Henry's Dream

by

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

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Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds are the epitome of quality music infused with such an unmistakable, overpowering signature that you end up either loving or hating them in the first 30 seconds of the first song. Anyone put off by literary theatrics, sardonic humor, or overwhelming darkness and passion will probably scream "Enough!" before the first song's even over. And Henry's Dream is the acid test - if you love Cave, here he is at his finest; and barring live performances, this is the finest work the Seeds have ever done. The works here range from throttling hysteria (I Had A Dream, Joe) to alluring, poetic ballads (Loom of the Land). What most impresses is how each song's details, filled with pathos, give you an insight into the workings of human emotion. The funniest and most pathetic moments (such as in Christina the Astonishing, when the delerious woman springs awake at her own funeral) are followed by the most profound revelations. It's really hard to explain - but if you can endure the diametric opposition of crude, vivid pulp and the beauty of the sublime, here you've found a home. This is very challenging music, but fun, enlightening, and rewarding as well.

To me, this is the weakest of Nick's albums, but only because I was ruined by buying the Live Seeds album before purchasing this one. I'm sure my opinion may have been different if I'd gotten this album first. I heard the songs "Papa Won't Leave You, Henry", "Brother, My Cup is Empty", and "John Finn's Wife" on the Live Seeds album and LOVED them. They were extraordinarily powerful and I was amazed at how wonderful Nick and the Bad Seeds sounded live. I ended up liking the live versions of "Deanna", "The Ship Song", and "New Morning" much more than the originals, and because of this Henry's Dream was a let down. The album versions of the songs mentioned aren't half as powerful or moving as the live versions (although "John Finn's Wife" does have some great strings in it that the live version doesn't). I do especially enjoy the sappier songs -- "Straight to You" and "The Loom of the Land". The first time I heard "Straight to You" is when I saw the video on The Videos collection. Though it is somewhat sale outish, it's still wonderful and still very much Nick. My suggestion to anyone who wishes to purchase this album is this: if you already have the Live Seeds album, don't expect much; if not, you're in for a treat, as Nick and the Seeds are always apt to offer.