Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!
Encyclopedia
Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! is the fourteenth studio album by Australian alternative rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
. The album was recorded in June and July 2007 at The State of the Ark Studios in Richmond, London
and mixed by Nick Launay
at British Grove Studios
in Chiswick
, and was released on March 3, 2008. It would also be the last album to feature Mick Harvey
, who left the Bad Seeds in 2009.
It is the second Bad Seeds studio album without Blixa Bargeld
and features the same line up as the Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus
double album. It is also the first to be released since the Bad Seeds side project Grinderman
released their eponymous album. In several interviews Cave has stated that this album would "sound like Grinderman", implying a garage rock sound. In line with this primitive intent, the album took roughly five days to make.
Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! features artwork by British artists Tim Noble and Sue Webster
.
"Ever since I can remember hearing the Lazarus
story, when I was a kid, you know, back in church, I was disturbed and worried by it. Traumatised, actually. We are all, of course, in awe of the greatest of Christ's miracles—raising a man from the dead—but I couldn't help but wonder how Lazarus felt about it. As a child it gave me the creeps, to be honest. I've taken Lazarus and stuck him in New York City, in order to give the song, a hip, contemporary feel. I was also thinking about Harry Houdini
who spent a lot of his life trying to debunk the spiritualists who were cashing in on the bereaved. He believed there was nothing going on beyond the grave. He was the second greatest escapologist, Harry was, Lazarus, of course, being the greatest. I wanted to create a kind of vehicle, a medium, for Houdini to speak to us if he so desires, you know, from beyond the grave."
for the album were produced by artists Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard
and posted on YouTube.
On February 18 the title track "Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!
" was released as the first single—on CD, limited edition 7", and as a digital download—with "Accidents Will Happen" as the B-side. The second single, "More News From Nowhere
", was released on 12 May. It draws its title from News from Nowhere
, an 1890 utopian socialist
novel by William Morris
.
An extended promotional video for "Night of the Lotus Eaters" was also released along with a live studio video of "Midnight Man" and a promotional video for "More News From Nowhere", all directed by artists Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard
. The "More News From Nowhere" video released in May 2008, features cameo appearances by journalist Will Self
, singer Beth Orton
, British TV actors Karl Theobald
, Michael Higgs
and Caroline Catz
plus British artists Tim Noble and Sue Webster
and socialite/ broadcaster Peaches Geldof
.
gave Dig, Lazarus Dig!!! 8/10, claiming that "just when The Bad Seeds seemed content to settle into middle-age as a cabaret gospel showband – albeit an extraordinary one – they’ve bared their teeth again", while Steven M. Deusner from Pitchfork Media
gave the album 8.4/10, stating "this is how rock musicians are supposed to age". The album currently holds an 87 percent rating on Metacritic
, indicating "universal acclaim".
In May, 2008 the album was announced as the first nomination for Triple J
's 2008 J Award
s.
The title track was ranked at 35 in the 2008 Hottest 100 Countdown from Triple J
in Australia
.
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds are an Australian alternative rock band, formed in Melbourne in 1983. The band is fronted by Nick Cave and has featured international personnel throughout their career.-Formation and early releases :...
. The album was recorded in June and July 2007 at The State of the Ark Studios in Richmond, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and mixed by Nick Launay
Nick Launay
Nick Launay is an English record producer and recording engineer. He is currently one of the most sought after producers in the world due to his current success with recent albums by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Arcade Fire, and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds...
at British Grove Studios
British Grove Studios
British Grove Studios is a recording studio located at 20 British Grove in Chiswick, West London, owned by musician Mark Knopfler.British Grove Studios was built by Mark Knopfler as "a monument to past and future technology". It has two studios...
in Chiswick
Chiswick
Chiswick is a large suburb of west London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It is located on a meander of the River Thames, west of Charing Cross and is one of 35 major centres identified in the London Plan. It was historically an ancient parish in the county of Middlesex, with...
, and was released on March 3, 2008. It would also be the last album to feature Mick Harvey
Mick Harvey
Michael John Harvey , is an Australian rock musician, composer, arranger and record producer. He is best known for his long-time collaboration with the singer and songwriter Nick Cave...
, who left the Bad Seeds in 2009.
