Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds
The Good Son

THE REVIEW

We are in 1990 and after a thousand vicissitudes and finally detoxifying from heroin, Nick Cave gives birth to what can be considered his highest masterpiece. It must be said that until that moment, "King Ink" had maintained very high levels in his solo production, as demonstrated by the ambitious Tender Prey or the explosive debut of From Her To Eternity. But here we are faced with a completely different Nick Cave, a reborn man who, after arriving in Brazil (São Paulo), found in religion and the existential doubts it posed a new source of inspiration.

The Good Son is in every way the album of Christian rebirth, a unique album in his production, which breaks with the past and opens a new door of light and hope. In Brazil, he also met the woman who would give him his first son, Luke, but from whom he would also receive sufferings and pains of love, to which he refers in Let Love In ("Once there came a storm in the form of a girl/ It tore my world apart.../ and sometimes I swear I still hear her howl/ through the ruins" - Ain't Gonna Rain Anymore).

But let's go back to The Good Son; in this new adventure, he is accompanied as usual by the loyal Bad Seeds, led by the talented Mick Harvey (bass, acoustic guitar, vibraphone, arrangements) and by Blixa Bargeld of Einstürzende Neubauten (second voice and guitar). On the second guitar, we have the presence of Kid Powers with Thomas Wydler on drums, completing one of the most cohesive ensembles of our times.

The work opens with Foi Na Cruz, written in Portuguese; slow and wrapped in majestic melodies, this composition represents more than ever a desire for change and stretches out in search of redemption. It continues with The Good Son, which emphasizes even more the themes of the first song, with Cave alternating real gospel choirs with whispered words over a poignant symphonic base, dominated by the vibraphone and strings arranged by Mick Harvey. We are faced with one of the most intense and devastatingly beautiful moments of the album. Sorrow's Child is something moving and desperate at the same time, more than a simple song, despite the simplicity of the harmonic line, which seems to extend infinitely, as if wanting to reach something otherworldly and unknowable. Cave is at the height of his creative streak, and this is confirmed by the subsequent The Weeping Song: characterized by the duet with Blixa Bargeld, it is the dialogue between a father and son who look around and realize that everything around them is enveloped in despair. A moment of pure reflection, made even more evident by the sparse accompaniment. A completely different atmosphere is felt in The Ship Song, a fairytale ballad that explodes into a gentle and romantic chorus. Cave revisits the ancient demons of the past in The Hammer Song, demonstrating his ability to evoke such contrasting emotions, wrapped in an almost mystical romanticism, thanks to the sound of the strings that are the focal point. The desire for revenge is manifested again in the phenomenal The Witness Song, in which the Bad Seeds showcase all their skill and Cave unleashes all his class as a singer; it is the prelude to a love song like Lucy, which closes the album in a touching and melancholic manner with the harmonica fading away, surrounded by piano touches.

After this album, nothing will be the same: despite other great demonstrations of talent, showcased by albums of great depth like Let Love In (about a million copies sold, a record for him) and Murder Ballads, Nick Cave will never again match such peaks of beauty and intensity, and besides, it was practically impossible. The Good Son is in every way a unique and unrepeatable work, perfect in its simplicity and without any weak points. It is an absolute must-have in the collection of a music enthusiast, one of the greatest albums in history.