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'Rock'n'roll has always thrived off its status as a phenomenon that exists at once in the margins and in the mainstream. But few practitioners of actual rock-'n'-roll music have moved between the more rarified worlds of art, avant-gardism, youthful rebellion, and disenfranchisement, and the larger world of pop as easily and as intrepidly as John Cale.
'Born in Wales, Cale arrived in New York City in 1963 at the age of 21, a young classical-music prodigy who had gained the attention of composer Aaron Copland. Cale, though, quickly fell in with the burgeoning experimental music scene of the era, crossing paths with the likes of John Cage and La Monte Young. However, it was Cale's co-founding of The Velvet Underground in 1965 with Lou Reed, Sterling Morrison, and Angus MacLise—who was quickly replaced by Maureen Tucker—that proved an early turning point. With the support of their original patron, Andy Warhol, The Velvets, of course, went on to become one of the most influential outfits in rock 'n' roll history, combining the raw noise and radical sonic explorations of the "serious music," with which Cale and his new bandmates had become infatuated, with clever pop songwriting and the multimedia kineticism of the flourishing downtown art world.
'The relationship, though, between Cale and Reed was always an uneasy one, and in 1968—the same year of his brief marriage to designer Betsey Johnson—Cale left The Velvet Underground to branch out on his own. The body of work that he has produced since then has proven both pleasantly diverse and remarkably vital. As a producer, Cale helped craft genre- and career-defining debuts by The Stooges (The Stooges, 1969), Patti Smith (Horses, 1975), The Modern Lovers (The Modern Lovers, 1976), and Happy Mondays (Squirrel and G-Man Twenty Four Hour Party People Plastic Face Carnt Smile [White Out], 1987), as well as three records by Nico, amongst numerous albums. As a sideman and collaborator, he's worked with everyone from Eno to Terry Riley and Nick Drake.
'As a solo artist, Cale himself has been both prolific and adventurous, moving effortlessly from compositional excursions like The Academy in Peril (1972) to the literary chamber-pop of his masterpiece Paris 1919 (1973) to the sneering unhinged yet complex aggression of subsequent albums like Fear (1974) and Slow Dazzle (1975). After leaving the Velvets, Cale also continued to maintain a longtime association with Warhol, who designed the covers of two of his solo albums (The Academy in Peril and 1981's Honi Soit). Following Warhol's death in 1987, Cale unexpectedly reconnected with Reed to create a memorial album, 1990's Songs for Drella, which led to a brief, fractious Velvet Underground reunion three years later—the bitter aftermath of which led both Cale and Reed to pledge that they would never work together again. (Save for the group's 1996 induction into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, they haven't performed together since.)
'While his own albums wouldn't have as great an impact on culture as the Velvet Underground's legacy, Cale's capacity for reinvention would continually push him in different directions, from classical to confrontational, but always with a desire to attack the status quo that has maintained his vaunted position within underground circles. As one of the few figures who truly changed the rules of rock and roll, John Cale will always be entitled to do whatever he wants. And more often than not, critics will continue to play catch-up.' -- collaged
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Wall (1970)
'The only piece on John Cale's first post-VU album Vintage Violence that's remotely avant-garde is the bonus track 'Wall', six awesome minutes of electric viola scraping. In contrast, a lot of Vintage Violence is plain gorgeous and inherently musical; it just doesn't feel as significant as Cale's best work, even if it's surprisingly hooky and accessible. It showcases a light and playful side of Cale that would become more and more submerged as his recorded oeuvre became darker and more demanding.' -- Fyfeopedia
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Hello, There (1970)
'Cale's first record as a solo artist, released in 1970, Vintage Violence opens with one of his best sideways rockers, "Hello There," whose stilted, piano-driven rhythm would later become a characteristic of his work -- specifically "Fear Is a Man's Best Friend," "Graham Greene," etc.'-- Rhapsody
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w/ Terry Riley Church of Anthrax (1971)
'A one-time-only collaboration between former Velvet Underground co-founder John Cale and minimalist composer Terry Riley, 1971's Church of Anthrax doesn't sound too much like the solo work of either. Around this time, Riley's works were along the lines of "A Rainbow in Curved Air" or "Poppy Nogood and the Phantom Band": pattern music with an obsessive attention to repetition and tricks with an analogue delay machine that gave his music a refractory, almost hallucinogenic quality. Though Cale was trained in a similar aesthetic (he played with La Monte Young, surely the most minimal of all minimalist composers), he had largely left it behind by 1971, and so Church of Anthrax mixes Riley's drones and patterns with a more muscular and melodic bent versed in both free jazz and experimental rock.'-- Allmusic
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w/ Terry Riley from Church of Anthrax (1971)
