Reviews (page 7 of 7)
It took two listens, but I can confirm this is still a great album.
Not a top album for Cave perhaps but still a very respectable one in general.
It was pretty unique but I didn't really get into it
On the weaker side of his discography, but not bad, of course!
3/5. Liked the gritty, coarse feel. Felt nice.
I'd accept this album as an outro ending track for a show -- nothing else. Edgy slam poetry for guys who like beer and westerns. 1/5 - "Not listening to this again."
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
Great. Some sea shanty vibes
I thought I was going to like it, but it’s just kind of noisy. They have the one good song from Peaky Blinders but I hated all of these. Idk- I think I was in a good mood but I hated this. His voice is dumb and sounds like Kermit trying to be hard.
A min into track 1 I thought I hated it the longer I listened it grew on me a bit. I probably won't even listen to it again
Did not enjoy. Not my kind of thing.
One listen was enough, lacks musicality.
Shocked it took me this long into this project to get Nick Cave. I’m happy to see my old friend. 4/5
10/10 at this point I’m convinced Nick Cave is incapable of making a bad album
Meh
The songs themselves were good, the vocalists were awful though
This one was a slog for me. I know so many people who absolutely love Nick Cave, and I trust their musical tastes, but I've never been able to get into him. This is maudlin, overblown and just so overwrought that I can't help but dislike it. The lyrics are weaker than I expected, and the songs themselves all sound like something out of a Sweeney Todd-esque Broadway show. Not for me at all.
I like Nick Cave a lot, even if he can sometimes be a bit over-dramatic. Production on this one seems a little flat, but the songs are good. 4 stars.
I definitely prefer this more upbeat country/rock style sound as opposed to the dreary mumbling style that Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds has come to be known for. Now I understand how they became popular and I guess that generation kinda just grew with their style and kept listening. Best: Papa Won't Leave You, Henry Worst: Christina the Astonishing
Ok. I’m gonna need someone to explain to me why I needed to hear that album before I die. As far as I can tell it’s a Nick Cave album. That’s it. His 7th album. No hits. No great innovations. Did it inspire a generation? Was it a turning point? If this keeps up I’m gonna start needing some justification for why these albums are on this list.
being so fr i got bored and then i got irritated and then i couldnt wait for it to end. im sure if i listen again later itll be better but god i just. ew album 3/6
I think Nick Cave unintentionally casts ominous dread onto his listeners, which is an amazing accomplishment. He effortlessly sells stories with great imagery throughout Henry’s Dream. Nick Cave is the crux of a compass. Listeners will be directed towards extreme emotion. That’s not to say all emotion will be favourable. Regardless, listeners alike feel Nick Cave and his albums are memorable- for better or for worse.
Good
A bit better than okay, but overdone, as per usual with this guy. It's more accessible and organic than much of his work. "Straight to You" and "When I First Came To Town" are best tunes. The voice is very much an acquired taste and one suspects he works at and is intentional about making it so. Let's be clear, there are too many NC records on this list, by a factor of at least 2.
Even though I’m never excited to get more of his albums, I never really have a bad time with them anymore. Even though that junkyard album was catastrophic to my opinion of his musical talent, it’s hard to deny that he’s a seasoned vet when it comes to rock operas and meat loaf esque bombastic drama.
Good story telling
My favourite of Nick Caves albums so far
Un disco bastante performático y teatral. Las 2 primeras canciones no me gustaron y pensé que el álbum iba a ser malísimo, pero después cambió y repuntó.
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.
Not bad
Ganz gut und ein abwechslungsreiches Album, aber die Vocals sind nicht ganz mein Ding.
4.0
Not for me
His voice is captivating, his stories are brilliant, his style is strange, and category defying. I like it.
Liked this one more than Murder Ballads. I’m surprised to read that the band didn’t like how this one turned out. I need to listen to the live album to see if I like any of those versions better. Liked the first half more but second half was still solid. After listening to the versions on the live album, I do think they are slightly better with a bit more energy. If you could replace those versions with their live counterparts, I’d raise the rating to 4.6. Just relistened to murder ballads and think I like that one more. Rating: 4.4
Nick's voice and delivery is just too theatrical for me to enjoy, it feels like I should be watching an accompanying musical or something.
I prefer the Decemberists.
