Is Paris 1919 a good place to start off with in terms of John Cale's solo career?

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I want to get into Cale's stuff, and Paris 1919 seems to be acclaimed and (relatively) accessible. Good choice?

― Harrison Barr (Petar), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 03:03 (twenty years ago)

Yes. Then get Fear.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 03:05 (twenty years ago)

it's one of the best albums ever made, so...yes?

― Tyler Wilcox (tylerw), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 03:13 (twenty years ago)

Alright fellas, thanks very much. I'll make sure to get it tomorrow. Can't wait now!

― Harrison Barr (Petar), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 03:15 (twenty years ago)

then get church of anthrax (a collaboration and not song based but great none-the-less)

― phil turnbull (philT), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 03:15 (twenty years ago)

i'd buy Paris 1919 and The Island Years (Fear, Slow Dazzle, and Helen of Troy on 2 cds) at the same time--why wait?!

― nerve pylon (flat_of_angles), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 03:17 (twenty years ago)

Yes

― TRG (TRG), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 03:17 (twenty years ago)

Nerve OTM.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 03:27 (twenty years ago)

I should add that as much as I love Paris 1919, I really feel like that only tells part of the story. With Fear (and the other two Island records), I feel that less so...

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 03:28 (twenty years ago)

The Island Years can be had for cheap on Amazon or Half. I got mine for 99 cents (!).

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 03:29 (twenty years ago)

yep--that's exactly why i recommended them together! OTM!

― nerve pylon (flat_of_angles), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 03:31 (twenty years ago)

Another particularly newbish question, can someone please explain to me what OTM means?

― Harrison Barr (Petar), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 03:32 (twenty years ago)

on the mark. have fun w/ the cale! he's a genius!

― nerve pylon (flat_of_angles), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 03:34 (twenty years ago)

Yes -- and if you like all those records (and that's four), get Music For a New Society thereafter...

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 03:35 (twenty years ago)

Vintage Violence gets looked over a lot in these discussions, but it's probably a good 3rd or 4th purchase (I love it!).

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 03:37 (twenty years ago)

Alright guys, I'll keep all of this in mind and check these out. Thanks very much!

― Harrison Barr (Petar), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 03:38 (twenty years ago)

and then, Fragments of a Rainy Season, and Sabotage...

and, how do you do all that italicizing?

― nerve pylon (flat_of_angles), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 03:40 (twenty years ago)

< i > TITLE < / i > (without all the spaces)...

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 03:44 (twenty years ago)

Paris 1919 is definitely my favorite, but The Island Years will give you a better sense of Cale's range.

I've been meaning to pick up Vintage Violence for ages. How does it compare to Paris 1919?

― D. Bachyrycz, Tuesday, 17 January 2006 04:00 (twenty years ago)

Not quite as awesome but nice.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 04:13 (twenty years ago)

The tag is that it's his "The Band" record. It isn't, but it def. has a more rootsy feel to it in places. "Gideon's Bible", "Hello There" and "Big White Cloud" are all quite good...

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 04:26 (twenty years ago)

OTM = on the money

And Paris 1919 is really an amazing record.

I think in hommage "Paris 1919" was also the name of the noise band of one of the guys from Borbetomagus before he formed Borbetomagus.

― Drew Daniel (Drew Daniel), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 05:02 (twenty years ago)

Start off with "Paris 1919" then work your way towards "Music For a New Society", which is his other masterpiece, tho about as different from "Paris 1919" as it's possible to be.

― Vicious Cop Kills Gentle Fool (Dada), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 10:16 (twenty years ago)

Guts is a good primer of his hard-rock years. After that Fear, then Slow Dazzle and Helen of Troy.

Church of Anthrax is a good intro to his avant-classical side. I prefer it to The Academy in Peril.

Paris 1919 catches JC at his most lyrical, Music for a New Society integrates that lyricism w/his classical leanings.

Vintage Violence is a sleeper, and a keeper. Though it's something of an anomaly in his corpus, it was my introduction to solo Cale and defintiely whet my appetite. After MFANS though you're on your own.

