Murder Ballad Review

Reviewed by Nick Kent

The French daily Liberation reviewed Murder Ballads in their recent Saturday 27/Sunday 28 issue. It's definitely a mixed review, although the critic seems to insist on the negative aspects, I think he liked it. Anyway, you can make up your own mind...

I posted it in its original form (minus the accents, because I still don't know how to get them across the net) for the French speaking subscribers and I've also included a quick, albeit not very elegant, translation for all the others (nice, eh?).

Il y a toujours eu autant de meurtres dans les chansons de Nick Cave que de sexe dans celle de Prince. Moyennant quoi, cet album, qui detaille en chansons quantite d'assassinats, ne constitue pas exactement un nouveau depart pour l'Australien degingande. Les meilleurs moments sont ceux ou Cave beneficie d'une presence vocale feminine a ses cotes: Polly Jean Harvey sur l'excellent Henry Lee, son ex-fiancee Anita Lane sur l'exquis Lovely Creatures (Kylie Minogue se faisant aussi entendre plaisamment sur le recent single Where the Wild Roses Grow). Livre a lui-meme, en revanche, Nick Cave aurait plutot tendance a en faire un peu trop, jusqu'a depasser les bornes sur un O'Malley's Bar particulierement sanglant de quinze minutes qui correspond a sa performance vocale la plus mediocre a ce jour. Une version faiblarde du Death Is Not the End de Dylan conclut l'affaire d'assez decevante facon.. (Nick Kent)

And now, Nicolas' quick and easy translation (no frills, but you get the idea...)

There's always been as much murder in Nick Cave's songs than sex in Prince's. Knowing that, this album, which details in song a great number of assassinations, does not represent a new start for the lanky Australian. The best moments here are those where Cave benefits from a female vocal partner at his side: Polly Jean Harvey on the excellent Henry Lee, his ex-fiancee Anita Lane on the exquisite Lovely Creatures (Kylie Minogue can also be heard pleasantly on the recent single Where the Wild Roses Grow). Left to his own devices, on the other hand, Nick Cave tends to overdo it, going too far on the particularly bloody 15 minute O'Malley's Bar, which definitely represents his most mediocre vocal performance so far. A weak cover of Dylan's Death Is Not the End concludes the whole thing in a rather disappointing fashion..

Reviewed by Nick Kent.