― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Monday, 12 January 2004 05:02 (twenty years ago) link
― Hernan, Monday, 12 January 2004 05:45 (twenty years ago) link
― nickn (nickn), Monday, 12 January 2004 06:05 (twenty years ago) link
― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Monday, 12 January 2004 06:06 (twenty years ago) link
― cnwb (cnwb), Monday, 12 January 2004 06:07 (twenty years ago) link
Vintage Violence is my fave.
― JaXoN (JasonD), Monday, 12 January 2004 06:26 (twenty years ago) link
― jack cole (jackcole), Monday, 12 January 2004 07:15 (twenty years ago) link
― nickn (nickn), Monday, 12 January 2004 08:07 (twenty years ago) link
― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Monday, 12 January 2004 08:09 (twenty years ago) link
And of course there is "Songs for Drella."
― Mary (Mary), Monday, 12 January 2004 08:10 (twenty years ago) link
x-post... OTM
― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Monday, 12 January 2004 08:12 (twenty years ago) link
― bham, Monday, 12 January 2004 09:57 (twenty years ago) link
I'm not at all familiar with his other albums (the only other thing of his I've got is the "Seducing Down The Door" comp.) but I think "Hobo Sapiens" is wonderful - and it's making me want to explore the rest of his back catalogue further - I was thinking I'd probably start with either "Paris 1919" or "The Island Years"
― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Monday, 12 January 2004 10:12 (twenty years ago) link
I've been meaning to pick up Hobosapiens but haven't just yet, the 5 Tracks ep which came out a few months earlier is great though and if that's a taster of what the album will be like then it should be great.
x-post: The Island Years is the double album I mentioned.
― willem (willem), Monday, 12 January 2004 10:15 (twenty years ago) link
― Dadaismus (Dada), Monday, 12 January 2004 12:44 (twenty years ago) link
This is actually the only Cale album I own. Did he ever do any other records like this one?
― M Carty (mj_c), Monday, 12 January 2004 13:52 (twenty years ago) link
Paris 1919 is probably the next best to approach, it's gentle and accesible. Somehow I think it's nice to get this one in before going to Church of Anthrax / New Society, which if you heard them completely out-of-the-blue would sound like the flailing piss of a coked-up bag of bellybooze. Which they are. The secret is to learn to love the bag, and that takes a while.
The 80's ones, Carribean Sunset in particular, are shit. Think about it. It's a solo album from a 60's guy in the 80's called Carribean Sunset. More than any of the one's that were mentioned up to go for Fear next. It's got a fairly decent mix of material and the 70's bar-rock boogie is at it's least annoying. Slow Dazzle has it's highlights, as has Honi Soit.
Hobosapiens I still can't get into for some reason. It sounds like your old Geography teacher berating you from the next room about subways and somesuch. I'll reserve my opinion of that as I haven't quite listened to it enough yet.
― Lynskey (Lynskey), Monday, 12 January 2004 14:19 (twenty years ago) link
S: Fear; Slow Dazzle: Guts; Paris 1919. (Fear, Slow Dazzle, Helen of Troy, and a few singles were reissued on a twofer called "The Warner Bros. Years" a while back, and it's the way to go.) Paris 1919 is very good indeed but I think "Slow Dazzle" is the greatest John Cale record, sort of brutalist Brian Wilson...
D: Vintage Violence (never liked it except for "Gideon's Bible"); all his '80s shit; all his '90s shit (I do like his last one but it's hardly essential).
I also have three CDs of his early noise stuff in NYC, nice room-clearing music but again hardly essential.
Honi Soit is an honorable attempt at a comeback around '81, and there are some nice moments, but by that time he had really started to lose his voice, and it sounds a bit stillborn. Worth getting for a few bucks.
― eddie hurt (ddduncan), Monday, 12 January 2004 16:15 (twenty years ago) link
Sabotage & Even Cowgirls Get the Blues - Great for die-hard fans, but probably not for beginners.John Cale is Alive - More accessible, but less good.
Walking on Locusts - I absolutely love this one, but no one else seemed to.
― dave225 (Dave225), Monday, 12 January 2004 16:33 (twenty years ago) link
Mid 70s albums terrific, Animal Justice terrific (Hedda Gabler!!!!!), New Society terrific, most other stuff patchy, I am fond of Sabotage but never actually listen to it, Fragments is lovely but I get embarrassed listening to it for personal reasons, I would love to assert that Caribbean Sunset is good but I can't honestly remember anything about it, it's better than Artificial Intelligence though surely.
i.e. what everyone else said.
― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Monday, 12 January 2004 16:40 (twenty years ago) link
― nickn (nickn), Monday, 12 January 2004 23:43 (twenty years ago) link
― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 01:32 (twenty years ago) link
I was about to say. They need to fix the star ranking though!
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 02:00 (twenty years ago) link
― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 02:11 (twenty years ago) link
― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 14:39 (twenty years ago) link
Christgau is right; the "Peril" track "Days of Steam" does remind of the Ernie Kovacs theme.
― eddie hurt (ddduncan), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 15:52 (twenty years ago) link
― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 16:08 (twenty years ago) link
― dave225 (Dave225), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 16:18 (twenty years ago) link
Yeah that 'Island' comp really is terrific - all the hits and none of the shit (well, some) - glad someone mentioned 'Ski Patrol', a real fave of mine
― Andrew L (Andrew L), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 20:40 (twenty years ago) link
Sabotage really is a fantastic noise thing on the rock-meets-avant-jazz tip.
Artificial Intelligence is getting way underrated here as pretty-pop.
But orchestral cale hits his peak, as far as i'm concerned, with "words for the dying" which is one of the few where the studio recorded versions so clearly top the fragments... versions.
― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Wednesday, 14 January 2004 00:54 (twenty years ago) link
I saw him live in a very small bar like 4-5 years ago, and it was wonderful. A lot like the Fragments of rainy day CD. All he had was a piano and acoustic guitar on some songs and vocals.
― A Nairn (moretap), Wednesday, 14 January 2004 05:08 (twenty years ago) link
― A Nairn (moretap), Wednesday, 14 January 2004 05:21 (twenty years ago) link
― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Wednesday, 14 January 2004 06:00 (twenty years ago) link
― j b everlovin' r (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 23 November 2005 04:41 (eighteen years ago) link
― k/l (Ken L), Wednesday, 23 November 2005 04:55 (eighteen years ago) link
― j b everlovin' r (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 23 November 2005 04:56 (eighteen years ago) link
― j b everlovin' r (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 23 November 2005 04:57 (eighteen years ago) link
Did you see yourself in the audience?
― k/l (Ken L), Wednesday, 23 November 2005 05:00 (eighteen years ago) link
― j b everlovin' r (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 23 November 2005 05:05 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Wednesday, 23 November 2005 05:18 (eighteen years ago) link
http://www.ovationtv.com/
― j b everlovin' r (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 23 November 2005 05:23 (eighteen years ago) link
Hail Bop! –Whereas the ’80s were fraught with gauche displays of wealth and “conspicuous consumption,” the ’90s fashion houses and museums have made a political statement by shifting toward the pared-down simplicity which has defined the decade. Composer John Adams makes political statements through his work as well, from controversial operas, such as Nixon in China and The Death of Klinghoffer (which deals with the hijacking of the Achille Lauro), to electronic compositions and sometimes minimalist modern orchestrations, still largely considered avant garde by classical music purists. Filmmaker Tony Palmer profiles Adams as he premieres two works commissioned in commemoration of his fiftieth birthday: Gnarly Buttons and Slonimsky’s Earbox.
Next Showing:Wednesday, November 23 2:00 AM EST
― j b everlovin' r (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 23 November 2005 05:25 (eighteen years ago) link
― k/l (Ken L), Wednesday, 23 November 2005 15:01 (eighteen years ago) link
― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Wednesday, 23 November 2005 15:25 (eighteen years ago) link
― k/l (Ken L), Wednesday, 23 November 2005 15:55 (eighteen years ago) link
― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Wednesday, 23 November 2005 16:01 (eighteen years ago) link
I'm surprised how many people have cited Honi Soit. I love that record, even as weak as it is.
I recently watched the Drella video on the big screen again .. still fantastic... and the Cale songs are superior, but maybe that's just me being a little sick of Lour Reed.