This album had a very epic grand type feel to it, which I did like but sometimes it felt like it was trying too hard to be theatrical. Still pretty good though, it definitely does succeed in feeling very epic at moments, particularly in the first half. Although it definitely takes a dip in quality towards the end of the album, and I start to lose interest a bit. But the closing track is really good so at least it ends on a high
ok. not something i would misten to on replay everyday. first song was cool.
Lyrics- 5/5 Vocals- 3/5 Instrumentals- 3/5 Vibes- 5/5 Overall 4/5 A truly great album, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds do not disappoint. However, I feel like Nick Cave's vocals are not for everybody. I think in many songs his vocals are amazing, but a few really do not do his beautiful lyrics any sort of justice at all. However, I definitely did enjoy this album nonetheless. Its composition was beautiful.
This could be fun and serious when it needed to be, but never really exciting. Definitely enjoyable. 4/5
Weirdly reminded me on Tenacious D
The best I have listened to for a long time
That was really short. I dunno. Didn't leave a lasting impression. Nick Cave sings story songs. And this is one of those albums. Seems pretty typical of his oeuvre.
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
Always liked this album, though there are some forgettable songs which keeps it from being a 5. Straight to You is amazing.
This felt more like a musical than an album. The dramatic and performative nature of it wasn't to my taste. I haven't found my stride with Nick Cave, though I know he is pretty widely appreciated.
I'm sorry, I can't do anymore Nick Cave. Please 1001, make these albums stop. Nick Cave plays like a humorless Jonathan Richman.
Our fourth and final Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds album sent me on a reflective journey through our group’s experience with the Caveman. (Do his fans call him that? They totally should.) I really didn’t care for “Murder Ballads” or “The Boatman’s Call.” I definitely listened to “Abattoir Blues” 650 albums ago, but never reviewed it. Our group as a whole though clearly didn’t care for Nick Cave, especially his vocals. But perhaps one of us understood: pretentiousass on Nick Cave’s “The Boatman’s Call” - “Nick Cave seems like he lives in a dirty dive bar and chain smokes Winstons with his band. He is stressed and oppressed by the world above him. Down here, he owns his domain. He's thoughtful and means every word he breathes. The first listen was joyless and settled me down in a chair of disappointment... Nick, go outside and spend some time in the sun, buddy, that bar is killing you.” Spoken like a true Caveman. But I get it now. Sort of. Maybe the vocals on “Henry’s Dream” are better than “Murder Ballads” or “The Boatman’s Call?” The instrumentation, which hellyeah has some appreciation for, isn’t drowned out by the chain-smoking moans the way I remember from those other two albums. But I’m not willing to go back to them to see if my judgment and memory was clouded by the dirty dive bar. I was willing to go back to “Abattoir Blues/Lyre of Orpheus.” The vocals were also not as terrible as I’d feared. I remember disliking the album, but we were only 60 albums in, and I hadn’t been subjected to as many awful entries as I have now. Maybe my perspective has shifted. The arrangements and back-up singing on “Abattoir Blues” made me imagine some kind of weird musical set in the aforementioned dive bar. Ultimately, only the biggest Cavemen would think Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds deserve four albums on the list. But I think I’d be ok with “Henry’s Dream” and “Abattoir Blues” remaining.
Used in the right way (i.e., used as a backing track to scenes in everything from Peaky Blinders, to a Harry Potter movie, to Ted Lasso) Nick Cave songs can be effective and even enjoyable. However, after listening to 4 albums of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds I am convinced that albums are not the "right way" to appreciate Nick Cave, which is best in small doses.
Is it finally over?!? Am I done hearing Nick Cave?!? After four albums I still think his vocals suck badly. The music on this album is pretty good though.
No big bangers for me here, but it delivers on the darkness and the storytelling. A good listen and not necessarily for the music?
Uggh with this stinking site... they never showed me Nick Cave and just went straight to Big Brother and the Holding Company. I will have to listen to this album, but yeah - it's a guaranteed three+ stars for me, so I'll just go ahead and call it a four.
Nick Cave at it again with an orchestral backing, dark aggressive vocals, and appropriate themed lyrics. This time with fast folk dance accompaniment, lead by a powerful acoustic guitar. First four songs are pretty strong, but it loses that momentum and becomes a bit forgettable. "Straight to You" is a really great song but somewhat of an outcast. Favorites: Papa Won't Leave You, Straight to You, John Finn's Wife
Prior to this album I knew some of Nick's "cult following" songs like Deanna but this is the first of his albums that I listened to a lot and from which I knew every song. There are some monster songs here. It's hard to even consider a 3 or lower rating for an album that has the lyrics: I counted up my blessings And I counted only one One tiny little blessing And now that blessings gone
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
2.5 kanskje.
