Kicking Against the Pricks

Kicking Against the Pricks
Studio album by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Released	August 18, 1986
Genre	Post-punk
Length	49:28
Label	Mute Records
Producer	Flood, Tony Cohen
Professional reviews
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Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds chronology
The Firstborn Is Dead (1985) Kicking Against the Pricks (1986) Your Funeral... My Trial (1986)

Kicking Against the Pricks is the third album released by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. First released in 1986, the album is a collection of cover versions. The title refers to a passage from the Bible (Acts 26:14), which reads "And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks." The phrase refers to the act of an ox kicking in irritation at the sharpened wooden rod, called a prick or goad, used by his driver when tilling soil. The album marked the Bad Seeds debut of drummer Thomas Wydler, expanding the Bad Seeds line-up to Cave, Wydler, Mick Harvey, Blixa Bargeld and Barry Adamson.

The strings were arranged by Mick Harvey and played by the Berliner Kaffeehausmusik Ensemble.

"The Hammer Song" is not to be confused with the song of the same name from the 1990 Bad Seeds album The Good Son.

The album was remastered and reissued on April 27, 2009 as a collector's edition CD/DVD set. The CD features the original 12-song vinyl LP's track listing, while "Black Betty" and "Running Scared" are featured as bonus audio tracks on the accompanying DVD.

Track listing

1. "Muddy Water" – 5:15 (Phil Rosenthal)
2. "I'm Gonna Kill That Woman" – 3:44 (John Lee Hooker)
3. "Sleeping Annaleah" – 3:18 (Mickey Newbury, Dan Folger)
4. "Long Black Veil" - 3:46 (Danny Dill, Marijohn Wilkin)
5. "Hey Joe" – 3:56 (Billy Roberts)
6. "The Singer (a.k.a. The Folksinger)" – 3:09 (Johnny Cash, Charlie Daniels)
7. "Black Betty" – 2:33 (Traditional) (CD only)
8. "Running Scared" – 2:07 (Roy Orbison, Joe Melson) (CD only)
9. "All Tomorrow's Parties" – 5:52 (Lou Reed)
10. "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" – 3:39 (Jimmy Webb)
11. "The Hammer Song" – 3:50 (Alex Harvey)
12. "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart" – 3:44 (Roger Greenaway, Roger Cook)
13. "Jesus Met the Woman at the Well" – 2:00 (Traditional, Arranged The Alabama Singers)
14. "The Carnival Is Over" – 3:16 (Tom Springfield)

Track listing errors

Some of the songs were re-titled, possibly through error, and one was miscredited as follows:
1. "Muddy Water" is the song "Muddy Waters" by Phil Rosenthal. Previously recorded by The Seldom Scene, and Johnny Cash. On the Cave LP the song is credited to John Bundrick, who wrote a song of the same title, recorded by the band Free.
3. "Sleeping Annaleah" is the song "Weeping Annaleah", previously recorded by Tom Jones.^[1]
6. "The Singer" is the song "The Folk Singer", previously recorded by Johnny Cash, Glen Campbell, and Burl Ives.
7. "Black Betty" is actually three songs recorded by Leadbelly as a medley: "Looky Looky Yonder/Black Betty/Yellow Women's Doorbells".
13. "Jesus Met the Woman at the Well" is credited as "Traditional, Arranged The Alabama Singers". While this song was recorded by The Alabama Singers, it follows the arrangement of an earlier recording by The Pilgrim Travellers, which is credited as "Traditional, Arranged J. W. Alexander".

Singles

• "The Singer" (MUTE 47) (June 16, 1986)
  • b/w: "Running Scared" / "Black Betty"

Credits

Personnel

• Barry Adamson - Bass (1,3,4,6,9,10,11,12,13,14), Backing Vocals (1,3,4,12), Vocals (13,14)
• Blixa Bargeld - Guitar (1,2,9,10,11,14), Slide Guitar (3,4), Backing Vocals (4), Vocals (9,13,14)
• Dawn Cave - Violin on "Muddy Water"
• Nick Cave - Vocals (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14), Organ (1,5), Piano Interior (1)
• Mick Harvey - Piano (1,3,5,9,10,12,14), Backing Vocals (1,3,4,12), Bass (2), Drums (2,5,7,8), Acoustic Guitar (3,4), Snare (4,11), Guitar (6,9,13), Vocals (9,13,14), Organ (11), Vibes (12)
• Rowland S. Howard - Vocals (9), Organ (10), Guitar (10)
• Tracy Pew - Bass (5,7,8)
• Hugo Race - Guitar (2,4,5,7,8,13)
• Thomas Wydler - Drums (1,3,6,9,10,11,12,13,14), Tempo (2), Percussion (4)

References