― D.I.Y. U.N.K.L.E. (dave225.3), Wednesday, 23 November 2005 17:53 (eighteen years ago) link
― D.I.Y. U.N.K.L.E. (dave225.3), Wednesday, 23 November 2005 17:54 (eighteen years ago) link
― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Wednesday, 23 November 2005 18:10 (eighteen years ago) link
― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Wednesday, 23 November 2005 18:37 (eighteen years ago) link
Cale's voice still seems to be in great shape
― tylerw, Monday, 21 August 2023 16:37 (eight months ago) link
wow @ that bowed electric bass in that clip
― Random Restaurateur (Jordan), Monday, 21 August 2023 18:10 (eight months ago) link
hello I am Vintage Violence years old today <3BIG WHITE CLOUDS are you kidding me the way Cale writes about this album gives you zero preparation for what it is. he’s like oh its extremely simplistic i was just trying some things like ok sure you humble-ass motherfucker lol~sneezes a picasso into a kleenex nbd~
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Wednesday, 15 November 2023 02:18 (five months ago) link
yeah vintage violence is top-tier
― ꙮ (map), Wednesday, 15 November 2023 02:56 (five months ago) link
it's so fucking good
― budo jeru, Wednesday, 15 November 2023 02:58 (five months ago) link
gorgeousgives me a vibe of Odessa-era Bee Gees in the best way? maybe just his voice or something but manplus The Band-adjacent country style is so good
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Wednesday, 15 November 2023 03:04 (five months ago) link
yeah. i've always kind of thought of it as his "loaded"
― budo jeru, Wednesday, 15 November 2023 03:32 (five months ago) link
it's very psychey-pop for sure in parts - cleo in particular <3
― fpsa, Wednesday, 15 November 2023 04:24 (five months ago) link
is there any song as good as Gideon's Bible?! No there is not it is the best song ever
― Piggy Lepton (La Lechera), Wednesday, 15 November 2023 14:45 (five months ago) link
The chorus on Gideon’s Bible from Vintage Violence is 4 stars
― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 15 November 2023 14:53 (five months ago) link
Won't you help me sneeze, I've caught a cold.
― The First Time Ever I Saw Gervais (Tom D.), Wednesday, 15 November 2023 14:57 (five months ago) link
One of the songs where you can really see Cale's Beach Boys love.
― Ward Fowler, Wednesday, 15 November 2023 14:59 (five months ago) link
xxpost yeah Gideons Bible is amazing
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Wednesday, 15 November 2023 15:36 (five months ago) link
― brimstead, Wednesday, 15 November 2023 15:51 (five months ago) link
the opening track is so delightful, just a lovely Hello There wave from Caleit was so unexpected!
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Wednesday, 15 November 2023 18:07 (five months ago) link
For some reason my streaming service is obsessed with Gideon's Bible, when I shuffle stuff at random it always plays and its fine I like it but it does seem weird giving my listening habits that the algorithm has latched on to this particular song "oh dude loves Gideon's Bible let's play it again!"
― chr1sb3singer, Wednesday, 15 November 2023 19:16 (five months ago) link
on a side note Am reading Whats Welsh For Zen and was not prepared for his neanderthal views of women and/or physical violence. Tough going. Obv the music stuff is interesting but his dispassionate telling of his marriages & his own truly awful behavior like he’s talking about a walk to the shops really does my head in.
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Thursday, 16 November 2023 20:03 (five months ago) link
yah hes a legendary asshole
― kurt schwitterz, Thursday, 16 November 2023 20:09 (five months ago) link
annoyed at myself for going in wide-eyed but oh well pray for me
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Thursday, 16 November 2023 20:20 (five months ago) link
he just killed a chicken & threw the head into the crowd ._.
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Thursday, 16 November 2023 20:23 (five months ago) link
it’s a selling point of the book that he talks about stuff in a frank matter of fact way but it was horrifying to read him describing smashing his gf’s teeth with a whiskey glass and then just sort of breezing on to the next anecdote
― Boris Yitsbin (wins), Thursday, 16 November 2023 20:28 (five months ago) link
yeah horrifying
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Thursday, 16 November 2023 20:30 (five months ago) link
The chicken incident did result in a good, funny (assholish) song
― Boris Yitsbin (wins), Thursday, 16 November 2023 20:38 (five months ago) link
There's a weird disconnect between the blithe way he describes some of his misdeeds, mostly from his alcohol and drug era, and the insightful introspection of other parts of the book.
My favourite bit is the fadeout, with the viola coming in, like the end of a credit sequence in some forgotten urban 1970 movie.
Fans of "roots" John Cale should give a listen to his unloved 1996 album Walking on Locusts. It features one of his all-time best songs, "Secret Corrida" (which is more Leonard Cohen than Americana).
― Halfway there but for you, Thursday, 16 November 2023 20:45 (five months ago) link
Just came across a good interview---didn't realize he wrote so much in the studio, and was so into improvising there---this part is striking as well, on VU gigs with the Mothers:
...the only reason Zappa was on those gigs was that Herb Cohen knew that he'd get all this publicity from Andy and us. The thing is about Frank, that was reinforced years after I saw him, is that he had a very acerbic wit, which was kind of enjoyable, but at the same time, I really can't say there was anything about his music or him that made me love music. There was something about him, I think it was a real deep-seeded anger and fury about being forced to learn music in the first place - there was a revenge factor there - but it made me very uncomfortable watching him. There was so much putting down of himself that wasn't pleasant. I lost the gleam of innocence that you get from somebody really enjoying a melody or a solo or anything like that. And he could rip off [play, not pilfer] all these incredible solos, and you knew the guy had tremendous talent, but there was never anything there that made me love music so I'd want to do it. The reason you're doing this is to show how people how exciting and enjoyable this is. It's a shared experience. People shouldn't be punished for sharing an experience.
