B-Sides & Rarities (Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds album)

B-Sides & Rarities
Compilation album by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Released	March 22, 2005
Recorded	1984-2004
Genre	Rock[1]
Length	218:36
Label	Mute
Producer	Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds Flood Tony Cohen Gareth Jones Victor Van Vugt Nick Launay
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds chronology
Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus (2004) B-Sides & Rarities (2005) The Abattoir Blues Tour (2007)

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	75/100[2]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[3]
Blender	[2]
Drowned in Sound	9/10[4][2]
Mojo	[2]
NME	8/10[2]
Paste	8/10[5][2]
Pitchfork	7.8/10[1]
PopMatters	6/10[6]
Uncut	[7]
Under the Radar[disambiguation needed]	8/10[8]

B-Sides & Rarities is a 3CD compilation by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, released in March 2005. It features over 20 years of the band's B-sides and previously unreleased tracks. It is also the first recording to include all members of the Bad Seeds, past and present up to the time of its release: current members Mick Harvey, Blixa Bargeld, Thomas Wydler, Martyn P. Casey, Conway Savage, Jim Sclavunos, and Warren Ellis, and former members Barry Adamson, Hugo Race, Kid Congo Powers, Roland Wolf, and James Johnston. A second volume, B-Sides & Rarities Part II, was released in October 2021.

Content[edit]

In addition to the large number of B-sides that make up the majority of the compilation, the record includes two unreleased songs, two unreleased covers, as well as live and acoustic versions of Bad Seeds tracks.

Some of the tracks were originally released as Nick Cave solo tracks, namely "Helpless", "Cassiel's Song", the Shane MacGowan collaboration "What a Wonderful World", and "A Rainy Night in Soho".

Track listing[edit]

All songs written by Nick Cave unless otherwise stated

Disc 1[edit]

1. "Deanna" (Acoustic Version) – 2:51
   • Acoustic version of the song from "Tender Prey" (Recorded January 8th, 1990 at Fun City Studios). Attached as a bonus 7" to initial pressings of The Good Son album, 1990
2. "The Mercy Seat" (Acoustic Version) (lyrics: Cave; music: Cave, Harvey) - 3:45
   • Acoustic version of the song from "Tender Prey", (Recorded May 1989 at Hansa Ton Studios). Attached as a bonus 7" to initial pressings of The Good Son album, 1990
3. "City of Refuge" (Acoustic Version) – 2:42
   • Acoustic version of the song from "Tender Prey" (Recorded January 8th, 1990 at Fun City Studios). Attached as a bonus 7" to initial pressings of The Good Son album, 1990
4. "The Moon is in the Gutter" – 2:35
   • B-side of "In the Ghetto", 1984
5. "The Six Strings that Drew Blood" – 4:47
   • B-side of "Tupelo", 1985
6. "Rye Whiskey" (Traditional; arranged by Cave and Mick Harvey) - 3:27
   • Flexidisc in Reflex magazine in 1989
7. "Running Scared" (Roy Orbison, Joe Melson) - 2:06
   • B-side of "The Singer", 1986
8. "Black Betty" (Lead Belly) - 2:32
   • B-side of "The Singer", 1986
9. "Scum" (lyrics: Cave; music: Cave, Harvey) - 2:53
   • Flexidisc sold at concerts, 1986
10. "The Girl at the Bottom of My Glass" – 4:48
    • B-side of "Deanna" 12", 1988
11. "The Train Song" – 3:26
    • B-side of 'The Ship Song', 1990
12. "Cocks 'N' Asses" (lyrics: Cave; music: Cave, Victor Van Vugt) - 5:43
    • B-side of "The Weeping Song", 1990, retitled as "The B-Side Song" on the US single
13. "Blue Bird" – 2:46
    • B-side of "Straight to You/Jack the Ripper", 1992
14. "Helpless" (Neil Young) - 3:51
    • From Neil Young Tribute/Charity Album The Bridge, 1989. Also B-side of "The Weeping Song", 1990
15. "God's Hotel" – 3:07
    • Live Radio Session for KCRW Santa Monica. Released on Rare on Air Vol. 1, Mammoth Records, 1992
16. "(I'll Love You) Till the End of the World" – 3:58
    • From the original soundtrack Until the End of the World, 1991. Also B-side of "Loverman", 1994
17. "Cassiel's Song" – 3:35
    • From the original soundtrack Faraway, So Close, 1993. Also B-side of "Do You Love Me?", 1994
18. "Tower of Song" (Leonard Cohen) - 5:39
    • From Leonard Cohen tribute album I'm Your Fan, 1991
19. "What Can I Give You?" – 3:40
    • From the French promo give-away with Henry's Dream, 1992

