Kicking Against The Pricks

''Kicking Against the Pricks'' is the third studio album released by the Australian rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. First released in 1986, the album is a collection of Cave's interpretations of songs by other artists. The title is a reference to a biblical quote from the King James Version of the Christian Bible, Acts 26, verse 14.

The album marked the Bad Seeds debut of drummer Thomas Wydler, expanding the Bad Seeds line-up to Cave (vocals and keyboards), Wydler, bassist Barry Adamson, and guitarists Mick Harvey and Blixa Bargeld.

Cave would later downplay the importance of the record, but said it helped the band develop musically:

Remarking on the song selection, Cave said:

The strings were arranged by Harvey and played by the Berliner Kaffeehausmusik Ensemble. "The Hammer Song" is not to be confused with the song of the same name from the Bad Seeds' sixth studio album '' The Good Son'' (1990).

Andrea 'Enthal in ''Spin'' described the album as ' thas moments, but overall it's a dready, self-indulgent blob'.

The album was remastered and reissued on 27 April 2009 as a collector's edition CD/DVD set. The CD features the original 12-song vinyl LP's track listing, while "Black Betty" and "Running Scared" are featured as bonus audio tracks on the accompanying DVD.

Recordings of seven of these songs, performed by the original artists, were later issued on the '' Original Seeds'' compilation CDs.

Track listing

Vinyl version

Track listing errors

Some of the songs were re-titled (possibly through error), and one was miscredited, as follows:
1. "Muddy Water" by Phil Rosenthal. On the Cave LP the song is credited to John Bundrick, who wrote a song of the same title, recorded by the band Free. Previously recorded by the Seldom Scene, and Johnny Cash.

3. "Sleeping Annaleah" is the song "Weeping Annaleah", previously recorded by Tom Jones.

6. "The Singer" is the song "The Folk Singer", previously recorded by Tommy Roe, Johnny Cash, Glen Campbell, and Burl Ives.

7. "Black Betty" is actually three songs recorded by Leadbelly as a medley: "Looky Looky Yonder/Black Betty/Yellow Women's Doorbells".

12. "The Carnival Is Over" was not co-written by Frank Farian; this credit appears as a consequence of his creating an extra verse for Boney M.'s cover version of the song.

13. "Jesus Met the Woman at the Well" is credited as "traditional, arranged the Alabama Singers". While this song was recorded by the Alabama Singers, it follows the arrangement of an earlier recording by the Pilgrim Travelers, which is credited as "traditional, arranged J. W. Alexander".

Personnel

Credits adapted from the vinyl album's liner notes.
* Nick Cave – lead vocals (1–12); organ (1, 5); piano interior (1); engineer (mixes)
* Blixa Bargeld – guitar (1, 2, 7–9, 12); co-lead vocals (7, 11, 12); slide guitar (3, 4); backing vocals (4); engineer (mixes)
* Mick Harvey – piano (1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11); backing vocals (1, 3, 4, 10); co-lead vocals (7, 11, 12); guitar (6, 7, 11); acoustic guitar (3, 4); drums (2, 5); snare (4, 9); organ (9); vibes (10); bass (2); string arrangements; engineer (mixes)
* Barry Adamson – bass (1, 3, 4, 6–12); backing vocals (1, 3, 4, 10); co-lead vocals (11, 12)
* Thomas Wydler – drums (1, 3, 6–12); percussion (4); engineer (mixes)
* Dawn Cave – violin (1)
* Hugo Race – guitar (2, 4, 5, 11)
* Tracy Pew – bass (5)
* Rowland S. Howard – co-lead vocals (7); guitar; organ (8)
* Berliner Kaffeehausmusik Ensemble – strings
* Tony Cohen – engineer (all backing tracks)
* Flood – engineer (mixes)
* Svein Taits – engineer (mixes - assistant)
* Tom Frederikse – engineer (mixes - assistant)

Chart positions

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kicking Against The Pricks
1986 albums
Nick Cave albums
Mute Records albums
Albums produced by Flood (producer)
Albums produced by Tony Cohen
1980s covers albums