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Nick Cave - three albums to start

Mmm.

From her to eternity
Murder Ballads
Lyre of Orpheus

A little bit of everything in amongst that lot.
 
The Boatman’s Call is my favourite followed by Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus which is two albums in one making your three.
 
Nocturama tends to get overlooked actually, but is another very solid album, as is the live at KRCW (think that's the right acronym).
 
Gotta have 'The Good Son' in there...actually just start here, no need for other two until you've got this one, 'a light starter's.
Then 'Kicking against the Pricks' closely followed by 'Henrys Dream' then 'Let Love In' and then 'The Boatman's Call' and now you're sort of up to speed you can probably appreciate a bit of Birthday Party stuff.

Just avoid the Grinderman stuff and the newer stuff is considered 'easy listening' amongst my associates..(duck for cover).

By the way, thank you, found my Shonen Knife 712 LP in between two copies of 'Kicking against...' while researching my drivel.
 
It quite depends on what you're looking for, his records tend to be quite different depending on phase, or life's moment.

Let Love In is my favourite
Muder Ballads is probably his best album
From Her to Eternity is great too
The Boatmans Call is his mellower calmer, most introspective

He really doesn't have a bad album so anyone is a good start.
 
I don’t think anybody’s mentioned “Skeleton Tree”, so I will. It’s his “Spirit Of Eden”, for me. And though I haven’t heard it in years, if not decades, I have fond memories of “Live Seeds”. I’ll take “Henry’s Dream” as my third choice, the first album of his I heard, as “The Boatman’s Call” has enough (deserved) votes already.
 
MotelBlues said:
I don’t think anybody’s mentioned “Skeleton Tree”, so I will. It’s his “Spirit Of Eden”, for me. And though I haven’t heard it in years, if not decades, I have fond memories of “Live Seeds”. I’ll take “Henry’s Dream” as my third choice, the first album of his I heard, as “The Boatman’s Call” has enough (deserved) votes already.
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Skeleton Tree is very good, I only didn't mention it because I'd suggest sampling some earlier stuff first so you have some perspective.

I'm a sucker for albums with a narrative or an on-running theme through several tracks, and for me he's the best around at doing that. You can really get lost in some imaginary world he's made up, that for me is what albums are about.
 
I've been buying Cave's records since The Birthday PArty's Junkyard and The Bad Seeds EP and have seen him live quite a few times. He's one the artists that soundtracked my life and has been a favourite of most of my friends.

Boatman's Call: The consensus amongst my friends is that this is his best record, full of extraordinary but rather grown up, singer songwriter style songs but it doesn't have the raw gothic intensity of his earlier stuff. If I had jus one Cave record it would be this
Tender Prey: is essential as it has his greatest song ( The Mercy Seat) on it and has some of the spirit of the earlier records.
Pull the Sky Away : My most played record, though, is this but reducing it to just three is hard. My third choice could easily have been The Good Son or Let Love in.

I'm less won over by the Nocturama / Orpheus period but did quite like Grinderman which is both asinine and a bit of a return to the spirit of the Birthday Party - No Pussy Blues being a case in point.
 
No love for The Firstborn is Dead? That, Murder Ballads and From Her to Eternity are probably my three faves.
 
Not meaning to go all Alan Partridge but The Best of Nick Cave is a great place to start. Spans the decades up to about 2000. Move outwards from there if you like what you hear.

The post-Best of albums Abbatoir Blues/Lyre of Orpheus, Push the Sky Away and Skeleton Tree which are all absolutely essential. Dig Lazarus Dig not so much for me.
 
Stunning stuff. Right up there with the best. Just go with #4 and then you will probably buy another 3 at least.
 
Best early period: Tender Prey or From Her to Eternity
Best middle period: The Boatman's Call or Murder Ballads
Best late period: Skeleton Tree or Push the Sky Away
Cave's overall standard is very high. He rarely if ever produces a duff album, if you like his style.
 
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