Bad Seeds, Nick Cave - Henry's Dream
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Free Music Notes for Henry's Dream
Free Music Review: Stranger than...
Hit: 4 Stars
Another great but difficult Nick Cave album, featuring some fantastic lyrics and beautiful melodies but strange arrangements. This includes the arrangement of the tracks on the album - it starts out with a quick, energetic wailing rocker and then moves straight into a whole series of troubadour ballads. I can never recommend Nick Cave to people, because you have to listen to find out if you like him. For every person who loves him passionately, I know two or three who think he is pompous, overdramatic, and just plain too strange to listen to. The problem is there's no one to compare him to. Nobody else sounds like Nick. If you are approaching his work for the first time, I would say to start with the fantastic "Greatest Hits" collection, or with Let Love In or Murder Ballads. These albums are much more accessible, with something like a standard song structure for the most part. But if you've heard his songs and know you won't be outraged by his style, this is one of his best albums.Free Music Review: .
Hit: 4 Stars
For some reason, although it is plenty listenable and arguably an essential Nick Cave album (though which isn't?), Henry's Dream is probably my least favorite. The "storytelling" and melodrama here are entertaining, but so done-up that it's downright silly at times. Nick Cave listing off what weapons his protagonist has on hand in John Finn's Wife ... things like that ... give this album a particularly juvenile, comic-bookish atmosphere. But as I say ... it is still generally very enjoyable music, and there are many memorable lyrical twists. A good buy, but if you are put off at all by Cave's tendency to go way over the top, you may want to steer around this release.Free Music Review: I had a dream, nick
Hit: 4 Stars
I think this is the album where Nick Cave began to really move from his insane madman phase to his true title as master song writer. This one is my favorite among the bad seeds "middle" releases. While it's not my favorite by him, it's definately worth it's weight in Gold. I just dig the feverish acoustic guitar playing in " i had a dream, joe!"Free Music Review: Definitely Worth a Listen
Hit: 4 Stars
A frend of mine loaned me this CD four years ago, and I've yet to return it. Some dull spots, but enough rockin' beats to keep it in rotation. Swipe it if you can, buy it if you must, but add this one to the collection.Free Music Review: NIck's dream that didn't quite came true
Hit: 3 Stars
If you read my other reviews on Nick Cave, both cd' and dvd's, you'll understand that I am a big fan. Being a big fan can immediately bring with it the danger of being to cheerful and praise too much on moments there should be a critical word.
So here is my opinion about "Henry's dream", of which I think it's all but interesting. Nine songs are put on this album but only two are worth mentionning: The opening song "Papa won't leave you, Henry" and the closing "Jack the Ripper" are filled with passion, writing wit and energy. They're good, solid songs that, one would figure, would also do great during a live performance.
But it seems that Nick Cave has put all of his passion, writing wit and energy in these potential hits and somewhat neglected the rest. I am not saying that he did, but all other songs just sound dull and uninteresting. A strange thing to discover in a musical carreer that seems to consist of nothing but good or great albums from a man who seems to have an unending creative fury.
In my review of Beth Gibbons' solo album "Out of season" I wrote that with the exception of a few outstanding songs, the album gave the impression of a nightclub singer, singing her repertoire for the zillionth time, routine-like and no longer interested in herself or the songs she sings, while, at the same time, she's dreaming about better things.
The same can be said about this series of forgettable songs. I don't know what Nick was like at the time of writing, but what ever it was, it didn't do this album much good.
Luckily Nick would get his revenge some years later with the genious "Let love in", which would become one of his most terrific lyrical and musical outbursts he ever had.
All people have his ups and downs, this "Henry's dream" must be Nick's down, and between all the ups he has made, and probably still will make, it's more like a curiossity, a rare little thing, something we, both fans and singer, can easily put behind us without much noise.