Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds - 'B-Sides And Rarities Box Set' (Mute Records) Released 28/03/05

Sometimes it’s impossible to escape your own shadow. Bands don’t last forever (unless you’re hypnotized by the filthy lucre like the Rolling Stones) and when your band breaks up, where do you go? Any new band or solo career will always have the shadow of your previous band cast over it from the start, always having to live up to the standards set beforehand even if your new band bares no resemblance to your previous outfit. It’s almost destroyed people; just ask Gary Barlow…

Some bands get so disenchanted by their inability to shake off the shackles of their previous band and get coerced into reforming the previous band by some promoter with more money than sense, sometimes destroying a flow they’d been working up to throughout their solo career, the Pixies are a great example, though more in Kim Deal than Frank Black‘s case. Nick Cave never really had much of a problem escaping the shadow of his previous band The Birthday Party, the band were only really appreciated long after they’d ceased to exist. This didn’t mean though that he could rest on his laurels, more than most artists he has constantly pushed himself harder and harder, always improving upon his own formula, and never far away from critical acclaim.

As much as I appreciate Nick Cave, I do find some of his work quite a struggle. His morose outlook and ability to use the same sounds/instruments/styles for each song makes it hard to appreciate his music properly, but as an artist and a commentator on the world I find him incredibly interesting and influential. Who else could’ve worked with Kylie in the 90’s and made it look cool? So now when he’s at his uttermost peak, he releases a collection of his B-sides and rarities on this 3 CD collection. It’s a great collection for any fan, varied and including many moments where he lets down his guard and shows a whole lot more humour and humility. This is especially evident on the covers he chooses, Cave’s version Of 'Black Betty' is so surprising I find myself laughing milk out of my nose. As an artist, I would never dispute the man’s relevance in the world of music, though personally I could probably do without listening to 3 CD’s of the stuff he deemed not good enough for release on album.