Hubbry Logo
The Firstborn Is DeadThe Firstborn Is DeadMain
Open search
The Firstborn Is Dead
Community hub
The Firstborn Is Dead
logo
7 pages, 0 posts
0 subscribers
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
The Firstborn Is Dead
The Firstborn Is Dead
The Firstborn Is Dead
View on Wikipedia
from Wikipedia

The Firstborn Is Dead
Studio album by
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Released3 June 1985
RecordedNovember–December 1984
StudioHansa Tonstudio (Berlin)
Genre
Length40:37
LabelMute
Producer
  • Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
  • Flood
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds chronology
From Her to Eternity
(1984) 		The Firstborn Is Dead
(1985) 		Kicking Against the Pricks
(1986)
Singles from The Firstborn Is Dead
  1. "Tupelo"
    Released: 29 July 1985

The Firstborn Is Dead is the second studio album by the Australian rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, released on 3 June 1985 by Mute Records. Produced by the band and Flood, the album saw lead vocalist Nick Cave continue his fascination with the Southern United States, featuring references to Elvis Presley and bluesmen like Blind Lemon Jefferson. The album was recorded in the Hansa Studios in Berlin, Germany. Cave later said of the album, "Berlin gave us the freedom and encouragement to do whatever we wanted. We'd lived in London for three years and it seemed that if you stuck your head out of the box, people were pretty quick to knock it back in. Particularly if you were Australian. When we came to Berlin it was the opposite. People saw us as some kind of force rather than a kind of whacky novelty act."[3]

The album's name is a reference to Jesse Garon Presley, the stillborn identical twin of Elvis Presley.[4] The cover art photography was taken by Jutta Henglein-Bildau.

The album was remastered and reissued on 27 April 2009 as a collector's edition CD/DVD set. The CD features the original 7-song vinyl LP's track listing, while "The Six Strings That Drew Blood" is featured as a bonus audio track on the accompanying DVD.

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStarStarStar[2]
NME7/10[5]
Pitchfork7.0/10[1]
QStarStarStarStar[6]
Record Mirror4/5[7]
The Rolling Stone Album GuideStarStarStarStar[8]
Select4/5[9]
SoundsStarStarStarStarHalf star[10]
Spin Alternative Record Guide6/10[11]
UncutStarStarStar[12]

Spin critic Andrea 'Enthal wrote that "The Firstborn Is Dead, with its blue cover and mournfully authentic blue lines of harmonica and guitar, journeys through a mythical southern reality heavy on train wrecks, suicides, prison life, and big black crows. Cave's concept of America has been peeled from the grooves of old blues and Western cowboy 78s, then lovingly woven into an epic poem where John Lee Hooker meets Elvis Presley in a stream of consciousness that floods the equally mythical valley town, Tupelo."[13]

Track listing

[edit]

All lyrics are written by Nick Cave, except "Wanted Man" by Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash and Cave[14]

Side one
No.TitleMusicLength
1."Tupelo"
7:17
2."Say Goodbye to the Little Girl Tree"Harvey5:10
3."Train Long-Suffering"Nick Cave3:49
4."Black Crow King"
5:05
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
5."Knockin' On Joe"Cave7:39
6."Wanted Man"Bob Dylan5:29
7."Blind Lemon Jefferson"Adamson, Bargeld, Harvey, Cave6:09

Song details

[edit]
  • "Tupelo" is loosely based on the John Lee Hooker song "Tupelo Blues", which is about a flood in Tupelo, Mississippi (Hooker's song appears on Original Seeds). Tupelo is the birthplace of Elvis Presley. Cave's song incorporates imagery of the birth of Elvis Presley and the apocalypse at the Second Coming of Christ. However, the "Looky, Looky Yonder" motif that features in the song is derived from a song of the same name recorded by Lead Belly, usually found as part of a medley which Cave himself covered under the title "Black Betty" on his third studio album, Kicking Against the Pricks (1986).
  • "Wanted Man" evolved from a song composed by Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash. Cave was granted permission to alter the lyrics. Cave's lyrics include references to his friends, such as photographer Polly Borland.
  • "The Six Strings that Drew Blood" is included on the 1988 CD reissue of the album, but not on the original LP. It was the B-side of the "Tupelo" single and is a remake of a song Cave originally recorded with the Birthday Party during the Mutiny sessions in 1982.

