Mutiny/The Bad Seed

Last updated

Mutiny/The Bad Seed
Mutiny The Bad Seed.jpg
Compilation album by
the Birthday Party
Releasedoriginal EPs: 1983
compilation album: 1989
RecordedOctober 1982, April & August 1983
Genre Post-punk
Length39:44
Label 4AD
The Birthday Party chronology
Junkyard
(1982)		Mutiny/The Bad Seed
(1983)		 Hee Haw
(1989)
The Bad Seed album artwork
The bad seed ep.jpg
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [1]
The Austin Chronicle Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [2]
Oxford Reference very favorable [3]
The New Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [4]

Mutiny/The Bad Seed is a compilation album by the Birthday Party. It is compiled from 2 EPs, The Bad Seed recorded in October 1982, and Mutiny! recorded in April and August 1983, and both were released in 1983. The Bad Seed and Mutiny! were released as a compilation in 1989. It is written by Nick Cave, Mick Harvey, Rowland S. Howard, and Tracy Pew.

Contents

These are the band's final studio recordings, and the only studio recordings made after the departure of drummer Phill Calvert. The album marks the first collaboration with Cave's longtime collaborator Blixa Bargeld, who played guitar on "Mutiny in Heaven". The compilation adds two tracks not included on the Mutiny EP, "Pleasure Avalanche" and "Six Strings That Drew Blood," the latter later re-recorded by the Bad Seeds.

The Bad Seed

With all the songs featuring co-writes from Cave and Harvey, it was said The Bad Seed, "forecasts the imminent future of Cave as a solo artist and Harvey as his right-hand man in more than just title." Howard's guitar work on the E.P. was particularly praised. The song "Deep in the Woods", "ends in all on a perfectly outrageous note, with Cave at his most sepulchral conjuring up a rural scene of devastation. The delivery and lyrics redefine the phrase "over the top."" [5]

Clinton Walker said the recording was, "the definitive Birthday Party record, a cauldron of narrative neo-blues songs devastating for its malignant sparseness." [6] Trouser Press called it, "four concise cuts of incredible visceral impact. It leaves the listener helpless and enthralled." [7]

Harvey later said, "People didn't mention the blues thing until The Bad Seeds. But there was a lot of it in the later Birthday Party, The Bad Seed. Maybe that was due to me, co-writing the songs with Nick. But then, I don't really listen to the blues. It wasn't until later, in the mid-eighties, that Nick was listening to a bit of John Lee Hooker." [6]

Despite having minimal song-writing credits on the E.P., Howard said, "I think, basically, Bad Seed is a lot more focused. When we kicked out Phill everything fell into place quickly. Like, I think Mick is far more capable of expressing himself on the drums than on the guitar. It was like everyone pushing for one aim, to create the same type of atmosphere." [8]

The cover of the E.P. was designed by Cave using photos taken by Bleddyn Butcher. The art around the pictures of the four members of the band was in the shape of a swastika. Harvey later said, "It always amazed me that people didn't get that. It was just a belly laugh for us. Hansa Studios, where we recorded it, was right near the wall and used to be a Nazi ballroom. The ghost of the Nazi era was so powerful in Berlin in the early eighties." [9]

Mutiny!

The initial recordings for Mutiny! took place at Hansa, where they had recorded The Bad Seed, but after an Australian tour (minus Mick Harvey) they continued in London.

Trouser Press said that "the posthumous Mutiny! was released at the correct time: it wouldn't have been easy to follow. Like The Bad Seed, it mixes two furious numbers with a pair of funereal dirges. 'Jennifer's Veil', a harrowing lament, is perhaps the band's finest song ever – neither John Cale nor Alfred Hitchcock was ever this scary." [7] AllMusic claimed, "the group bowed out with artistic extremism intact, if not always exploding all over the place as in years past." [10]

The cover art was conceived by Cave and Anita Lane, but constructed by Cave alone.

Cave later declared the recording, "a documentary of the group in utter collapse. The four songs are utterly dissimilar to each other because we all knew it was the last record and there was no longer any union within the group. It's not like we reached a point where we couldn't get any better. I just think we dissolved mid-climb". [11] Cave claimed there were tensions within the band at the recording sessions. "I knew that I wasn't getting along creatively with Rowland Howard, but we were still friends. There were different conflicts but it's kind of hard to put my finger on what they were now", he said. [12]

Howard described the recording process as "a nightmare. I'd done four or five hours of guitar overdubs, I'd worked out three or four completely different things which I played over a very skeletal track. I'd play one which would be rejected by Nick ad infinitum". Recording later continued without Howard's knowledge, with Blixa Bargeld completing the guitar track on "Mutiny in Heaven". [13] Bargeld said, "It was manifestly obvious that Rowland and Nick didn't get on anymore. Nick just wanted me to play guitar on Rowland's guitar and amp set up. That's what I remember. I didn't delve into the psychological situation". [14]

