Reviews (page 2 of 6)
Dit gaat heel hard. Nog niet eerder dit album gehoord maar van voor tot achter is het alsof je een boek leest wat constant spannend is.
Well, Nick Cave gets the nod for artist I'm most glad I discovered in this endeavor. When I first looked at the list, I might have lumped him into the pile of artists who seem overrepresented (at the expense of others who belong), but I've yet to hear anything I didn't think belonged here — and how. Loved this poet meets bard meets rocker meets visionary vibe. Keep serving them up!
I’m most thankful for this project because it’s helped me deeply appreciate Nick Cave. Seeing him live sealed the deal that this man is extraordinary. Storytelling with all the right complements-lyrics, music, his performances.
I guess shouldn't be, but I find myself surprised at having any difficulty reviewing an artist I already love. The more I like a band or album, the more I'll have to say, right? Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds are a group that I will go see live, without question, given the opportunity. I would recommend this to practically anyone with even lukewarm ears for music and and a mere candle's flame of passion for life, even if you aren't a fan. I have friends who can't be bothered for Cave's recorded work, but understand the blazing rock and roll revival spectacle that Nick and the boys will tirelessly work themselves through on a stage. The trick of loving an artist and being thick in their world, when it comes time to write, is that the majority of my ideas on the artist and album have long been sublimated to shadowy emotional marrow. For years I've happily lived in my own feeling world; to artists like Nick Cave, my words have long since melted. I've already made peace that (aside from my aforesaid endorsement of the live experience) Cave isn't an artist for just anyone, and that's fine. I've shared playlists with friends with good taste. Just one of them came around on their own after reading a review in the New Yorker of Cave's interview book with friend and journalist Sean O'Hannigan, "Faith, Hope, and Carnage". He read the book on the merits of it being a seemingly excellent music book, and that is what drew him in. Prior to this, I have a text message from him making fun of the mixing and recording style of "Let Love In". This is all to say, Nick Cave isn't for everyone, and I've been fine with that for a very long time. I've learned hard lessons from years of musical zeal that now afford me comforts of being lazy and secure in certain areas of my own taste. In denial of my convenience and laze, and in owed honor to Cave for being a rare artist who continues to improve in craft and execution after so many years, I will say some things. Prior to yesterday's enthusiastic and attentive re-visitation, "Henry's Dream" was a C or D-tier Bad Seeds album for me. Relative to my favorite Cave stuff, I always found it messy, dense, and monotonous. His prior album, "The Good Son", showcased a wide-ranging tenderness and empathy (in love and grief, "The Ship Song", and "The Weeping Song" are highlights, respectively) alongside his signature menace and despair. Each song was like a snow globe, a world under glass unto itself, of songwriting chops and emotion. I very much liked this mode. "Henry's Dream", comparatively, (and intentionally, I'm sure) is indeed a series of heavy dreams (mostly nightmares, but not all) from a single night's sleep. Each song is a world unto itself, with its detail rendered in storytelling lyrics dense with imagery, and a band playing like they are attacking their instruments (even in the ballads.) Rather than the world of each song ending tidily at predefined glass walls, these worlds emerge from the void of dreamless sleep, bleeding into each other. The catchy choruses, striking scenes ("I was at a dancehall on the edge of town"), and oppressive weight of the whole thing ensure that there are not clean edges. Like a dream, it's hard to remember what exactly you encountered, but the feeling stays with you even after the album is over. Following the tidiness of "The Good Son", it is as if Cave excitedly discovered new ways to fit in more words to a song, sharing more blood-stained, dirt-sweat muddy details of each story that the songs tell. Even the ballads, "Straight to You" and "Loom of the Land", within the album's whole, come off as leaden, drunk, and prickly as the rest. This is all fine, not a problem, and still within a realm of enjoyment for me, but these points just make his later, more nuanced work, all the more exceptional. In particular, the dark stories of "Henry's Dream" foretell the deeper and more nuanced exploration of dark song-stories in his later, highly popular album, "Murder Ballads". "Henry's Dream" is a valuable waypoint. The benefit and detriment of this album, cursing and blessing, at once, is the claustrophobic heaviness. As a post in the story of Nick Cave's creative unfolding, it's a hard-seen one that lurks in the shadows. Close listening, a lyrics sheet, and the 2010 remastered version (the band was deeply unhappy with the original mixing, and I think I possibly was, too, and didn't know it) all became illuminating tools in tackling this album again with intention. I've come out with a renewed respect for it's place in Nick Cave's discography. I could just stupidly give it a five, simply because "Nick Cave", or more reasonably, because this connects with me so much more than music that I would already gladly give a five to, anyways. A three is objectively warranted as well, because despite any explanation or rationale of my own, this is something you have to find your own way into. Or not. This is my life, and we are all just living in Nick Cave's nightmare anyways, so five it is.
Cave's crooning and the acoustic alterno arrangements are a perfect match. It was well received at the time and has only grown in mystique. It's one of those albums that leaves you... feeling. It's good and it's dark and it's different.
I think I'm just hot and cold (or rather, lukewarm) on Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. Its either a grand statement that is beautifully crafted - or an interesting drone. This album is the former and I think sets up a lot of the really interesting lyrical storytelling that comes about in the early 00s (for instance, I definitely got some early Regina Spektor vibes from a few of the songs).
Bad Seeds killing it as usual.
man i REALLY underrated this one back when i was way into nick cave fsr. for as much as i loved (and still do love, probably) the guy's music, many of his records (to my memory) hit a stretch where theyre being more carried by the lyrics and the overall vibe of the album, rather than capital s capital i Song Ideas, so its hard to pass up what is in all likelihood his tightest and hardest-hitting tracklist. verses ramble and weave over the clanging, and the mix of gut-level noise and lush musicality is hard to find in this exact ratio anywhere else. despite cave's apparent dissatisfaction with the sessions and their results (artistically clashing with neil young producer david briggs), u'd never know from his full-blooded vocal performances from front to back. kind of an underrated album cover too....the lonely billboard as seen on a vaguely contemporary but "uncivilized" road trip through a stretch of country soaked in blood and vinegar and piss
Brilliant stuff. Nick Cave always skirts around the darkness but there is an ever waiting sense of salvation. This is really good stuff.
#207/1001. This is my first Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds review in this project (hopefully not the last) so I talk more about my relationship with his music than just this album. That said, I do remember when I was about 19 and at a student bar asked the dj to play the latest Nick Cave album which just had come out, and he did! I’m pretty sure not many people except me owned Henry's Dream yet in my city at that time, but I might be wrong since basically all the goth / punk / hippie chicks I have ever met from the 90s onwards have had a crush on him, and some (or all?) still do, and they knew his music and had his albums. This includes my wife btw, from whom our household has still kept Tender Pray and The Good Son. And why not have a crush? With some artists as time goes by their music starts to lose meaning, or it starts to sound dated. That for me never has happened with NC atBS. I did sell my Birthday Party albums though, and haven't really missed them much. As for my favourite Nick Cave album that would be a tough choice: this one or Do You Love Me bang hard, then again Firstborn is Dead and the cover album Kicking Against the Pricks are ones I keep returning to, and then our beloved Tender Pray and Good Son... But anything newer than Murder Ballads sounds to me like just another Nick Cave album. They seem to be nice, but they are not embedded to my life as the earlier stuff was. Nevertheless, this album is still and forever will be a banger. A banger with ballads and one and only storytelling journey.
