Live Seeds

Live Seeds is the first official live album by Australian post-punk band, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. The album was recorded live from 1992 to 1993, at various concerts throughout Europe and Australia, at the touring stage promoting their previous studio album, Henry's Dream. Nick Cave wanted to give the songs a raw feeling as originally intended before production problems occurred. Live Seeds includes a not previously studio-recorded track, "Plain Gold Ring", which is a cover of a song performed by Nina Simone.

Live Seeds
Live album by
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Released6 September 1993 (1993-09-06)
Recorded1992–1993
Australia, Europe
Length60:35
LabelMute
ProducerNick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds chronology
Henry's Dream
(1992)		 Live Seeds
(1993)		 Let Love In
(1994)

Background

Live Seeds was a live album recorded from 1992 to 1993 by Australian post-punk band, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds at various concerts throughout Europe and Australia. The band had formed in 1983 with a line-up including Nick Cave on lead vocals, Mick Harvey (initially on drums) on guitar, Blixa Bargeld on guitar and Barry Adamson on bass guitar.[1] Soon after the release and subsequent tour for 1988's Tender Prey, Cave began experimenting with piano-driven ballads, resulting in 1990's The Good Son. Seeped in sorrow and longing, the comparatively refined and understated album was well-received critically and commercially, yielding the singles "The Weeping Song" and "The Ship Song".[2]

In 1990 two Australian musicians joined, Martyn Casey (The Triffids) on bass guitar and Conway Savage on keyboards. Their next album, 1992's Henry's Dream, marked a step back to harder rock, utilising producer David Briggs (Neil Young). The album's tour is documented on Live Seeds and showcases the new group's aggressive yet accomplished sound. The live album was produced by the band. Sound engineer and mixer Tony Cohen said that the lead vocals were overdubbed 'live' in the studio in Melbourne before the album was mixed.[3] He said, "I let the tape roll and Nick sang from start to finish. To his credit, he didn't stop. It was as though he was on stage. Mentally he was. He sang exactly like he would live. Except not as out of breath, or badly out of tune."[4]

In mid-1993, Cave relocated to London where Henry's Dream's follow-up studio album, Let Love In, was recorded and released in 1994.[1]

Reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[5]
NME6/10[6]
Q[7]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[8]

AllMusic's Ned Raggett review of Live Seeds noted that "some fans consider many of the songs on [this album] to be superior to their studio equivalent – a testament to its overall quality".[5] He felt that "few cuts differ drastically from the more familiar album versions, but generally everything is crisper, at times much more brusque, perhaps exchanging texture for force".[5]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Nick Cave, except where indicated

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."The Mercy Seat"Cave, Mick Harvey[9]4:43
2."Deanna" 4:42
3."The Ship Song" 4:18
4."Papa Won't Leave You, Henry" 6:28
5."Plain Gold Ring"George Stone5:03
6."John Finn's Wife" 5:43
7."Tupelo"Cave, Barry Adamson, Harvey6:05
8."Brother, My Cup Is Empty" 3:13
9."The Weeping Song" 3:59
10."Jack the Ripper" 3:49
11."The Good Son" 4:27
12."From Her to Eternity"Cave, Anita Lane, Adamson, Blixa Bargeld, Hugo Race, Harvey4:53
13."New Morning" 3:22

Personnel
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Additional musicians
Production details
  • Producer – Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
  • Mixer – Bad Seeds, Tony Cohen
  • Studios – mixed at Atlantic Studios, Melbourne, Australia in January–February 1993
Art work
  • Layout design – Slim Smith
  • Photography – Ute Klaphake, Peter Milne

Charts
1993 weekly chart performance for Live Seeds
Chart (1993) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[10] 47
UK Albums (OCC)[11] 67
2022 weekly chart performance for Live Seeds
Chart (2022) Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[12] 58
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[13] 88
Portuguese Albums (AFP)[14] 14

References
  1. McFarlane, Ian (1999). "Encyclopedia entry for 'Headband'". Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop. St Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86508-072-1. Archived from the original on 3 August 2004. Retrieved 18 March 2012.
  2. Bliss, Abi (9 April 2010). "Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - The Good Son (remastered)". Drowned in Sound (Silentway Ltd., Sean Adams). Retrieved 18 March 2012.
  3. Blair, Dale, Life in a Padded Cell: A Biography of Tony Cohen, 2017, p155.
  4. Tony Cohen with John Olson (2023). Half Deaf, Completely Mad. Black Inc. Books. p. 174. ISBN 978-1-74382-308-8.
  5. Raggett, Ned. "Live Seeds – Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 18 March 2012.
  6. Bailie, Stuart (4 September 1993). "Long Play". New Musical Express. p. 32.
  7. "Live Seeds Soundtrack CD Album". CD Universe. Retrieved 26 February 2013.
  8. Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (2004). "Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds". The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (Completely revised and updated 4th ed.). New York: Fireside. p. 151. ISBN 9780743201698.
  9. "'The Mercy Seat' at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 18 March 2012. Note: To search for other titles click on Search again and enter track name.
  10. "Australiancharts.com – Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – Live Seeds". Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
  11. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
  12. "Ultratop.be – Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – Live Seeds" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
  13. "Dutchcharts.nl – Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – Live Seeds" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
  14. "Portuguesecharts.com – Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – Live Seeds". Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
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