'Not quite modern classical music, but not at all rock & roll either, Church of Anthrax sounds in retrospect like it was a huge influence on later post-minimalist composers like Andrew Poppy, Wim Mertens, and Michael Nyman, who mix similar doses of minimalism, rock, and jazz. On its own merits, the album is always interesting, and the centerpiece "The Hall of Mirrors in the Palace at Versailles" is probably the point where Riley and Cale approach each other on the most equal footing. The low point is Cale's solo writing credit, "The Soul of Patrick Lee," a slight vocal interlude by Adam Miller that feels out of place in these surroundings.'-- collaged
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Days of Steam (1972)
'Largely instrumental, Cale's second record is an exploration of his classical training with bits of the VU drone and prog rock widening the borders. Opener "The Philosopher" features Ron Wood on slide guitar and bumps along similarly to the title cut from Can's Future Days, while the rest of the album consists of the sort of conceptual strangeness Cale is known for ("Legs Larry at Television Centre" is a viola and cello piece with a voice directing imaginary cameras). There is more Can to be heard on "King Harry," but fans of somber piano pieces will likely get the most out of this.'-- Rhapsody
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King Harry (1972)
'The former Velvet Underground keyboardist and viola player's third solo album was originally released in 1972 also happened to be his debut on Reprise Records. Cale created a predominantly instrumental album, with "King Harry" the only piece having any formal lyrics. Contributors included Ron Wood on guitar, Del Newman on drums (who would later do orchestral arrangements for Elton John) and "Legs" Larry Smith of The Bonzo Dog Band.'-- collaged
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Paris 1919 (1973; live @ Paradiso, Amsterdam 2009)
'Paris 1919 is an album by Welsh musician John Cale. It was produced by Chris Thomas and features a backing band consisting largely of members of Little Feat. Paris 1919 is made up of songs with arcane and complex lyrics; musically, the album is a shift from his previous works with composer Terry Riley and his avant-garde experiments with La Monte Young towards a more baroque sound. It is the most accessible and traditional of Cale's albums, and the most well-known of his work as a solo artist. The album was released in March 1973 by Reprise Records to warm critical reception. The Los Angeles Times called Paris 1919 "the idiosyncratic pinnacle to Cale's thrilling yet perverse career, despite the fact it never topped the charts."' -- Wiki
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Antarctica Starts Here (1973)
'It's the subtle change of the bass notes that does it in this one: chords are repeated, but with different bass notes, giving the song its clustered and subtly shifting feeling. Chord symbols are repeated if it's a whole bar, noted once if it's half a bar (so two beats per symbol). If half a bar contains two chords, there's a "-" between them. Just prior to the instrumental break you've got this sublime chord (C9-C11), which really lifts the whole thing up!'-- Tabs
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Fear Is a Man's Best Friend (1974; live @ Crystal Palace Garden Party 1975)
'Right from the start, Cale makes it clear he's not messing around on Fear. If his solo career before then had been a series of intriguing stylistic experiments, here he meshes it with an ear for his own brand of pop and rock, accessible while still clearly being himself through and through. Getting musical support from various Roxy Music veterans like Brian Eno, Phil Manzanera, and Andy Mackay didn't hurt at all, and all the assorted performers do a great job carrying out Cale's vision. He himself sounds confident, sharp, and incisive throughout; his playing on both various keyboards and guitar equally spot-on. The almost title track "Fear Is a Man's Best Friend," starting with focused, steady piano into a full band performance before ending on a ragged, psychotic note, makes for as solid a statement of artistic purpose for Cale and the album as any.'-- Ned Raggett
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Gun (1974)
'Cale's own bent for trying things out isn't forgotten on the album, with his voice recorded in different ways (sometimes with hollow echo, other times much more direct) and musically touching on everything from early reggae to, on "The Man Who Couldn't Afford to Orgy," a delightful Beach Boys pastiche. As for sheer intensity, little can top "Gun," the equal of Eno's own burning blast "Third Uncle" when it comes to lengthy, focused obsession translated into music and lyrics.'-- Allmusic
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Mr. Wilson (1975)
'The lead track of 'Slow Dazzle' is "Mr. Wilson," a partly-ironic and partly-sincere tribute to Brian Wilson. (And also, I've heard, Harold Wilson, but I dunno about that.) It's a very light song with an acid center, which makes it hard to interpret. If I had to try, I'd say that Cale is identifying with Wilson ("Take your mixes, not your mixture/Add some music to our day", "Whisper whisper, got a monkey on my back") and that it quite scares him. Though that probably fits his future career trajectory too closely to be true. This has an interesting form: two times verse + chorus, a middle eight + chorus, and a coda. I should note: in the coda, despite the ironic and mysterious lyric "California wine tastes fine," all musical irony drops out and only a frankly affecting string part and vocal harmonies are left.'-- Fragments of a Cale Season