Singles

[edit]
  • "Tupelo" (MUTE 038) (29 July 1985)
    • "Tupelo" (single version) b/w: "The Six Strings That Drew Blood"

Personnel

[edit]

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

Chart positions

[edit]
Chart performance for From the Lions Mouth
Chart (1985) Peak
position
UK Albums Chart[15] 53
UK Independent Albums Chart[16] 2
Chart (2025) Peak
position
Croatian International Albums (HDU)[17] 13

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

The Firstborn Is Dead

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
The Firstborn Is Dead is the second studio album by the post-punk and band and the Bad Seeds, released on 3 June 1985 by . Recorded at Hansa Studios in from November to December 1984, the album features the core lineup of on vocals and piano, on guitar and organ, on guitar, and on bass, with additional contributions from on drums. It consists of 15 tracks blending original songs with covers of blues standards, drawing heavily on , , and American folk traditions, while Cave's lyrics evoke a mythic, gothic vision of the American infused with biblical allusions and elements. Key tracks include the stormy opener "Tupelo", inspired by Elvis Presley's birthplace and imagery; the sprawling, percussive "Knockin' On Joe"; and a raw cover of Bob Dylan's "Wanted Man". Critically acclaimed upon release, the album is praised for its intense, narrative-driven songs, Cave's commanding delivery, and the band's raw, atmospheric production, marking a pivotal evolution from their debut toward more mature, blues-infused songwriting that solidified their cult following.

Background

Post-Birthday Party transition

The Birthday Party, Nick Cave's influential band, dissolved in 1983 after years of escalating internal conflicts, rampant use among members, and severe burnout from relentless international touring that left the group physically and emotionally depleted. Tensions had boiled over during their time in , where the band had relocated in 1982, culminating in the sacking of drummer Phill Calvert and further animosity directed at guitarist , rendering the lineup untenable. In the wake of the breakup, Cave chose to stay in , viewing the city's anarchic, artist-friendly atmosphere as an opportunity for renewal amid his ongoing battle with heroin addiction, which had intensified during the band's chaotic final years. This decision marked a deliberate attempt to distance himself from the self-destructive patterns of his past while immersing in a creative hub that echoed the bohemian energy of his roots. By late 1983, Cave assembled in , drawing on trusted collaborators including multi-instrumentalist , a holdover from The Birthday Party, and guitarist from the experimental outfit . The core group expanded with bassist , a former member of band ; the debut album featured additional contributors like guitarist , while drummer joined for this album. This new ensemble allowed Cave to pivot from The Birthday Party's raw punk-noise aggression toward more deliberate, structured songwriting, shaped by 's scene and its emphasis on introspective expression.

Conceptual development

The album's title, The Firstborn Is Dead, draws from the story of Jesse Garon Presley, the stillborn identical twin brother of , evoking motifs of and central to the record's thematic core. This reference underscores Nick Cave's preoccupation with loss and rebirth, framing the album as a meditation on mythic American figures and their shadowed origins. Produced in the wake of Cave's transition from the chaotic of The Birthday Party, the project marked a deliberate pivot toward narrative depth and atmospheric restraint. Cave's conceptual framework was deeply rooted in his fascination with the American South, blending the mythology surrounding with the lore of blues pioneers such as and . These influences infused the album with a sense of haunted Americana, drawing on the raw emotional intensity of and the enigmatic personas of its legends to craft songs that mythologize Southern landscapes and personal demons. Elements of , with its fervent spirituality and themes of redemption, intertwined with the stark storytelling of and the eerie, decayed aesthetics of literature, shaping a narrative style that emphasized moral ambiguity and existential dread. Central to the album's vision was Cave's aim to cultivate a "doomy" atmosphere, a brooding counterpoint to the frenetic, anarchic energy of his work with The Birthday Party. Relocating to in the early 1980s provided the creative isolation needed to refine this shift, allowing Cave to explore slower tempos, wailing harmonica, and sparse instrumentation that amplified a sense of ominous inevitability. Songwriting began during this period, with drafts emerging in mid-1984; notable among them was "Tupelo," co-written with bandmates and , which reimagines Elvis Presley's birthplace in through apocalyptic floods and biblical undertones, loosely inspired by John Lee Hooker's "Tupelo Blues." This track exemplified the pre-recording emphasis on blending historical reverence with cataclysmic imagery, setting the tone for the album's gothic revivalism.