― dow, Friday, 17 November 2023 04:35 (five months ago) link
Didn’t Zappa famously mock Nico from the side of the stage, pretending to play organ and making pained singing faces?
― Shifty Henry’s Swing Club (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 17 November 2023 06:00 (five months ago) link
Oh worse than that, he went up on stage and actually played her organ and sang some moronic lyrics not much different from his usual output.
― Shifty Henry’s Swing Club (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 17 November 2023 06:47 (five months ago) link
https://www.openculture.com/2017/06/andy-warhol-hosts-frank-zappa-on-his-cable-tv-show.html
― Shifty Henry’s Swing Club (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 17 November 2023 06:54 (five months ago) link
He did play "All Tomorrow's Parties" when the BBC gave him a radio show to play his favourite music. Along with some other surprising choices (the UK Subs!) Zappa that is, not Cale. He was still an asshole though of course.
― The First Time Ever I Saw Gervais (Tom D.), Friday, 17 November 2023 09:41 (five months ago) link
Right, forgot about that. The ATP part that is, not the other part.
― Shifty Henry’s Swing Club (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 17 November 2023 10:55 (five months ago) link
Also that thing I posted brings up something I never thought about, comparing the different flavors of control that FZ and AW bring to the table and what may lie behind each.
― Shifty Henry’s Swing Club (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 17 November 2023 13:09 (five months ago) link
Wiesbaden? John Cale, the lost years.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L24Ix6dDoNw
― The British Boy of Film Classification (Tom D.), Sunday, 25 February 2024 11:22 (two months ago) link
lol the mic came right off the cord, amazing footage
― I painted my teeth (sleeve), Sunday, 25 February 2024 16:39 (two months ago) link
Fun fact, he had a real problem with cocaine. Who would have guessed?
― Josh in Chicago, Sunday, 25 February 2024 16:45 (two months ago) link
Ha, did you read that James Young book?
― The Ginger Bakersfield Sound (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 25 February 2024 16:49 (two months ago) link
Nico book? I haven't. I can only imagine.
― Josh in Chicago, Sunday, 25 February 2024 16:51 (two months ago) link
It’s great. Very funny too.
― The Ginger Bakersfield Sound (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 25 February 2024 17:03 (two months ago) link
Interviews where the singer confuses Wiesbaden with Darmstadt.
― The British Boy of Film Classification (Tom D.), Sunday, 25 February 2024 17:13 (two months ago) link
the first Fluxus concert was in Wiesbaden. Maciunas organized and Nam June Paik performed a Young composition, see around 3:50 here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YibFHWZ66GQ
― bulb after bulb, Sunday, 25 February 2024 17:48 (two months ago) link
Ah right, I assumed he meant Darmstat, apologies to John CoCale.
― The British Boy of Film Classification (Tom D.), Sunday, 25 February 2024 17:55 (two months ago) link
He don't lie, he don't lie, he don't lie, CoCale.
― nickn, Sunday, 25 February 2024 19:15 (two months ago) link
The Bloat Years
― completely suited to the horny decadence (Capitaine Jay Vee), Sunday, 25 February 2024 22:04 (two months ago) link
#onethread he’s playing Pablo Picasso at the end of Tom’s clip(insane that he goes right back to madly swinging another mic after the first one flew off)
― bulb after bulb, Sunday, 25 February 2024 22:09 (two months ago) link
I was trying to think who he looks like in that video and I've realized it's the landlord of a pub I drink in. Which isn't much use to anyone else.
― The British Boy of Film Classification (Tom D.), Sunday, 25 February 2024 22:48 (two months ago) link
New album in June!
https://www.dominomusic.com/releases/john-cale/poptical-illusion/exclusive-limited-double-lp
― JoeStork, Tuesday, 26 March 2024 15:53 (one month ago) link
"Beethoven In The Old West" is the Cale-iest Cale song title ever.
― bendy, Tuesday, 26 March 2024 16:01 (one month ago) link
Speedy for him!
― Slorg is not on the Slerf Team, you idiot, you moron (Boring, Maryland), Tuesday, 26 March 2024 17:57 (one month ago) link
Man I wish this dude would switch things up in the canned beats department.
― Davey D, Tuesday, 2 April 2024 13:08 (one month ago) link
Lol
― Make Me Smile (Come Around and See Me) (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 2 April 2024 15:06 (one month ago) link