Comments on: Taking the Hemingway with Dig, Lazarus, Dig

By: Edie

Edie — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 21:36:29 +0000

Personally I’ve hated everything he’s released from The Boatman’s Call on, except for this. Don’t ask me why, I can’t explain it. Mustaches and such aside, I think Dig Lazarus Dig is a great album.

By: Ray Nichols

Ray Nichols — Sat, 17 May 2008 13:51:28 +0000

Hmmm….well, I never did understand why some folks need to say things like DLD must appeal only to neophyte fans. Last I checked, no one has the inside track on being a “better” fan than another, neophyte or grizzled veteran status notwithstanding.

I see this type of thing all the time where folks are unimpressed that their band/artist has “lost it”. Sometimes that’s true — artists lose their edge, their hunger and are fulfilling a contract with subpar material. No question.

I don’t think this is happening on DLD. I respect the fact that not everyone will like this album. There are a few Bad Seeds albums and songs I don’t care for as much as others, but that just comes down to personal taste. When I want to listen to dark and broody and “real” Nick Cave, I haul out the proper CD and listen to it. I don’t want the man to rehash his old style endlessley — I already have it. And besides which, wouldn’t we then call those albums derivative? Repetitive? We fans can be a fickle bunch.

This is a good album, I think, worthy of the praise it garners. I’ve listend to it repeatedly, and picked out something new almost each time I’ve heard it.

All that said, to each his (or her) own.

By: e schwank

e schwank — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 02:33:01 +0000

i’ve been a fan of nick cave’s music since the boatman’s call and have reveled in each new album that the bad seeds (and now grinderman) have created. i agree with your assessment that this is an album that the audience must digest with repeat listenings. the literary allusions of dld are sometimes blatant but occasionally opaque. what i enjoy most is that mr. cave’s songwriting is as dark and melancholy as ever despite some fans’ disdain for the bouncy rhythms. the title track’s houdini/lazarus dichotomy aided by ellis’ loops produces some of the most delicious manley-esque alliteration and rhythmic worldplay that i have ever heard on a bad seeds record. never has such a fun sounding album been so dark, challenging, and full of duende and saudade (see cave’s lectures: secret life of the love song/flesh made word). thanks for a great and thoughtful article.

By: nicholadeane

nicholadeane — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 11:50:05 +0000

Not sure I’m that much of a ‘Cave neophyte’-I’ve been a fan properly since around 02, when someone played me ‘Are You the One that I’ve Been Waiting For’ & ‘Henry Lee.’ And the first time I remember being aware of Cave was in a record shop in Bolton where I saw that this dude called Cave not only had a new record out but had written a weird book about Asses and Angels-I remember reading a review of the book later in that horrible rag, The Times. But at that point my taste hadn’t matured sufficiently to appreciate him. Currently I’m listening to the album every day in the car, and for my money, it just seems to get better and better. Can’t wait until the Birmingham gig in May! Thanks for the comments though Tim.

By: Tim Russell

Tim Russell — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 10:09:42 +0000

Wow, glad my brief review on the album has prompted such an erudite response!

For what it’s worth, despite repeated listens DLD remains bottom of my mental pile of Cave albums. Nothing sticks out, the lyrics work on paper but not in song, and the music is tinny and bland. Generally it sounds far too much like fun for a miserable bastard like me.

Looking at the almost unanimously ecstatic reviews it’s received it looks like I’m in the minority here, yet not one of my Cave-loving friends has any time for DLD either. I guess it seems to appeal to Cave neophytes, who like his new-found sense of humour and ironic moustache, rather than us old lags who love(d) him for being one of the last guys who really mean(t) it. Past tense in brackets in the hope he’ll one day remember what made him great.

Good article though!