Henry’s Dream has always been one of my fave Nick Cave records. It doesn’t really have many of his "hits" (though there aer a couple), but the whole record works for me, and I think it’s actually one of his more accessible records. I’ve always loved this one. Let Love In and Murder Ballads and Abbatoir Blues might top it, but it hangs in there with them. Admittedly, the cover art is terrible for this one. Of course, this has no bearing on how I regard the album...but it's sorta goofball vibe gives the impression that the music will also be kinda goofball, which it really isn't; I guess there's some incongruity for me there, but whatever. I love this record. 5/5
Nick Cave makes wonderful and extraordinary music. I hadn't listened to him in a while and was glad to have this opportunity. I should listen to him more often. 5/5
Excellent
Damn Nick Cave is so fucking cool sometimes. Sometimes his music is a bore but when it hits it really hits. This was a big hit with me, the albums chosen for this list are kind of a mixed bag.
Good album. My first listen to this one.
To jest kot. Nikt nie pisze takich piosenek, poezji prosto z rynsztoka, takiej, która przykleja się do podeszwy buta i chociaż bardzo chcesz to nie możesz jej doczyścić. Uwielbiam wszystko, co jest z nim nie tak. 8.5/10 równane w górę.
Loved it, leonard cohen esque and folklore in songs
Its Nick Cave, what can I say, I love it… Not every Song, but the overall vibe of the record.
Nick Cave at his most nick cave. Demented, but also tender.
Seriously loved this!
Perfect album! Perfect vocal!
I don't know what I like about Nick Cave but the sound is smooth and happy.
❤️
Not the most popular Nick Cave record but probably my favourite. It pulls you in with openingtrack Papa won't leave you Henry and we're of to the races. N.C. shines in a sort of descriptor of events. Great!
Nick Cave is always five stars. Almost.
I always enjoy the weird sultry darkenss of Nick Cave, no exception here
Superb album. Revelation.
Noter un album de Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds est souvent un exercice d'équilibriste. Le faire avec "Henry's Dream", sorti en 1992, l'est encore plus. Plantons le décor : nous sommes entre la grâce sombre et orchestrale de "The Good Son" (1990) et le monolithe de perfection qu'est "Let Love In" (1994). Dans cet intervalle se niche Henry's Dream, un disque fiévreux, narratif, et d'une puissance brute quasi inégalée. "Henry's Dream" est avant tout un album d'histoires. Plus que jamais auparavant, Nick Cave endosse le rôle de conteur halluciné, de prêcheur sous amphétamines arpentant un sud des États-Unis fantasmé et crépusculaire. L'album s'ouvre sur "Papa Won't Leave You, Henry", une entrée en matière tellurique et menaçante. La tension est palpable, la batterie de Thomas Wydler martèle une marche funèbre tandis que la basse de Martyn P. Casey gronde comme un orage lointain. La voix de Cave, prophétique et démente, nous plonge sans ménagement dans un univers de violence familiale et de fuite en avant. Le ton est donné : ce voyage sera sans concession. Cette exploration de la folie et de la violence atteint son paroxysme avec "I Had a Dream, Joe". C'est une chevauchée fantastique et meurtrière, un cauchemar éveillé où le rêve se confond avec une réalité sanglante. La performance du groupe est ici à son comble, une tempête sonore menée par les guitares stridentes et anguleuses de Blixa Bargeld et Mick Harvey. Le morceau est un tourbillon, une spirale de démence qui laisse l'auditeur exsangue et fasciné. C'est le cœur noir et battant de l'album, une pièce maîtresse de la mythologie "cave-ienne". Pourtant, la controverse la plus célèbre de l'album ne réside pas dans ses textes, mais dans sa production. Enregistré sous la houlette de David Briggs, connu pour son travail brut et organique avec Neil Young, le son de "Henry's Dream" a été une source de profonde insatisfaction pour Nick Cave lui-même. Il a souvent déclaré que Briggs n'avait pas réussi à capturer l'énergie chaotique et la dynamique quasi télépathique du groupe en live. Cave trouvait le mix trop "propre", trop américain, lissant les aspérités qui faisaient l'essence des Bad Seeds. Cette frustration est palpable. On sent une puissance colossale, une bête sauvage en cage qui ne demande qu'à défoncer les barreaux. Cependant, réduire "Henry's Dream" à cette frustration serait une erreur. Car même dans ce cadre sonore contesté, la splendeur éclate. Et elle éclate de la plus belle des manières avec "Straight to You". C'est l'un des plus beaux hymnes d'amour du répertoire de Cave. Sur une mélodie d'une évidence confondante, portée par un orgue majestueux, Cave offre une déclaration d'amour absolu face à un monde qui s'écroule. Les tours s'effondrent, les cieux brûlent, mais l'amour demeure le seul refuge, le seul point fixe. C'est une chanson d'une beauté et d'une sincérité désarmantes, un classique instantané qui prouve que même au cœur du chaos narratif, la lumière peut percer avec une force inouïe. L'album regorge d'autres pépites. "Jack the Ripper" est un rock garage primal et sexuel, une explosion de fureur contenue. "Christina the Astonishing" est une ballade narrative et éthérée, un conte étrange et merveilleux qui offre une respiration bienvenue. "When I First Came to Town" renoue avec une veine plus folk et biblique, décrivant le parcours d'un étranger au destin tragique. Chaque titre est une pièce d'un puzzle complexe, un chapitre d'un livre sombre et envoûtant. En conclusion, "Henry's Dream" est une œuvre essentielle, un pilier de la discographie de Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. Son atmosphère unique, sa puissance narrative et la qualité exceptionnelle de ses compositions lui valent sans conteste une note de 5 sur 5. C'est un excellent, un immense album. Son statut "d'inférieur" à d'autres mastodontes de la discographie de Cave ne parle pas d'une quelconque faiblesse, mais témoigne plutôt de l'altitude stratosphérique à laquelle le groupe a évolué pendant des décennies. "Henry's Dream" est le rêve tourmenté d'un artiste au sommet de son art, un cauchemar magnifique dont on ne sort pas indemne, et c'est bien pour cela qu'on l'aime tant.
Nick Cave is an Australian national treasure. 4.5/5 #111
Not his strongest work but still Nick Cave.
Total gonzo energy all the way through. Chaotic, theatrical, and wildly alive. Like a sermon delivered during a jailbreak.
I love this album! It's dark, gritty, raw and has some serious lyrics. I've always enjoyed the grittiness of Nick's voice. "Red Right Hand" appears throughout my Spotify history. Really liked "Papa Won't Leave You, Henry" and "John Finn's Wife"
Growling.
Ich hab immer wieder versucht bei Nick Cave mich besser reinzuhören, aber bisher hab ich kein Album bis zum Schluss geschafft. Dieses hier schon. Hat mir sehr gut gefallen und bin bereit es sehr bald nochmal zu hören.
Great album! Big Cave fan.