It is the second Bad Seeds studio album without Blixa Bargeld
Blixa Bargeld
Blixa Bargeld is a composer, author, actor, singer, musician, performer and lecturer in a number of artistic fields...
and features the same line up as the Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus
Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus
Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus is the 13th studio album released by Australian alternative rock band, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. It is a double CD with 17 tracks – 9 on Abattoir Blues and 8 on The Lyre of Orpheus – which was released on 20 September 2004...
double album. It is also the first to be released since the Bad Seeds side project Grinderman
Grinderman
Grinderman is an alternative rock band formed by Nick Cave , Warren Ellis , Martyn P. Casey and Jim Sclavunos in London, United Kingdom in 2006...
released their eponymous album. In several interviews Cave has stated that this album would "sound like Grinderman", implying a garage rock sound. In line with this primitive intent, the album took roughly five days to make.
Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! features artwork by British artists Tim Noble and Sue Webster
Tim Noble and Sue Webster
Timothy "Tim" Noble and Susan "Sue" Webster , are two British artists who work as a collaborative duo, and are associated with the post-YBA generation of artists.-Early lives and careers:...
.
Concept
On the band's official website Cave wrote on his inspiration for the album:"Ever since I can remember hearing the Lazarus
Lazarus of Bethany
Lazarus of Bethany, also known as Saint Lazarus or Lazarus of the Four Days, is the subject of a prominent miracle attributed to Jesus in the Gospel of John, in which Jesus restores him to life four days after his death...
story, when I was a kid, you know, back in church, I was disturbed and worried by it. Traumatised, actually. We are all, of course, in awe of the greatest of Christ's miracles—raising a man from the dead—but I couldn't help but wonder how Lazarus felt about it. As a child it gave me the creeps, to be honest. I've taken Lazarus and stuck him in New York City, in order to give the song, a hip, contemporary feel. I was also thinking about Harry Houdini
Harry Houdini
Harry Houdini was a Hungarian-born American magician and escapologist, stunt performer, actor and film producer noted for his sensational escape acts...
who spent a lot of his life trying to debunk the spiritualists who were cashing in on the bereaved. He believed there was nothing going on beyond the grave. He was the second greatest escapologist, Harry was, Lazarus, of course, being the greatest. I wanted to create a kind of vehicle, a medium, for Houdini to speak to us if he so desires, you know, from beyond the grave."
Singles and promotion
A series of viral video trailersViral video
A viral video is one that becomes popular through the process of Internet sharing, typically through video sharing websites, social media and email...
for the album were produced by artists Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard
Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard
Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard are British artists who create re-enactments of cultural and art historical events. Forsyth was born in Manchester in 1973, Pollard in Newcastle in 1972.-Life and work:...
and posted on YouTube.
On February 18 the title track "Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!
Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! (song)
"Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!" is a song written by Nick Cave and was released by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds as a single on February 18, 2008. It is the title track from the band's latest album, Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!. The song, like much of the band's recent work, was produced by Nick Launay...
" was released as the first single—on CD, limited edition 7", and as a digital download—with "Accidents Will Happen" as the B-side. The second single, "More News From Nowhere
More News From Nowhere
"More News from Nowhere" is the 28th single by Australian rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and the second single from the album Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!. The song has a melodic similarity to "Deanna" from the 1988 album Tender Prey and the song also mentions the character of Deanna. The title is...
", was released on 12 May. It draws its title from News from Nowhere
News from Nowhere
News from Nowhere is a classic work combining utopian socialism and soft science fiction written by the artist, designer and socialist pioneer William Morris...
, an 1890 utopian socialist
Utopian socialism
Utopian socialism is a term used to define the first currents of modern socialist thought as exemplified by the work of Saint-Simon, Charles Fourier, and Robert Owen which inspired Karl Marx and other early socialists and were looked on favorably...
novel by William Morris
William Morris
William Morris 24 March 18343 October 1896 was an English textile designer, artist, writer, and socialist associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and the English Arts and Crafts Movement...
.
An extended promotional video for "Night of the Lotus Eaters" was also released along with a live studio video of "Midnight Man" and a promotional video for "More News From Nowhere", all directed by artists Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard
Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard
Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard are British artists who create re-enactments of cultural and art historical events. Forsyth was born in Manchester in 1973, Pollard in Newcastle in 1972.-Life and work:...
