Henry’s Dream

The Good: We know it’s all a dream…
The Bad: They could’ve been more forthright by calling it a nightmare…
The Ugly: Realizing that I have 1 more Nick Cave album to go through…

Fuck me this is a chore to sit through. The positive is that it is only 40-odd minutes long, so I do applaud that.
I also had to go check my history to find that I did manage to give Nick a 4* on one of his albums… but I don’t believe this one is going to be one of them.

My main issue with Nick is that I can’t stand his voice… So, I can understand that there are persons out there who admire him for his poetry et al, but I just can’t handle his voice… just like other people can’t stand Tom Waits, who I adore.

Anyway, I am way behind on rating albums… another 13 to go to catch up, and most of them are probably as shitty as this one… so here’s to me pulling out the straight razor and contemplating slicing open my veins…

2* for now… doubt it will go to 3*

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

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.

The classic Nick Cave predicament/conundrum: the man is undeniably a lyrical genius, but the execution here feels like a "flawed masterpiece" at best. There’s an incredible, theatrical energy in tracks like "Papa Won’t Leave You, Henry" and "Jack The Ripper", where his gothic, country emo storytelling really shines. But, the production? It's a bit of a mess, sounds kinda cramped and muddy, probably because Cave and the producer didn't get along.

The band is good, and I dig the sea shanty vibe they're going for, but the album's all over the place. It goes from super intense to just plain boring. It feels more like a stepping stone for the Bad Seeds rather than their best work. I like the ballads like "Straight To You" and the stories in "John Finn’s Wife", but it doesn't all come together. It's frustrating, you know? The sound gets in the way.

Some of the songs are bit bluesy for my taste.

Henry's Dream was definitely on the weirder side of albums on here. I honestly thought that going into it, i was going to hate this album because Nick Cave gets really into what he is singing and i thought that it was just gonna get annoying but i found out that it wasn't very bad. The music here is pretty cool with all the extravagant melodies on offer. I was pretty mixed on the lyrics as sometimes, i thought there were some cool stories that gave me a lot of vibes of that Marty Robbins album i did but at other times, they could get rather stupid. This is definitely an album i have mixed opinions on but i think i enjoyed it overall.
Best Song: Loom of the Land
Worst Song: Papa Won't Leave You, Henry

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.

Nick Cave mit einem neuen Stinker

Ein fiebriges, staubiges Road‑Movie in Albumform, das zwischen Predigt, Albtraum und Liebesbekenntnis pendelt. Die Songs brennen – roh, ungeschönt, voller biblischer Bilder und menschlicher Abgründe. Cave singt, als würde er die Welt mit bloßen Händen auseinanderreißen, während die Bad Seeds ein Fundament aus Gitarre, Dröhnen und flackernder Intensität legen.

Was das Album so außergewöhnlich macht, ist seine kompromisslose Klarheit: Jeder Track wirkt wie ein Kapitel aus einem apokalyptischen Western, jeder Refrain wie ein Schwur. Henry’s Dream ist nicht nur ein Album, sondern ein Zustand – ein fiebriger Traum, der lange nachhallt.

love the nick cave sound

Same shit as all the other Nick Cave stuff.

Agh....... Is the sound I made when I saw I was given another Nick Cave album. I REALLY did not like the previous one, "Murder Ballads", for reasons. I don't care how "historically important" people say his music is, I do not find it compelling. I just think that he should have chosen another path in his life. I think that when he was getting started someone should have sat him down and told him he just doesn't have a very nice singing voice. But hey what do I know, I love Bob Dylan and some people can't stand his voice. However, Bob Dylan CAN actually sing and I don't think Nick Cave can. His lyrics too aren't my favorite. As I'm listening to it, the same trend is appearing of crude, nasty lyrics that I do not find appealing at all. Also, there is a lot of repetition, a LOT. A lot of times repetition can be good, however that's only if the lyrics and melody are actually good! So he didn't quite hit either one of those marks there. Agh... Just WHY does this guy have 5 whole albums on this list and someone like Gillian Welch only has one. She could easily have at least 3!!!! His music just feels a little cringey like he's trying to be edgy or something. "I am the captain of my fate"... okay affirmations? Keep those to your mirror, buddy. Yeah, that's enough of all that. Again I am hearing him being offkey again? I think? It just feels like he's not exactly hitting those notes. "Christina the astonishing was the most astonishing of all"... Wow nice one! The only song I can stand to listen to is "Straight to You".

Nick Cave at his gnarly, frenetic best. Not sure I’d heard this in its entirety before but it stands up with my faves of his.

I didn't really like the sound of this.. The first song sounded a bit like a parody of the genre 🤷

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

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.

Very poetic. Some shanty-like numbers and some powerful slower songs. I liked Brother, My Cup Is Empty

2,5. Not quite for me

’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!

Not gonna be my favorite, as I'm still not the lyrics above everything guy, but an absolutely good listen. Solid 3.