as folk or classical.

None of his literature, his influences, his songs or his lyrics are in any way geared towards being better appreciated by being high as a kite. In fact, I'd say the opposite. Listen to something like Red Right Hand whilst on ket, coke, speed or weed and you will not have a pleasant experience. Listen to that last album whilst off your tits and you won't make it past the 3rd track before you swap it for some Portishead or Underworld.


Edit - Just because an artist was/is a drug addict, doesn't necessarily make their art drug-friendly. Robert Louis Stevenson and Marti Pellow are proof of that. Add Nick Cave to that esoteric list.

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symyjym said:

I was being kind and didn't really want to mention drug addict and his name in the same sentence. I don't even know his personal story other than he seems an experimental/recreational type of chap. Mind altered state can also mean under the influence of alcohol which is far away from psychedelia? Depends on what someone feels like doing that night, though I wouldn't condone the use of ket or needle highs. You have got to be in the right mood for Nick Cave and I wouldn't want to be sober if I went to see him live. And if I was off my face at a live gig I would probably enjoy it myself.

Anyway, my original comment was only that it must be tough for him performing introspective, quite depressing songs, after what happened to his son under the circumstances around it. (Edit) It could also be a good healing process for him.

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Buzzer said:

No offence but I think you're being a bit facetious by claiming that you also meant alcohol when you originally defined mind-altering as "stoned or stronger". No worries, if I've got that wrong then I apologise.

I'd say you have to be in the right mood for any musician, Nick Cave isn't any different in that regard. If he's not for you then fair enough but I'm really not sure his music is the sort that being drunk or high would change your opinion of him favourably.

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