Scar (Joe Henry album)

{{Infobox album

| name = Scar

| type = studio

| artist = Joe Henry

| cover = JoeHenry-Scar.jpg

| alt =

| released = May 15, 2001

| recorded =

• September 7-10 & 27-29, 2000

| venue =

| studio =

• The Sound Factory (Hollywood, California)
• Sear Sound (New York City, New York)

| genre = Alternative rock

| length = 57:59

| label = Mammoth

| producer =

• Craig Street
• Joe Henry

| prev_title = Fuse

| prev_year = 1999

| next_title = Tiny Voices

| next_year = 2003

}}

{{Album ratings

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1Score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/scar-mw0000587420 |title=Scar – Joe Henry |publisher=AllMusic |accessdate=June 9, 2019 |last=Jurek |first=Thom}}

| rev2 = Alternative Press

| rev2Score = 8/10{{cite journal |title=Joe Henry: Scar |journal=Alternative Press |issue=156 |date=July 2001 |page=71}}

| rev3 = The Guardian

| rev3score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2001/sep/14/shopping.artsfeatures |title=Joe Henry: Scar (Mammoth/Edel) |work=The Guardian |date=September 14, 2001 |accessdate=June 9, 2019 |last=Aizlewood |first=John}}

| rev4 = Los Angeles Times

| rev4score = {{Rating|4|4}}{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-may-13-ca-62830-story.html |title=Joe Henry, 'Scar,' Mammoth |work=Los Angeles Times |date=May 13, 2001 |access-date=June 9, 2019 |last=Appleford |first=Steve |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151025042412/http://articles.latimes.com/2001/may/13/entertainment/ca-62830 |archive-date=October 25, 2015}}

| rev5 = Pitchfork

| rev5Score = 4.0/10{{cite web |url=http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/h/henry_joe/scar.shtml |title=Joe Henry: Scar |work=Pitchfork |date=May 29, 2001 |accessdate=June 9, 2019 |last=Juzwiak |first=Richard M. |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20021021082249/http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/h/henry_joe/scar.shtml |archivedate=October 21, 2002}}

| rev6 = Q

| rev6Score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite journal |title=Joe Henry: Scar |journal=Q |issue=182 |date=October 2001 |page=122}}

| rev7 = Rolling Stone

| rev7Score = {{Rating|2.5|5}}{{cite magazine |url=http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/joehenry/albums/album/111852/review/5946852/scar |title=Joe Henry: Scar |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=May 24, 2001 |accessdate=June 9, 2019 |last=Abowitz |first=Richard |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080609172844/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/joehenry/albums/album/111852/review/5946852/scar |archivedate=June 9, 2008}}

| rev8 = The Rolling Stone Album Guide

| rev8Score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}{{cite book |chapter=Joe Henry |last=Sarig |first=Roni |title=The New Rolling Stone Album Guide |editor1-last=Brackett |editor1-first=Nathan |editor2-last=Hoard |editor2-first=Christian |publisher=Simon & Schuster |edition=4th |year=2004 |isbn=0-7432-0169-8 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/newrollingstonea00brac/page/376 376–77] }}

| rev9 = Spin

| rev9Score = 8/10{{cite journal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qhgIKMHie3kC&pg=PA145 |title=Joe Henry: Scar / Mark Eitzel: The Invisible Man |journal=Spin |volume=17 |issue=6 |date=June 2001 |accessdate=June 9, 2019 |last=Weisbard |first=Eric |pages=145–46}}

| rev10 = Uncut

| rev10Score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite journal |title=Joe Henry: Scar |journal=Uncut |issue=49 |date=November 2001 |page=110}}

}}

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:

{{Cquote|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.[https://soundcloud.com/makers-and-shakers/episode-16-joe-henry-part-2], Steve Dawson, Music Makers and Soul Shakers Podcast, Episode 16 - Joe Henry (Part 2).

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.