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Mute has missed a trick here, surely, as the content of this DVD is exactly the same as the video issued in 1998 to coincide with the Greatest Hits album. That doesn't mean it isn't good, but you'd think they could have added a couple of newer videos while they were at it...
However, it's still a priceless collection for any Nick Cave fan, presenting 20 videos ranging from the very early (In The Ghetto, Deanna, The Singer, Tupelo) featuring a very young Cave, Bargeld et al - to the much more contemplative and lyrical love songs of The Boatman Calls.
Of these, Into My Arms stands out as a particularly thoughtful piece of film-making, while (Are You) The One That I've Been Waiting For? is a straightforward performance video, in an empty theatre, and a lovely, gentle presentation of a simply beautiful song.
The brief comments by the band on each video are wry and frequently illuminating, as well as being very funny. "The thing is... it should be made clear from the outset that we don't really like doing videos..." says Cave. Yes, and it does frequently show, but nevertheless some of these are gems.
They obviously went through a purple patch at the time of Murder Ballads, from which we have one of the highlights: the wondrously camp Stagger Lee (Cave in pink T-shirt and pale pink satin trousers, a couple of male go-go dancers, and a skinny Blixa shimmying - what more could you ask?). Then there's the famous Nick and Kylie pairing for Where The Wild Roses Grow, the video that had Australia up in arms at their darling being murdered.
Henry Lee is another murderous pairing - with Polly Harvey, with whom Cave reputedly had a brief affair. Judging by the chemistry on display in the video it wasn't over when they filmed.
Some are nice to have for completeness - Cave duetting with Shane MacGowan for What A Wonderful World ("Shane was on his best behaviour" comments Cave), The Ship Song (not a great performance, the whole band agrees - not helped by Cave being fresh out of rehab). Wanted Man was directed by Mick Harvey and features wide-ranging tour footage. I Had A Dream Joe is taken from the recording Live At The Paradiso - also available on video, and, one hopes, soon to be given the DVD treatment.
Some are just plain funny: The Weeping Song features Cave and Bargeld in a tiny boat, surrounded by black plastic waves - "We look like two old gay businessmen at the disco."
Some of the all-time classics are here, of course. Do You Love Me - musically one of Cave's most interesting songs - was filmed in Sao Paulo with some very decorative transvestites (Cave's comments here are delightful). Then there's The Mercy Seat (not a wildly successful video), Loverman (very creepy, as one would expect) and the sublime Red Right Hand. The band seems to be ambivalent about this video, but I think it's superb - a film noir treatment (as are many of these examples), very atmospheric and suitably weird. One I can watch over and over.
If you don't already have the video version of this collection, the DVD is a must.
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