Bad Seeds - Act 1
Germination
I hope you enjoyed the latest (jeopardy driven) instalment of ‘C69’
In place of the usual ‘Track 18’ soundtrack today though (which will follow tomorrow), I thought I would try something a bit different!
One of the joys of serialising ‘Challenge 69’ on Substack, beyond the satisfaction of knowing people are reading my story, has been connecting with some of the more unexpected subscribers I have gathered along the way, including a whole (worldwide) bunch of music-inspired writers who also choose to, “do their thing,” on the platform.
Some of these can be almost as obsessive about music as me!
One of my favourites is ‘The Run Out Grooves’, written by Mitchell Stirling, which investigates a series of classic albums, reassessing them through the lens of their closing tracks. I would recommend giving it a try; however much you think you know some of these records, Mitchell unfailingly comes up with an interesting new angle.
Occasionally, ‘TRoGs’ runs ‘guest posts’, inviting other contributors to explore their own favourite albums using this same thematic device. Following a conversation with Mitchell, a month or so back, I foolishly offered to compile a piece on all of Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds studio albums, only to realise (too late in the day) there are 18 of them!
This will (eventually) be split over six ‘guest posts’, covering three albums each time, starting with ‘From Her to Eternity’ (1984) and running right through to Ghosteen (2019); although I need to pull my finger out before Nick releases something new.
This has allowed me to indulge a lifetime’s ambition of ‘impersonating’ an NME music journalist, so please take a read of the first part, attached below, if only to amuse yourself with my stumbling attempts to channel my inner Paul Morley!
Bad Seeds - Act 1, Part 2 (which even manages to sound a little Shakespearean!) will follow on Wednesday.