“Cave is an acquired taste”

I’ll have to take your word for. To me, Scotch is an acquired taste, Cave is just another bad musician. Rather like the Romones, Iggy Pop, Lou Reed and host of long (thankfully) forgotten others, that critics, the music professionals and “aficionados” and the rest that “get it“, who all supposedly know more and appreciate music more than us mere mortals just love. But yet…nobody has any of their music in their collections.

How does that work? The masses are just to ignorant of the brilliance of these folks? Sure. Let’s go with that and pass me some Yoko Ono. Yum.

Gerard, Good news ... I see he's going to be in your neck of the woods on July 2.

Tim, just because Nick Cave doesn't suit your taste doesn't mean the same for others. It's unfortunate that Gerard used the phrase "acquired taste". In my opinion he should be unapologetic in his likes and dislikes ... that's why we read or don't read blogs.

I'd much rather sit through a Nick Cave concert trying to acquire the taste for his music than be chained to a chair while Lady Gaga or Miley Cyrus enjoyed one of their narcissistic screech fests. And their loathsome little fans ... Ugh.

I like to think that if Jim Morrison had grown up, kicked his addictions, studied literature and generally matured he would be like Nick Cave. His albums seem to each have a theame connected to serious literature. Dig Lazarus Dig has an underlying theme from Homer. The Boatman's call feels like a Book of Psalms written by a spiritually thirsty person. His latest Push the Sky away, with its angst and mermaids has the feel of T.S. Eliot. After listening to Higgs Boson Blues I feel a spiritual exhaustion simular to what I feel after reading The Wasteland.

"unfortunate that Gerard used the phrase "acquired taste". "

Well, as we all know, I can be as assertive as I wanna be and am not, in general, shy.

I finessed it with acquired because I wanted to lure in the unsure reader. There will always be some.

That said, I feel that just because a musician doesn't do "pretty music" doesn't mean he doesn't do important music. Not everything is melodious.

“Tim, just because Nick Cave doesn't suit your taste doesn't mean the same for others.”

edaddy, I was under no delusion that I was speaking for anyone but myself. How you came to interpreting my opinion as something else alludes me.

And Gerard, “Not everything is melodious.” True. And not everything is good either. And as far as “important” that is for the listener to decide, no?

Man, can anyone politely disagree? Especially about something so subjective? Is only applause allowed? I thought I was being considerate and respectful, I certainly wasn’t churlish or launching bombs. WTF?

For the record, I had no objection to your “acquired taste” wording, just Cave’s music or rather musicianship. When I wrote , “I’ll take your word for it“, I meant just that, nothing more nothing less. I listened and it wasn’t my taste. The acquiring via repeated listening just isn’t gonn’a happen for me. No big deal.

Carry on & good day.

My former acquaintance and I had purchased tickets to see Cave at the Beacon, and then those planes tore into the WTC. Show was cancelled. I stopped listening to music, just stopped turning on the stereo, didn't realize it until much later on. Used to love to see him do his unhinged mid-nineties version of Stagger Lee live. After that September, I started to wonder what my attraction was to it all, Gotham, the brokenness, etc. Took me ten long years. I'm starting to understand.

Goodness I didn't know Nick was in that boy band. Hilarious to see that.
I like ol Nick quite well...especially some of his latest. Huh, named well isn't he? haha

Not so much to my taste. For dark with more passion try Leonard Cohen, Joan of Arc on Songs of Love and Hate.
Maybe not in your collection is a German movie from 1987 by Wim Wenders, Wings of Desire. A very trippy movie with maybe a glimpse into the German soul in the 80's. Features two performances by Nick Cave with the Bad Seeds. I felt the performances clashed with the theme of the movie which was a celebration of life. Bonus feature: Peter Falk as himself as an ex-angel.

Loved the Birthday Party, Cave solo never really grabbed me. Agree with jdwill--if I want to listen to Leonard Cohen, I'll listen to Leonard Cohen.