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Taking It All Away (1975; live @ Zeche Bochum 1983)
'Oh, you sentimental fool / Yes, you sentimental fool / Love - those broken veins / Made you so afraid / Of that wishful wishing well // Well, now, you're in misery and in pain / Well, now, you're in misery and in pain / So she broke your heart / And you let her die / Well, that's your name and that's the game // 'Cause they're taking it all away / They're taking it all away / They're taking it all away ... '-- JC
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Guts (1975)
'“Guts” opens with the line, “The bugger in the short sleeves fucked my wife”. This refers to Kevin Ayers sleeping with Cale’s wife before the June 1, 1974 concert, as John Cale related in his autobiography, with Victor Bockris, What’s Welsh for Zen (1998).'-- Lastfm
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My Maria (1975)
'John Cale is a genius. Period. And on no albums was his genius-ness more prominent and seminal than on "Paris 1919" and the Island trilogy - "Fear", "Slow Dazzle", and "Helen of Troy", released in the early to mid 70s. Most people have a tendency to site "Fear" as their favorite of the Island trilogy, but "Helen of Troy" has always been mine. The album starts off with "My Maria", a hauntingly melodic song that manages to harness in both a spine-tinglingly beautiful chorus *and* some of guitarist Chris Spedding's gnarliest guitar shredding ever committed to vinyl. It's also got this awesome marimba thing during the verses.'-- LypoSuck
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Leaving It Up to You (1975)
'Paris 1919 was followed by a trilogy of albums recorded on the Island label, which saw him collaborate with Brian Eno among others. During this period his live show became increasingly aggressive, until one day he slaughtered a chicken mid-performance causing his band to walk off stage in disgust. For most of his career Cale has used the piano as his primary instrument, but on the island LPs he was not averse to rocking out, or indeed freaking out with a guitar while snarling about Sharon Tate.'-- Sabotage Times
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Chickenshit (1977)
'On April 24, 1977, during his twisted rendition of “Heartbreak Hotel” in Croydon, England, John Cale brandished a meat cleaver in one hand and a chicken in the other (which, unbeknownst to those attending, was already dead). As the punk kids in attendance moshed and slammed at the foot of the stage, Cale placed the chicken on the floor, knelt down and swiftly hacked off its head. As he whipped the severed remnants into the audience, everyone, including the other band members, stared in bemusement. The vegetarian rhythm section of Mike Visceglia and Joe Stefko, who backstage had interrogated Cale on his plans for the bird, promptly walked off. Throughout the years, Cale struggled with depression and drug use. By the time the “chicken incident” occurred, he was in the midst of a heavy cocaine addiction, which plagued him with paranoia and borderline psychosis. As his decisions became more irrational, his music increasingly grew angrier. In response to his band members’ departure, Cale quickly recorded the three-song Animal Justice EP, featuring “Chickenshit,” a sarcastic retelling of the events.'-- Magnet Magazine
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Dr. Mudd (1979; live @ Rockpalast 1984)
'On “Dr. Mudd,” the fear reaches its high point, though it might not sound like it. Over jittery rhythm guitar, female singer Deerfrance adds carefree “doo-doo-doo” backup vocals, although the lyrics are anything but. With the repeated cries of “Whatcha gonna do?” Cale strains his voice describing the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He reminds us that although America may not be forced to relive the events every day, the people of Japan are frequently burdened, cursed to “remember when the children’s hair fell out, and all their skin turned blue.” Cale then asks us to put ourselves in their shoes, quizzing our elected officials what will happen when “China drops a bomb on you.” It’s a catchy new-wave masterpiece, though no fun for those that listen close.'-- Magnet Magazine
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Sabotage (1979)
''The music scene was changing rapidly, but the world climate was changing as well. Cale’s next batch of songs would seemingly draw a comparison between the two; as many punks used their music and performances to display their sometimes violent, misplaced attitudes, America nervously watched the U.S.S.R. in the throes of the nuclear arms race, with the height of the Cold War right around the corner. Recorded over four nights in April ’79 at CBGB, Sabotage/Live dealt with these threats head on. In Cale’s autobiography, What’s Welsh For Zen?, he explains, “Sabotage was a response to the militarism that was in the air around then. When I released the controversial track ‘Ready For War’ as a single, I should have said to the audience, ‘We have an induction room backstage. Let’s see you come back and enlist. You wouldn’t have seen one of them—people who had just been stamping their feet and yelling, ‘Yeah, right on!’ Though of course if you stole a hubcap off one of them, you’d probably hear from him.”'-- collaged
