The Best of 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.

Cave asked each of the Bad Seeds, past and present, to choose their favourite tracks from the ten albums—their lists would then be discussed until a final list was produced. Only guitarist and founding Bad Seed Mick Harvey responded, and it is his listing, unchanged, that makes up The Best Of.

As of 2001 the album has sold 500,000 copies worldwide.^[5]

Track listing

"Deanna" – 3:36
"Red Right Hand" (Single Version) – 4:48
"Straight to You" – 4:35
"Tupelo" (Single Version) – 5:12
"Nobody's Baby Now" – 3:53
"Stranger Than Kindness" – 4:42
"Into My Arms" – 4:14
"(Are You) The One That I've Been Waiting For?" – 4:06
"The Carny" – 8:01
"Do You Love Me?" (Single Version) – 4:37
"The Mercy Seat" (Single Version) – 5:08
"Henry Lee" (featuring PJ Harvey) – 3:56
"The Weeping Song" (Single Version) – 4:20
"The Ship Song" (Single Version) – 4:42
"Where the Wild Roses Grow" (featuring Kylie Minogue) – 3:57
"From Her to Eternity" – 5:32

Track 16 is taken from the 1984 album From Her to Eternity.
Track 4 is taken from the 1985 album The Firstborn Is Dead.
Tracks 6 and 9 are taken from the 1986 album Your Funeral... My Trial.
Tracks 1 and 11 are taken from the 1988 album Tender Prey.
Tracks 13 and 14 are taken from the 1990 album The Good Son.
Track 3 is taken from the 1992 album Henry's Dream.
Tracks 2, 5 and 10 are taken from the 1994 album Let Love In.
Tracks 12 and 15 are taken from the 1996 album Murder Ballads.
Tracks 7 and 8 are taken from the 1997 album The Boatman's Call.

NOTE: Tracks 2, 4, 10, 11, 13 and 14 are the edited single versions (but are not listed as edits in the liner notes).

Special edition

The album was also released as a special edition with a live bonus disc, titled "Live at the Royal Albert Hall", recorded on 19 and 20 May 1997. This bonus CD was later released in 2008 as a regular disk, with four additional tracks and without "The Weeping Song".

"Lime Tree Arbour" – 3:42
"Stranger Than Kindness" – 5:02
"Red Right Hand" – 5:18
"I Let Love In" – 4:12
"Brompton Oratory" – 3:47
"Henry Lee" – 4:00
"The Weeping Song" – 4:38
"The Ship Song" – 4:12
"Where the Wild Roses Grow" – 4:01

Musicians

Nick Cave – Vocals, Hammond, Organ, Oscillator, Piano, Harmonica, Backing Vocals, String Arrangement
Blixa Bargeld – Guitar, "Boss Bellini", Backing Vocals, Slide Guitar, "Father" Vocal (on "The Weeping Song")
Mick Harvey – Drums, Bass, Acoustic Guitar, Guitar, Shaker, Bell, Rhythm Guitar, Extra Piano, Hammond, Bass Guitar, Bass Organ, Backing Vocals, Piano, Xylophone, Glockenspiel, Loops, Vibraphone, Percussion, String Arrangement
Kid Congo Powers – Guitar
Martyn P. Casey – Bass, Backing Vocals
Thomas Wydler – Drums, Timpani, Fish, Backing Vocals, Percussion
Conway Savage – Piano, Backing Vocals
Barry Adamson – Drums, Hammond, Backing Vocals, Bass
Jim Sclavunos – Drums, Bells
Tex Perkins – Backing Vocals
Rowland S. Howard – Backing Vocals
Roland Wolf – Guitar
Gini Ball – Strings
Audrey Riley – Strings
Chris Tombling – Strings
PJ Harvey – Vocals
Kylie Minogue – Vocals
Jen Anderson – Strings
Sue Simpson – Strings
Kerran Coulter – Strings
Helen Mountfort – Strings
Hugo Race – Guitar

Certifications

References

^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "The Best of Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds – Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 28 March 2012.
^ Cameron, Keith (16 April 2000). "NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS - The Best Of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds". NME. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
^ Schreiber, Ryan (1 June 1998). "Nick Cave – The Best of Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds". Pitchfork Media. Archived from the original on 9 September 2006. Retrieved 28 March 2012.
^ Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (2004). "Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds". The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (Completely revised and updated 4th ed.). New York: Fireside. p. 151. ISBN 9780743201698.
^ a b c "Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds Return with New Look at Old Themes". Billboard. 6 April 2001. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1998 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
^ "British album certifications – Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – The Best of Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 6 March 2023.