Well — I was sure surprised. Nick Cave is another artist I thought I had a good handle on. I mean, I'd heard his song on the SHREK 2 soundtrack (yep, he's another one of those). I'd heard all about the album that song comes from, THE BOATMAN'S CALL. He's a guy who makes sad piano songs — or at least just melancholic or depressing. I knew what I'd be getting into here. My first clue that I actually had no idea what I was in for was when I read this album's Wikipedia page and saw it labelled as "punk blues." I had to read it again: "punk blues." It just didn't sound right to me. My assumption, honestly, was that this was some one-off change-of-sound album. Y'know, an experiment, maybe. Everything else probably still sounded as I expected this, but for this one album they were trying something else. And when I finally got around to giving it a shot... Oh, wowie me. The first word my mind conjured within the first three tracks was "epic." That's really how it sounded to me, with its driving riff and orchestration and how the backing vocals accentuated everything... I was a little stunned for a moment. This was incredible. Completely and truly incredible. This is some of the stuff Nick Cave & His Bad Seeds were doing, and I'm only just now finding out? Honestly now. I wanna highlight "John Finn's Wife" especially; now **that** is a song worthy of the word "epic" if I ever heard one. And to be clear, I mean in the sense of how I perceive size and scope, and not so much in the standard "meaningless synonym for amazing" kind of way. And actually, as the album went on, "epic" kind of felt insufficient to describe the album as a whole. I struggled to find the right one for a moment, but in the middle of "Loom Of The Land", it finally hit me: "cinematic." The songs on this album feel grandly cinematic. Even hardly listening to the lyrics like I normally don't, I could only imagine these songs being projected on a large theater screen, playing out as dramatically as they could without running over into straight parody. Like, goodness, I wanna emphasize again: this was all from the guy and band I knew solely for "People Ain't No Good". Who would've known they were capable of this? The answer: most people, probably. If there's anything this album taught me, it's that I got it all backwards. THE BOATMAN'S CALL, as it turns out, is where the band's sound actually changed. HENRY'S DREAM, meanwhile, is more likely what they sounded like before that point. Well, maybe a little less post-punk (yecch) than I've been reading, but still. And not that this group even has just one sound, anyway; it seems more recent albums have dived into electronic and ambient stuff. But we're talking about this album, and as an introduction to what Nick Cave & His Bad Seeds were capable of beyond that one song from SHREK 2... Well, dang. Consider me intrigued to see what the rest of their catalog has to offer. Handily a solid recommendation from me, and yet more proof after Tom Waits that the SHREK 2 soundtrack seal of approval is a real thing. Well, it's real as long as I don't listen any further to Dashboard Confessional, anyway.
goth-punk-blues magnificence incredible live too
Great fucking album, lots of good, strong choruses here
Favorite songs: "Papa Won't Leave You, Henry", John Finn's Wife, "Brother, My Cup is Empty", "I Had a Dream, Joe", Loom of the Land, Jack the Ripper, Straight to You Least favorite songs: Christina the Astonishing 5/5
After one listen, this album feels like it's right on the 4/5 border for me. It's hard to give out 5's in general, and especially when I've only heard each song once as background music. I really enjoyed my time with this album though, so I guess I'll round up. 4.5
Album number 7 for Nick with the Bad Seeds, and this is the one where it all comes together. Nick Cave is the Quentin Tarantino of Indie Rock - master storyteller of blood soaked dramas. Great songwriter - and (unlike Dylan/Cohen/Young) blessed with a fine voice. The Bad Seeds through their various incarnations have always been a blistering force of nature. Live they are a beast, and I was lucky enough to see them perform some of this album in 1993 with Nick prowling and scowling in the Adelaide heat. Have seen him a dozen times since, and the Bad Seeds have changed over time, but this incarnation features members who appear elsewhere in the 1001 - Mick Harvey (later features with PJ Harvey, Martin P Casey (Triffids), and Bliza Bargeld (Einstürzende Neubauten). Previous albums were a mixed bag. The Good Son shines with The Weeping Song and the Ship Song, and Tender Prey with Mercy Seat and Deanna. Henry's Dream is just about all winners. Arrangements are dense and lush but not at all soft. Nick does get mellow later on, but this phase for me is peak angry Nick and I'm here for all that he'll give.
4.6 - Great album. In a similar vain to Tom Waits, there is just so much gravitas to his voice and music
Cool as fuck.
Pues muy chulo. Un 5 por las últimas canciones.
Nästan alla hans skivor skulle platsa på den här listan. Denna är inte favoriten men det finns inte en enda dålig låt på den.
I admire how Nick doesn't give a fuck about what anyone wants. He manages to do his own thing every swing out, and it's always gripping. Love the music or hate it, you have to admire how Bad Seeds albums take you to another world; a noir western world with a seedy underbelly.
What's not to love? This is brilliant.
Nick Cave is an artist that I've slowly started getting into over the past 5 years or so. I first listened to Skeleton Tree after it came out to great acclaim, and I've listened to his newest albums as they've come out and to old albums here and there. I like his new albums quite a lot, but as they are very heavy in subject matter (sadly, lots of death and tragedy in Cave's life recently) it's been hard to go back to them a lot. His earliest records with the Bad Seeds in the 80's haven't been my favorite, and probably require some more listening. As far as I can remember, I don't think I've listened to his albums from the 90's until this one. Boy, I've been missing out. Henry's Dream is easily my favorite Bad Seeds record: it's outstanding. From the moment things pick up in opener Papa Won't Leave You Henry its apparent that this is going to be a wild ride. What a tremendous opener that song is. These are dark, violent stories. They're told as only Nick Cave can, and his delivery is the best that I've heard on this album. Straight to You is a fantastic love song, and a highlight on the front half along with the opener. The back half, specifically the last three songs, is where things go from great to sublime. John Finn's Wife is possibly my favorite Nick Cave song now (along with Papa Won't Leave You Henry), what a tale it is of danger, lust/adultery, and violence. It's a masterpiece in itself that could be the basis of a good movie. Loom of the Land is also fantastic, and the closer Jack the Ripper is an audacious romper of a song about a suboptimal partner. So this is the Nick Cave I've been looking for. I'm looking forward to exploring his other 90's outputs as soon as possible.
Cave at the top of his game
Pues muy chulo. Un 5 por las últimas canciones.
Tyler Mahan Coe once said that Nick Cave is "gospel music for everyone who's mad". It's pithy but true for a lot of Nick Cave's music, and it might be most apparent on this album which manages to somehow be condensed and grandiose at the same time. It plays out like any good church service, doesn't it? Songs like "Papa Won't Leave You, Henry" and "John Finn's Wife" leave me feeling sweaty, somehow, while songs like "Straight to You" leave me reaching my hands out to heaven. If only every preacher was as good as Nick Cave.
Wasn’t sure if I’d like it but it is excellent
Good, irreverent like a fiery preacher from hell, Nick Cave tears through this record with gusto. It’s some of his most entertaining of the records on this list so far - and I could not find any fault with it. Lovely.
A work of genius, with every song showing a new side of the band. I am fully converted to the cult of Cave, and look forward to hearing more from them - either on the list or once I am finished
Pues muy chulo. Un 5 por las últimas canciones.
Typical Nick Cave but in the best way
One of my favorite Nick Cave albums, and I love all of them.
Amazing Album, unique, raw, sensitive, punchy, profound, stupid music that makes no apologies and hits every mark
Brutal
Made up my mind that I didn’t like it but found this album fantastic. Why? I don’t know.
God damn Nick Cave does it every time, keep thinking "he's ok but not really my thing" and then the album blows me away every time.
Jeg har svært ved helt at sætte fingeren på hvad det er jeg elsker ved Nick Cave (og The Bad Seeds). Måske er det den eksperimenterende, legende tilgang til musikken. Intet er helligt her. Det kan også være at det er det dystre univers musikken fremmaner, og de fantastiske historier Cave fortæller i lyrikken. Det er nok begge dele, men at det hele præsenteres af en mand, som er så cool som ingen andre, på en måde som kun han kan være cool på.
I haven't listened to this in a long time but this might be my favorite from Nick Cave. Wouldn't skip a song.
Espetacular sentir o encantamento da criação musical.
The man does not miss. Henry's Dream strikes a perfect balance between the manic start and the more atmospheric tracks towards the end of the album. Cave's vocals have never been better.
I probably say this each time I listen to an album from their discography, but this is an absolute highlight. Cave’s vocals are mesmerizing and filled with emotions, the songwriting is brilliant throughout and the balance between The Bad Seeds being maniacs and the more calm, atmospheric songs taking over is perfect.
Loved it. Every song tells a story and they are catchy as well.
Dark, dancy and fancy.
I am afraid now.
