Audio-Visuals

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS: GOD IS IN THE HOUSE
Directed by Fabien Ryamond
(Mute)
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds are one of the best live bands on earth, no question. As they explore the gray zone between sin and salvation, Cave and his seven-piece outfit give rise to an intense, lyrical wave of sound that will caress your cheek one minute and break your collarbone the next. While there's no substitute for experiencing the band in the flesh—the concert I witnessed a couple of years ago is still one of the most magnificent shows I've ever seen—God is in the House is the next best thing. Filmed in front of an adoring crowd in Lyon, France on the tour supporting the excellent No More Shall We Part, this DVD displays Cave in fiery form and the Seeds running confidently through a set of the leader's finest tunes. NMSWP is represented by five numbers, including particularly strong takes on "As I Sat Sadly By Her Side, the haunted "God is in the House" and a brutally beautiful "Hallelujah." The group also gives the audience powerful versions of Cave classics, including a savage "Papa Won't Leave You, Henry," a gleefully gospel-flavored "The Curse of Millhaven" (pretty jaunty as murder ballads go), an absolutely lovely "Into My Arms," a perfectly melodramatic "The Mercy Seat" and a throbbing "Do You Love Me?" Cave even reaches back to what he announces as "the first song the Bad Seeds ever recorded," the crushing Huckleberry Finn critique/tribute "Saint Huck." It's a great film, well-recorded, well-directed (keep an eye out for the fabulous shots of Cave's silhouette) and wonderfully performed. God is in the House would make an excellent introduction for newcomers to Cave's catalog; for diehards it's a must.

As usual, the DVD has extras, including a nice, narration-free documentary on the No More Shall We Part sessions and three videos. The latter comp features a hilarious clip for the otherwise grim "Fifteen Feet of Pure White Snow"—you'll believe Nick Cave can dance! OK, no, not really... Michael Toland [buy it]