Not the best I've heard
interesting sound - didn't like it as much as the other album, but good.
A different side of Nick Cave, still plumbing the depths of darkness but this time styled as a road-trip/highway album a la Songs for the Deaf. Enjoyed the more uptempo takes on Cave's classic sound, and wished his discography included more selections like this one. My main complaint is, like always, the runtime and editing of certain tracks. I get Cave is trying to do something more cinematic and encompassing, but you could easily scoop out 5 verses from the opener and have a much punchier, shorter track. All in all, one of my faves from Nick so far – definitely see a few tracks popping up in my listening rotation.
Not my thing. Too theatrical
Confusing, but oddly compelling... This is Nick Cave album number FIVE. It has to be the last one, right?!
A bit polarizing but I suppose that's to be expected with Nick Cave. By the end of the album I say: "I think I like this? I'm not sure." It's good but maybe not as striking or impactful as it could be. Here, the macabre feels turned down a bit to make room for more gospel flavored material but with less fire and brimstone, and so I would be more inclined to listen to some of the older albums or later ones such as Let Love In or Murder Ballads. One thing for sure, Nick Cave is a good story teller and builds mystique and morbid curiosity.
Not my thing at all. Didn't really like the "grand cinematic-like soundtrack" approach it had. Previous Nick Cage records haven't worked for me either, so not a big a surprise.
I had to listen to this quite a few times to form a proper opinion. I like this way more than "The Boatman's Call". It feverish and nightmarish with some really cool lyrics and tunes. This really feels like a concept album and something akin to Tom Waits ramblings. Some of my favourite tunes were the more shanty-like anthemic songs "Papa Won't Leave you, Henry", John Finn's Wife and "Jack the Ripper". I think this gets a weak 4 since a 3 seems a bit low since i felt to listen to it again after completing it multiple times.
Like all things Nick Cave, the production on this is incredible. If you’re the kind of person who vibes with his music then this seems like a top shelf album. I’m not that person but a respectful 4 stars.
Wel geinig, vooral qua teksten wat anders dan normaal maar muzikaal niet zo bijzonder, en laat dat nou net zijn waar ik het meest naar luister..! Would not buy
2/5 - Nick Cave is the worst part of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. The music is fantastic and very well-orchestrated, theyre incredibly talented. Nicks insistence on being in every part of the song is overbearing, annoying and makes it nearly unlistenable. I cannot stand how he chooses to use his voices, and his reluctance to shake anything up in his lyrics. This is the third album I've listened to of them, and my opinion stands that if they were to be just a The Bad Seeds (drop that Nick guy) they would be incredible.
Another stonking effort from Nick Cave, full of vivid imagery and foreboding music. The gothic Wild West setting is a thrill and few artists are as inspired as this.
Demented musical theater, and not the good kind. Nick Cave is overrepresented on this list. Struggled through this one.
1001 has turned me from being ambivalent about Nick Cave to actively disliking him. Chill the fuck out dude.
It’s Nick Cave again, and there are other albums I enjoyed more. Ive had my fill at this point, I get the shtick. It’s not my shtick.
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 !,
Goth drama kid energy. I like it.
Personally, not one of my favorite Nick Cave albums.
2/5 not to my liking
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
So Nick was angry, got drunk, went to a karaoke bar, and somebody recorded it. Got it. Enough with the Nick Cave albums already, ffs.
My second album by these folks and I haven’t been a fan of either.
It's always such a theatrical experience listening to Nick Cave, and I find his voice incredibly compelling. Though I might not be tempted to seek this out on my own, I enjoyed this quite a lot. After a few loops through it I felt so absorbed in this whole wretched and dramatic world. I'd love to see a movie full of all these characters and their sordid tales. This album cover is *chef's kiss* brilliant too, it represents this full package of ominous and chilling songs perfectly.
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.
For how weird this guy is, some of these songs are downright normal! (Straight to you, When I first came to town). I don't adore deep voiced male singers, but this album is pretty fun and intense. Overall, good! 4 stars
Pretty good
Dark but has a good strum that is easy to bop your head to
This guy has way too many albums on this list. How much depressing talk singing can one person make yet alone listen to. Nick cave is probably now one of my least favorite artists because of this list. 2.7/10
dobar, nije mi među favoritima njegovim, al je svejedno dobar. 3-3,5/5
Do people think this is good?