Recording and production

Studio sessions

The recording sessions for The Firstborn Is Dead took place at Hansa Tonstudio in , , from to 1984. The studio, renowned for its acoustics and history of hosting influential and rock acts, provided an environment that encouraged the band's immersion in a raw, atmospheric sound. The album was produced by the band and , who also served as engineer. These sessions marked a pivotal shift for Cave and the Bad Seeds, emphasizing experimentation with and influences drawn from the American South, including Cave's fixation on . The production focused on capturing authentic textures, such as Cave's raw harmonica and piano performances, to evoke the gritty essence of traditions. The workflow was impacted by Cave's ongoing struggles with , contributing to a chaotic yet creatively fertile atmosphere during the period. Much of the was tracked live in the studio to preserve immediacy, though selective overdubs were added to build intensity, particularly on the nine-minute centerpiece "Knockin' on Joe," where layers of harmonica, guitar, and percussion accumulate to create an epic, -driven climax. This approach allowed to layer sonic elements gradually, enhancing the track's brooding, prison-blues without over-polishing the overall raw aesthetic.

Personnel

The personnel for The Firstborn Is Dead consisted of the core members of and the Bad Seeds, along with technical staff, reflecting the band's evolving lineup during its early years. served as the , also playing harmonica and piano across several tracks, while acting as the primary songwriter and co-producer alongside the band. Mick Harvey was a , contributing guitars, bass, drums, organ, piano, percussion, and , as well as backing vocals; he co-produced the album and played a key role in arrangements. provided guitar and , along with backing vocals, infusing the recordings with abrasive, industrial-edged textures drawn from his prior work with . Barry Adamson handled bass, guitar, organ, drums, and percussion, in addition to backing vocals, bringing post-punk grooves shaped by his experience in . On the technical side, (Mark Ellis) engineered and co-produced the album with the band, overseeing sessions at Hansa Ton Studios in .

Music and lyrics

Musical style

The Firstborn Is Dead marked a pivotal shift in Nick Cave's sound, moving away from the chaotic noise-punk of The Birthday Party toward a framework infused with , , and lingering elements. Recorded in , the album emphasized atmospheric depth over raw aggression, fostering a cinematic quality that drew from Southern American traditions while incorporating the city's industrial undercurrents. This evolution allowed Cave and the Bad Seeds to explore slower tempos and narrative-driven compositions, distinguishing the record from the frenetic energy of prior works. Instrumentation played a central role in crafting the album's haunting, sparse soundscape, with prominent use of providing a pulsing, introspective backbone, Cave's raw, wailing harmonica evoking rawness, and guitars—often played with restraint or slide technique—adding tension without overwhelming the space. Blixa Bargeld's contributions introduced industrial edges through feedback spasms and angular scrapes, blending seamlessly with Barry Adamson's bass and organ to create dynamic contrasts between quiet brooding and explosive releases. Influences from artists like and Elvis Presley's swagger were reimagined in this context, filtered through Old Testament-inspired rhetoric and gothic motifs for a mythical, ominous tone. The album's structures varied to heighten its emotional range, featuring slow-building epics such as the seven-minute "Tupelo," which unfolds like a with swing and thunderous drums, alongside shorter, more narrative pieces that maintain a taut, minimalist feel. This approach resulted in an overall dark, brooding aesthetic, where gospel-like fervor in the vocals intertwined with the music's tactile spaces, shifting from introspective whispers to climactic outbursts that underscored the record's apocalyptic themes.

