Henry's Dream

Infobox Album | Name = Henry's Dream
Type = Album
Artist = Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds


Released = May 12, 1992
Recorded = November - December 1991
Genre = Post-punk
Length = 41:28
Label = Mute Records
Producer = Nick Cave, Mick Harvey, David Briggs
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|4|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:prq8b5c4tsq4~T10 link]
*Review-Christgau|C|album=5870
*"Fast Folk" (favorable) Allen, Jim, [http://media.smithsonianfolkways.org/liner_notes/fast_folk/FFFF609.pdf "The Ten Best Albums of 1992"] , "Fast Folk Musical Magazine", 6:9-10, (February 1993) p.12-13]
*"Rolling Stone" Rating|4|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/nickcave/albums/album/153544/review/5944797/henrys_dream Aug 6, 1992]
*"Rolling Stone" Rating|3.5|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/nickcave/albums/album/153544/review/5945838/henrys_dream Jan 29, 1997]
Last album = "The Good Son"
(1990)
This album = "Henry's Dream"
(1992)
Next album = "Live Seeds"
(1993)

"Henry's Dream" is the seventh album released by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, on May 12, 1992. There are possible references to John Berryman's series of poems "The Dream Songs", which logs the dreams of the protagonist Henry. This album remains a big favourite amongst Bad Seeds fans, although Nick Cave himself was reportedly unhappy with the production by David Briggs. Briggs preferred a "live-in-the-studio" method he had used with Neil Young. This led to Cave and Harvey re-mixing the album, and ultimately to the "Live Seeds" recordings, as Cave wanted the songs "done justice".It was the first album to feature long-standing members Martin P Casey (bass) and Conway Savage (piano, organ), both Australian. The latter is a singer-songwriter in his own right and has contributed distinctive backing vocals to a handful of Bad Seeds songs; here he and Cave deliver a rousing duet in the chorus of 'When I First Came To Town'. The album is considered by some to have a vague "concept", i.e. song narratives overlapping and/or sharing characters.

The album's artwork was designed by Anton Corbijn.

Track listing

All tracks composed by Nick Cave.
#"Papa Won't Leave You, Henry" – 5:43
#"I Had a Dream, Joe" – 3:42
#*Mick Harvey - Organ
#"Straight to You" – 4:35
#*Mick Harvey - Drums, Extra Piano, Organ
#"Brother, My Cup Is Empty" – 3:02
#*Mick Harvey - Organ
#"Christina the Astonishing" – 4:50
#*Nick Cave - Organ
#*Mick Harvey - Vibes, Percussion
#*Thomas Wydler - Congas
#"When I First Came to Town" – 5:21
#*Nick Cave - Harmonica
#*Conway Savage - Other vocals
#"John Finn's Wife" – 5:13
#*Mick Harvey - Organ
#"Loom of the Land" – 5:07
#*Nick Cave - Piano, Organ
#*Conway Savage - Fender Rhodes
#"Jack the Ripper" – 3:45

The songs

"Christina the Astonishing" - Cave's lyrics are based upon an entry in Alban Butler's book "The Lives of the Saints"

"When I First Came to Town" is based partly on Karen Dalton's recording of the traditional song "Katy Cruel". Dalton's version was later issued on "Original Seeds" Vol. 1.

Credits

Personnel

* Nick Cave – Vocals
* Mick Harvey – Rhythm Guitar
* Blixa Bargeld – Guitar
* Conway Savage – Piano
* Martyn P. Casey – Bass
* Thomas Wydler – Drums
* Backing Vocals - The Bad Seeds
* String Arrangements by Mick Harvey and David Blumberg
* Cello - Dennis Karmazyn
* Violins - Bruce Dukov, Barbara Porter

References