Nick Cave, in his now four-decade career, has turned out some astonishing, but often seldom-heard, versions of songs made famous by others, often in the process, making the songs his own. Cave’s 1986 album, Kicking Against the Pricks, was an all covers affair, following in the footsteps of David Bowie’s Pin-Ups and Bryan Ferry’s These Foolish Things, but with more perverse song selections than either. It’s the first album where Cave sang “pretty” songs and from start to finish, it’s a tour de force. Certainly the work on that record showed the way forward creatively for Cave, who is probably the greatest writer/singer of classic love songs in the world today.

An intrepid soul at the TwentyFourBit blog has assembled for your listening pleasure, a massive collection of 28 lovely Nick Cave-crooned cover versions, rounded-up from the wilds of YouTube. Personal favorites include Cave’s sorrowful version of Neil Young’s “Helpless,” ferocious Birthday Party-era takes on Gene Vincent’s “Cat Man” and “Loose” by The Stooges,and don’t miss the emotional duet with Johnny Cash, on Hank Williams’ “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry.”

Hear Nick Cave cover 28 songs (TwentyFourBit)

Below, Cave’s sorrowful take on “In the Ghetto.” To me, this is every bit the equal of the Elvis Presley original (which I also love).
 

More Nick Cave on Dangerous Minds