Customer Reviews
A darkly funny album which takes the usual Nick Cave skill in an unusual direction. 
2008-06-08
Evidently reinvigorated by his mid-life-crisis stint in punk-rock incarnation Grinderman, Nick Cave returns with Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! - a thrilling, sprawling album.
Its themes of sex, death and religion, and its cast of strange shadowy creatures occupying a rich and looming musical landscape are familiar, but there is definitely a new energy at play.
The magnificent "Jesus of the Moon" - one of several tracks where Cave trades his preacher-man delivery for that of a storyteller - is among the finest moments of his career, and there's much more to rave about besides. Now 50 and no longer the menacing figure he was during the decades he maintained a heroin habit, Nick Cave has become a prodigious artist(responsible for soundtracks, screenplays and essays as well as his solo material) who ranks alongside the likes of Bob Dylan and Tom Waits.
The backdrops to these narratives and speculations range from churning rock'n'roll vamps, barrages of distorted guitar noise and hypnotic chants, to the shimmering mandolin and viola, caressed with tender breaths of flute, that multi-instrumentalist Warren Ellis conjures up for the beautiful "Jesus of the Moon".
There's more than enough on here - the wonderfully morbid lyrics, the almost animal guitar sounds and, of course, that voice - to savour.
"Jesus of the Moon" has some of the Bad Seeds signature sound.
The track would fit in better on "The Good Son" than it does surrounded by rock 'n' roll tunes like the title song.
"Night of the Lotus Eaters" has a distinctive Grinderman feel and "More News From Nowhere" more obviously presents the band's earlier musical characteristics.
"Dig" is a confident album by musicians who are not simply singing the songs they know will sell and it is an interesting, exciting and often irreverent offering.
My favourute tracks are : "Jesus of the Moon", "We Call Upon the Author", "More News From Nowhere", "Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!", and "Today's Lesson".
It's A Shame 
2008-05-31
I have been a fan of Nick Cave's music for over 20 years. So far, in my opinion, this is his only "dud". Nothing is really stinkeroo about it, it's just bland and boring and contains similar material already covered on previous albums. I hope he hops back up on that black steed and rides again--but for now, he and his mates are just slogging through the dung.
Hard Driving Rock with Dirty Blues Mixed In 
2008-05-24
Nick Cave has been an outstanding musician for decades. Although he has written amazing songs throughout the years, he has not yet achieved great success (his albums on the top 10). Even though what I know of him, he'd probably prefer it that way, to not be in the mainstream of the rock world (you know being classified as commercial). This release of Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!! is considerably one of his best. It's released after he took time off to work with his side project Grinderman last year then returned and recorded this album.
Whatever he did, like getting out other frustrations with Grinderman, worked because this album contains fierce hard driving rock tunes with dirty blues mixed in. He has a song "Jesus Of The Moon" that is a more mellow piano style track and the title track that hits you with it's pounding drums and then there's "Moonland" that has a more funk sorta vibe to it. Overall this is a great album with strong interesting songs.
Dynamite Gift 2008-05-18
I sent this as a gift and the recipient said it was a dynamite CD.
The album Grinderman should have been 2008-05-12
Before the release of Grinderman, I remember getting all excited reading that Nick Cave was coming out with hard rocking album. Unfortunately, the CD didn't live up to my expectations, it struck me as more of a throwaway than a committed project. But at least I didn't have long to wait for the real goods. Dig Lazarus Dig is everything I had been hoping for in a rocking Nick Cave release, full-fledged songs, fun yet biting lyrics, a diversity of musical styles, moments of pensiveness and beauty, and oh yeah, it really really jams. Welcome back, Nick!