Блин, ну вокал и гитара прям ебнутые и я прям... кайфанул. Харам такое говорить про Ника Кейва, но очень понравилась грязь в звуке, вокале и ощущении после альбома. Пока что это самый лучший для меня Ник Кейв Даже осмелюсь поставить 5- Алкоальбом: водку хуяришь в падике
Hearing this again sent me into a week long Bad Seeds binge and when I resurfaced my project at 1001 Albums Generator has been paused due to low activity. This is a very strange and haunting but wonderful take on accepting fatherhood and getting used to a life without addiction. That is how I saw it anyway. So much regret mixed with hope.
One of the best albums of NC & BS - non-stop classic Nick Cave songs.
It took two listens, but I can confirm this is still a great album.
This contains everything that is great about a Nick Cave record. Dark themes, raw emotion, dense story telling, and instantly striking, engaging and brilliant songs. This record is the most 'Nick Cave doing the standard Nick Cave thing' album that I've come across. Fortunately, the standard Nick Cave thing is really compelling. Rating: 5/5 Playlist track: Papa Won't Leave You, Henry Date listened: 31/01/24
10/10 at this point I’m convinced Nick Cave is incapable of making a bad album
It's been Cave month. Yesterday was The Boatman's Call while Murder Ballads was only a couple of weeks ago. This one definitely fits with Murder Ballads as he tells dark stories to a noisy, yet musical backing. The only relation to Boatman's Call is his voice and his incredible poetry. Generally the nastier the song, the more poetic the lyrics. He is a true genius.
The best I have listened to for a long time
I feel like this album especially, you can hear how much he loves Elvis and Gospel music. Especially at the beginning of the album, he seems to just switch back and forth between Elvis-y songs and a Gospel-y songs
This is our fourth Nick Cave album, so the phrasing in the first song sounded familiar, but since this LP was released before the others, I can’t say his sound or his “scab-picking” lyrics are getting stale. The song-writing is stronger than the “The Boatman’s Call” and “Murder Ballads”, though on the latter, there were many standards. “Henry’s Dream”, on the other is full of originals that sound like they could be standards, the first three tracks especially. Cave is one of the great poets of this generation, and like Dylan and Neil Young before him, a lot of the gritty characters in the songs sound like they're right out of the old west, or in Nick's case case, the outback. Michael
Another Nick Cave album on the list and of course I love it. One might wonder why it is Henry's Dream of all the albums because Nick and the band often talked about some dissatisfaction with the production as well as the musical direction. Originally, Nick wanted it all to sound like Brazilian raw street music, raw and estatic use of acoustic guitars etc. What came out of it was a bit different but still one can see the ideas behind it. Dark energy, American gothic landscapes and obscure characters. Never has Nick Cave more been the dark preacher character than here. My favourite song is one of the quietest though: "Christina the Astonishing" with its medieval vibes tells the story of a saintly woman that hates sin. But let's face it, every track is great on its own and "Straight To You" one of Nick's best love songs.
LOVE
82m Papa wont leave !, i had a dream Joe, straight to you, brother my cup !,
So Nick Cave has been pretty inconsistent for me, having said that and looking back at my scores, I've liked more than I havent. Fortunately this falls into the liked category. It starts off by kicking you in the face with Papa won't you leave and just keeps momentum the entire way. It doesn't out stay its welcome, it a 5 from me
Nick Cave has gotta be one of the most consistent songwriters around. 5 decades of music and not a single bad album. I don’t QUITE think this one surpasses murder ballads or let love in for me but still, damn.
the
Loved it.
Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds never go below a certain level (with very small exception). Henry's Dream is a really good album with a fantastic music and excellent lyrics and vocal, as always. Some great songs, and few at least average, but always pleasant to hear. Nick Cave and the band has a really diverse discography, which one has to admire.
After yesterday's Limp Bizkit encounter I was glad to get some Nick Cave. It's a 5 because Nick is great, but after suffering through Fred Durst almost anything would sound good. This is for real very, very good though.
So fun to listen to. There was so much to love about this album. So creative and interesting!
This was a fun wild romp, this is the Nick Cave I Nick Crave.
Well damn - thought I was familiar with all of The Bad Seeds' discography, but somehow this one slipped through the cracks and I don't think I've ever listened to it before!? It's in a similar vein to "Murder Ballads", so I am extremely well disposed towards it from the jump. Fave tracks - loved the rough edges of "Papa Won't Leave You, Henry" and "Brother, My Cup is Empty" - also liked the occult portent of "Christina the Astonishing" and "I Had a Dream, Joe". Well definitely be racking up more listens of this - it's like discovering an easter egg that's a whole new level of a game you love!
Love some of their stuff but not sure what to make of this one. Interesting story telling as usual and some definite bangers, loving Papa Won’t Leave You Henry. I suspect Nick is right and the production choices aren’t doing the material any favours. 3.5 rounding up. A possible grower
One of his better albums. A bridge from the heavier more punk rock stuff to more atmospheric stuff like Murder Ballads.
Nice
I down't like him.I like it but not relly.
La racha de Cave en los 90 es difícil de igualar, y eso que en los 10´s y 20´s ha tenido nivel. Aquí lo tenemos cerca de su cénit pero será en el siguiente Let love in donde rayará aún mejor. A tod trapo arranca y aun que baja revoluciones no pierde potencia nis en Finn wife ni en Loom of the land. Disco genial
Very good.
An incredibly spirited, theatrical vocal performance which is always appreciated. A little skimp on the production and lyrics but overall a fun listen
Huh. What is this. What are we doing. What's going on. Four flat. Go Australia!
songs for downtrodden souls. sounds like they could have come from Natural Born Killers. Aussie version of deep Americana Nick Cave at his best
Australian folk punk? I loved it. The energy is great. The imagery is fun.
Muito foda, não fazia ideia que estava perdendo um album tão maneiro
4 Cowboy vibes, first of theirs I've heard and I did like it, wasn't sure at first but it really grew on me
Okay. Maybe I’m just digging the vocal vibe too much to notice anything else. New to Nick Cave. I’m vibin’ to his sound
My favourite version of Nick Cave is all over this record - I love it when he is furious, raucous and unhinged. On Papa Won’t Leave You he sounds like an excited, angry sailor, venting his frustration. Even the emotional ballads like Straight to You are gregariously over-delivered and exaggerated - it feels like Cave is breathing down your neck. His more reflective, subdued approach which I’m less into has become more prominent in later years. It's clear to me that I need to focus on the earlier end of his mammoth discography.
Another great Nick Cave album, diving into some of the bad seeds records i’d never heard is only solidifying my love for them. I’m so utterly convinced by Cave’s persona and the way the band executes his theatrics on every release. This is another high 4 for me.
На самом деле интересный альбом. Мрачное, готическое звучание, атмосфера одновременно американского фильма и вампирской драмы, даже немного линчевские вайбы. Интересная музыка.
Weird but cool style. Makes me want to go to a dive bar real bad.
Gode greier! Hver gang jeg hører Nick Cave blir jeg pinlig berørt over hvor mye Sivert Høyem vil være han.
Ingen klare høydepunkter, men heller ingen klare svake låter heller. Fengende på sitt mørke vis.
Best nick cave I’ve heard yet
gothic, driving, and obsessed with dreaming and delusion, yet very much indebted to the stylistic trends of the early 90s. this totally gives Wild at Heart (1990). i thought this was great! way better than what i'd already heard from Nick Cave. the bangers bang, and the softer atmospheric tracks are often quite spellbinding. deserves to be one of the 1001? ignoring The Birthday Party for a second, i reckon he gets one album from the 80s, one album from the 90s, and one album from the 21st century. the specific picks? i dont fucking know go ask someone that's obsessed with this guy [2]
Engaging
Strong start, lacks a bit in the middle but ends strong too
Ive been through a strong Nick Cave fan and remain a big fan, but i wasnt expecting this album to pop up. I prefer his more romantic stuff and bis later more abstract work. But its always a good listen so not s bad day.
wsh je savais pas que ça envoyait comme ça Nick cave. s/o weronika?