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Rosegarden Funeral of Sores (1980)
'This was a strange little single release by the major label (A&M) affiliated IRS Records. The B-side is probably more famous for Bauhaus's cover version. And while researching this release online I found a comment as to how their version is much better. I like the Bauhaus version OK, but this is great, too. On the record's label there is a disclaimer: "Vocal distortion intended", haha. Also strange, these songs seem to have never been released elsewhere. I checked all the Cale albums from the time, as well as the various "Best Ofs" that have come out. Nada anywhere...'-- Pessimist Club
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p.s. Hey. I'm heading off and away on a short trip to elsewhere today, and the blog will be where I'm not, so you'll get reruns and short, prewritten p.s.es through Tuesday. Then there'll be posts and proper p.s.es again starting on Wednesday. ** Bollo, Hi, J. Good to see you, buddy. Always chuffed when this place's Halloween jones has a willing partner. 'Funeral Rites' is intense, yeah. Any of that Semiotext(e) stuff particularly hitting home? Dude, so very nice about you getting the funding. I can't believe it's taken this long, but, then again, as a perpetual loser in the funding wars myself, I do. Passport was successfully gotten, yes! See you soon. ** David Ehrenstein,, Oh, that's good news. I can't remember a single previous Beat-related movie that wasn't meh at best. Okay, duly noted, thank you! ** xTx, Hey! Awesome upon awesome to see you! I missed you! Yeah, shit, I saw on FB, I think, about your job removal, and, yeah, I had a mixed feelings feeling upon reading that since I'm into the accrued writing time outcome. Try not to get too whirlwinded. So, you're having to hunt a new job? Urgh. I think maybe I am doing better than you at the moment, which makes me feel sad, but yeah. Where's your novel at, progress-wise? Mega-love to you! ** Zach, Hi! Oh, cool, you're new. I'm so happy to be one of the recipients of your new computer's blessings. Me too, about Marcel's downer re: MGMT and upper re: Julia Holter. So, this is great, yeah, please hang out here. I really looking forward to getting to know you and exchanging tips and ideas and stuff. Have a really good next few days, and see you again pronto, I hope. ** Tosh Berman, All hail the return of Tosh Talks! I can't wait to see the setting in which you will do it. Window in the background, no window, ... so many decisions. Or there would be if you were me, which, thankfully, you are not, for your sake. Not that I'm so bad or anything, I guess, but I'm not you. ** Rewritedept, Hi. If you look at Marcel's site, he's actually crazily diverse in his tastes. That's one of his admirable hallmarks. Old stuff. Mine is like, whoa, so horrible, and it's in my archive where hopefully it will remain stuck and unknown-ish. Where I'm off to this weekend is under wraps for various reasons, at least for now. No, I'm not off to an amusement park. That one can be crossed off. Sounds like you're going to make it to 'IJ's' finish line, which I think is a very good move, of course. I vote for the Steve Zissou costume unsurprisingly. You'd have to ask Kiddiepunk about preorders. I don't think he does that, but I don't know. Hope you get to see Chappelle. That seems like a really good idea. ** Steevee, Don't think I'll be seeing that movie then. ** S., I'm strangely okay in the hearing department, but, then again, how would I know if I wasn't. Can't dance at all, for shit. Furry emo teddy bear with red eyes wins the costume contest in my soul or wherever. Do it. A thousand photos from the festival! Are you God because you just seemed like one with that 'thousand' thing. ** Gary gray, Hi, Gary! I figured it was probably you who turned me on to Marcel's stuff, but I held my tongue in case. Man, I'm glad you're balanced out. What you went through with the pills sounds scary, but it was beautifully characterized. ** Misanthrope, Hey, G. Greed is for suckers. The bad kind of suckers. The kind that aren't pacifiers, whatever that means. The cult of Sypha and Misa sounds like a most amusing place to be. Yep, saw the Fat Longpig story, of course. Wow. ** Sypha, Hi, James. I was not successful in getting the Pynchon yesterday, which is a shame since it sounds like it would've been good plane reading today. ** hyemin, Hi. The passport acquisition went smoothly enough apart from the long wait. I think the border thing is better here, but I don't know. Whenever I return to France from somewhere, they just barely glance at me then wave me inside, thus far anyway, sometimes not even bothering to stamp my passport. Well, then you get a huge amount of luck with your work from me, if you need it. Thanks for the wishes of fun for my trip! ** Bill, It seems he is. 13, I mean. The bus, oh, well, that's okay, I guess. You deserve better, though. I got the passport, yes, whew or phew, whichever is the right term. 'MC' is awesome, right? ** Okay. I have a John Cale concert circa the 70s for you today. Really good period for him. Hope you like it. I hope you'll like the reruns while I'm gone too. And I hope you'll be happy to have me back when I get back on Wednesday. Have a fun long weekend, and I'll see you soon.