I'm not yet a Cale completist; though I know I'm missing quite a bit of the whole picture, his ballads are to die for, and I like him best in his solo concert configuration. That's why in my mind I put him close to Peter Hammill, and also because both are authoritative, manly sensitive singer-songwriters that appear never to have been young, even when they were.
One of my all-time favorite singer-songwriters since first discovering his solo work around the time of Fear. I confess I haven't kept up with his output beyond the early 90s but continue to be intrigued by whatever he puts his hands to. I've probably seen him in concert more times than any other band or artist, going back to 1979 at McCabe's in LA to a raucous gig at a cheesy lounge in San Diego at the time of Sabotage, and a few more times in San Francisco over the past thirty years, the last time being the tour that resulted in that Live Circus album and I saw him both nights he played and was just floored at his focus and power, given his age. Scott Walker passed this year and I am afraid Cale may be the next giant in my rock pantheon to pass on. But his energy seems to never flag. Where to begin, though... It seems like every album has at least one perfect song on it. Vintage Violence is very much of its time and somewhat crude in production compared to his subsequent work, but "Gideon's Bible" is such a beautiful song (by no means the only gem on that record) Church Of Anthrax is great and there's the sweet ballad "The Soul of Patrick Lee" along with the barreling instrumental workouts The Academy In Peril is perversely beautiful and there's "Days of Steam" Paris 1919 is often considered his best and is certainly one of my top five, with the title track and "Antarctica Starts Here" Then the three he did for Island are all classics, Slow Dazzle being the weakest of the three, and "Ship of Fools" and "I Keep a Close Watch" (original orchestral version) are both beloved ballads that I return to again and again - and although there are some better remasters out there for those albums, The Island Years set includes "Sylvia Said" a b-side that is one his most tenderly beautiful songs ever and I don't think it was released on CD anywhere else After that, Music For A New Society is an all time favorite and one of the bleakest albums ever made, on par with Leonard Cohen's Songs of Love and Hate, Big Star's Third, Nico's Marble Index - I couldn't get into his M:FANS remake though, sorry... But Artificial Intelligence, Honi Soit, even Caribbean Sunset has a couple classic songs on it (title track and "Where There's a Will") but as has been said, never a CD reissue, apparently Cale hates that record, I got a horribly mastered lossless download from the ZE label site to replace the old cassette I had and lost. I guess Black Acetate was the last thing I got by him, heard some of Nookie Wood and didn't like it much though I probably should give it another chance. I hope I get to see him perform again while he is still around. What a musical history he has had, beginning with Aaron Copland and John Cage and La Monte Young thru Warhol and the VU and working with the Stooges, Modern Lovers, Patti Smith, and many others I'm not even aware of I'm sure. I do love the man and his music.
i don't think Cale's going anywhere soon, he's been looking after himself for decades. I saw him in Paris last week and though he has mobility issues (sports injury on both knees) he still sings as strong as ever and always takes a good photo. He doesn't play too often in the USA so maybe tie in a european holiday in with shows over here. People i know of arrived in Paris from as far away as NJ, Toronto and Mexico.
I was at the third show in Paris last week and it was absolutely wonderful and moving. Fear and countless songs brought tears to my eyes. He can still sing his soul out and I just regret I didn’t know all nights featured different playlists : I would have bought a ticket to each. Will these amazing show see a release ?
Its very unlikely, Cale tends not to record his shows. The first two concerts you missed are streaming on this facebook group. John Cale UNAUTHORIZED
Thank you very much for these documents but it cries for hq audio and the twirling videos on giant screen. (Blu-ray someone ? But i’m Dreaming)
Seducing is a great compilation of his more well-known music between 1970-1990. I agree with mikaal- the mastering is terrific.
When he did those shows at BAM in 2017, I only bought a ticket to the VU show, but it was so good, I gladly sprung for a ticket to the next night, which was focused on his entire career. I hope he comes back soon.
Bought ' Vintage Violence ' when it was released based on a bizarre review in Rolling Stone. Didn' t know what to make of it then and still don't really. A strange record. But I like it.
The very same, amigo ! Ed Ward, eh? I remember reading a number of his reviews and picking up a few good records based on them way back when. Thanks for posting this blast from the past.
That happened frequently but , in the magazine' s defence , I did pick up many good albums based on their positive reviews. A few duds too.
Just picked up Paris 1919 and Vintage Violence. I love the former but haven't played the latter yet. Thanks to this thread I have some great recommendations where to go next.
That sums up my views of it. As I didn't know what to make of it several years ago I rejected it & I've forgotten all about it until now. Seeing how my tastes have widened over the last few years I really ought to chase this one up again & give it another chance.
I find it comparable to Robert Fripp’s 1979 album Exposure. You enjoy some bits at some times, and other bits at others. And, once in a while, the whole thing at once.
Cale has always been quite dismissive of "Vintage Violence" often describing it as little more than "an exercise in songwriting", to see if he could, having left the VU. I think it means much more to him than that, he still plays the songs in concert, last week in Paris "Big White Cloud, Gideon's Bible, Amsterdam and Ghost Story" were all on the setlist. I own everything Cale's released and it's always been my favourite Cale album.
Funnily, I was thinking of starting a John Cale thread, to get an idea what his most accessible works were (I've never delved in past his Velvets years, the Nick Drake contributions which someone has already mentioned here, and some of Nico's solo work). So let's see what opinions I can gather on this question: What would you say is John Cale's single most accessible album (and thereby the most probable best starting place)?
Paris 1919 is probably the best starting point, although the Island albums (Fear/Slow Dazzle/Helen Of Troy) are, to my mind, just as accessible and can be had cheaply on The Island Years compilation.
I would also include his live set...his more accessible and famous songs performed with just Cale on piano...
I know a lot of people love that album, and I do enjoy it, but I prefer Cale in a band setting, so I usually go to Sabotage Live for my live Cale fix.
recommend "Island Years", contains 3 mid 70's studio albums. For me the new Fragments is an unlistenable brickwalled mess, the cd hurts my ears