Nick Cave is one of those artists wise music is exponentially better when you pay attention to the lyrics. I've been unable to do that for 3 listens, though what I've caught I've liked a lot! So I'ma rate this comparably to other Nick Cave albums.
I thought this was a solid album. Easy 4 stars.
Always a lot, and still a good time.
Cave's baritone voice is always a treat.
It's your typical Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds album. Intriguing, brooding and eccentric, but also a interesting throughline of a story from start to finish.
a masterpiece, specially in the bass department.
Always dug this, never lisened much. Definitely like.
4/7
Nick’s gothic rock is high quality w this outing
Really enjoyed this, this is the second album of his I've listened to now.
I wait a year for a Nick Cave album and they give me one that I have but would not say is my favourite. I feel perhaps this is his most commercial album (if you can say that) but the melodies are less intricate and interesting than his other work. It is just the beautiful Christina the Astonishing that gets it back on track with that ole Nick magic. Four stars just for being Nick Cave.
I like this kind of slightly unhinged alt rock. There's an interesting theatricality to this album that really reminds me of Ben Caplan & the Casual Smokers - a Canadian band I discovered at folk fest. I haven't actually listened to much Nick Cave, but every time I hear his songs in movies/TV shows they always stands out to me. I think he has a great voice. I've been excited to listen to more of his music throughout this project. I think the best is yet to come!
Another excellent album from NCATBS. Quite dark in places but a great listen. 4
Every time I encounter this band, they sound completely different. This time, there is no set genre with them. It's zany, wild, fun, spunky, and surprisingly entertaining. Favorite Track: "Papa Won't Leave You, Henry".
I really dig this album a good bit. It's got a demented musical feel to it. I almost thought it was a concept album but it doesn't really look like it is looking at the Wikipedia page. This is something I definitely need to go back to and see if it raises in stature. (8.66) ★★★★
Nick Cave might have earned the title of "Australia's Bob Dylan" were it not for Paul Kelly, who is the obvious choice. Cave's sardonic storytelling straddles folk and blues whilst maintaining a strong rock identity. I enjoyed this, but it's not one I'd listen to any day of the week. I'd have to be in the mood for it.
Im not very familiar with Nick Cave's work but this is fantastic! Incredible song writing & vivid story telling.
I liked the intensity and the storytelling
Maybe I do like Nick Cave? Papa Won't Leave You, Henry is good anyway...I shouldn't get ahead of myself. It's like lyrics by Tom Waits and music by....someone else? Can't place my finger on that as readily. I like this album. His lyrics remind me of Squirrel Nut Zippers. Holy shit, one of the guys from Einsturzende Neubauten is in The Bad Seeds! My dislike of them up to now makes more sense. The first half of the album is better than the back half, but this is still the best Nick Cave album I've had so far.
4.0 I would've thought Let Love In would have been included in this list,
Why is Nick Cave always singing about someone named Joe? I really liked this album in all its Scott Walker-esque, Cramps-esque, campy, dingy glory. Am I crazy if I say Straight to You sounds exactly like Au Pays du Cocaine?
It's like if Tenacious D was actually good.
This sounds like the most complete NC&TBS album I’ve heard yet. The arrangements are much fuller, more involved and there's a heightened energy and tension throughout. Musically, this has a familiar feel to it for someone that loves Lanegan. I feel they occupy similar landscape although the sounds of their output vocally and thematically are very different.
I just love this guys vibe. I liked most of these songs although there weren't any standouts. Music on the edge of a nervous breakdown.
Favorite Track: Papa Won’t Leave You, Henry
Tämä Nick Cave taas kovaa kamaa! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
One of my favorites from the Bad Seeds' gothic/post-punk days. Some of Nick'S first releases are sounding quite rough but I really like this one turned out
Not his most memorable, but a very good album still. Nick really was in his prime at that time.
Finding myself in the middle of a post-punk opera and a gothic country lament. I don't know what this album is, but it's great and unique stuff!
actually close an 5
A chilly tribute to a lost son.
Got some big hits here. Mic quality, backing vocals, and lyrics give the effect of a crooked holy man singing to his congregation. Highlights: "Papa Won't Leave You, Henry", "Straight to You", "Jack the Ripper"
He’s getting a 4 because the first album we got wasn’t worthy of a 1 and I regret giving it a 1
Not as good as Boatman's Call but still solid. The stories are pretty dark and Cave has a lot of intensity on this. I really like the backup vocals and atmosphere of the instruments on this one, they add a lot to the album.
Hits the ground sprinting at a toe-tapping frenetic pace. Very catchy shit. Loses momentum halfway but mostly sticks the landing. I didn't have high hopes, happy to be wrong!
great album, perfect representation of the 90s
This albums Straight To You was my introduction to Cave thanks to the UK TV video Chart Show, and from this I got this album and loved it, leading to a lifelong Cave addiction. I then saw him at Reading Festival soon afterwards (just before the legendary Nirvana performance). I've generally considered it patchy compared to some of his, but listening to it now on decent headphones it just sounds great. I know Cave and Co were somewhat critical of the recorded live production but I love the sound, especially the acoustic guitars, bass and swirling organ.
#Lieblingssongzeilen: All the towers of ivory are crumbling And the swallows have sharpened their beaks This is the time of our great undoing This is the time that I'll come running Insgesamt sind sich Nick Cave Alben ja schon auch ähnlich. Dieses hier gehört für mich nicht in seine Top 5, die für mich beste Phase beginnt kurz nach diesem Album. Daher höre ich schon viele Ansätze, wenn man seinen Schmalz nicht so mögen würde wie ich es tue, wäre das hier vielleicht dann sogar das bessere Album. Storytelling und Instrumentierung auch groß und die Stimme... Vermutlich liebt oder hasst man es, ich bin definitiv auf der ersten Seite. 3,5 aber deutlich besser als vieles was ich mit 3 bewerte.
When I was an English teacher, I used to say my primary responsibility was introducing young people to the songs of Nick Cave. This album has a lot of the earmarks of what makes him such a great storyteller and such a compelling musician. It’s still not my favorite because by far though so I’m curious to see if we will see other of his albums on this list. Either way great listen - really enjoyed.
I went into this one having never listened to a Nick Cave album, and being very sceptical for a number of reasons. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. There are a few moments on here that reach the highest tier of songwriting for me. Unfortunately not all of the tracks are consistently as good, but still really glad to have heard this. Looking forward to listening to more Nick Cave albums.
i highly doubt i would have given this such a high score, but i'd been dealing with a lot of shit during the course of listening to the album so it seriously hit me hard. loom of the land is beautiful, i loved this album a lot
straight to you. the song that you are. the bad seeds were reaching a peak here. i love country tinged style added into this release
I had only heard this one once before so I'm glad I went back because I liked it a lot more. All these songs are good .
4.5
Solid Nick Cave release. Dark and sorrowful and at times beautiful.
Very solid stuff.
My introduction to Nick Cave was Abattoir Blues, one of the first albums I got on the list last year. My thoughts at the time was dark, broody, pretentious blues rock. I listened to it again before listening to Henry's Dream and liked it better. Henry's Dream is dark, broody, pretentious bluesy punk with the odd dark, broody, pretentious folk song thrown in. And I liked it. It's certainly not the best thing I've ever heard, but the dark and broody is growing on me. I wonder what variety of dark and broody I'll get on the next Nick Cave album.
