Beautiful Artefacts: Jon Spencer's Favourite Albums | Page 13 of 14 | The Quietus

Baker's Dozen

Artists discuss the 13 records that shaped their lives

12. Nick Cave & The Bad SeedsFrom Her To Eternity

I was into The Birthday Party and they ended and then this record came out. I guess he was kinda leading up to this with Mutiny and this was a continuation. He’s playing with a lot of American musical forms and a lot of other stuff but it’s really fractured and twisted and he’s telling these really sad tales.

There’s definitely a lot of space on the record. It’s pretty minimal for sure and there’s some really great non-guitar guitar playing from Blixa Bargeld. Nick Cave is a big influence on me and this is by far my favourite record of his.

This record came out at the height of my Birthday Party obsession so I loved it. Really angular and hard, almost spiky, aggressive and nasty, Mr Cave had yet to go all softy and lush. I attended a summer film program at NYU and listened to this constantly. I saw the Bad Seeds play at Danceteria and they did a cover of ‘I Put A Spell On You’.

Selected in other Baker’s Dozens:
PreviousNext Record

Don’t Miss The Quietus Digest

Start each weekend with our free email newsletter.

Help Support The Quietus in 2025

If you’ve read something you love on our site today, please consider becoming a tQ subscriber – our journalism is mostly funded this way. We’ve got some bonus perks waiting for you too.

Subscribe Now