Disc 2[edit]

1. "What a Wonderful World" (George David Weiss, George Douglas) - 3:04
   • From the single "What a Wonderful World", 1992
2. "Rainy Night in Soho" (Shane MacGowan) - 3:58
   • Harvey & Bill McGee – String and woodwind arrangement
   • From the single "What a Wonderful World", 1992
3. "Lucy" (Version #2) – 2:23
   • From the single "What a Wonderful World", 1992
4. "Jack the Ripper" (Acoustic Version) – 4:45
   • B-side of the limited edition 7" "Straight to You/Jack the Ripper", 1992
5. "Sail Away" – 4:13
   • B-side of "Do You Love Me?", 1994
6. "There's No Night Out in the Jail" (John Harold Ashe) - 3:43
   • Recorded for a compilation of Australian country music cover versions which was never released, 1993
7. "That's What Jazz Is to Me" (lyrics: Cave; music: Cave, Harvey, Savage, Wydler) - 5:05
   • Improvised piece. B-side of "Red Right Hand", 1994
8. "The Willow Garden" (Traditional; arranged by Cave and Ellis) - 3:59
   • B-side of "Where the Wild Roses Grow", 1995
9. "The Ballad of Robert Moore and Betty Coltrane" – 3:35
   • B-side of "Where the Wild Roses Grow", 1995
10. "King Kong Kitchee Kitchee Ki-Mi-O" (Traditional; arranged by Cave) - 3:10
    • B-side of "Henry Lee", 1996
11. "Knoxville Girl" (Traditional; arranged by Cave and Johnston) - 3:36
    • B-side of "Henry Lee", 1996
12. "Where the Wild Roses Grow" – 3:47
    • Version with original guide vocal by Blixa Bargeld. Previously unreleased, 1995
13. "O'Malley's Bar Pt. 1" – 5:16
    • From Mark Radcliffe Radio 1 session, 1996
14. "O'Malley's Bar Pt. 2" – 6:38
    • From Mark Radcliffe Radio 1 session, 1996
15. "O'Malley's Bar Pt. 3" – 4:57
    • From Mark Radcliffe Radio 1 session, 1996
16. "Time Jesum Transeuntum et Non Riverentum" (lyrics: Cave; music: Cave, Ellis, Turner, White) - 6:22
    • Featuring The Dirty 3. Hidden track on X-Files album, 1996
17. "O'Malley's Bar Reprise" – 1:03
    • From Mark Radcliffe Radio 1 session, 1996
18. "Red Right Hand" (Scream 3 version) (lyrics: Cave; music: Cave, Harvey, Wydler) - 6:01
    • Recorded for the movie Scream 3. Previously unreleased, 1999

Disc 3[edit]

