Customer Reviews

Scar

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Sometimes I like listening to bright, sunny pop music. When I feel like that, I won't be reaching for this CD. This is dark, ponderous music. Henry easily hops from one pop idiom to another, borrowing lush jazz textures here, trip hop grooves there, loose, rootsy folk rock elsewhere. While anyone can go genre shopping, the trick is to make it hold together. Joe Henry has succeeded brilliantly with this album.

This is my second exposure to Joe Henry. I thought "Fuse" was an interesting album but it didn't feel very grounded or coherent in its lighter pop stylings. Moreover, Henry's vocal style sounds more at home in Scar's darker arrangements. Scar goes deeper and feels like an artist hitting his stride. The album feels loose and experimental at the same time it feels confident and assured. It sounds like Henry gave his session musicians space to experiment so this has the feel of a collaberation, all the while guided by Henry's vision.

This album has good songs, good singing, good arrangements and good performances. If you're looking for an entertaining ride outside the mainstream, step right up!

"Scar" captures Joe Henry's ability to incorporate unexplored and seemingly foreign genres into his own musical vision. After his slick 80's debut, he turned to the stripped bare folk style for exclusively "live" studio performances. He risked alienating his fans with "trampoline" and the brilliant "Fuse" by introducing elaborate, lush pop rhythms to his music, and the results lept well beyond all expectations.

Ornette Coleman's hand touches "Scar" with a magic pathos. The title track is indeed one of Joe Henry's finest performances, which is less a song than it is an eerie and gorgeous suggestion of a darker Heaven. "Richard Pryor Addresses a Tearful Nation" can be seen as a darker and more compelling sequel to the heavenly ballad, "One Day When The Weather Is Warm," the opening song on Henry's subdued 1993 effort, "Kindness of the World." The song's blend of jazz piano, clarinet, sensuously torpid hip-hop drum beats and Henry's unmistakable vocals is further proof that Henry's "Fuse" was no fluke, nor was it an embarrassing or desperate cross-over into the realm of pop music for the sake of record sales, as some critics would have you believe.

"Scar" is absolutely necessary in this regard, as it proves that Henry is blessed with a genuine musical vision, one that evolves on every record. As a fan who was won over by Fuse, I confess to hoping for something very much in the same vein this time around, something that elaborated upon the riveting pop soundscape of that album. However, after hearing the jazzy tunes on "Scar," it is apparent that Joe Henry commands a level of respect that his critics failed to allow him earlier. Indeed, had Henry delivered another pop record such as Fuse, he may have risked the kind of sterility and predictability that some spend decades avoiding, such as Neil Young.

The album's first single, "Stop," is another great song, serving as a kind of funky interpretation of Tom Waits, with guitar licks that recall Waits's "Jockey Full Of Bourbon," and offering some of the album's most exciting percussion. Edgar Bergen matches that excitement with violent string arrangements that punch through the song like bolts of lightning. Nico Lost One Small Buddha is the only track here, however, that recalls the somewhat louder guitar work on Fuse, or on trampoline's "Let Me Have It All." While the pop rhythms on Fuse take a back seat to acoustics, jazz and subtle hip-hop beats on "Scar," this album enjoys the prestige of standing on its own two feet, rather than on those already firmly planted by its predecessor of two years ago. "Scar" requires that veteran fans adjust their musical palates yet again, but just as on the other incarnations of Joe Henry, this one is worth the work.

Joe Henry's 'Fuse' was one of 1999's best albums (in the top five in the New York Times Critics' Poll); with 'Scar,' Henry has created a worthy follow-up. The new album is darker than 'Fuse,' and the songs are mostly slower (a notable exception is "Mean Flower"). Ornette Coleman, Marc Ribot, and percussionist Brian Blade help out, with several solos by Coleman appearing throughout the album. The songs themselves are excellent. The title track, in particular, may be Henry's best song. "Richard Pryor Addresses a Tearful Nation" is another standout. The album is not quite perfect; the instrumental "Nico Lost One Small Buddha" is jarring in context with the rest of the album. In the end, though, 'Scar' is one of Henry's best efforts to date, and nearly the equal of 'Fuse.'

He is Madonna's brother-in-law, but he sounds more like Tom Waits' baby brother. This is late night lounge music for those who like it dark, moody and Ornette Coleman dissonant. Coleman, in fact, plays on the album which, in itself, puts a million miles between this and what is played on your radio these days. Henry's earlier album Trampoline is still an enduring favorite. But, like Waits, his degree of difficulty increases with each record. As a result, he doesn't stick every landing. But it is always a delightful and, frequently, gratifying treat to listen to him try.

What you have on this CD is a talented guy, hip enough to recruit Ornette Coleman to play sax for him; clever songwriting; highly mannered singing; one enervated, downbeat song after another; occasional energy in the arrangements, and especially in the instrumental track "Nico"; a hidden sax solo that begins at minute 7 of the closing track, after a couple minutes of silence. All in all, worth a listen, but you may find yourself going back to single tracks rather than the whole CD. Pax to the reviewers who think this is jazz--it's not, it just has some jazz musicians on it. I understand Joe Henry fans giving it four and five stars; I'm offering this alternate view for those who are not already his fans, who looked this CD up because of the current good publicity for it.

Beautifully done album, packed with music. Just want to listen to it over and over again.

A lifelong Richard Pryor fan, I happened upon a rave review of this album. I decided to buy Scar partially because of the review, but mostly because I believe that anyone who can come up with the title Richard Pryor Addresses A Tearful Nation AND talk Ornette Coleman into playing on his album deserves at least one honest listen.

