Straight to You

"Straight to You"
Single by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
from the album Henry's Dream
B-side"Jack the Ripper"
Released30 March 1992 (1992-03-30)
RecordedNovember – December 1991 (1991-12) at Sound City Studios, Van Nuys, CA
GenrePost-punk, punk blues
Length4:34
LabelMute
Songwriter(s)Nick Cave
Producer(s)David Briggs
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds singles chronology
"The Weeping Song"
(1990) 		"Straight to You"
(1992) 		"I Had a Dream, Joe"
(1992)

"Straight to You" is a song by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds appearing on their 1992 album Henry's Dream. It was released as a single in 1992 by Mute Records. It charted at no. 68 in the UK and no. 96 in Australia. It gained both contemporary and retrospective critical acclaim.

Critical reception

Upon its release, Simon Price of Melody Maker picked "Straight to You" as the magazine's "single of the week". He described the song as "a deliverance hymn" and "a desperate plea for refuge in the face of global catastrophe". He added, "Cave 'oversings' every word (of course), transcending the thin line between stylised Las Vegas camp and absolute sincerity, while The Bad Seeds use C&W mannerisms to create a mood that is pure Gospel."[1]

Accolades

Year Publication Country Accolade Rank
1992 NME United Kingdom Singles of the Year[2] 12
Select Singles of the Year[3] 47
2014 NME 500 Greatest Songs of All Time[4] 218

Formats and track listing

All songs written by Nick Cave.

UK 7" single (MUTE 140)
  1. "Straight to You" – 4:34
  2. "Jack the Ripper" – 2:47
UK CD single (CD MUTE 140), 12" single (12 MUTE 140)
  1. "Straight to You" – 4:34
  2. "Jack the Ripper" – 3:44
  3. "Blue Bird" – 2:46

Personnel

Adapted from the Straight to You liner notes.[5]

Charts

Chart (1992) Peak
position
UK Singles Chart[6] 68
Australian Singles Chart[7] 96

Release history

Region Date Label Format Catalog
United Kingdom 1992 Mute CD, 7", 12" (CD/12) MUTE 140

References

  1. ^ Price, Simon (28 March 1992). "Singles". Melody Maker. p. 35.
  2. ^ "NME Singles 1992". NME. 1992. Retrieved 29 September 2015.
  3. ^ "Select End of Year Lists: 1992 Singles". Select. 1992. Retrieved 29 September 2015.
  4. ^ "NME 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". NME. 8 February 2014. Retrieved 29 September 2015.
  5. ^ Straight to You (booklet). Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. London, United Kingdom: Mute Records. 1992.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  6. ^ "Straight to You/Jack the Ripper". officialcharts.com. Retrieved 29 September 2015.
  7. ^ "Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Straight to You". australian-charts.com. Retrieved 29 September 2015.