As the song says, "It's alright."
skarecreau | San Francisco, CA USA | 07/30/2002
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I think some Nick Cave fans raised their eyebrows over this. "Nick Cave covering The Beatles?!" But I guess I saw this coming. When I first heard "Good, Good Day" (B-side of "As I Sat Sadly By Her Side"), I thought that it sounded a lot like the Fab Four's style. However, I find it ironic that, during the days of The Birthday Party, the last straw that caused the band to kick out drummer Phill Calvert was supposedly his suggestion that they cover a Beatles song. Now, about twenty years later, that is exactly what Nick does...twice. It works well with what he's doing now, although it understandably would not have fit The Birthday Party's motif. He pulls off these two Beatles classics with grace and emotion and just a hint of humor. His backing band, which apparently is not the Bad Seeds as they are not mentioned anywhere in the liner notes, is up to the task of re-crafting these songs in a way that remains true to their original forms (however, I could have done without the backing female vocalists on "Let It Be")."
Hell freezes over
Bill R. Moore | Oklahoma, USA | 03/28/2003
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Though most casual Beatles fans will probably faint upon hearing these renditions -- one compared Nick covering Let It Be to Karl Marx reading the Declaration of Independence -- and many long-time Cave fans might be somewhat surprised by them, this is a worthy and artistically commendable couplet of songs from Nick Cave. Though Here Comes The Sun gets top billing, the reason to buy this single is its inclusion of what is, in my view, an absolutely fantastic version of Let It Be. I have always loved the classic Beatles version for its pure beauty and message of hope; Cave, as one might expect and probably hopes, does not simply "let it be." He turns this gloriously beautiful song of hope and optimism into a truly inspired dark and bitter dirge along the likes of something which one might play at a funeral. As he does on several of his own songs, he sing-speaks it, making for a truly emotional performance and a top-notch cover. Too often, with Beatles covers especially, the artist records a new version of a classic track that is in no way significantly different than the original -- and inherently inferior. I do not suggest that Nick's performance is better than Paul's, but that he makes it his own. Here Comes The Sun is more of a mixed bag. Cave gives an adequate, though not entirely convincing, reading of the song that lacks the empathy of the disc's other track. The song's original melody, always its highlight for me, is hardly in evidence on Cave's version -- and, while he radically re-invents the track, it is not as much of a success as Let It Be. Even still, the chance to hear Nick singing these two songs is just too good to pass up. An essential item for Cave completists."
Beatles through the voice of Nick Cave
Benjamin Denes | Canada | 04/17/2003
(4 out of 5 stars)
"As far as two songs go, this CD is a good buy. Nick sings two of the Beatles more well known songs, 'Let it Be' and 'Here comes the sun'. In mu opinion, the latter is the weaker track here. Cave manages to sling in some of his patented aggression, but the song is pretty much unchanged from the original. Although the same can be said for 'Let it be', I found this track to be incredibly beautiful. Nick Cave, alone with his piano, truly recrafts this song as a thing of beauty. It is a lovely cover, and I heartily suggest this CD simply for that one song."
Track Listings (2) - Disc #1