I don’t know why I can’t get into Nick Cave. I like this one less than that other one. Still not bad.
Four Nick Cave Albums? Why? It isn't good music. Some of the lyrics were somewhat humorous at times but nothing noteworthy. Definitely not good. I will round up.
A raging, roaring, vaguely menacing album of folk/rock tunes about dark things, sung by a songwriter with a rangy, smooth, growling baritone. The band sounds like cartoon characters hanging, flapping from the back of the runaway stagecoach that is Cave. Sounds, all at once, like Leadbelly, Dylan & The Band or an evil Leonard Cohen. Rare. The musical forms are very old and a bit theatrical but the tradition of writing ballads about dark themes like this is old. It's just not so prominent as it once was, anymore. This is very nearly a country album but absolutely does not come from that tradition (though I'm sure Cave has heard some Johnny Cash) - that distinction alone makes this a fascinating and engrossing listen.
the
Very much an acquired taste.
Droney and not pleasant
with my third nick cave and the bad seeds album, i've come to see the variety included in their albums! henry's dream has a fast punk tempo with folk vocals and sometimes has a gentler blues cadence. this isn't necessarily music i'd normally listen to, but i can appreciate it and its uniqueness, both for the band itself but also for music in general.
While I haven't seen this album categorized as a concept album, it kind of felt like one to me? I don't know, maybe all Nick Cave albums are a bit conceptual. I will also say this: hearing Nick Cave's albums is typically unlike anything else on this project. That said, I didn't love this album, but I didn't hate it. Some of songs really caught my attention, especially the closing track, "Jack the Ripper". This album is a mix of dark and gritty blues, punk, folk, and rock. Certainly a unique entry!
Punky blues, but thankfully nothing as awful as The Birthday Party. Not that poor, just not the beautiful, haunting Nick Cave of later albums veted on this list.
Wederom geen slechte plaat, maar na welgeteld 5 Nick Cave albums (birthday party niet eens meegerekend) vind ik eigenlijk dat er een regel moet komen dat er maar 1 plaat van een band terecht mag komen in deze lijst.
Lekker energiek en gedreven. Love it.
Toch wel weer veel moois gehoord op dit album.
Mooi, maar soms is gaat nick’s stem nogal z’n eigen weg.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds' "Henry's Dream," released in 1992, is a bold exploration of dark, narrative-driven rock. Cave's lyrical prowess shines in tracks like "Papa Won't Leave You, Henry," and the band's performance is powerful. However, the album may feel less innovative compared to some of their other works. While maintaining Cave's signature intensity, it lacks the groundbreaking impact of previous releases. The production, while solid, doesn't break new ground. "Henry's Dream" is a competent addition to the band's discography, earning a respectable 3/5 for its strong storytelling and performance, but it doesn't reach the heights of their best work.
Not my favourite genre but I'm interested in the energy behind it, in the performances, the story about the production. Four stars as a note to self.
This so called "must listen" list is filled with TOO MUCH old white male GARBAGE. If these boring tracks only made it here because they're beloved by middle-aged American guys, why not swap them for more Taylor Swift? At least her music is vivid, and even in her worst music she's enough genuine. As for this album itself, it's better than Oasis, but that's about it.
3,5
4/10. There's a reason they aren't called the good seeds
The music itself was fine. Still really dislike Nick Cave's voice and face. 5/10
B- Papa Won't Leave You, Henry 3 I Had a Dream, Joe 4 Straight to You 3 Brother, My Cup Is Empty 3 Christina the Astonishing 4 When I First Came to Town 3 John Finn's Wife 3 Loom of the Land 3 Jack the Ripper 3 I only knew one Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds song before this. My expectations were actually pretty low because of all the hate I've seen for this guy online. However, I like his stuff!
When the first track started, I thought I would like the record more than I actually did. It’s fine but didn’t change my life.
Loved it.
The tears we cry today will soon be washed away... By the tears we cry tomorrow is a brutal and hilarious line. It's exactly what you'd expect from Nick Cave, however, I'd say it is perfected on Murder Ballads, this falls a little short of that admittedly high bar!
More upbeat than I expected. Hard shick Nick Cave recorded here
This is storytime with Nick Cave and it is as depraved and insane as one would imagine. It’s a twisted tale told through Caves crooning wail. This really isn’t to my particular taste. I prefer his work with The Birthday Party. This though will hit hard for the black made up audiences that’ll generally enjoy Caves current project.
