Nocturama (album)

Last updated

Nocturama
Nocturama.jpg
Studio album by
Released3 February 2003
RecordedMarch 2002
StudioSingSing Melbourne
Genre Alternative rock
Length57:35
Label Mute, Anti-
Producer Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Nick Launay
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds chronology
No More Shall We Part
(2001)
Nocturama
(2003)
Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus
(2004)
Singles from Nocturama
  1. "Bring It On"
    Released: 24 February 2003
  2. "He Wants You" / "Babe, I'm on Fire"
    Released: 2 June 2003
  3. "Rock of Gibraltar"
    Released: 1 September 2003
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 73/100 [1]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [2]
Alternative Press 5/5 [3]
Blender Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [4]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [5]
Los Angeles Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [6]
NME 8/10 [7]
Pitchfork 7.0/10 [8]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [9]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [10]
Uncut Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [11]

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.

Contents

Recording

Nocturama was recorded in one week during an Australian tour in March 2002, and reunited Nick Cave and guitarist Mick Harvey with producer Nick Launay, who had worked with their previous band The Birthday Party twenty-one years earlier.

Reflecting on the recording experience, Launay noted: "I'll never forget the first day recording Nocturama. Blixa swept into SingSing Studio in that hat. Mick Harvey introduces me and Blixa goes, 'Oh, ja, the engineer.' Mick says, 'No, Blixa – the producer.' Blixa says, 'Well, we'll see about that, won't we?' From a distance they look like the most chaotic band. From an engineering point of view, it's just fucking mental – like recording a live gig but you're capturing this thing for ever. As soon as Nick walks in and sits at the piano, you're recording. The intensity is unlike any other band." [12]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Nick Cave.

No.TitleLength
1."Wonderful Life"6:49
2."He Wants You"3:30
3."Right Out of Your Hand"5:15
4."Bring It On"5:22
5."Dead Man in My Bed"4:40
6."Still in Love"4:44
7."There Is a Town"4:58
8."Rock of Gibraltar"3:00
9."She Passed by My Window"3:20
10."Babe, I'm on Fire"14:45
Total length:57:35

Singles

Personnel

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Guest musicians

Sales

Sales for Nocturama
RegionSales
France20,000 [13]
Germany55,000 [13]
Italy20,000 [13]
Europe200,000 [13]

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References

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  6. Nichols, Natalie (16 February 2003). "Magnificently mordant moods". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 3 November 2015.
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  11. "Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds: Nocturama". Uncut (70): 96. March 2003.
  12. Male, Andrew (April 2020). "Nick Cave's 50 Greatest Songs: 'Something Monstrous Was Taking Shape'". Mojo .
  13. 1 2 3 4 Chris Barrett (22 March 2003). "Nick Cave retains staying power" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 21, no. 13. p. 12. Retrieved 25 November 2021.