I don't understand why some reviewers are knocking this album. This, to me, is not the sound of Nick Cave in a rut, this is the sound of Nick and the Bad Seeds revitalized. We all love Nick Cave the twisted balladeer, the lounge singer with the dark tortured soul of an Ingmar Bergman, the pensive Nick Cave of The Good Son, Murder Ballads, The Boatman's Call, No More Shall We Part and The Lyre of Orpheus/Abbatoir Blues, but staying in that same mode ad infinitum would have constituted the true rut. It was time for a change, and Lazarus indicates a deviation in focus I ardently applaud, even if it turns out to be for one album only. Nick's characteristic snarl is still here, but he seems to be having more fun this time around. Does that make some of the lyrics less deep than what we're accustomed to? Maybe, but that doesn't mean they're not every bit as intelligent and literate and black as before. Nick has opted for a more absurdist lyrical style on several of the songs, going off on bizarre tangents while spinning his characteristically sardonic narratives, and frankly I'm not always sure what the hell he's singing about, but the results are damned entertaining nonetheless. As for the musical element, I like the sound of Nick Cave cutting loose. This might be the closest thing to a party album that Nick and the Bad Seeds ever release, and it is appropriately raunchy, but that doesn't make it negligible. The title song which opens the album, and We Call Upon the Author, positioned directly at the middle, and the closing More News From Nowhere are the key tracks here, setting the mood of theater of the absurd spontaneity, but they aren't necessarily the strongest. This is a hook-laden album, with Nick's pop sensibilities in full swing. In addition to those three songs, I really love Today's Lesson, Hold On To Yourself, Lie Down Here(& Be My Girl) and Midnight Man. Besides its melodic invention and lyrical, flamboyance, Lazarus has the added advantage of being far from a one note adventure; musical ideas abound. Night of the Lotus Eaters employs what sounds like a steel drum, Hold On To Yourself and Jesus Of the Moon are beautiful ballads in the tradition of his more recent albums, but with some musical twists(Hold On has a distinctly western twang), and Lie Down Here is a barroom sizzler, the kind of all out assault Nick and the boys haven't done for a while(not counting Grinderman), with an irresistible melody and a propulsive performance by the band. Lazarus might be Nick's most American album, with its nods to American music and its darkly comic examinations of American celebrity and culture.
Some may argue with Nick's change in direction, I find it exhilarating. To the naysayers, criticize this album if you must, but please don't accuse Nick Cave of getting stale. For me this album is a refreshing change of pace, with the emphasis on fresh.
Another fantastic album 2008-07-17
I have to admit that I wasn't impressed the first time I heard this album. I liked the title track well enough, and I enjoyed News From Nowhere, but none of the others impressed me. Every time I listened to the album it grew on me, one song at a time. Now I can't stop listening to it- I absolutely love Jesus of the Moon, Hold on to Yourself, and Lie Down Here. It's one of my favorite albums.
Phenomenal Album 2008-07-04
Best album of the year. I can't get this out of my CD player. If this CD came out from a better known artist than Nick it would be all over the radio. That is my only problem with the CD. Not enough people will hear it. Sorry Nick but I've burnt a bunch of these and gave them to friends who otherwise would not have heard it. The response has been great, everyone loves it. This CD more appeals to the masses than most of Nick's other stuff so I hope the hardcore Nick fans aren't hating it. I've purchased a lot of music I really like lately; Consolers of the Lonely, Mudcrutch, Felice Bros, Weezer Red album and REM Accelerate but I keep coming back to Dig Lazarus Dig. I have tickets for him at the Wamu Theatre in October. I haven't seen him in probably 20 years and I can't wait.
great new album 2008-06-18
Perhaps re-energized by the Grinderman project, this album finds Nick Cave and company picking up the pace a bit from the last few Bad Seeds albums.
I disagree with the (semi) negative reviews. I appreciate the fact that he mixed things up a bit and think the song-writing and lyrics are still top notch.
Can't wait for the tour!
More good stuff from Mr. Cuh-vey 2008-06-13
I won't waste your time with overused and flabby adjectives. Suffice it to say, Nick and his Bad Seeds cohorts slide into middle age with chops, prowess, and style. If you liked his previous work, this should suit you just fine. If you've never listened to the father of Goth-lounge then this is just as good a place to start as any. Of course, the teens might find him boring, but then many think if one isn't wearing eyeliner, one has no street cred.
Dig Lazarus Dig 2008-06-08
At first listen, I was not certain I would care for this album; although I am a dedicated Cave fan. After one or two times playing it, I really liked Midnight Man and More News from Nowhere. I am finding I like the whole album better and better the more I listen to it, reminding me that Cave's work grows on you. I think Dig Lazarus Dig is a good choice for Cave's fans. The man is amazing and just gets better as time passes.