Loved it and how intense it got
An easy 4
Miles better than the last Nick Cave offering. Probably a 3.5.
People wax poetic about Nick Cave and his song writing. It’s a bit jarring then that he looks like an undertaker and sounds like a deranged street preacher. And yet, I can’t help but to be drawn in. But once I do I start to drift because he talks so much. I’m overwhelmed by so much vivid lyricism that I can’t focus. So what do I think of this album? It’s better than average but I have to work hard to get the rewards.
Unfairly maligned album that has its own thing going on. I still think it’s at the very least nipping at the heals of their best albums.
Top 3 songs: I had a dream, Joe Brother, my cup is empty John flynn's wife
I bet Nick Cave is a super intense guy to have in your company. Like imagine if he was just sitting in your living room, I bet that would make you uncomfortable. Probably because he wasn't even invited but I feel like that would be on brand for him anyway. Just all of a sudden...Nick Cave. I really like this album. Like all Nick Cave it sort of has a bit of a downer vibe but that's ok sometimes. It's certainly a lot different than most music that was coming out in 1992 and it's sort of hard to categorize. Is it rock? Alt rock? Singer songwriter? Gothic? Vocal jazz? Yes and no to all of those. I suppose that's a good thing though, it keeps it interesting. This one is going to be pretty polarizing I think. But I've always really liked Nick Cave so I suppose I'm on that pole. 4/5
This album finally made Nick Cave click for me. Solid album front to back with some highlights for me being " Loon of the Land" and "Papa won't leave you, Henery".
wel nice en creatief
This is solid!
I thought nothing would top Murder Ballads. I'm still right but this was close. Very much in the same vein... 4.5/5
I find this album weird, it reminds me of that YouTube video of the Irish lad creating an angry Irish song. Having said that I can’t deny each track has a personality to it which I find engaging (most of the time). The middle lulls a bit but the opener and ‘John Finn’s Wife’ and ‘Loom of the Land’ create such a theatrical experience I overall enjoyed this album.
Really weird but dead good very intense singing and guitar
Interesting as always, although not an album that is immediately arresting like the other Bad Seeds albums reviewed. 'I Had a Dream Joe', frenetically paced and sung like a fervent pastor ("I had a draym!"). 'Straight to You', an epic ballad with grand lyrics. Even more absorbing is 'Christina the Astonishing' - ambient atmospherics provided via the sounds of nighttime crickets, church organ, a tale of a real-life holy woman of the 12th Century; it has all the creeping intrigue you'd expect of the best Cave work. It's not a perfect album - the last track a dirge and 'Brother My Cup is Empty' almost a note for note rewrite of the first track. But compare this to manifestations of angst via most of the grunge, nu-metal and Britpop crew of the time, and there is simply no contest.
Fan of a story album - not one I’d heard before, but would go back
Holy shit. I think I get it. I was not a fan of the first four albums I had to listen to, but the first song on this one got my attention and I dig it. It could be that I just finished listening to Captain Beefheart. But either way, I was into this one.
Nick Grooooooooot Mooie plaat, afgrijselijke cover.
Verre van de beste Nick Grot maar nog steeds makkelijk een 7.5/8. 'Straight to You' is een grote standout, een gecertificeerde Nick Grot all-timer.
Fantastic!
I’m not the biggest Nick Cave fan and I definitely wouldn’t reach for this. It seems like a 4, though.
Dude wields metaphors like switchblades. Each salacious tune a veritable penny dreadful oozing lust, betrayal, and blood. And it's all delivered with dangerous charisma and sinewy musicianship. What's not to like?
Love Nick Cave's voice, love the atmospheric lyrics and shadowy backing music. I just enjoy this music.
The lyrics were good but there he has a nice voice unlike Bob Dylan and Tom Waits so it loses a star.
I didn't realise I needed to get back in touch with somewhat earlier Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. Turns out I absolutely did.
Previously rated: #101 - Murder Ballads (3/5) #262 - Ghosteen (1/5) #754 - The Boatman's Call (2/5) #886 - Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus (3/5) ************************************************** Album #1,023 Although I'm not a big fan of his, I enjoyed this album more than his others here. It was several days ago, so I don't remember exactly why.
beautiful. nick Cave its always a performance
At times I had to remind myself it wasn’t Tim Curry singing. Not bad.
’ve tried several times to get into Nick Cave and it has never quite worked. It’s weird because the musical style and the stories in his songs should fit me to a tee. Anyway, this one finally worked for me, and I was enthralled by the darkness and the violence the whole way. Maybe it’s because I had “Straight to You” as an anchor. I know I have heard it before but did not expect to encounter it here, so perhaps it was a cover. Went back to it and listened a couple times between trips through the album. I also know and love “Into My Arms” from a movie soundtrack… both of them most certainly my kind of semi-bleak but utterly devoted love song. Maybe I’ll end up a fan after all!
3 stars for the album. Additional star awarded for being Australian.
Better than expected, definitely best album I heard from nick cave. 4.4
Un genio el tipo. Le pega distinto. Buen arranque para un artista del que conocía poco. 7/10
One of the best song storytellers.
Something about Nick Cave that I really like. Solid 4.2
Really good. Underrated. I'll revisit as it may go up in the future. 4 Stars.
This is a visceral piece of work. All the earlier Bad Seeds albums are my favourites. It’s unhinged, noisy, dark, beautiful and storytelling at its best. I have been lucky enough to this band play these songs live and those gigs are some of the most memorable I’ve been to.
Liked the sound, found myself nodding along happily. Brother my cup is empty was the standout track for me.
I honestly blame Tom for making my highly suspicious of Nick Cave because the recommendation to listen to his holiday album really turned me off from the band. But this album comes out punching with those cryptic and hallucinogenic lyrics, the fast-paced rock and roll, and the haunting vocals. Papa Won't Leave You, Henry and I Had a Dream, Joe were both great. The rest of the album just flows by neatly. A 4.5 rounded ... down?
This was really good. The trademark nick cave ultraviolence, but couched creatively in his trademark apocalyptic visions than the more visceral (and only appropriate for halloween time) Murder Ballads 4.5 rounding down.
I don't always like Nick Cave albums, but when I do, I like them a lot. This is one of those that is just so great! Consistent, moody, edgy throughout with great energy.
jako dobro! bliže murder ballads nego boatman's call, al ipak ne tak dobro :) ali ovaj omot je toliko odvratan, strašno nešto
The first word that came up in my mind is rollicking. Good folk rock.
Quite liked this one
Cannot give Nick anything less than a 5 but considering who he's up against I'm revising this to a 4
It’s not for everyone- but fuck yea! Folk punk royalty. It's def an uneven album with the first half much stronger and growing a little weary by the end..but when the sound is done right. It's really right.
No. 49 I hadn't heard this album before, but it's fascinating and friendly on the ear. I came late to Nick Cave.
I didn't know this album but I quite enjoyed it.
90s rock. Dark edgy folk rock, with country and Americana elements. Southern gothic cool. Raw and emotional.
My third Nick Cave album, with Murder Ballads and Abattoir Blues both getting 5 stars, and while it is a really good album it didn’t quite hit that same mark for me. At least not on the first listen. It started off brilliantly, I absolutely loved Papa Won’t Leave You Henry. Just towards the end of the album there were a couple of tracks that I wasn’t massively fussed on. This could change later though, I hated Murder Ballads originally and now it’s one of my favourite albums I’ve discovered so far. Top Track - Papa Won’t Leave You, Henry
I liked this a lot - and in among the lurid gothic thing he’s doing is the rather lovely Straight To You.
Not his best work (feels like it lacks cohesion at times) and yet it still gets four stars because most bands would kill to make a subpar Nick Cave record.