Lyrical themes

The lyrics of The Firstborn Is Dead center on motifs of , biblical , and , drawing heavily from imagery to evoke a sense of divine wrath and renewal. The album title derives from the lyrics of the opening track "Tupelo," which describes the of Elvis Presley's twin brother amid stormy, ominous events: "Come Sunday morn the first-born dead / In a shoe-box tied with a ribbon of red," underscoring themes of inevitable mortality and judgment. This apocalyptic tone permeates the album, blending cataclysmic events with spiritual reckoning, as seen in the storm-ravaged landscapes that symbolize both destruction and the possibility of rebirth. A prominent obsession with as a fallen idol recurs throughout, reimagining the rock icon as a messianic yet doomed figure born under ominous signs. In "Tupelo," Cave fictionalizes Presley's 1935 birth in amid tornadoes, floods, and lightning, portraying it as a prophetic event laced with biblical portent: "The King is born in Tupelo / And the sun goes down in blood." The of Presley's twin brother Jesse Garon is invoked as the "firstborn" of the album's title, transforming personal tragedy into mythic lore that elevates Elvis to a Christ-like savior amid Southern ruin. This fixation ties into broader references to blues mythology and Southern decay, where tales of murder, hauntings, and moral desolation evoke a gothic American underbelly, as in tracks that conjure desolate roads and vengeful spirits reminiscent of legends. Cave's narrative voice employs first-person confessions that fuse autobiography with myth, creating intimate yet larger-than-life stories of human frailty. In "Knockin' on Joe," the protagonist's hallucinatory descent—marked by feverish pleas and shadowy pursuits—blends personal torment with archetypal blues suffering. Religious undertones of sin, redemption, and judgment infuse these narratives, drawn from Old Testament tales of transgression and divine intervention, positioning the narrator as both sinner and seeker in a world haunted by biblical consequences.

Release and promotion

Commercial release

The Firstborn Is Dead was released on 3 June 1985 by in the and in the United States. The initial formats consisted of vinyl LP and cassette tapes. A edition followed in 1988. The album's cover art features a blue-tinted photograph of , captured by Jutta Henglein-Bildau, conveying a mood of solemn mourning that aligns with the record's thematic depth and its title's biblical allusion to the death of the firstborn in the . Promotion for the album included a tour across the , , and the US in 1985, though Cave's ongoing struggles with addiction limited the extent of live performances. Support came from radio appearances that helped build audience engagement. Mute Records, a pivotal independent label in the post-punk scene since the late 1970s, handled distribution in the UK, emphasizing artist development over mainstream commercial strategies. In the US, Homestead Records provided a modest independent release with no significant major-label push, reflecting the album's niche positioning within alternative rock circles at the time.

Singles

The lead single from The Firstborn Is Dead was "Tupelo", released on July 29, 1985, by , with "The Six Strings That Drew Blood" as the B-side—a re-recording of a track originally written during Nick Cave's time with the Birthday Party. The single was issued in 7-inch and 12-inch vinyl formats, the latter featuring an extended version of the A-side running over seven minutes. Its sleeve artwork depicted stark, monochromatic imagery evocative of the album's and biblical motifs, including desolate landscapes and shadowy figures. "Tupelo" achieved commercial success on the independent circuit, peaking at No. 1 on the UK Indie Chart. Promotion included a directed by Christoph Dreher, which employed surreal and gothic visuals, such as swirling storm clouds and ritualistic performances by , to underscore the song's ominous narrative.

