I must have been anticipating this album keenly after the wonderful Boatman's Call, because I remember making my regular Saturday visit to Polar Bear on Ecclesall Road and asking the guy there about its release date. He told me it was the following Monday, but then reached behind the counter to show that he already had some in stock. I promised not to tell anyone that he'd broken the embargo on selling copies, and I've kept that promise, until now.
Truth is, Boatman's Call was a hard act to follow, and after maybe six or seven listens, I decided it wasn't up to the standard of its predecessor, and put it to one side. This being 2001, the era of my CD-buying binge, anything put to one side was very unlikely to make it back into the player.
Now I see the error of my ways. I still don't think No More Shall We Part is in the same league as Boatman's Call, but that doesn't stop it being pretty damn good. It sags about two thirds of the way through, but then most albums over an hour long do that: I think that's the place they dump the songs that they had trouble finishing, so they dump them around the 45 minute mark, knowing that we'll have turned off, physically or mentally, by then.
Of course, I got the 'limited' edition with the second CD, containing two extra songs (pretty good actually, especially, Grief Came Riding — they're both on B-Sides & Rarities) and a perfunctory and pointless nine-minute Quicktime video.
I've said it before (1, 2) — I won't say it again as I don't have any more Nick Cave albums (Lucy has the more recent ones) — but his back catalogue is pretty impressive now. I can't think of any other artist or band whose career started in the eighties and who's produced so many good albums. Go on, there's a challenge for you: name one!
A clunky album this. Not a patch on The Boatman's Call.
Posted by: Brian | 30 April 2010 at 10:27 AM
The Fall are the only other band I can name that have been going since the late seventies and who still produce vital work.
This album has flashes of brilliance but is sooooooo slooooooooooow.
Posted by: M.J. Nicholls | 30 April 2010 at 01:24 PM
To take up your challenge - Steve Wynn (Dream Syndicate, Gutterball, Danny and Dusty etc), responsible for these albums I still play regularly: The Days of Wine and Roses, Medicine Show, Out Of The Grey, Ghost Stories, 3 1/2; The Lost Tapes 1985-1988, Live At Raji's, Kerosene Man, Dazzling Display, Fluorescent, Sweetness and Light, Here Come the Miracles, Crossing Dragon Bridge, Static Transmission, ...tick...tick...tick, The Lost Weekend, Cast Iron Soul, Gutterball, Smack Dab, The Baseball Project Volume 1: Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails.
Your taste may vary... ;-)
Posted by: Brand New Guy | 30 April 2010 at 01:26 PM
Many thanks, M.J. and Guy, for the suggestions. Have to confess I don't know any of Steve Wynn's work... well, I've probably heard one or two songs by Danny & Dusty or Dream Syndicate, but that's it. I see Kerosene Man is on We7, so I'll check that out. I stopped buying Fall albums regularly in 1988. I've heard several tales that albums since then have been great, but opinions seem to differ on exactly which albums they are. I dipped into The Unutterable a while back, but wasn't blown away. Any pointers on where I should start with their stuff over the last couple of decades?
Posted by: David | 30 April 2010 at 02:42 PM
"The Infotainment Scan" & "The Marshall Suite" are the Fall's most consistent releases of the 90s. It is their patchiest decade, though.
As for the 00s, well... if you don't like "The Real New Fall LP" or "Fall Heads Roll" then you probably won't get into their new stuff at all!
Posted by: M.J. Nicholls | 01 May 2010 at 08:52 PM