. The "More News From Nowhere" video released in May 2008, features cameo appearances by journalist Will Self
Will Self
William Woodard "Will" Self is an English novelist and short story writer. His fictional style is known for being satirical, grotesque, and fantastical. He is a prolific commentator on contemporary British life, with regular appearances on Newsnight and Question Time...
, singer Beth Orton
Beth Orton
Beth Orton is a BRIT Award–winning English singer-songwriter, known for her 'folktronica' sound, which mixes elements of folk and electronica. She was initially recognised for her collaborations with William Orbit and the Chemical Brothers in the mid 1990s. However, these were not Orton's first...
, British TV actors Karl Theobald
Karl Theobald
Karl Theobald is an English comedian and actor, best known as Dr. Martin Dear in Channel 4 sitcom Green Wing, and for his physical comedy style....
, Michael Higgs
Michael Higgs
Michael Higgs is a British actor best known for prominent roles in two long-running television series: Eddie Santini in ITV1's The Bill, and Andy Hunter in EastEnders....
and Caroline Catz
Caroline Catz
-Biography:Born Caroline Caplan, Catz began acting in the early 1990s, initially playing minor roles. On registering with Equity, she discovered that an actress with the name Caroline Caplan was already registered, so she had to choose a different professional name.In 1994 she took a lead role in...
plus British artists Tim Noble and Sue Webster
Tim Noble and Sue Webster
Timothy "Tim" Noble and Susan "Sue" Webster , are two British artists who work as a collaborative duo, and are associated with the post-YBA generation of artists.-Early lives and careers:...
and socialite/ broadcaster Peaches Geldof
Peaches Geldof
Peaches Honeyblossom Geldof is a British journalist, television presenter and model.-Background:Geldof was born in London in 1989, the second daughter of Bob Geldof and Paula Yates. She is the granddaughter of Hughie Green. Her sisters are Fifi Trixibelle Geldof and Pixie Geldof...
.
Track listing
- "Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! (song)"Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!" is a song written by Nick Cave and was released by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds as a single on February 18, 2008. It is the title track from the band's latest album, Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!. The song, like much of the band's recent work, was produced by Nick Launay...
" – 4:10 (Cave) - "Today's Lesson" – 4:41 (Cave)
- "Moonland" – 3:53 (Cave/Ellis/Casey/Sclavunos)
- "Night of the Lotus Eaters" – 4:53 (Cave/Ellis)
- "Albert Goes West" – 3:32 (Cave/Ellis)
- "We Call Upon the Author" – 5:12 (Cave/Ellis)
- "Hold on to Yourself" – 5:51 (Cave/Ellis/Casey)
- "Lie Down Here (& Be My Girl)" – 4:58 (Cave)
- "Jesus of the Moon" – 3:22 (Cave)
- "Midnight Man" – 5:07 (Cave)
- "More News From NowhereMore News From Nowhere"More News from Nowhere" is the 28th single by Australian rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and the second single from the album Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!. The song has a melodic similarity to "Deanna" from the 1988 album Tender Prey and the song also mentions the character of Deanna. The title is...
" – 7:58 (Cave/Ellis/Casey/Sclavunos)
Singles
- "Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! (song)"Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!" is a song written by Nick Cave and was released by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds as a single on February 18, 2008. It is the title track from the band's latest album, Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!. The song, like much of the band's recent work, was produced by Nick Launay...
" (MUTE 377) (February 18, 2008)- b/w: "Accidents Will Happen"
- "More News From NowhereMore News From Nowhere"More News from Nowhere" is the 28th single by Australian rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and the second single from the album Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!. The song has a melodic similarity to "Deanna" from the 1988 album Tender Prey and the song also mentions the character of Deanna. The title is...
" (MUTE 390) (May 12, 2008)- b/w: "Fleeting Love"
- "Midnight Man" (MUTE 403) (July 28, 2008)
- b/w: "Hey Little Firing Squad"
Personnel
- Nick CaveNick CaveNicholas Edward "Nick" Cave is an Australian musician, songwriter, author, screenwriter, and occasional film actor.He is best known for his work as a frontman of the critically acclaimed rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, established in 1984, a group known for its eclectic influences and...