Commercial performance

Chart positions

The Firstborn Is Dead experienced modest commercial performance upon its 1985 release, reflecting the band's emerging status within the and scenes. The album peaked at number 53 on the , spending one week in the top 100, and number 2 on the UK Independent Albums Chart. Its placement underscored the niche appeal to audiences at the time. The lead single "Tupelo," released in July 1985, fared better in alternative circles, reaching number 1 on the UK Independent Singles Chart. It did not enter the main UK Singles Chart, highlighting the band's limited mainstream breakthrough. Internationally, the album saw limited charting. It received minor airplay in and but did not register official peak positions in those markets.
Chart (1985)Peak position
UK Albums (OCC)53
UK Independent Albums (OCC)2
UK Independent Singles ("Tupelo")1

Sales and certifications

The Firstborn Is Dead has achieved modest but steady commercial success over the decades, primarily through ongoing catalog sales and reissues. Sales received a notable boost in the from expanded reissues on labels like and later inclusion in comprehensive and the Bad Seeds box sets, which helped sustain interest among fans. The has not received any major certifications, such as or awards from bodies like the RIAA or BPI, reflecting its status as an independent release on the indie label rather than a mainstream commercial blockbuster. Regionally, performance has been stronger in —particularly in the UK and —compared to the , where it maintained a niche ; post-2000s digital sales and downloads further contributed to its longevity. In terms of long-term viability, the album demonstrates consistent popularity on streaming platforms, with steady numbers on services like driven by enduring tracks such as "Tupelo," underscoring its role in the band's catalog despite initial limited commercial reach.

Critical reception

Initial reviews

Upon its release in June 1985, The Firstborn Is Dead received enthusiastic praise from music publications, which highlighted Nick Cave's evolution toward a darker, -inflected storytelling style. awarded the album a score of 7 out of 10, commending its atmospheric intensity and Cave's commanding presence as a shift from the raw of the band's debut. was even more effusive, describing it as "sordid, predictable, sickening and quite indispensable" while ranking it the top album of the year for its morbid yet compelling gothic aesthetic. These reviews emphasized the album's maturity, portraying it as a bold departure that matured Cave's persona beyond chaotic punk roots into something more narrative-driven and haunting. In the United States, reception was similarly strong among critics, reflecting broad admiration for its raw emotional depth and innovative blend of and American roots music. However, some American outlets noted a mixed accessibility, praising the atmospheric immersion but critiquing its unrelenting somber tone as potentially alienating for mainstream listeners seeking lighter fare. Common themes across reviews included acclaim for the band's maturation into a more structured yet intensely dark sound, often likened to a "perverted " revival that honored influences like and while infusing them with menace. Critics appreciated this pivot as a sign of artistic growth, though a few viewed the pervasive morbidity as overly brooding even for the era's indie scene. Despite failing to crack major charts, the positive press fueled significant buzz in underground and alternative circles, positioning the album as a favorite among tastemakers.

Retrospective assessments

In the 2000s, retrospective reviews highlighted the album's enduring influence on . Pitchfork's 2009 review of the 25th-anniversary reissue awarded it a 7.3 out of 10, praising it as a foundational work that distilled Cave's philosophical approach to and Americana, with tracks like "Tupelo" exemplifying a masterful blend of imagery and storytelling. AllMusic's assessment, rated 4.5 out of 5 stars, described The Firstborn Is Dead as Nick Cave's album, where he and the Bad Seeds achieved a stunning stride in reimagining through raw, cinematic intensity. Academic analyses have emphasized the album's thematic depth. In Ian Johnston's 1996 biography Bad Seed: The Biography, the record is examined for its biblical allusions and Southern gothic motifs, reflecting Cave's early literary ambitions that paralleled his novel And the Ass Saw the Angel. Among fans, The Firstborn Is Dead is often viewed as underrated relative to Cave's later works, earning an average rating of 3.5 out of 5 on Rate Your Music based on over 5,800 user reviews. In the 2020s, the album has seen renewed interest through Cave's memoir Faith, Hope and Carnage (2023), where he reflects on the religiosity and intensity of his early recordings like "Tupelo," alongside Bad Seeds tours promoting Wild God (2024) that incorporate selections from the debut-era catalog.

