Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds was originally formed in 1984 by two former members of the Australian band the Birthday Party: Nick Cave (vocals- songwriter keyboards harmonica) and multi-instrumentalist Mick Harvey. They were joined by Einstürzende Neubauten member Blixa Bargeld (guitar) Hugo Race (guitar) and former Magazine member Barry Adamson (bass piano). Cave's former girlfriend Anita Lane was also a creative influence and occasional lyricist. This line-up recorded their debut album from Her to Eternity released in 1984. During their initial Australian tour Birthday Party bass guitarist Tracy Pew also performed with the band. With the Bad Seeds Cave continued to explore his obsessions with religion death love America and violence with a bizarre sometimes self-consciously eclectic hybrid of blues gospel rock and arty post-punk although in a more subdued fashion than his work with the Birthday Party. Cave also allowed his literary aspirations to come to the forefront; the lyrics are narrative prose heavy on literary allusions and myth-making and take some inspiration from Leonard Cohen. Cave's gloomy lyrics dark musical arrangements and deep baritone voice recall the albums of Scott Walker who also obsessed over death and love with a frightening passion. However Cave brings a hefty amount of post-punk experimentalism to Walker's epic dark pop. - - - TracksCredits - 1 Song of Joy - 2 Stagger Lee - 3 Henry Lee - 4 Lovely Creature - 5 Where the Wild Roses Grow - 6 The Curse of Millhaven - 7 The Kindness of Strangers - 8 Crow Jane - 9 O'Malley's Bar - 10 Death Is Not the End