Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!

On the band's official website Cave wrote about his inspiration for the album: ==Singles and promotion==

A series of viral video trailers for the album were produced by artists Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard. On 18 February the title track "Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!" was released as the first single—on CD, limited edition 7", and as a digital download—with "Accidents Will Happen" as the B-side. The second single, "More News From Nowhere", was released on 12 May. It draws its title from News from Nowhere, an 1890 utopian socialist novel by William Morris. An extended promotional video for "Night of the Lotus Eaters" was also released along with a live studio video of "Midnight Man" and a promotional video for "More News From Nowhere", all directed by artists Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard. The "More News From Nowhere" video released in May 2008, features cameo appearances by journalist Will Self, singer Beth Orton, British TV actors Karl Theobald, Michael Higgs and Caroline Catz plus British artists Tim Noble and Sue Webster and socialite/ broadcaster Peaches Geldof. == Critical reception==

Critical response to Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! was overwhelmingly positive, with reviewers acclaiming the album as both a return to greatness and a new side of the band. The album currently holds a score of 87 out of 100 on the review aggregate site Metacritic, which indicates "universal acclaim". In his Consumer Guide column for MSN Music, Robert Christgau cited "We Call Upon the Author" and "More News from Nowhere" as highlights and called Cave "almost Dylanesque for blessed moments", later giving the album a two-star honorable mention rating. In a five-star review, The Observers Graeme Thomson praised Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! as "a triumph from first to last". David Harris of Tiny Mix Tapes said that "rock, country, blues, and post-punk rhythms meld with Cave’s lyrics on sex, death, God, and America to create what could be one of his most perfect albums yet", while Matt Fink of Paste called the album "vintage Cave." Jason Heller of The A.V. Club said that Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! "bears little concept or nuance, but it more than makes up for it in raw, oozing passion." Drowned in Sound noted that "while there are inevitable parallels what with one album following the last so soon", Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! was nonetheless "a bolder creation that its predecessor." In a mixed review, Tim Perlich of Now wrote that the band's tendency "to revert to familiar structures and grooves" meant that it was "not surprising, then, that a number of the tunes on Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! sound familiar", though he acknowledged that "this probably isn't all that troubling to Bad Seeds fans, for whom more of the same is a welcome prospect." In May 2008, the album was announced as the first nomination for Australian radio station Triple J's 2008 J Awards. The title track was ranked at 35 in the Triple J 2008 Hottest 100 Countdown. ==Awards==

• 2008 MOJO Awards: Best Album of 2008 (Dig, Lazarus Dig!!!) • 2008 ARIA Award: Nick Cave Best Male Artist of 2008 (for Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!) • Certified Silver for UK sales. • Certified Gold for Irish sales. ==Track listing==

• "Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!" (MUTE 377) (18 February 2008) • b/w: "Accidents Will Happen" • "More News From Nowhere" (MUTE 390) (12 May 2008) • b/w: "Fleeting Love" • "Midnight Man" (MUTE 403) (28 July 2008) • b/w: "Hey Little Firing Squad" ==Personnel==

• Nick Cave – Vocals (1–11), Organ (1,2,6,7), Piano (3,8,9), Tambourine (3,5,11), Sleigh Bells (3,11), Toms (5), Harmonica (5), Electric Guitar (9), Vibra-Slap (11) • Martyn P. Casey – Bass (1–3,6–11) • Thomas Wydler – Brushed Snare (1), Shaker (2,10), Tambourine (2,5,10), Drums (4,8,9), Hand Drums (7) • Warren Ellis – Viola (1,6,9,11), Loops (1,4,6,7,10,11), Fender Mandocaster (2–4,7–10), Tenor Guitar (3,5,8,10), Maracas (3) 12 String Lute (5), Drum Machine (6), Piano (8), Flute (9), Mandolin (9) • Mick Harvey – Electric Guitar (1,4–6,10,11), Acoustic Guitar (2,5,7–9), Bass (4,5), Organ (10) • Jim Sclavunos – Drums (1–3,5–7,10,11), Bongos (1,5), Cowbell (1), Cuica (3), Congas (3,4), Finger Cymbals (4), Shaker (5), Maracas (7), Tambourine (8,9), Sleigh Bells (9) • James Johnston – Organ (2,5,9), Electric Guitar (5) • All backing vocals and handclaps by Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds; Conway Savage is listed as a band member but does not play his usual keyboards on the album ==Chart positions==

Year-end charts ==Certifications==