This has an inunnguaq (ᐃᓄᙳᐊᖅ, 'imitation of a person', plural inunnguat) on the front cover.
Three figures are scaling the inukshuk. Hugh Syme, the graphic designed, always dealt in threes for Rush.
Here's 'Half the World' from that album:
Half the world lives Half the world makes Half the world gives While the other half takes
Half the world cries Half the world laughs Half the world tries To be the other half
Jan Garbarek released 'Visible World', perhaps his last great album as he hasn't released new music for many years now - although he remains a superb live act and I will always go to see him when he tours in the UK.
The Blue Nile released 'Peace at Last', seven years after their previous album. This didn't have the same power as 'Hats'.
An alphabet of bands and artists as a series for February. These were selected by the Spotify algorithm.
Not surprising that this came up via the Spotify algorithm as I'd been listening to a lot of his music before and since seeing the Wild God tour at the O2 arena. The album is now out on CD and in other formats.
Image: Nick Cave at the O2 - Alan Parkinson, shared on Flickr under CC license
His concerts are real experiences, like a church service. He prowls and draws in the audience with his lyrics, which often feature dark themes.
The musicians he accompanies himself with are also excellent. We saw a band which included Jonny Greenwood - the bassist from Radiohead - who sold out the O2 in November last year with hefty ticket prices as a result - and also some other top musicians.
He has usually collaborated with the musician Warren Ellis, who is Australian like him, and has composed a whole range of soundtracks, including a film about Jesse James. Warren Ellis' stage persona is wonderful.
My son also had the chance to meet him and say hello when he was down at the London Film Festival, as he had been involved in a film about Marianne Faithful. My son was coincidentally wearing his Nick Cave tour t-shirt from the O2 arena show. On the way there, we had also seen Mark Kermode on the tube, and as my son is a massive student of film, he had the chance to say hello to him too - more 2nd hand encounters of the first kind.
There are a few stand out tracks that I particularly like.
The encore at his recent UK concerts was a solo song at the piano: "Into my Arms".
A virtual exhibition has also opened up.
Selected discography - produced by AI
Any Nick Cave related stories welcome.... and what comes up in your 'N'?
