Track Listing

1. Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!
2. Today's Lesson
3. Moonland
4. Night Of The Lotus Eaters
5. Albert Goes West
6. We Call Upon The Author
7. Hold On To Yourself
8. Lie Down Here (And Be My Girl)
9. Jesus Of The Moon
10. Midnight Man
11. More News From Nowhere

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6818 in Music
• Released on: 2008-03-03
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Limited Edition

Amazon.co.uk Review
Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!! finds Nick Cave back at the helm of his long-term band The Bad Seeds after some impressive soundtrack work--2005's The Assassination of Jesse James--and a busman's holiday in the raw, rocking Grinderman. As the title suggests, Lazarus finds Cave returning to familiar themes of God and redemption, although some of the raw poise and wild-eyed humour that resurfaced in Grinderman remains: take the opening title track, which retells the Biblical story of the resurrection of Lazarus as transposed onto the sleazy, poverty-stricken backdrop of modern-day New York City. Musically, the likes of "Moonland" and "Night of the Lotus Eaters" have a swampy feel, all skittering drums, simmering bass and smoky organ riffs; elsewhere, there are rockers that tie on dissonant guitars without losing their dissonant touch ("Lie Down Here"). Probably the album highlight comes with "We Call Upon the Author", a sprawling, "Sister Ray"-like chugger that shows off Cave's skill for magnificent, sung-shouted narratives: "Now mixamatoid kids roam the streets, we've shunned them from the greasy grind/The poor little things, they look so sad and old as they mount us from behind". --Louis Pattison

CD Description
The fourteenth studio album from Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds transports the biblical character of the title to contemporary New York, as well as drawing inspiration from escapologist Harry Houdini. Featuring the majority of his usual personnel in The Bad Seeds (including violinist Warren Ellis and organist/pianist Conway Savage), 'Dig, Lazarus, Dig' displays a rawer, more garage-inspired rock sound closer to Cave's side-project Grinderman. The lead single (and title track) displays the kind of meandering wordplay and subversive narratives that Nick Cave has become notable for.

Customer Reviews

The best Nick Cave album since, erm, the last one
OK, I'll keep this brief. I was given a preview copy of the record, so have no idea what the booklet is like. But the record is fantastic. I would have said "it's the best Nick Cave album in ages", but I thought Lyre of Orpheus/Abbatoir Blues was absolutely brilliant too. Grinderman wasn't my thing, but he seemed to enjoy himself.

Musically it's diverse, lyrically it's playful and funny (whilst still talking about god and death and murder and sex. We'd be disappointed if he didn't...) The single, Dig Lazarus Dig - you've heard - is terrific. Other highlights (so far; only got this last night) are We Call Upon The Author To Explain, Night Of The Lotus Eaters (which sounds like they forgot to record the rest of the music - only remembered the bass part. But, hey, it works)and Hold Onto Yourself.

Still early days, but it's made an instantly positive impression on me. If you like Nick Cave, you'll love it.

The guy is enjoying a serious run of form at the moment.

Superb Album...but...
I think enough has been said already regarding the quality of the music on this CD but what I'd like to comment on is the Ltd Ed package...There are NO Photos and NO "writings" - What you get is a CD in a plain card sleeve along with a sparse booklet of lyrics housed in a card slip cover.
Amazon need to revise their description as it is misleading...these cosmetic criticisms aside, I cannot recommend this album highly enough...like another reviewer has said - It's the best Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds album since the last one! Buy it now!!

life begins at...
The last album from Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, 'The Lyre of Orpheus/Abbatoir Blues' was amazing. Given the space of a double album we got to hear their full range from the gospel choir backed Get Ready For Love to the tender Babe, You Turn Me On. I played it again and again, consistently amazed by the sheer energy captured. I used to think Nick Cave was a bit rubbish once upon a time. I'd only seen him a couple of times, once duetting with Kylie Minogue, and to my ears he seemed to be having trouble hitting the notes. Talk about missing the point. Cave may not have the best voice in the world but, boy, does he know how to deliver a song. He also writes some of the best lyrics going, real storytelling through song, and a wicked sense of humour running through it all.

So now that the man himself has turned 50 what should we expect from the latest studio album? A maturing outlook, an album of reflection, a pipe and slippers? Of course not. This new album is a little harder in sound, influenced by last years Grinderman project. The title track gets things underway with a swagger and the risen Lazarus now in modern day New York and, by the end of the track, a dope fiend. As Cave shouts, 'He never asked to be raised up from the tomb'. Night Of The Lotus Eaters has an extraordinary bass line, reminiscent of the kind of backing Tricky used to great effect on his early albums building a sense of rhythmic unease. The same kind of repetitive beat is used on We Call Upon The Author, a lyrically adventurous rant about the very act of writing which uses one of The Bad Seeds great strengths the choral shout, the call to listeners which involves you in the music you're listening to.

It isn't all garage rock. Hold On To Yourself sounds much more like the gentle brilliance of The Lyre Of Orpheus and Jesus Of The Moon is quite beautiful, hiding an emotional 'punch in the heart' amongst its simple strings and flute. The range of playing, especially from the multi-talented Warren Ellis, is as exciting as that previous double album and what it lacks in depth it almost makes up for in brilliant lyrics and sheer sense of humour. Nick Cave has the kind of creative momentum and confidence going at the moment that bands a fraction of his age would kill for. Happy 50th!