My forst experience with Nick Cave and I'm pleasantly surprised and also irritated 4/5
Überraschend gut
Ein etwas "rockigeres' Album der Band. Durchgehend gut. Wenn ich die ganze Diskographie der Band ranken würde aber eher in der unteren Hälfte.
Really enjoyed this - dark and brooding, but melodic and hooky enough to be accessible. Good album.
This is the Nick Cave album I’ve liked the most so far. The songs just connected more for me (it’s also significantly shorter than the other ones). Still, this is the third or fourth Nick Cave album on this list. I like the guy, but did he deserve that much representation here?
Great stuff.
Okay, yeah, the Nick Cave thing has fully clicked for me now. What a voice, what a way of writing, what songwriting. It’s diverse, passionate rock music with stories to tell. It’s directly up my alley. One of my favorite Cave albums I’ve gotten so far. (It’s still edged out by ‘Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus’.)
Raucous start! Liked it right out of the gate. Dark. Cool. And in places, even beautiful (Loom of the Land) despite the sometimes unsettling lyrics.
I expected to like it more than I did. Raw and emotional. I felt like I was missing some context. Who is Henry? Who is Joe?
Another Nick cave album and another one I like!
Great album! Even though I've listened to a fair amount of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, this was mostly songs I was unfamiliar with. They're real bangers though!
There's really brooding intensity to Nick Cave's music and "Henry's Dream" is no exception. I found this one a little more accessible than some of his other releases. But I've gotta say that I can only really listen to the Bad Seeds in small doses. I should absolutely revisit this and every other album of theirs on this list, but I definitely need to pace myself before I get too sucked into that world.
This is basically Western themed poetry with a strong musical backing.
It's a grower
Formidable.
Not my favourite Nick Cave album, and I think the back half drops off a bit, but there's plenty to love here, and Papa Won't Leave You Henry is one hell of an opener.
Another solid album from Nick Cave! I didn’t think I’d like him as well as I do. There are no certified bangers, but except from the last song, every track is one that I’d happily listen to over and over.
Never going to be on a regular playlist for me, but I salute its inclusion on this list. Well worth a dip now and then
Day654 - if i could write and sing these dirty gritty songs it’d be all over for you hoes
Nick Cave is not everyone's cup of tea, but he is undeniably compelling. He makes even clunky lyrics seem desperate and vital. This guy sings his heart out with every note. I am not sure how to evaluate the work, but I was captivated on the bumpy ride. On passion alone, he gets a one-star bump.
This follows my reviews of his previous albums quite closely. I like the guy, and I like his style. As with some of his other albums, there's a great, manic energy to this. He has his own unique, artistic style and I appreciate it. I also appreciate a lot of the music. They don't always go with the usual route. There's a kind of propulsive energy to most songs, but there's some really interesting other bits that they're doing, with additional vocals and instrumentation. Having the songs be quite 'story based' also works for me. So, I like this! That said though, I still don't think he will be a go-to artist for me. Maybe I need to change that. 3.5 rounded up.
Transported me to a concert at an English bar - also excellent played on vinyl
This album starts off with a lot more energy than some of Cave's more minimal darker stuff like Boatman's Call. It's still dark, just a bit more fast paced, with more instrumentation. This is a little more like his early punk band, The Birthday Party. John Finn's Wife is great. The last track is very strong as well. I'll likely go back to this. 4/5
A huge buch of feelings hitting you with every song. Nick cave is a master of his kind of music. If you like that kind of music this must be heaven. I am that kind of person, sometimes. When the mood hits I can play this and just relax in the sofa. Other times, like today, its ok. I'm inclined to listen to it again or any more of his songs. But that feels okay beacusr I know where it is when I want it and that day will come again. I'm sure of it.
Melodramatic, beautifully overblown and intense
After Murder Ballads I was concerned maybe my love for Nick Cave had been misplaced. Thank god I was wrong. Cinematic arrangements of dark folk tales with carnival arrangements, including “Straight To You” as one of my favorite songs. This list strangely doesn’t have the best of the early Bad Seeds, but this is a solid return to form for them, and gorgeous to boot. After Tender Prey, this feels like the band pushing further into explorations of other forms, but instead of being too insular and single-minded, it feels like Nick and the band explored without straying too far from what made their sound so intense and powerful in the first place.
hit after hit lowkey this list is kinda fire
Whoever made this album clearly really likes Nick Cave. Great album but I don't think he needs this many albums on here
jack the ripper i had a dream joe
While I didn’t like this as much as AB/TLoO this was still a damn fine album. Super cohesive from front to back with lyrics that are intriguing yet filthy. Favorite songs were Papa Won’t Leave You, Henry, Straight To You, When I First Came To Town, and John Finn’s Wife.
Damn that was good! I really like Cave but hadn’t listened to this one right through before. Love it.
7/10 Favorite: Loom of the Land
I had not listened to this before and found it did lack the immediacy of some of his later work, but still has the strong lyrical imagery and ‘preacher screaming at the end of the world’ vibe that I enjoy. I think this is an album that will improve with repeated listening (as with a lot of his work) - my mark is more how I think I will view it rather than its immediate impact.
I've been buying Nick Cave albums since his days in The Birthday Party. It's safe to say I'm something of an aficionado. Of these albums, I think this is a good but not exceptional record.
So much energy start to finished, fucking fantastic. I was jamming out so hard to this.
Sólido Nick Cave. Não tive tempo de ouvir exaustivamente
For some reason this is not a Nick Cave album that I'd given a lot of attention to (if any) and when it came up in the morning I thought "why this and not Tender Prey?" - which is my personal favorite Nick Cave album. And then while listening I kept thinking Tender Prey is definitely better, so I immediately listened to that after Henry's Dream ended and then I thought hmm maybe not. So I listened to Henry's Dream again and now I don't know. I'd most definitely give Tender Prey 5 stars for The Mercy Seat alone, so I don't quite know what to rate this album now, there's no Mercy Seat but it is very good indeed.
429/1001 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑
Nick Cave est un raconteur passionné; s’ils comportent des clichés, ses récits sont indéniablement romantiques
Gothic country with punk storytelling. Saw Nick & The Bad Seeds earlier this year. Was not disappointed. Spins: 3 Playlist Additions: - Papa Won't Leave You, Henry - Straight to You - Brother, My Cup Is Empty - When I First Came To Town
He’s a force! I love the intensity, powerful lyrics, and avant-garde vibe.
There is exactly one person on planet earth - I would also extend that to planets unknown - who could write and deliver these songs as they are on this album. Starting with the prior album Nick Cave started to use more lush instrumentation with acoustic guitars,pianos strings. All are delivered with the save trademark energy Cave has been casting to the world since his Birthday Party days. Less songs about bats but plenty of darkness. It's just so well delivered here. The guitar strum that starts of the record is not folk song. The man rarely misses and this album is no exception.
Lesser album by the greatest artist.
Sympa mais trop ressemblant
4.5
Very interesting sounding album! Kept me engaged the whole way through, didnt have any egregious weak points. Will have to come back to this - feel like it will only get better with more listens. Have to listen to more of his discog as well.
Klassik Nick Cave. Rå bluesrock och mördarskrönor.
Ooof
BEST SONGS: - I Had a Dream, Joe - Christina the Astonishing - Loom of the Land
Somehow this was the first time listening to a nick cave album and it was great. Looking forward to his other 3 albums in the book.
Never gone out of my way to listen to a Nick Cave album. Seriously impressed, really enjoyed & it was one of his more minor albums. Cool
Straight to you is an absolute banger, the rest ranges from fine to good. Not my favorite from Cave but a solid album.
Interesting. Kinda feels like something Iggy Pop would make, with a voice reminiscent of Pete Burns.