German director Heiner Mühlenbrock filmed the recording of "Jennifer's Veil" and "Swampland" for his documentary "Die Stadt" (The city) which also featured Cave. However, the footage remained unused and was only released briefly as an unofficial DVD-R via a Birthday Party fansite. [15]

Track listing

The Bad Seed E.P.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Sonny's Burning"Cave, Harvey, Howard, Pew3:20
2."Wild World"Cave, Harvey3:26
3."Fears of Gun"Cave, Harvey3:53
4."Deep in the Woods"Cave, Harvey4:49

The "Mutiny" Sessions

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Jennifer's Veil"Cave, Howard4:56
2."Six Strings That Drew Blood"Cave, Howard3:32
3."Say a Spell"Howard3:41
4."Swampland"Cave, Harvey, Howard, Pew3:29
5."Pleasure Avalanche"Cave4:22
6."Mutiny in Heaven"Cave, Harvey4:16

Band members

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Birthday Party (band)</span> Australian band

The Birthday Party were an Australian post-punk band, active from 1977 to 1983. The group's "bleak and noisy soundscapes," which drew irreverently on blues, free jazz, and rockabilly, provided the setting for vocalist Nick Cave's disturbing tales of violence and perversion. Their 1981 single "Release the Bats" was particularly influential on the emerging gothic scene. Despite limited commercial success, The Birthday Party's influence has been far-reaching, and they have been called "one of the darkest and most challenging post-punk groups to emerge in the early '80s."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds</span> Australian post punk/alternative rock band

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds are an Australian rock band formed in 1983 by vocalist Nick Cave, multi-instrumentalist Mick Harvey and guitarist-vocalist Blixa Bargeld. The band has featured international personnel throughout its career and presently consists of Cave, violinist and multi-instrumentalist Warren Ellis, bassist Martyn P. Casey, guitarist George Vjestica, touring keyboardist/percussionist Larry Mullins, also known as Toby Dammit, and drummers Thomas Wydler (Switzerland) and Jim Sclavunos. Described as "one of the most original and celebrated bands of the post-punk and alternative rock eras in the '80s and onward", they have released eighteen studio albums and completed numerous international tours.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blixa Bargeld</span> German musician

Blixa Bargeld is a German musician who has been the lead singer of the band Einstürzende Neubauten since its formation in 1980. Bargeld was also a founding member of the Australian rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, serving as a member from 1983 until his departure in 2003.

<i>Murder Ballads</i> 1996 studio album by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

Murder Ballads is the ninth studio album by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, released in 1996 on Mute Records. As its title suggests, the album consists of new and traditional murder ballads, a genre of songs that relays the details of crimes of passion.

<i>Nocturama</i> (album) 2003 studio album by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

Nocturama is the twelfth studio album by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, released on February 3, 2003 on Mute and ANTI-. Produced by Nick Launay, the album is the last to feature founding member Blixa Bargeld who departed the band shortly after the album's release.

<i>From Her to Eternity</i> 1984 studio album by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

From Her to Eternity is the debut studio album by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, released in May 1984 on Mute. Produced by Flood and the band itself, the album's title is a pun on the James Jones novel, From Here to Eternity, and its subsequent 1953 film adaptation.

<i>The Firstborn Is Dead</i> 1985 studio album by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

The Firstborn Is Dead is the second studio album by the post-punk band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, released on 3 June 1985. Produced by the band and Flood, the album saw singer Nick Cave continue his fascination with the American South, featuring references to Elvis Presley and bluesmen like Blind Lemon Jefferson. The album was recorded in the Hansa Studios in Berlin, Germany. Cave later said of the album, "Berlin gave us the freedom and encouragement to do whatever we wanted. We'd lived in London for three years and it seemed that if you stuck your head out of the box, people were pretty quick to knock it back in. Particularly if you were Australian. When we came to Berlin it was the opposite. People saw us as some kind of force rather than a kind of whacky novelty act."

<i>Kicking Against the Pricks</i> 1986 studio album by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

Kicking Against the Pricks is the third album released by the rock music group Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. First released in 1986, the album is a collection of Cave's interpretations of songs by other artists. The title is a reference to a biblical quote from the King James version of the Bible, Acts 26, verse 14.

<i>Your Funeral... My Trial</i> 1986 studio album by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

Your Funeral... My Trial is the fourth studio album by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, released on 3 November 1986 by Mute Records. Your Funeral... My Trial was originally released as a double EP. The album was issued on CD with a different running order and the additional track "Scum". During this period in his life, Cave was steeped in heroin addiction, perhaps evidenced by the melancholy, desperate mood of this album. This was the final Bad Seeds album to feature Barry Adamson until he returned for Push the Sky Away (2013).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anita Lane</span> Australian singer-songwriter (1960–2021)

Anita Louise Lane was an Australian singer-songwriter who was briefly a member of the Bad Seeds with Nick Cave and Mick Harvey and collaborated with both bandmates. Lane released two solo albums, Dirty Pearl (1993) and Sex O'Clock (2001).

