Like minds, or another swindle from Oz???

An excerpt from the Wikipedia entry for "Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!":

On the band's official website, Cave wrote about his inspiration for the album: "Ever since I can remember hearing the Lazarus story, when I was a kid, you know, back in church, I was disturbed and worried by it. Traumatized, actually. We are all, of course, in awe of the greatest of Christ's miracles - raising a man from the dead - but I couldn't help but wonder how Lazarus felt about it. As a child it gave me the creeps, to be honest. I've taken Lazarus and stuck him in New York City, in order to give the song, a hip, contemporary feel. I was also thinking about Harry Houdini who spent a lot of his life trying to debunk the spiritualists who were cashing in on the bereaved. He believed there was nothing going on beyond the grave. He was the second greatest escapologist, Harry was, Lazarus, of course, being the greatest. I wanted to create a kind of vehicle, a medium, for Houdini to speak to us if he so desires, you know, from beyond the grave."

I heard "Hang On To Yourself" on a Friday night during the first week of April. The show was "This is only a Test" on WFUV FM here in NYC, one of the only radio stations I can listen to without feeling I'm on the hamster wheel of shit, with looping soundtrack piped into the collective conscious by one of ?3? companies now??
The other stations on my presets are WBGO (JAZZ for folks who'd prefer a kick to the liver instead of hearing "SmoothJazz"), WFMU (my favorite independent channel), and WNYC (my radio's homepage)

My first post here, dated March 15th & outlining my reasons for creating this site, is eerily & coincidentally similar to what Cave mentions as inspiration for this new album.
I haven't been able to locate a date for his initial post so I'll claim that old Lazarus spoke to me first, & then gently accuse old Nick of pinching a bit of my Lazarus fixation; the goal being to shake him down for some prime seats at the concerts he'll surely have in NY. within a couple of months. GOT THAT NICK!!!??!! ARE YOU LISTENING MATE!???

Thoughts exist on a plane we can neither see nor touch. They are sometimes shared over great distances without so much as a whisper to shuttle them along. What is so strange about Nick Cave sharing a fascination that I have with an old biblical tale?
Lazarus must be a source of wonder to far more than just two guys on opposite ends of this planet!

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds have been one of my favorites since 1988-89, when a college sweetheart, Pamela, made me a mix tape that included the soundtrack for "Wings of Desire": one of the 3 best films of the '80s. I was blown away when I heard "From Her to Eternity", and grateful for music that wasn't the generic 'Hair Metal' that stuck around until the Seattle Sound finally spread.
I was thrilled upon hearing there was a new album, loved the song I'd heard on the radio, and then the album's title... I took it as a sign that "The Lazarus Taxon", my new I-SAY*, was worth nurturing.
(I concur w/Chee, who has not yet settled on an alternate descriptor for the hapless word: calling it "BLOG" sucks)

Cheers to Mr. Cave & the Bad Seeds for yet another spectacular album. There are plenty of music critics who can offer more comprehensive, critically critical critiques, so I'll just say that if you're into smart lyrics, that move and amuse amidst a wash of sometimes ghostly, soaring guitars, and consistent tight arrangements, then you'll appreciate this effort too.

Another plug for a band I first heard on the same show that brought "Dig..." to my attention: The Duke Spirit. They ought to be huge! Leila Moss is the sexy lead singer with a voice that seems an improbable/incredible blend of early Grace Slick + Johnette Napolitano of Concrete Blonde + Bjork. No need to imagine it, just listen.
Note to the producers of the 007 series: Amy Winehouse whilst talented, is a flippin' mess & you should be relieved that she turned down the offer, get Leila Moss while she's on the rise...


*The "I-SAY" is my version of "BLOG". Permission to employ the term granted on a case by case basis, so please make requests eloquent, and heartfelt if you wish for thoughtful consideration. - L.Taxon