Tender Prey  by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

In 1988, Australian Nick Cave and his band the Bad Seeds released the fifth album of their career. The sound and compositions of the album remain dark, anxious, and sorrowful, but this time it appears to be a balanced record which the unsuspecting listener - indeed - will not listen to for entertainment, yet will have reasons to return for additional listens without the risk of depression.

The production of the album is much more refined and was done by the British Flood, Australian Tony Cohen, and the entire band. In 2012, Tender Prey earned a spot in the "National Film and Sound Archive" of Australia, where significant cultural documents of the country are preserved. Nick Cave himself admitted that the recording of this particular album was done under adverse conditions as he was going through a particularly difficult phase in his life. There was unrest in the studio among the band members. Ultimately, Tender Prey is proof that small masterpieces can be created out of chaos.

The two singles from the album were The Mercy Seat and Deanna. These two remained an integral part of the concerts of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds for many years. In the United Kingdom, Tender Prey reached No.67, while it also had significant commercial appeal in Greece.