Busy whole weekend, actually...
...but that's a good thing. Friends are well, things are good. And despite that, we'll go with another downer video of sorts--more Polly Jean Harvey, this time with Nick Cave: their duet from Cave's brilliant Murder Ballads, "Henry Lee". For those who don't know: there's nothing idle in the title Murder Ballads--the album consists of nine murder ballads* and one cover of a Bob Dylan hymn ("Death Is Not The End"); the contextual irony of the Dylan inclusion should be obvious from the title alone.
*Anyone who bitches about how much violence there is in music "these days" doesn't know shit about music history. Aside from all those bloody operas that used to be so popular, the popular folk music of the day contained an entire genre of songs about murder, rape, slaughter, and vengeance; the gangster rap of the Appalachians and Scottish Highlands, of the German mines and rolling English hills. Stabbings and shootings and poisonings; disgraced women, wrathful fathers, deceitful wives, jealous husbands. Nothing new under the sun, 'cept maybe the beats.
Am I the only one who thinks this video puts Cave and Harvey into the running for sexiest goth couple ever? There's such a sexual charge in their interplay--not bad for a song about a woman who seduces a man and dumps his corpse in a well the following day....
Hope you're still having a good weekend!
*Anyone who bitches about how much violence there is in music "these days" doesn't know shit about music history. Aside from all those bloody operas that used to be so popular, the popular folk music of the day contained an entire genre of songs about murder, rape, slaughter, and vengeance; the gangster rap of the Appalachians and Scottish Highlands, of the German mines and rolling English hills. Stabbings and shootings and poisonings; disgraced women, wrathful fathers, deceitful wives, jealous husbands. Nothing new under the sun, 'cept maybe the beats.
Comments
Murder Ballads might be a good, well-rounded place to start (especially if you liked this song). Live Seeds features a good mix of songs from the middle part of his career (performed live, surprise, surprise). One of my personal favorite albums of his is Tender Prey, but if you think you might be more interested in his contemplative side, No More Shall We Part consists largely of moody ballads.
He's a phenomenal singer and a brilliant songwriter. I'm glad you enjoyed the track.
Aw, hell, almost any song he sings.
Celine Dion Voted Worst Cover Ever
And... I have been asked by my feline overlords to see if I can acquire Elf's mailing address. If you are willing to share it, would you send me a note to my gmail account? It's taniaDOTclucas.
In the dream I was some kind of detective in a creepy house. I somehow came to realize that my then-girlfriend's body was buried underneath the house, and I was soon underneath it too, digging even though I knew what I would find; I kept digging even though I wanted to stop. I wanted to get the hell out of there, but I was digging with my bare hands, with the freezing inevitability of nightmares, and then I woke up. It was one of the worst dreams I've ever had, which is why it's stayed with me even though it was nearly half a lifetime ago. And that's how I felt pressing the "play" button to hear 30 seconds of Celine Dion performing AC/DC. I have to admit it was not quite as bad I expected, though paradoxically it wasn't any better than I expected, either.