Pinups & Pricks

Pinups by David Bowie and Kicking Against The Pricks by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds are albums of covers by two well-regarded artists, both recorded relatively early in their careers. These days it is rare for artists to record albums of covers, and doing so is usually seen as either a sign of inspiration running dry or treading water to finish off a record contract. My prior impression of both these records, though, is that they were intended as serious contributions to their respective artist's canon. Nick Cave has always been a great man for the covers, throwing a few onto many of the albums he records. Unlike a lot of musicians, he remains part of a world where people sing both their own songs and those of others; his record clearly positions himself there, for all his gothic stylings. Bowie, meanwhile, is not so famous for the cover versions. His record is meant to be a tip of the hat to the people who inspired him to take up music.

Until recently, these records were a mystery to me – they are ones that I have long heard of but never heard. So bought the two records and then, for my learned colleagues in Frank's APA, I wrote about them, track by track, while listening to them. Maybe you are familiar with these records, maybe they are as new to you as they were to me, and maybe you will be interested by what I have to say about them and maybe you will not. Part of my idea in doing these two together is to see which one appeals more to my own music al tastes. What do you reckon?

Cave and Bowie both have mullets on the covers of their records.

The next two posts will be my real-time impressions of the two records.

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