The Boatman's Call

The Boatman's Call
Studio album by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Released	March 3, 1997
Recorded	June—August 1996 at Sarm West Studios, London, United Kingdom
Genre	Alternative rock
Length	52:07
Label	Mute/Reprise
Producer	Flood, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds chronology
Murder Ballads (1996) The Boatman's Call (1997) No More Shall We Part (2001)
Singles from The Boatman's Call
"Into My Arms" Released: 27 January 1997 "(Are You) The One That I've Been Waiting For?" Released: 19 May 1997

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic
Pitchfork Media	(9.3/10)
Rolling Stone

The Boatman's Call is the tenth studio album by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, released in 1997. The album, which is entirely piano-based and a departure from the band's post-punk catalogue, remains one of the most critically acclaimed releases of Nick Cave's career.

Background and production

Recording for the album began at Sarm West Studios in London, United Kingdom in mid-1996, with "The Garden Duet", one of the album's outtakes, being the first song recorded. Though the bulk of The Boatman's Call was recorded at Sarm West, further recordings — including overdubs — were later done at Abbey Road Studios.

Musically, the album's tone is considered sombre and minimalist and marks a major departure for Cave and The Bad Seeds. Moving away from full-band arrangements and character-based narratives, the album's music and lyrics move towards the more intimate sound of Cave's solo voice accompanied by piano or a few other instruments. The tempo is also generally slow, reflecting many of the moods of the songs. Many of the lyrics seem to reflect on Cave's personal relationships and spiritual yearnings at the time of writing. Some songs are thought to be directed at either the mother of Cave's youngest son Luke, Viviane Carneiro (in "Where Do We Go Now But Nowhere?") or PJ Harvey, with whom he had a brief relationship around that time (as referenced in "West Country Girl", "Black Hair" and "Green Eyes").

Cave performed "Into My Arms" at the funeral of Michael Hutchence and demanded that the TV cameras be shut off for his performance out of respect for Hutchence. The song "People Ain't No Good" was also featured in the movie Shrek 2. In October 2010, the album was listed in the top 30 in the book, 100 Best Australian Albums.

Track listing

All tracks written and composed by Nick Cave.

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Into My Arms"	4:15
2.	"Lime Tree Arbour"	2:56
3.	"People Ain't No Good"	5:42
4.	"Brompton Oratory"	4:06
5.	"There Is a Kingdom"	4:52
6.	"(Are You) The One That I've Been Waiting For?"	4:05
7.	"Where Do We Go Now But Nowhere?"	5:46
8.	"West Country Girl"	2:45
9.	"Black Hair"	4:14
10.	"Idiot Prayer"	4:21
11.	"Far From Me"	5:33
12.	"Green Eyes"	3:32
Total length:		52:07

Outtakes and other songs

A number of other songs were recorded at The Boatman's Call sessions, some of which were later released as b-sides to the album's two singles and also on Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds 2005 compilation album, B-Sides and Rarities.

• "The Garden Duet"
• "I Do, Dear, I Do"
• "Opium Tea" (released on B-Sides & Rarities)
• "Sheep May Safely Graze" (released on B-Sides & Rarities)
• "Wake Up My Lover"
• "Farewell, Goodbye, So Long"
• "I Got Another Woman Now, Dear"
• "Little Empty Boat" (released as a b-side on "Into My Arms")
• "Right Now I'm A-Roaming" (rreleased as a b-side on "Into My Arms")
• "Come Into My Sleep" (released as a b-side on "(Are You) The One That I've Been Waiting For?")
• "Babe, I Got You Bad" (released as a b-side on "(Are You) The One That I've Been Waiting For?"')
• "Grief Came Riding" (released on B-Sides & Rarities)
• "Bless His Ever Loving Heart" (released on B-Sides & Rarities)

Critical reception

The Boatman's Call received almost unanimous critical acclaim upon release with many reviewers citing it as Cave's most poignant album.

Musicians and personnel

Musicians and performers

• Nick Cave – vocals, piano, organ, keyboards, vibes
• Mick Harvey – electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass, organ, vibes
• Blixa Bargeld – electric guitar
• Warren Ellis – violin, accordion
• Jim Sclavunos – drums, melodica, bells
• Conway Savage – additional piano, backing vocals
• Martyn P. Casey – bass
• Thomas Wydler – drums, maracas

Technical personnel

• Flood - producer, engineer, mixing
• Chris Scard - co-producer, mixing
• Paul Corkett - engineer
• Paul Hicks - engineer assistant
• Paul Wright - engineer assistant
• Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - additional production