Track listing

Original tracks

The original 1985 vinyl release of The Firstborn Is Dead by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds was issued as a standard LP with seven tracks divided across two sides, emphasizing a raw, blues-infused sound recorded in Berlin.
SideTrackTitleDurationWriter(s)
AA1Tupelo7:15, Adamson, Harvey
AA2Say Goodbye to the Little Girl Tree5:09, Harvey
AA3Train Long-Suffering3:48
AA4Black Crow King5:04, Bargeld
BB1Knockin' on Joe7:34
BB2Wanted Man5:28Dylan (popularized by )
BB36:07, Adamson, Bargeld, Harvey
The album's total runtime is 40:36. "Wanted Man" is a cover of Bob Dylan's composition, originally written for and recorded by on his 1969 live album .) No major regional differences appear in the track listings or durations of the original 1985 pressings across markets such as the , , and .

Song details

"Tupelo," the album's opening track, unfolds as a seven-minute desert-storming thriller that weaves an apocalyptic narrative around the mythical birth of amid the 1927 Mississippi flood, drawing inspiration from John Lee Hooker's "Tupelo Blues" and imagery of divine wrath. The stormy instrumentation, featuring rumbling percussion and swirling guitars, mirrors the lyrics' chaotic depiction of floodwaters and paternal desperation, establishing Cave's command of revival against the era's dominance and securing his reputation as a gothic storyteller. "Knockin' on Joe" delivers an extended bluesy jam exceeding seven minutes, framed as an autobiographical tale of and , with Cave's warbling vocals over piano riffs and a harmonica solo evoking a last-call piano-bar . The track's swinging rhythm and raw emotional core reflect Cave's personal struggles with dependency during the album's creation, underscoring themes of suffering that permeate his oeuvre. "Wanted Man," Cave's adaptation of Johnny Cash's rendition of Bob Dylan's outlaw ballad, infuses the five-minute cover with snarling desperation and a wild-west frenzy, transforming the original's wry humor into a visceral search-and-destroy . The performance distills Cave's philosophy of relentless pursuit, its raging delivery amplifying personal themes of and evasion beyond the source material's narrative. "" serves as a warped tribute to the delta blues pioneer, its six-minute structure featuring raw, minimalist guitar work that evokes Jefferson's ghostly acoustic style while rejecting modern symbols of success like the automobile in favor of eternal musical legacy. Cave's eerie vocals and sparse arrangement pay homage to Jefferson's lonesome sound, positioning the track as a holy invocation of blues authenticity amid the album's gothic reinterpretations. "Say Goodbye to the Little Girl Tree" is a haunting, piano-driven ballad that explores themes of loss and , with Cave's lyrics painting a surreal, childlike scene infused with gothic undertones and biblical references to the . "Train Long-Suffering" features a raw, rhythmic groove centered on Cave's desperate pleas amid clattering percussion and guitar, evoking the relentless motion of a as a for enduring hardship and in the American South. Tracks like "Black Crow King" foreshadow Cave's recurring motifs of wandering and isolation, its dirge-like structure depicting a solitary ruling an endless cornfield, bellowing vocals evoking lizard-like desolation that ties into later explorations of biblical outcasts and nomadic kings across his discography.

Legacy

Cultural influence

The Firstborn Is Dead contributed to the development of within , blending raw influences with dark, narrative-driven lyrics and atmospheric production that evoked a sense of menace and biblical . Its poetic intensity and gothic sensibilities, particularly in tracks like "Tupelo," have been noted in broader discussions of Nick Cave's influence on alternative music. Nick Cave's embrace of Southern Gothic themes on the album—marked by tales of violence, redemption, and the American South—resonated beyond music, paralleling the stark, mythic landscapes in Cormac McCarthy's . Cave later drew on similar themes in his compositions, including the score for the film adaptation of McCarthy's novel , which he created with . This style also informed later works by Cave that contributed to the brooding, existential tone of HBO's , where his music underscored the series' noir elements. The standout track "Tupelo," with its thunderous rhythm and Elvis-infused mythology, has endured through covers and reinterpretations, including homages in tribute projects that highlight its raw power. The album's motifs directly inspired Cave's 1989 debut novel And the Ass Saw the Angel, transforming the lyrical obsessions of songs like "Tupelo" into a sprawling prose narrative of isolation and divine fury set in a fictional town. Recorded at Berlin's Hansa Studios, The Firstborn Is Dead contributed to the city's late-1970s and 1980s scene, building on the experimental groundwork laid by and Iggy Pop's and solidifying the scene's reputation for brooding, innovative rock. In the , the album received modern recognition through inclusions in Cave tribute compilations. Tracks from the record also featured in period soundtracks, underscoring its timeless appeal in evoking haunted Americana. In 2025, marking the album's 40th anniversary, and the Bad Seeds released an AI-generated video for "Tupelo," directed by , featuring animated depictions of to commemorate the track's enduring legacy.

