Scar (Joe Henry album)

Scar is the eighth studio album by Joe Henry, released in May 2001 on Mammoth Records. Co-produced by Craig Street, it marked another shift in direction for Henry's music, and a foray into the genres of jazz and soul music. The opening track is a homage to comedian Richard Pryor (whom the album is also dedicated to), and according to Henry's essay "The Ghost in the Song," he was "called by a vision" to collaborate with free jazz artist Ornette Coleman. Henry wrote:

Scar
Studio album by Joe Henry
Released	May 15, 2001
Recorded	September 7–10, 2000
Studio	Sound Factory, Hollywood, California
Genre	Alternative rock
Length	57:59
Label	Mammoth
Producer	Craig Street, Joe Henry
Joe Henry chronology
Fuse (1999) Scar (2001) Tiny Voices (2003)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[1]
Alternative Press	8/10^[2]
The Guardian	^[3]
Los Angeles Times	^[4]
Pitchfork	4.0/10^[5]
Q	^[6]
Rolling Stone	^[7]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	^[8]
Spin	8/10^[9]
Uncut	^[10]

I had a dream. A "vision," I'm tempted to say. And the vision had a voice, and the voice spoke a word: Ornette. It didn't need to speak the other word, for I knew. I needed Ornette Coleman's musical voice to complete the song with which I was at that precise moment struggling.

Henry eventually convinced Coleman to record a solo for the track "Richard Pryor Addresses a Tearful Nation," and also contributed a reprise at the very end of the album as a hidden track. Henry discusses his interactions with Coleman at length as the last part of a 2016 interview.^[11]

Another track of note is "Stop", a tango written by Henry. His wife, Melanie, sent an early demo of the track to her sister Madonna, who re-used the lyrics for "Don't Tell Me". Henry often quips during live gigs that "I recorded my version as a tango, and she recorded hers as a hit".

Lizz Wright recorded a jazzy take on "Stop" which she included in her 2005 release Dreaming Wide Awake, also an album produced by Craig Street and recorded by S. Husky Höskulds.

Track listing

All songs written by Joe Henry, except where noted.

1. "Richard Pryor Addresses a Tearful Nation" – 6:21
2. "Stop" – 4:40
3. "Mean Flower" – 4:50
4. "Struck" – 5:24
5. "Rough and Tumble" – 4:53
6. "Lock and Key" – 4:46
7. "Nico Lost One Small Buddha" – 3:23
8. "Cold Enough to Cross" – 3:12
9. "Edgar Bergen" – 6:03
10. "Scar" / hidden track: "Richard Pryor Reprise" (Henry, Ornette Coleman) – 14:22

Personnel

• Joe Henry – vocals, guitar, keyboards, percussion
• Marc Ribot – guitar
• Bobby Malach – reeds
• David Piltch (as David Pilch) – bass
• Brian Blade – drums, percussion
• Ornette Coleman – alto saxophone solo
• Brad Mehldau – piano
• Meshell Ndegeocello – bass
• Abe Laboriel Jr. – drums
• "Orchestra" on tracks 1, 4 and 9:
  • Bobby Malach – reeds
  • Sandra Park – violin, concertmaster
  • Sharon Yamada – violin
  • Robert Rinehart – viola
  • Elizabeth Dyson, Gene Moye – cello
  • Stacey Shames – harp
  • Eric Charleston – vibes, percussion
  • Orchestra arranged and conducted by Steven Barber

References

1. Jurek, Thom. "Scar – Joe Henry". AllMusic. Retrieved June 9, 2019.
2. "Joe Henry: Scar". Alternative Press (156): 71. July 2001.
3. Aizlewood, John (September 14, 2001). "Joe Henry: Scar (Mammoth/Edel)". The Guardian. Retrieved June 9, 2019.
4. Appleford, Steve (May 13, 2001). . Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 25, 2015. Retrieved June 9, 2019.
5. Juzwiak, Richard M. (May 29, 2001). . Pitchfork. Archived from the original on October 21, 2002. Retrieved June 9, 2019.
6. "Joe Henry: Scar". Q (182): 122. October 2001.
7. Abowitz, Richard (May 24, 2001). . Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 9, 2008. Retrieved June 9, 2019.
8. Sarig, Roni (2004). "Joe Henry". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 376–77. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
9. Weisbard, Eric (June 2001). "Joe Henry: Scar / Mark Eitzel: The Invisible Man". Spin. 17 (6): 145–46. Retrieved June 9, 2019.
10. "Joe Henry: Scar". Uncut (49): 110. November 2001.
11. [1], Steve Dawson, Music Makers and Soul Shakers Podcast, Episode 16 - Joe Henry (Part 2).