This is an exceptional, layered and very ambitious work of art and I would encourage anyone to check it out. I am definitely looking forward to getting better acquainted with this man's music.

I've been a fan of his since "Short Man's Room," and it's been such a pleasure to follow his musical evolution...from "Fireman's Wedding" to "Trampoline," to the amazing "Fuse," and now "Scar." Unlike a lot of current artists, Joe invites his fans to come along as he experiments with new styles, bringing new players into each album. I just picked up Scar, and it's great...I can't understand why his writing isn't more widely recognized for its lyric power. He's one of the best, hands down.

Upon first listening to Joe Henry's new album "Scar" (Mammoth, 2001) I found myself feeling the same way when I first heard Me'Shell NdegéOcello's "Bitter": Thankful to Craig Street and Joe Henry for their contributions to the best album I've heard this year.

Both Craig Street and Joe Henry played significant parts in making "Bitter" my favorite album of 1999 - and depending on what day of the week it is - my favorite album of all time. The production by Craig Street, and the gift of Joe Henry's vocals on the track "Wasted Time" still makes my head spin.

[...]

Within moments of the first song, you hear producer Craig Street's influence. "Scar" is stripped down. It's a musician's album. Ornette Coleman is an incredible addition. While listening to the track "Richard Pryor Addresses A Tearful Nation," I found my eyes closed, typing this... With every note blown, I'm left wondering why you don't hear more horns in today's R&B. A fabulous track. I can totally see Joe doing the soundtrack to a film by Robert Altman, Spike Lee, Steven Soderbergh... The lyrics for the track, are heartbreaking.

"Mean Flower" is just gorgeous. As with every track on BITTER, I find myself thinking how certain songs can't possibly be better than this. Is that Marc Ribot on guitar? When "Struck" starts, I began wondering if Joe knew Craig before he came to add the vocals to "Wasted Time." Wondering if, Joe was around the studio when they were recording other tracks on "Bitter." Thinking to himself: 'This is what I want my next album to be like. Just bring in the best musicians, and make the best album we can. Craig will keep us on track...' Because that's exactly what happened on "Scar."

It's funny, I realized the only song I haven't written about yet was the 2nd track, "Stop." Comical because that's the huge hit song that Joe wrote for his sister-in-law Madonna. (Differently titled as "Don't Tell Me".) I didn't even recognize it... Oh my. There's Me'Shell. "Rough And Tumble." Mmm. What bassline is that? I've heard it before... This feels like a guilty pleasure. Like I'm sitting in the next room while they're recording this. The playing back and forth between the Marc Ribot and Me'Shell reminds me of "The Heather Hunter Theme." I'm waiting for her to go "Damn, you're funky Marc."

"Lock And Key" starts, and I find myself waiting for Joni to start singing. But before you realize it, the mellowness of the track has pulled you in, and it's over...
"Nico Lost One Small Buddha," and Me'Shell is back in the mix. It's unlike anything I've heard her be a part of on record. Wait a minute. Is there a mastering error? Am I listening to Miles? Okay. I'm waiting to hear his trumpet. Mmm, there are the horns. I knew they were coming in at some point. Just beautiful. Wow! What a great instrumental track! Sigh. Okay. I have to listen to that one again, because it's over way too soon. I love this song... This is why Me'Shell is always talking about doing an instrumental album. My first complaint about the album, and it's not really even a complaint. That song should've gone at least 15 minutes, damn it :) Okay, Craig. Take it back in, and put the unedited jam as a hidden track #11... Maybe if Joe comes up towards Seattle, the song will be longer in concert. Okay, I'm better now...

"Cold Enough To Cross" is musically very much like a cross between Sting's take on Gershwin's "Someone To Watch Over Me," and Prince's "Do U Lie." It forces you to just focus on the delicate vocals, he delivers the emotional punch of the track wonderfully. It's now that I realize that I've always listened to the music first when listening to a new album for the first time. Listening to this track for the third time, I've realized that I'm now a fan of Joe Henry's, and not just his work on "Bitter"...

"Edgar Bergen" follows. Who's Edgar Bergen? "I just sit upon her knee and wait for the whole world to change. Any minute now." Is that Stephen Barber on strings again? Unbelievable track. It's the strings that stand out on this track, and the hook. What a brilliant song. This album is going to be on a lot of people's top ten lists at the end of the year...

Ooh. A hidden track, starting at 7 minutes into the album's title track, "Scar." There's Ornette again. Now, a full 7 minutes later, I'm blown away again. I'm reminded of riding the BART in San Francisco, moving along the tracks. Maybe it's a dream. Lights flickering in the car, and, 7 minutes of Ornette Coleman playing. How generous is that? And must I mention that most hidden tracks are garbage? Throwaways, etc. The best one I've ever heard was Prince's "Wasted Kisses." This one is the only one that's ever come close to it.

[...]My interest in buying it when I first heard that Me'Shell and him were working together was there. Now, I'm more interested in buying it because it's the same type of musical statement Me'Shell made with "Bitter." Both artists, making great music by showing us themselves. Again, the best album I've heard so far this year. A masterpiece.

This man has a voice that could soothe even the most savage of beasts. I love this CD and this is actually my second purchase for the same item since my daughter accidentally broke the first one. His voice seeps into your soul with amazing ease and offers incredible peace.

I love it!