Reissues and remasters

In 1996, released a CD reissue of The Firstborn Is Dead, featuring improved audio clarity through digital remastering to enhance the original analog recordings for playback. The album underwent a significant expansion in 2009 with a two-disc deluxe collector's edition, digitally remastered for superior and presented in both stereo and formats on an accompanying DVD. The bonus disc included B-sides such as "Scag Pile" and live recordings from the band's 1985 tour, drawing from outtakes and sessions recorded at Hansa Studios in during the original album production. These additions provided collectors with previously unavailable material without altering the core track listing. A vinyl reissue followed in 2011, marking the first pressing of the album on in over two decades and restoring the original artwork alongside the remastered audio. Across these editions, no major changes were made to the original tracks, preserving the album's raw, blues-inflected intensity while expanding access through bonus content sourced from the era.

References

  1. https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-firstborn-is-dead-mw0000623263
  2. https://www.nickcave.com/releases/the-firstborn-is-dead/
  3. https://post-punk.com/nick-cave-and-the-bad-seeds-the-firstborn-is-dead/
  4. https://www.discogs.com/master/17126-Nick-Cave-And-The-Bad-Seeds-The-Firstborn-Is-Dead
  5. https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/32454/Nick-Cave-and-The-Bad-Seeds-The-Firstborn-Is-Dead/
  6. https://longlivevinyl.net/2018/07/20/classic-album-nick-cave-murder-ballads/
  7. https://www.albumoftheyear.org/album/5760-nick-cave-the-bad-seeds-the-firstborn-is-dead.php
  8. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/oct/26/the-birthday-party-the-danger-drugs-and-rancour-behind-nick-caves-post-punk-band
  9. https://thequietus.com/interviews/the-birthday-party-interview-nick-cave-and-the-bad-seeds/
  10. https://www.dw.com/en/nick-cave-an-artistic-life-revealed/a-52917364
  11. https://www.discogs.com/master/17200-Nick-Cave-And-The-Bad-Seeds-From-Her-To-Eternity
  12. https://thequietus.com/opinion-and-essays/beyond-the-hits/nick-cave-the-bad-seeds-beyond-the-hits/
  13. https://www.spin.com/2023/12/nick-cave-biography-extract-boy-on-fire/
  14. https://thelisteningpostblog.wordpress.com/2019/06/20/song-of-the-day-nick-cave-the-bad-seeds-tupelo/
  15. https://musicbrainz.org/release/097a76fa-4dcb-4d2e-9ad2-80dee655e1c9
  16. https://store.nickcave.com/products/the-firstborn-is-dead-12-vinyl-reissue
  17. https://longlivevinyl.net/2020/04/10/nick-caves-bad-seeds-and-collaborators/
  18. https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/nick-cave-and-the-bad-seeds/the-firstborn-is-dead/
  19. https://www.discogs.com/release/1703110-Nick-Cave-And-The-Bad-Seeds-The-Firstborn-Is-Dead
  20. https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/12949-from-her-to-eternity-the-first-born-is-dead-kicking-against-the-pricks-your-funeral-my-trial/
  21. https://trouserpress.com/reviews/nick-cave-and-the-bad-seeds/
  22. http://www.bad-seed.org/~cave/interviews/86-09_oor.html
  23. https://resources.library.leeds.ac.uk/final-chapter/dissertations/english/example2.pdf