Best Song: Brother my Cup is Empty This author has an obsession with Nick Cave. Nick Cave is the waitress and the author is Charlie in Always Sunny. I am not sure I understand it. This was ok, better than the last Nick Cave album I listened to but nothing I would call memorable. A smidge higher than, "meh" but not quite at an, "eh." A generous 4/5, probably should be a 3.5 but I rounded up.
This is #day331 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… my third Bad Seeds record on this list. Nick Cave is undeniably a great songwriter and storyteller. It's just that I've grown unaccustomed to "this" kind of Nick Cave ever since Skeleton Tree and Ghosteen came out. That said, "Loom of the Land" is an astonishingly beautiful piece. That chorus, though... Easily one of the band's best songs. Still, this is a 4 out of 5. Looking forward to #day332.
I didn't know this Nick Cave record at all, but it's really great. There's a touch of the Springsteens at times, in what's a really varied and interesting album.
Sean Tanos :spiral_calendar_pad: Just now As a side note, for some reason every time I listen to a Nick Cave album I think I'm either going to get Nick Drake or Tom Waits. I liked this album a lot. It was chaotic, and noisy. The lyrics were dark and gloomy. The vocals on point. :star::star::star::star: . Would listen again.
An album I already knew, a very good and enjoyable listen, although NC&TBS have better albums.
Not my favorite Cave so far, but still damn solid. 4/5
\m/ Nick Cave stuff is soo good. I really liked the song When I first came to Town, the way it build up and peaks is so well done. \m/
Brother My Cup Is Empty has some pretty insane vocals. I love the contrast between the held-back and "enraged" sections. It's far and away the strongest track on the album, beating out songs like the vocally confused Jack the Ripper (which is meant to make the listener uncomfortable rather than overjoyed with its rock-scream singing). And the calmer, balladesque Christina the Astonishing is a solid choice of song to follow Brother. A sign of good album-building is having those contrasting songs lead into each other seamlessly. The music throughout the album reminds me of the Smiths; although the vocals obviously have a different quality, but his inflections and emotive style are quite a bit like Morrissey's. When I First Came to Town could easily be a Smiths track. And yet one of the best features of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds is that they have an instantly recognisable sound. As soon as those deep, battle-worn lyrics start, you know you're in for some slow, gritty, satisfying bangers. I'm less certain about having three (or, by the looks of it, four) Nick Cave records on the list, since I've found that they sound kind of similar to one another. Still, another good showing! 4/5 Key tracks: Straight to You, Brother My Cup Is Empty, John Finn's Wife
Early days Nick. Some absolute gems in here that he still plays in his shows. If you ever get a chance to see him, he is one of the most electrifying shows you'll ever see and hear.
7/10 I thought I didn't like Nick Cave, but turns out I was wrong!
This is like if Tom Wait's was good. Enjoyed this!
This was a great album! I haven't listened to a lot of Nick Cave and The bad seeds but I do like what I have heard and this was a great album!
Wow so, raunchy and funny and dynamic
The more Nick Cave the better, I suppose, though a couple of his albums that the generator has served up have seemed like strange choices - this being one of them. I might’ve done it a disservice though, as this is an enjoyable and highly coherent set of tunes that finds The Bad Seeds in full on ‘favela-punk’ (as one review put it) mode. There’s a small dip in the middle but overall a very solid listen. When I saw them live in November, Papa Won’t Leave You, Henry was a raucous high-point in an excellent set. 3.5 / 4
I liked just about everything about this album. Looking back at my other reviews of Nick Cave this is right up here with the rest of them. Definitely not my every day music, but damn if it isn't great.
Nick Cave just doesn't miss (unless he is with that terrible Junkyard band) Something about the way that he sings and the backing instruments just make every song sound so epic. The first song started slow but picked up half way through and from there on we were on a ride. Another NC&BS album, another solid 4 stars.
4* 87%
I've never 'got' Nick Cave, but always felt like I should. This album got me. I love the chaotic urgency in the music. I love Nick Cave's showmanship here. He isn't hiding behind anything. And I really, really love the storytelling. I'm reading the lyrics as I listen, and they're just so wild and poetic and interesting. I did not expect to like this at all. And I ended up loving it.
8/10 Unexpected bangers on this album. Felt very unique. Great storytelling which I always love on an album. Favorite Tracks: *Papa Won’t Leave you, Henry*, John Finn’s Wife, Jack the Ripper
Papa Won't Leave You, Henry 4 I Had a Dream, Joe 3.7 Straight to You 3.7 Brother, My Cup Is Empty 4 Christina the Astonishing 3.5 When I First Came to Town 3.3 John Finn's Wife 4 Loom of the Land 3.6 Jack the Ripper 4 Score: 3.755555556
One of my favourite things about this album is the image of the producer David Briggs trying to 'vibe up' Blixa Bargeld by playing air guitar next to him during recording. Pure culture clash. I loved this album so much in my 20s. It has an almost childish glee for horrific imagery which makes me think of gangsta rap. I accept that he had to move on from the Nick Cave character he was then but he has never been as entertaining to me later on. Having said that one or tunes do feel a bit Bad Seeds by numbers - especially the two singles. Also ridiculous that this is the earliest Bad Seeds record on the list.
Album 784 of 1089 Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Henry's Dream (1992) Rating : 4 / 5 Several Nick Cave albums on the list but I think this might be the one I enjoyed most. Punk Blues with some dark storytelling. Everyone should check out at least one Nick Cave album.
Cave is really an artist where just about every album of his could be on this list, or none, depending on your view. This I would put in the middle of his canon, and is perhaps on this list as it's one of his more straightforward rock albums.
I like the "folk songs of doom" vibe - the combination of the singer's growly voice, the driving guitar, and the grim baroque lyrics.
Not the strongest Nick Cave, but the usual strong lyrics plus that live feeling make this a very pleasant listening - which is the biggest criticism I would have. In places a little too common place and close to being positively friendly.
dirty rock album. first song is kinda meh, but sets the story, and the rest is a variety, in a good way.
Solid album, had some really good songs. I feel like this is my 3rd or 4th Nick Cave album and I've really started to appreciate his work. Probably would have never happened if it wasn't for this project.
Haunting music with good storytelling. A great Australian classic
I honestly quite like this guy and his songs, Although I couldn't see myself constantly wanting to hear his songs come on
Holy shit the opener for this album is absolutely incredible. Is this finally the album that I really start to "get" Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds? For the first four tracks, it certainly seemed that way. The energy of three of the four first tracks was infectious, fun, and interesting. Then it started to oscillate between high and low energy songs. Songs that dragged and dragged and songs that really hit you in the face with their attitude and energy. I really thought it would be a five star venture, but when it drags, it drags and I don't suffer that very well. So it ends up at four stars. Do I get Nick Cave now? I suppose so. At times it feels gothic, dark, and pessimistic, at times to feels heartfelt and longing, and I can appreciate it for its variety. I don't love him like some folks do, but I can see the appeal and his longevity makes sense to me now. He and the Bad Seeds started in '83 and they're still going today. That's meaningful, and it says something about their impact. Standout Tracks: Papa Won't Leave You Now, I Had a Dream, Brother, My Cup is Empty, John Finn's Wife, Jack the Ripper
Not Nick's best work, but Papa won't leave you Henry and Straight to you are obvious highlights
Completely unfamiliar with this much-referenced Nick Cave album. It doesn't have any of the songs I know and love from him, and yet it feels like a threshold amongst his fandom. Anything before this can be considered "early cave". Love the drinking song vibe of the first song, and the bleakly country-but-not-country feel throughout. Emphasised especially with the crickets and night wildlife sounds on Christina the Astonishing.
blustering and glowering
Another good Nick Cave album. Compositions and production on this one I really liked. 3.8/5