From his early work with The Birthday Party to the future sounds of Ghosteen, Nick Cave has rewritten the language of rock ‘n’ roll.
Darker with the Dawn uncovers the history and deeper meanings behind Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds’ most well-known songs from “Tupelo”, “The Mercy Seat”, “Red Right Hand”, “Stagger Lee”, “Into My Arms”, to “Higgs Boson Blues” and beyond.
The book explores Nick Cave’s life in music drawing upon his inspirations of the Bible, Greek myth, and literature, as well as his enduring passion for gospel, blues, and progressive rock. Steiner reflects upon Caves journey from his childhood in Australia, struggles with drug addiction, his young fascination with the nightmare landscapes of Americas wild west and the southern gothic towards a reckoning with his own sense of Christian spirituality. In a career spanning four decades Caves songwriting has moved from the saints and sinners of the traditional murder ballad to piano-based heartbreak songs, deconstructed garage rock and ambient fever dreams delivered through minimalist electronica. Adam Steiner dives into the world of a complex songwriter who, in his universal expressions of love and death, continues to speak to us of the light and shade of humanity.
Adam Steiner is the author of Into The Never: Nine Inch Nails and the Creation of The Downward Spiral and Silhouettes And Shadows: The Secret History of David Bowies Scary Monsters. He writes about music, street-art culture, architecture, poetry, and transgressive fiction and lives in London, England. Visit adamsteiner.uk/.
PRELUDE (TO A NEW DAY)
BOOK I -DUSK-
1 - LET THE LIGHT IN
2 - ROCK & ROLL SAVIOR
3 - IS THIS DESIRE
4 - BAD BLOOD
5 - LAUGHTER IN THE DARK
BOOK II -MIDNIGHT-
6 - ONE EYE ON DEATH
7 - BROKEN TONGUES
8 - A TEAR IN TIME [COSMIC HEX JUNK FRANCHISE]
9 - HERE COMETH THE MAN
BOOK III -DAWN-
10 - ROCK AND ROLL SUICIDE
11 - PRAYERS ON FIRE
12 - IN BLOOM
13 - FIRE IN THE LIGHT
EPILOGUE
Bibliography
About the Author
From his early work with The Birthday Party to the future sounds of Ghosteen, Nick Cave has rewritten the language of rock n roll.
Nick Cave has created a body of work across music, prose, and screen unmatched in its impact, depth, and erudition by few artists. At last, we have a critical analysis that does this achievement justice. Adam Steiner has set the benchmark for many years to come. — Mat Snow, former editor of Mojo, author of Nick Cave: Sinner Saint
“This is a great primer on all things Nick Cave—a solid, deep dive into where Nick Cave started from and how he made it to the present day. This is a must read for any Nick Cave fan, whether a newcomer or veteran." — Tony DuShane, author of Confessions of a Teenage Jesus Jerk, former music columnist, San Francisco Chronicle
“For over forty years, Nick Caves complex and richly allusive music has invited and rewarded close consideration. Scholarly, thorough, and insightful, Darker with the Dawn delivers the depth of analysis that Caves body of work deserves.” — Simon Price, author of Curepedia: An A-Z Of The Cure