1. "Little Empty Boat" (lyrics: Cave; music: Cave, Bargeld, Casey, Harvey) - 4:26
   • B-side of "Into My Arms", 1997
2. "Right Now I'm a-Roaming" (lyrics: Cave; music: Cave, Casey, Harvey, Savage, Wydler) - 4:21
   • B-side of "Into My Arms", 1997
3. "Come Into My Sleep" – 3:47
   • B-side of "(Are You) The One That I've Been Waiting For?", 1997
4. "Black Hair" (Band Version) – 4:13
   • B-side of "(Are You) The One That I've Been Waiting For?", 1997
5. "Babe, I Got You Bad" – 3:51
   • B-side of "(Are You) The One That I've Been Waiting For?", 1997
6. "Sheep May Safely Graze" – 4:14
   • Unreleased studio outtake, 1996
7. "Opium Tea" (Cave, Savage) - 3:48
   • Unreleased studio outtake, 1996
8. "Grief Came Riding" – 5:05
   • From limited edition of No More Shall We Part album, 2001
9. "Bless His Ever Loving Heart" – 4:02
   • From limited edition of No More Shall We Part album, 2001
10. "Good Good Day" – 4:04
    • B-side of "As I Sat Sadly By Her Side", 2001
11. "Little Janey's Gone" – 2:59
    • B-side of "As I Sat Sadly by Her Side", 2001
12. "I Feel So Good" (J. B. Lenoir) - 1:44
    • From the film The Soul of a Man by Wim Wenders, 2003
13. "Shoot Me Down" – 3:32
    • B-side of "Bring It On", 2003
14. "Swing Low" – 5:40
    • B-side of "Bring It On", 2003
15. "Little Ghost Song" – 3:44
    • B-side of "He Wants You/Babe, I'm On Fire", 2003
16. "Everything Must Converge" – 3:17
    • B-side of "He Wants You/Babe, I'm On Fire", 2003
17. "Nocturama" – 4:01
    • B-side of limited edition 7" "Rock of Gibraltar", 2003
18. "She's Leaving You" (lyrics: Cave; music: Cave, Ellis, Casey, Sclavunos) - 4:01
    • B-side of "Nature Boy", 2004
19. "Under This Moon" – 4:01
    • B-side of "Breathless/There She Goes, My Beautiful World", 2004

Musicians[edit]

• Bronwyn Adams - backing vocals, violin
• Barry Adamson - bass, timpani, orchestral arrangements
• Blixa Bargeld - guitar, backing vocals, vocals, handclaps, slide guitar, pedal steel guitar, feedback guitar, percussion
• Martyn P. Casey - bass, backing vocals, percussion
• Nick Cave - vocals, piano, Hammond organ, harmonica, backing vocals, keyboards, whistling, guitar, string synth, sound effects
• Tony Cohen - backing vocals, percussion
• Kid Congo Powers - backing vocals, handclaps, slide guitar, tremolo guitar
• Terry Edwards - brass section
• Warren Ellis - violin, mandolin, bouzouki, looped violin
• Mick Gallagher - backing vocals
• Mick Harvey - guitar, backing vocals, acoustic guitar, bass, organ, drums, string arrangements, piano, Hammond organ, marimba, keyboards, sound effects, cymbals, vibes, xylophone, woodwind arrangement
• Chas Jankel - backing vocals
• James Johnston - organ, guitar
• Shane MacGowan - vocals
• Anna McGarrigle - backing vocals
• Kate McGarrigle - backing vocals
• Bill McGee - string arrangement, woodwind arrangement
• Astrid Munday - percussion
• Tracy Pew - bass
• Hugo Race - guitar
• Conway Savage - piano, organ, backing vocals, vocals, electric piano, Hammond organ, percussion
• Jim Sclavunos - drums, brushed snare, tambourine, percussion, tubular bells, organ, bongos, bells, shaker
• Johnny Turnbull - backing vocals
• Mick Turner - guitar
• Victor Van Vugt - drum machine
• Norman Watt-Roy - backing vocals
• Jim White - drums
• Roland Wolf - backing vocals, handclaps, piano
• Thomas Wydler - drums, percussion, backing vocals, tambourine, handclaps

Musicians by track[edit]

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• B-Sides & Rarities at Metacritic