I respect the musicianship but Cave's Gothic creepy thing just isn't for me.
Rating: 8/10 Best songs: Papa won’t leave you Henry, I had a dream Joe, Loom of the land
Surprised to see this one in the list, almost all early Nick Cave albums are much better. From rough ones like Her to Eternity, Your Funeral My Trial to the moving ones like Boatsman Call, No More Shall We Part and the Good Son. So only 3 stars for this one
Wow 🤩
Sounds like a degraded combo of Jonny Cash and Leonard Cohen.
Punk blues de Nick Cave. Un 4.
Another chore of a listen. Nothing about this album strikes me as innovative or musically significant. The lyrics made me roll my eyes more than a few times. Someone who contributes to this list just really likes Nick Cave, it seems.
It's got a little bit of a Meatloaf vibe. Straight to You sounds a little too much like I'm in the dentist office in the early 2000s (Hootie and the blowfish). Brother my cup is empty - there's a bit of a cowboy vibe in here (like devil went down to georgia) - like the singer has a point to prove. Christina the Astonishing is a little too much telling a story over vamped music - it's super uninteresting, except for maybe the lyrics, which I'm not interested in. It's really mostly fine. It's well produced, the sound is pretty good. It sounds sorta like normal music although John Finn's Wife has a lot of strings and production value which is cool. It's too narrative for what I prefer.
Sounds a bit rough, but not bad.
First experience with full Nick Cave & Bad Seeds album. Fun dark romp, a few standout tracks but hoping for a little more on the next one
Damn that Nick Cave sure is a wife stealer (me. I'm the wife)
Probably a lot of people’s introduction to Nick Cave and co. Still a lot of that 80s post punk edge. Good stuff.
2 Barely Eh fuck it 1
this was a great listen. it reminds me of a dark folk/punk hybrid. pretty heavy for an acoustic album. highlights: “i had a dream, joe”, “brother, my cup is empty”, “john finn’s wife”.
I think I just don't like Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds.
That was just….I don’t really care for Nick Cave and I’m over listening to his albums on this list. Speaking of this list, the more average or bad albums I hear, the more I wonder why the fuck I’m following along.
It was ok not reallyu my style
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.
Nick Cave always seems like such an angry guy. I can't imagine him singing a song like "Shiny Happy People" or "Perfect Day". It's just... you're not putting on Nick Cave at a party. It's not there to make you feel good. You're ready to start drinking and feeling terrible about yourself and everything. And while there is a place for that, I don't know if I was ready for 45 minutes of it.
So this is the third Nick Cave album I've got in the last little while. And while I have enjoyed his and his band's music, I'm starting to wonder what the difference is across all of his/their albums. The songs always have integrated, sprawling lyrical themes - with a bit of darkness/occult and explicit (even sexual) imagery. The compositions are also always soaring and his deep voice fills it. It's cool and unique and all. And I really like some of these albums. But do they all need to be on the 1,001 list? This is his seventh album so I'm not sure it's trailblazing. I didn't mind it and I'm certainly willing to listen to more of his stuff. But I don't know what makes it distinctive.
Nick Cave either I enjoy quite a bit, or is just alright, and this is one of the latter. There's some good tunes here, but also a good chunk of boring ones, and despite the normal length, it does drag on. Still, pretty okay, just know there's better.
3.5/5
Really good, a few of my favorite songs of his on this one.
Eh. Not my thing.
Couldn’t get a grasp. Sounds like parody music but worse.
Starts slowly and builds. I liked it.
I’m forever listening to albums from this book saying, ‘What the fuck is this garbage?’ And the answer is always Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
4++
Kinda into it... does that mean I need help?
First Listen I've heard and really enjoyed other Nick Cave albums. This one, after first listens, doesn't really seem to be as good as the others. Still, it's Nick Cave - so I have some pretty high expectations. Standouts: Straight to You, I Had a Dream Joe I'll have to keep listening to this one... 3/5
Some interesting pieces in the playing here overwhelmed by too much schtick. Nick Cave is very hit or miss for me and I don't find this one interesting. music: hated. (⌐■_■)
Does Nick Cave always sound like pirate music? This surprised me. I didn’t expect it to sound like pirate music. I probably could like a Nick Cave record, it seems eerie and weird. But not this one.