– Vocals (1-11), Organ (1,2,6,7), Piano (3,8,9), Tambourine (3,5,11), Sleigh Bells (3,11), Toms (5), Harmonica (5), Electric Guitar (9), Vibra-Slap (11) - Martyn P. CaseyMartyn P. CaseyMartyn Paul Casey is an English-born Australian rock bass guitarist. He had been a member of The Triffids, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Grinderman. Casey plays either his Fender Precision Bass or Fender Jazz Bass.-Biography:...
– Bass (1-3,6-11) - Thomas WydlerThomas WydlerThomas Wydler , is a Swiss musician best known for being a core member of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, of which he has been a drummer since 1985. Prior to joining them, he was a member of the experimental German band Die Haut. Wydler has been present on almost every Bad Seeds album, making his...
– Brushed Snare (1), Shaker (2,10), Tambourine (2,5,10), Drums (4,8,9), Hand Drums (7) - Warren EllisWarren Ellis (musician)Warren Ellis is an Australian multi-instrumentalist and composer, best known for his work with Dirty Three, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Grinderman and his soundtrack scores with Nick Cave. He plays violin, piano, bouzouki, guitar, flute, mandolin, and tenor guitar...
– Viola (1,6,9,11), Loops (1,4,6,7,10,11), Fender Mandocaster (2-4,7-10), Tenor Guitar (3,5,8,10), Maracas (3) 12 String Lute (5), Drum Machine (6), Piano (8), Flute (9), Mandolin (9) - Mick HarveyMick HarveyMichael John Harvey , is an Australian rock musician, composer, arranger and record producer. He is best known for his long-time collaboration with the singer and songwriter Nick Cave...
– Electric Guitar (1,4-6,10,11), Acoustic Guitar (2,5,7-9), Bass (4,5), Organ (10) - Jim SclavunosJim SclavunosJim Sclavunos is an American rock music drummer, percussionist and producer.Sclavunos, a half-Greek and half-Italian from Brooklyn, New York , is well-known for his exceptional height at 6'7". Sclavunos has performed with Sonic Youth, Tav Falco's Panther Burns, Lydia Lunch and was a member of 8...
– Drums (1-3,5-7,10,11), Bongos (1,5), Cowbell (1), Cuica (3), Congas (3,4), Finger Cymbals (4), Shaker (5), Maracas (7), Tambourine (8,9), Sleigh Bells (9) - James Johnston – Organ (2,5,9), Electric Guitar (5)
- All backing vocals and handclaps by Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds
Critical reception
Critical response to the album has been overwhelmingly positive, with reviewers citing this as both a return to greatness and a new side of the band. A review from NMENME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
gave Dig, Lazarus Dig!!! 8/10, claiming that "just when The Bad Seeds seemed content to settle into middle-age as a cabaret gospel showband – albeit an extraordinary one – they’ve bared their teeth again", while Steven M. Deusner from Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
gave the album 8.4/10, stating "this is how rock musicians are supposed to age". The album currently holds an 87 percent rating on Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, indicating "universal acclaim".
In May, 2008 the album was announced as the first nomination for Triple J
Triple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
's 2008 J Award
J Award
The J Award is an award given by influential Australian youth radio station Triple J to Australian Album of the Year. It is judged by a panel of members of the music industry, led by Richard Kingsmill...
s.
The title track was ranked at 35 in the 2008 Hottest 100 Countdown from Triple J
Triple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Awards
- 20082008 MOJO AwardsThe 2008 MOJO Honours List Winners were announced at a ceremony at The Brewery in London, England on June 16, 2008.-Nominees:Complete list of nominees :*Song of the Year**LCD Soundsystem - "All My Friends"...
MOJO AwardsMOJO AwardsThe MOJO Awards is an awards ceremony that began in 2004 by Mojo, a popular music magazine published monthly by Bauer in the United Kingdom...
: Best Album of 2008 (Dig, Lazarus Dig!!!) - 2008 ARIA Award: Nick Cave Best Male Artist of 2008 (for Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!)
- Certified Silver for UK sales.
- Certified Gold for Irish sales.