Nick Cave – Let It Be Review

Disappointing as it may be to see Nick Cave, who was once totally against generative AI, sharing a rotten Tupelo video, it is worth remembering what artificial intelligence cannot do. It cannot, for instance, provide the emotional highs of Nick Cave’s cover of Let It Be. While The Beatles’ classic may be better from the mouth of Paul McCartney, the various interpretations of the song, particularly this Cave and Seeds cover, are well worth experiencing. Cave, as a solo worker, is known for his lighter touch, but his work as The Bad Seeds’ frontman offers a fiery contrast. Here is one song where they reserve the rage and find a harmonious route through the classic Beatles track. This is true beauty. Even if the cover is not perfect, even if a listener is unable to adjust to the vocal changes Cave has compared to McCartney, at least it is real.  

Effort and emotion, which artificial intelligence can never replicate, are at work here. Cave offers a sombre take on the song without a vocal rise or fall. He stays monotone, and it makes for a more passive, literal take on the title. While McCartney may have sounded desperate for reason yet articulate in accepting the lack of explanation for parts of life, Cave is at peace with it. The Bad Seeds frontman is an artist who presents himself as totally in control of the unexpected. His Red Hand Files and this cover, more the latter than the former, it must be said, suggest life will carry on regardless of your reaction. Let It Be then takes on a literal meaning. Leave things as they are, give it a moment to take shape, and then react. Crucial to Cave and The Bad Seeds is the continued changes they have made to their image and sound. Would Let It Be have fit the mould of Let Love In? No.  

But in the years to follow The Boatman’s Call, Cave and the band accepted a new sound. It is rude to call it mellow, especially as it implies the work at hand has lost its edge. No, it was just involved in a different part of the creative process. Part of the harsher style for Let It Be comes from the words of wisdom. Whether they are listened to is up to the interpretation of the artist. Cave’s monotone delivery may be satisfying, but it also rings with a degree of coldness to the warning of Mother Mary, whose frequent interpretation as the religious figure is not what McCartney had intended, but he is fine with it. Cave’s connection to spirituality and openness would lend itself to this Mother Mary being a visit from the saint, and the tone of the song merely backs this up. 

Interpretations of The Beatles and their members’ music are all too frequent. You could visit any karaoke bar, traditional pub, or grassroots venue, and the odds are McCartney’s music will make an appearance. The same goes for Cave, an equal in writing quality and an influential figure. Hearing his rendition of Let It Be, an interpretation given to I Am Sam of all films, is a welcome experience. It is not just a matter of keeping the original alive, but of finding new meaning through a fresh performance. Cave tries to do that and succeeds. But success is not crucial for the thrill of hearing a cover song. Be it his rendition of Disco 2000 or Johnny Cash’s take on Cave’s The Mercy Seat, the interpretation is a tertiary reason to listen. What matters most is how it sounds, and Let It Be sounds marvellous in Cave’s hands.