Nick Cave: The Good Son (1997)

VPRO Loladamusica special about Nick Cave who, with his band
(Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds), has developed a new musical style, in which the melodrama has given way to a bare and sober sound. His texts refer to his major themes: love and religion.
Throughout the program Cave reads excerpts from his book, where we discover which elements inspired him in his writing and his music such as literature, religion, love and the role his father played in his life.
Among the topics discussed are his new song "Still your face comes shining through ".
Interview with Nick Cave at his London home.
FRAGMENTS from performances by:
- The Birthday Party, (the former Nick Cave band), Amsterdam 1981;
- Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds: "(Are you) the one that I've been waiting for ";
- Nick Cave solo: "Into my arms", "The Mercy Seat", "Dead Joe ";
- Nick Cave and Kylie Minogue, "Still your face comes shining through ", Festival of Queens (Belfast).
VPRO TV 26-12-1997

[@patriciofernandez2711]

That "still your face comes shining through" song eventually became Breathless

[@Blender_and_Chirp]

For me personally, Nick is the GOAT 🐐 👑.

[@fabioalbertogattei8521]

Nick the umreachable artist

[@thelonelypiper9562]

❤ Nick ; Love your music,your feeling,your poetry ...

[@timhall3575]

20:20 early version then - or the birth of sorts of There She Goes My Beautiful World that wouldn't see the light of day until 7 years later on the Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus album from 2004. Fascinating to see the writing process.

[@jorgetrillo2764]

Solo performances of dead joe are always comedy gold hahaha

[@tungtobak]

Oh I wish I still understood Nick Cave, I mean current Nick Cave. This old stuff I love. But I'm glad he's still working at least.

[@parkergiele]

Yeah, he has kinda deified himself, haha.

[@PatientenO.T.]

He’s pretty transparent these days. The book Faith hope and Carnage spells him out pretty clearly. I don’t see where he’s changed at all, he’s still writing crushing love songs just like he was in 97 when this was filmed.

[@tungtobak]

@@PatientenO.T. I read it, or listened to it. Read Warren Ellis book around the same time too. From those two guys I click better with how Ellis seems to think about things. And I guess I could only digest SO many slow pad Microkorg + Nick Cave flow of consciousness poetry songs. Loved Skeleton Tree but I was pretty done with the forumla after that. They were not. And it's a lot of god these days. I mean, sure it's always been, but it used to be old testament scary god, now it's gone... church-ey. I can't fathom the grief Cave's been through so he's allowed to go a bit weird, but he's gone somewhere I don't wanna be.

[@PatientenO.T.]

@@tungtobak Well, luckily he’s got a massive catalog of music that you can enjoy from the eras that you do like! I would like to see him return to an earlier sound as well sometimes, but I just try to roll with the flow and enjoy the songs that I do find interesting. There are usually several on every album. I actually really enjoy him solo on the piano more than with a band or Warren.

[@davidwatts3048]

@@tungtobak agree 100% I tuned out pretty much after 92-93, but skeleton tree and push the sky which I got into after that were good. ghosteen; are those even songs? lol

[@ianrmacdougall3875]

I once knew a Mother in a Coal Pit type of town, whom had a son she used to yoke with a leather leash around his waist, he was a mongoloid son with flailing arms and fish eyes and was prone to violent fits of rage, she used to have a whistle that would alert passerbys to either X the road or get out of the way. As kids we would sit on the fence and greet them with all the courage and decency only kids could find in the innocence of the little people. She was a lone mother the child her only Son, I can still picture that scene it haunts me and reminds me "it's a cruel world".

[@herbieshine1312]

Absolutely love the version of dead Joe

[@lucylovic]

❤❤❤❤❤ keep strong. I lost my half German daddy too. Age 5

[@lucylovic]

He 40 yrs old here😮

[@MOUBARRET]

👁 Love Letter🌹

[@SchopenhauerVsCamus]

❤️

[@Neil-Aspinall]

Never better than in the Birthday Party, sorry Nick.

[@ericbruyn]

Back in the days he had strange ideas about God en Christianity, the idea that Jesus came to make up the mistake's of his father. But to see him continuing his struggle with faith is a work of God's power within him. He adjusted a lot of thoughts about christianity

[@PatientenO.T.]

He just confirmed last week During the London conversations event that he was not a Christian or conservative, he just likes Christian ritual And finds comfort in it.

[@timhall3575]

43:30 onwards - he's taking the piss surely :) Wonderful doc - but you feel for Nick here, he seems quite low, sad... a little bit lost at this point in his life. Pre-Suzi etc...

[@neila.kajbare4725]

time.

[@Man_Ray78]

Anybody who sees this likes it.

[@paulwhelan4276]

The tea cup song.

[@roshxp1]

WHAT BOOK IS HE READING?

[@eguadofarao]

In the beginning? His diary

[@aternialaffsalot]

it's 'the flesh made word' from his book 'king ink 2'

[@idontanswerquestons]

The answer is HELL NO! And no he cant get a warrant for a misdemeanor minor in possession, SUSPICION. He

[@robbiepeterh]

Interesting just how bad some of the early versions of songs are here, compared to the brilliant material that ends up on the records. I guess hard work really does pay off when it comes to songwriting…

[@PatientenO.T.]

Kylie Minogue murders that song. It would be better if Nick sung it by himself. She is so cringey.

[@lucylovic]

Disagree

[@timhall3575]

Agree

[@suzannortega6671]

💯

[@idontanswerquestons]

The answer is HELL NO! And no he cant get a warrant for a misdemeanor minor in possession, SUSPICION. He