Straight to You is a banger
Acoustic instrumentation with theatrical vocals, definitely unique
I don't know what I expected but it wasn't sea shanties. But the shiver me timbers so all good there. it gets darker soundwise and it's full of angst which is what i imagined I would find. Pretty good album
3.5 - I liked these types of hard strummin’, guttural croonin’, Irish-soundin’, whiskey drinking’, whore murderin’ pirate ditties better on “Murder Ballads.” On this album the schtick wears thin and I prefer the few tracks that stray from the mold, particularly “Loom of the Land” and “Jack the Ripper.”
Wow, I've never heard anything quite like this before! What a performance! Big theatricality - he's not leaving anything on the table here. That's awesome. Sometimes he sounds like he's doing some twisted, modern version of Elvis or Roy Orbison. Mostly he sounds like no one else. The songwriting is very good too. The lyrics grabbed my attention more than once. Feels like this album exists in its own strange world.
Some of me wants to like this and some of me doesn't want to. The guitar in the intro is so cool sounding. I love the concept of the outlaw acoustic guitar in all of it's cool badass glory. I just don't love his voice from first listen. I've heard of him before but never really looked into his stuff. I think this sort of sound is really cool but his voice just doesn't grab me. I was hoping that I could read a little about his past and that would help me along but it didn't. There's just something inauthentic about an Australian guy who studied art whose parents were librarians / english+math teachers singing about the American South / West. I'm not saying I have the best ear or intuition ever, but I feel like this persona is so put on. I'm trying to like it. I'm going to give it another listen in a different context.
I love Nick Cave. His lyrics are some of the best and most inspiring I have ever heard and belong on one level with Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan and David Bowie. Although this isn't his strongest album by any means (mostly because of a couple of songs on the second half) the songs that DO stand out are some of his best. The mix of Punk Blues and Folk Rock work very well. favourites: Papa Won't Leave You Henry, I Had a Dream Joe, Straight To You, Brother My Cup is Empty, John Finn's Wife, Jack the Ripper least fav.: When I First Came to Town (if I HAD to pick) Rating: light 9
This was decent and it had some cool songs. I wouldn’t listen to this regularly but it had some potential.
Very much a Nick cave album
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.
After four listens, I am convinced that I am definitively on the fence on the Bad Seeds. The arrangements are graceful and well-mannered, and Cave’s gentrified Revelations for drunkard hams occasionally prise open my old ear flaps. But I cannot truly love carnival, it seems.
The first Nick Cave album I ever heard, back when it came out. Didn't get what the fuss was about, 30 years later it still sounds like a 2nd tier album. Hopefully we get much better ones later in this list (Let Love In in particular) as he's pretty great when on form. Makes a decent cuppa too
Not the worst Nick Cave album, but still not a fan.
So fun to listen to. There was so much to love about this album. So creative and interesting!
His style is very, very unique, and that fact alone give him a lot of credibility. After the hundreds of albums I’ve heard, it is quite impressive when an artist can sound so unlike any other to me. The only other artist I know of with somewhat similar music is Tom Waits. I feel very unsure what to think about this album. Part of me likes the energy and thinks it is very artistic and powerful and well put together, while another part of me thinks it is not that interesting or impressive or enjoyable. Actually that’s how I’ve felt about most of Nick Cave’s discography, he may be my most controversial artist. He’s been one of the harder artists for me to rate 2.5/5 for now, but someday I want to return to some of his albums
I think there was one other Nick Cave album on here. I'm not sure what I rated that one, but my review was probably similar. It's weird in a fun way that gets annoying after a while.
Well, well, well, if it ain't big man Nick himself yet again. Love this scary guy. This is the fifth album I've had featuring him and so far every single one has been a 4/5. Gonna go with the same score this time. Sidenote: Weird that there's so many Nick Cave albums on this list, yet none of them are his pepperoni-nipped biggest record "Let Love In". That one would have been a big old 5/5.
This was a fun wild romp, this is the Nick Cave I Nick Crave.
I thought it was a fun album, but there was almost an effort at parts to sound too raw that really didn't work for me.
Nick is always an interesting and sometimes fascinating listen. His storytelling is dark and the songs fit the mood and persona of his vampire looks. Don't know if so many of his albums deserve to be on the list, but you can do a whole lot worse.