<i>The Best of Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds</i> 1998 greatest hits album by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

The Best of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds is a compilation album by Australian rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, released on 11 May 1998.

Tuff Monks were a short-lived band consisting of Nick Cave, Mick Harvey and Rowland S. Howard with Robert Forster, Lindy Morrison and Grant McLennan. Their only release was the 1982 7" 45 rpm single "After the Fireworks", on the Australian label, Au Go Go Records. The lead track was co-written by Cave, Forster and McLennan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mick Harvey</span> Musical artist

Michael John Harvey is an Australian musician, singer-songwriter, composer, arranger and record producer. A multi-instrumentalist, he is best known for his long-term collaborations with Nick Cave, with whom he formed The Boys Next Door, The Birthday Party and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rowland S. Howard</span> Australian musician and songwriter (1959–2009)

Rowland Stuart Howard was an Australian rock musician, guitarist and songwriter, best known for his work with the post-punk group The Birthday Party and his subsequent solo career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tracy Pew</span> Australian musician (1957–1986)

Tracy Franklin Pew was an Australian musician, and bassist for The Birthday Party. He was later a member of The Saints, and worked with Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.

<i>Hee Haw</i> (EP)

Hee Haw is the second release and first EP by the Australian post-punk band the Boys Next Door. The Hee Haw EP was released in 1979 by the independent label, Missing Link Records.

<i>Live at the Royal Albert Hall</i> (Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds album) 2008 live album by Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds

Live at the Royal Albert Hall is a live album by Australian rock group Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, released on 24 November 2008. It was recorded on 19 and 20 May 1997 during the tour for The Boatman's Call and eight of these tracks were originally released as a nine-track bonus disc for The Best of Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds. The live album features a version of "Where the Wild Roses Grow" with vocals by Blixa Bargeld, which is delivered in a way that is similar to the demo version that was included on the B-Sides & Rarities album. The live recordings display the more mellow sound and performances that the group had been showcasing during that period, and would continue to deliver in the later No More Shall We Part album.

The discography of The Birthday Party, an Australian post-punk band, consists of four studio albums, two live albums, six compilation albums, six extended plays and nine singles. The group began under various names in Melbourne in 1973; formed by vocalist Nick Cave, guitarist Mick Harvey, drummer Phill Calvert, guitarist John Cocivera, bassist Brett Purcell, and saxophonist Chris Coyne —all of whom were students at Caulfield Grammar School. By 1978, following several membership changes, the band consisted of Cave, Harvey and Calvert with bassist Tracy Pew and guitarist Rowland S Howard. Under the name The Boys Next Door, the band released several singles and two studio albums, Door, Door in 1979 on Mushroom Records and The Birthday Party in 1980 on Missing Link Records.

<i>God Is in the House</i> (Nick Cave album) 2003 live album by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

God Is in the House is a live concert DVD by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, released on 26 August 2003.

References

  1. ↑ "Mutiny/The Bad Seed – The Birthday Party". AllMusic.
  2. ↑ "Reissues". www.austinchronicle.com.
  3. ↑ "Mutiny/The Bad Seed (Birthday Party album)". Oxford Reference.
  4. ↑ Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian David (2 April 2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon and Schuster. ISBN   9780743201698 – via Google Books.
  5. ↑ Ned Raggett. "The Birthday Party The Bad Seed [EP]". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
  6. 1 2 Clinton Walker (1996). Stranded: The Secret History of Australian Independent Music 1977–1991 . Pan MacMillan. p. 117. ISBN   0-7329-0883-3.
  7. 1 2 Ira Robbins and David Sheridan. "Birthday Party". Trouser Press. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
  8. ↑ Clinton Walker (1984). The Next Thing. Kenthurst, New South Wales: Kangaroo Press. p. 23. ISBN   0-949924-81-4.
  9. ↑ Ian Johnston (1997). Bad Seed: A Biography of Nick Cave. Abacus. pp. 125–126. ISBN   0-316-90833-9.
  10. ↑ Ned Raggett. "Mutiny EP". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
  11. ↑ Clinton Walker (1996). Stranded: The Secret History of Australian Independent Music 1977–1991 . Pan MacMillan. p. 126. ISBN   0-7329-0883-3.
  12. ↑ Tracee Hutchison (1992). Your Name's on the Door. Sydney: ABC Enterprises. p. 56. ISBN   0-7333-0115-0.
  13. ↑ Robert Brokenmouth (1996). Nick Cave: The Birthday Party and Other Adventures. Omnibus Press Press. p. 191. ISBN   0-7119-5601-4.
  14. ↑ Ian Johnston (1997). Bad Seed: A Biography of Nick Cave. Abacus. p. 139. ISBN   0-316-90833-9.
  15. ↑ Daniel Dylan Wray. "If This Is Heaven I'm Bailing Out: The Death of the Birthday Party". The Quietus. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.