Nick Cave - Higgs Boson Blues

by Salman Hameed

Well, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds are back to their top form with their new album, Push the Sky Away. It reminds me of The Boatman's Call and yet it is quite different (Murder Ballads and The Boatman's Call were two amazing back-to-back albums). Nick Cave usually writes about death/murder, love and God (yes, he is inspired by Johnny Cash, Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits), but this time he also has a spectacular song related to science, Higgs Boson Blues. Well, no - there isn't any science in it. Instead, it seems like a surreal romp on a drive to Geneva. Here it is:

There are a lot of meandering pop culture and historical references. One reference is about a cone-shape Jewish hat, that was enforced - among others - by one of the Abbasid Caliphs. In another excellent song, Mermaids, he mentions seventy-two virgins (along with his belief in God, mermaids, and the Rapture). And on a completely unrelated topic, do check out the video Jubilee Street (the uncensored version here - hey you better be over 18 to view it!). This video is directed by John Hillcoat, who has directed two Nick Cave written films - the fantastic The Proposition and the not so good Lawless (also see our Film Autopsy here).

Well, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds will be performing in Boston on March 24th - but the show is sold out. Don't hesitate to let me know if you have tickets to the show and don't want to go...  :)

And while we are on the subject of awesome aging singers, here is the spectacular new song and video from David Bowie: Where Are We Now?