Una altra pedra gran i robusta, part de la catedral impressionant que forma la discografia de Nick Cave. Part d'uns anys on no tenia ni una sola ensopegada. La melancolia, la brutícia, l'introspecció, l'elegància i la majestuositat de la banda es concentra en temes tan bons com 'Straight to You', 'Papa Won't Leave You, Henry' o 'Christina The Astonishing'
Een iets hardere Nick Cave. Goeie plaat
not my fav album from nick cave and the bad seeds
Listened Before? N I'm starting to become a big fan of Nick Cave. I had never listened to much of him before this list, and I'm glad the project pointed me to him. He's diverse and an amazing songwriter. This album is no exception. Awesome stuff. I didn't enjoy it as much as his later, more ethereal Ghosteen... but it's a totally different vibe. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Straight to You
18th September 2023 Catching up, I’m a week behind due to having Stu and Laura staying with us.
Well. That's the last Nick Cave album on the list for me and at least it's over. 870-some-odd albums in and Cave has become my most hated artist on the list. Which is saying something because the list also has Neil Young on it and that guy's a total tosser. But Cave takes first prize due to his skeezy songwriting and fake "ooh, I'm scary" performances. Such garbage. Glad I'm done with it.
I like it but I also feel like listening to Nick Cave is going to give me tetanus.
on first listen i think i like this less than Let Love In but it's still really fucking cool. love the lyrics
30 secs in. already not a fan. Yeah this was buns
The term Southern gothic comes to mind. This is a theatrical album with big songs that have pop hooks. It's OK. The band sounds good but I don't care for Cave's vocal performances.
This is third Nick Cave album I’ve gotten from the generator and I’ve deeply hated all of them. I was in a bad mood when I turned this on, which was when I had just left 80 hours of social interaction (and I’m an introvert), including work and family. I thought this would make my bad mood worse but actually, knowing I already hate Nick Cave and therefore feeling no pressure to enjoy it, I felt free to let the irritation of everything wash over me, and it actually kind of made my bad mood dissipate. I’d give it one star but I’ll give them credit for making me feel better, and also because the band being called The Bad Seeds is so good.
Think this is my third (or so) Nick Cave record, and I find myself appreciating his showmanship more than the music. He knows how to carry a feeling, but none of these songs really stick with me. The storytelling, however, is great. Favorite track: "Straight To You"
3? i like his voice kinda deep and intense. I downgrade to 2 because a few later songs were so dreary it was tedious.
Interesting - kind of a mix of Warren zevon meets rocky horror picture show. Solo drive to Worcester for rogers surprise party
primeiro dele que gosto mutcho?
I get it, the curators here really dig Nick Cave. It comes built in with music appreciation pretensions. As for me, I fail to see any significant qualities on display here with this album other than extreme seriousness.
Too much Nick Cave for the average quality this act brings. I liked the urgency of the opening track and then the rest of it didn't impress me.
This is our fourth Cave album, and I've ranged around a bit with the first 3 in terms of scoring (2 for The Boatman's Call, 3 for Murder Ballads, and 4 for Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus). I think this one is also a 3 - it sounds most like Abattoir Blues of the previous three, but doesn't have the same catchiness, lyrical interestingness, or energy. Even Straight to You (the best song on this album imo) doesn't hit the level of the top 5 tracks on Abattoir Blues.
Weird southern gothic vibe. IDK not my thing really.
Strangeness. "Brother, My Cup Is Empty" reminds me of Jack Black so much. The overall sound makes me feel like the album doesn't take itself seriously. I don't know if it's the voice that sounds like someone parodying a singer, or what it is. It also reminds me at times of songs from TV shows like "I Think You Should Leave", especially the first song, "Papa Won't Leave You". Are the Bad Seeds a band of pirates lost at sea? What the heck is this album and what is it trying to do?
Can we stop with the Nick Cave albums
Punk. Blues. Folk
When I was younger I used to really like Nick Cave for the passion and expression in his voice. Now that I'm older I find him repetitive and annoying.
Nick Cave ends up all over the map for me. This one didn't really hit me right, and I think it's pretty much all down to the vibe of his singing on this album. Favorite track: Brother, My Cup is Empty
Lyrically was interesting, but not a big fan of early 90s yt music.
Just can't get into this one. I like Nick's voice and swagger but the tunes are generic and uninventive. He's done better.