  24. https://genius.com/Nick-cave-and-the-bad-seeds-tupelo-lyrics
  25. https://www.thequietus.com/opinion-and-essays/beyond-the-hits/nick-cave-the-bad-seeds-beyond-the-hits/
  26. https://unherd.com/2024/08/the-gospel-according-to-nick-cave/
  27. https://mimesisjournals.com/ojs/index.php/scenari/article/download/1357/1087/
  28. https://www.seenandunseen.com/day-night-and-dawn-nick-caves-lyrics
  29. https://fromthearchives.com/nc/chronology.html
  30. https://www.frieze.com/article/just-cant-get-enough-0
  31. https://www.songfacts.com/facts/nick-cave-the-bad-seeds/tupelo
  32. https://www.discogs.com/master/17132-Nick-Cave-The-Bad-Seeds-Tupelo
  33. https://www.discogs.com/release/495095-Nick-Cave-The-Bad-Seeds-Tupelo
  34. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt23848154/
  35. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSl4KX7zBTQ
  36. https://www.officialcharts.com/albums/nick-cave-the-bad-seeds-the-first-born-is-dead/
  37. https://www.radiox.co.uk/features/x-lists/best-indie-songs-1985/
  38. https://bestsellingalbums.org/artist/9507
  39. https://elusivedisc.com/nick-cave-the-bad-seeds-the-firstborn-is-dead-180g-lp/
  40. https://www.musicthisday.com/lists/albums/40-albums-from-1985-you-must-hear-before-you-die
  41. https://www.scribd.com/document/779061844/Bad-Seed-Nick-Cave
  42. https://music.newcity.com/2025/04/22/touched-by-the-spirit-religiosity-rock-n-roll-and-the-art-of-being-nick-cave/
  43. https://open.spotify.com/album/0Kk1rEWl9xXFXME8BkVhcc
  44. https://www.post-punk.com/nick-cave-and-the-bad-seeds-the-firstborn-is-dead/
  45. https://www.stereogum.com/1605642/nick-cave-albums-from-worst-to-best/photo/
  46. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-live-reviews/nick-cave-and-the-bad-seeds-brooklyn-barclays-center-review-1235320717/
  47. https://adamsteiner.uk/2024/09/03/rock-and-roll-saviour-nick-cave-battle-with-the-blues-part-ii/
  48. https://www.dallasnews.com/arts-entertainment/music/2024/02/23/blind-lemon-jefferson-gets-the-spotlight-in-a-trio-of-dallas-projects/
  49. https://en.debaser.it/nick-cave-and-the-bad-seeds/the-firstborn-is-dead/review-bartleboom
  50. https://www.nme.com/photos/60-albums-celebrating-big-anniversaries-in-2015-1403350
  51. https://www.loudersound.com/news/cormac-mccarty-was-the-author-of-heavy-books-in-turn-those-books-inspired-some-very-heavy-music
  52. https://muse.jhu.edu/article/572784/summary
  53. https://secondhandsongs.com/artist/11578/all
  54. https://la-terrasse.blogspot.com/2009/10/nick-cave-and-ass-saw-angel.html
  55. https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/brilliant-berlin-the-five-best-albums-recorded-at-hansa-studios/
  56. https://www.undertheradarmag.com/news/nick_cave_reissues_four_classic_albums/
  57. https://www.instagram.com/p/DMr8MxPO86Z/
  58. https://www.discogs.com/release/8029181-Nick-Cave-And-The-Bad-Seeds-The-Firstborn-Is-Dead
  59. https://www.nickcave.com/releases/the-firstborn-is-dead/the-firstborn-is-dead-cd-dvd/
  60. https://thequietus.com/news/full-nick-cave-the-bad-seeds-reissue-details/
  61. https://slicingupeyeballs.com/2009/03/14/nick-cave-bad-seeds-reissues-remasters/
Add your contribution
Related Hubs
User Avatar
No comments yet.