I generally like Nick Cave a lot, and this project is a great way to get exposure to some of his albums that I've overlooked. This is no exception, and I really like the sound of this record - like the soundtrack to a western musical about murderous cowboys.
first few tracks are a decent groove, namely "papa won't leave you, henry" and "straight to you" but christina the astonishing and onward feel like a severe drop-off in quality for me, lacks a lot of strength. still decent and mostly worth listening to but you can jump ship after the a-side. though the progression on "when i first came to town" is decently interesting.
Very good
This dude is dark
I liked. I don’t fully understand Nick Cave but I’m ok with that.
I have never heard of Nick Cave before, but apparently he’s pretty popular and has been around forever. Papa Won’t Leave You, Henry is the opener and it’s a trip, but for some reason it gave me strong “the bones are their money” vibes (and picturing Tim Robinson singing the song is hard to come back from). “Straight to You” sounded like generic Bruce Springsteen to me. “Christina the Astonishing” had some Father John Misty vibes. “John Finn’s Wife” was mediocre but I kind of liked the end, so that’s something. It seems like his discography is all over the board, so I’m a bit curious to listen to more of his stuff. This one is not really doing it for me though. It just feels like someone doing a country western bit, I’m struggling to take it seriously. I’m hearing some similarities in the vibe with Tom Waits (who I also discovered through this, have only listened to one album, and did not like). Willing to give them both more of a chance though, maybe I’ll come around. Favorite song: Loom of the Land Other: Papa Won’t Leave You Henry, Christina the Astonishing, John Finn’s Wife
Okay album, like Cave’s imagery and imagination in his songwriting, music doesn’t pull me in.
A great album towards the start of a fantastic run from Tender Prey to No More Shall We Part, and maybe Cave’s strongest release up to this point. The opening song is so impactful and the energy continues throughout the whole record, though it is well balanced with some beautiful moments like Straight to You. A fantastic album from a legendary artist at the top of his game
This is my third Nick Cave album from the list! It was good, but not as great as Abattoir Blues / The Lyre Of Orpheus.
Maybe occasionally let the music breathe and stop inserting your Nick Cave-ness into everything. Nice album otherwise, but by the end, it's too much. Best track: John Finn's Wife
That’s enough Nick Cave, okay?
Still like this spooky vampire man but I don't know if we need 5+ of his albums on here, and this one in particular could be dropped
Pretty cool, but voice is kind of grating. Some good lyrics though and nice instrumentation. Possible grower.
Old af
ugh no thanks we've had enough Nick Cave. 2/5.
I hadn't heard this album before but it's fascinating and friendly on the ear. I came late to Nick Cave. I found The Birthday Party "difficult" so kind of overlooked his following career. This is a great example of his work - an artist and a musician and a really interesting voice but what stands out is his way with words. One of the great lyricists of this era and able to tell a story in music.
Classique NIck Cave and the bad seeds. Il ne se démarque pas des autres mais ca reste dans le style .3.5 en ecoutant je me demande si je ne devrais pas réécouté Ghosteen et revoirma note car je coirs que j'ai noté pas et ca méritait haut...
Score-wise, this one's pretty easy: Yet another Nick Cave album; Accept the plank-lump to the head and move forward in music. That said, Henry's Dream does something constructive to the discography, goes past reinforcement of Bad Seeds tropes. The album emphasizes the polarity which drives the band through time. Papa Won't Leave You, Henry is a disintegrating, polluting, motorized contraption that all but cries to be built upon, but it isn't (in noise at least) til the record is about to end. Quieter songs, less typical of the band but also somehow its zenith, sit between. The analysis is, then, that Henry's Dream sketches the outline of a rich universe of sound. But that analysis fails by starting too big: The record itself is more of a growing thing, and its life's arrow points in both or all time-directions.
This is the third Nick Cave album on the list, and second I've had in 3 days. I'm still traumatized from Murder Ballads a couple of days ago so please be understanding of the brevity of this review as I struggle to recover. I liked it, and feel a little dirty about that.
This is a great album. I'm finding it hard to pinpoint a favourite track so I guess I'll have to listen to it again... and again.
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!
Favourite tracks: loom of the land; jack the ripper; straight to you; pap won't leave you, henry
This album starts off rough, and I really wasn't in the mood for it. But as the album progresses, it's actually quite good. On a good day Nick Cave can be challenging, and this album is in line with what you might expect in a good Cave album. The songs are raw and dense, frequently unsettling and grim, but with surprising moments of haunting loveliness. Fave Songs: Straight to You; When I First Came to Town; I Had a Dream, Joe; Loom of the Land; Jack the Ripper