― m coleman (lovebug starski), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 11:31 (twenty years ago)

That song "Cleo" on "Vintage Violence" always reminds me of David Bowie's "Sound and Vision"

― Vicious Cop Kills Gentle Fool (Dada), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 11:34 (twenty years ago)

massively underrated John Cale album = British Passport

― Mr Straight Toxic (ghostface), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 12:01 (twenty years ago)

You mean "Honi Soit"?

― Vicious Cop Kills Gentle Fool (Dada), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 12:04 (twenty years ago)

that's what AMG has it listed as - I found 4 copies of the LP on GEMM listed as British Passport, which was what I always knew it by, but live 'n' learn I guess

― Mr Straight Toxic (ghostface), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 12:15 (twenty years ago)

...and a whole ton listed as "Honi Soit" - I'll be damned, this is like learning that the name you knew a casual friend by for twenty years was actually his middle name

― Mr Straight Toxic (ghostface), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 12:19 (twenty years ago)

I think Paris 1919 really is an overrated record. I would suggest Slow Dazzle, but actually my favourite Cale's track doesn't really belong to any album (on Sabotage maybe ?) .
John Cale - Hedda Gabler : http://s37.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=1G8MBMV6MGQV40D5RZRSKL85Z8

― snowballing (snowballing), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 13:21 (twenty years ago)

I would suggest Fragments of a Rainy Season as the best primer. It can lead you in either direction wrt Cale's classical -v- rawk styles.

― D.I.Y. U.N.K.L.E. (dave225.3), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 13:31 (twenty years ago)

thanks for the Hedda Gabler, Snowballing! great track. i believe this is on the cd version of Sabotage.

― nerve pylon (flat_of_angles), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 15:03 (twenty years ago)

never much liked "Vintage." "Gideon's Bible" is nice. yeah, "1919" and the "Island Years" comp pretty much covers John Cale. "Honi Soit" is not bad, a bit dated production and his voice is starting to sound shot. but as always with Cale, some great ideas. I probably don't have the LP any more. some of his really recent stuff is OK, "blackAcetate" isn't bad, about as good/bad as the last Eno record--fine if you're a fan, otherwise not so great. I mean, Cale really perfected a nasty pop sound on stuff like "Taking It All Away" and "Guts" and "Leaving It Up to You." very comparable, in its way, to the stuff Jack Nitzsche was doing that ended up on "Three Piece Suite," very similar production style and general aesthetic. I mean put Nitzsche's "Lower California" and Cale's "Mr. Wilson" together on a mix CD...

― edd s hurt (ddduncan), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 15:32 (twenty years ago)

You know what kicks ass? King Harry from the Academy in Peril. Days of Steam as well.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 16:09 (twenty years ago)

I like "John Milton" on that too

― Vicious Cop Kills Gentle Fool (Dada), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 16:11 (twenty years ago)

Cale just produced a new Alejandro Escovedo cd that will be out soon...

― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 17 January 2006 16:20 (twenty years ago)

I agree that "Hedda Gabler" is one of Cale's best.

I have most of the records (and these recommendations seem dead on) but I am intrigued by the love for later stuff like New Society. Must investigate...

― sleeve (sleeve), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 16:30 (twenty years ago)

Oh god, "Hedda Gabler." Before I'd heard this, someone told me that it was one of those songs that he could only listen to once a year or so because he found it so incredibly disturbing. It doesn't affect me quite so strongly but I see what he meant.

Of Cale's albums I only own and know Paris 1919 and it is fantastic. Years ago I listened on and off to whichever one has "Gun" on it -- Fear? -- but it didn't stick so much. I need me some more Cale albums.

― xero (xero), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:32 (twenty years ago)

The old Rhino comp Seducing Down the Door is a great way to get some of those good tracks from lesser albums. Though I think the Paris 1919/Island stuff is the first to buy.

― Erik The Mainer (EZSnappin), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 18:26 (twenty years ago)

Songs for Drella for good later Cale (I'd put this WAY above Honi Soit).

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 19:58 (twenty years ago)

eight months pass...

Anyone have the Rhino remaster of Paris 1919 and, if so, is it worth getting? How are those outtakes/rehearsals ?

― Jay Vee's Return (Manon_69), Saturday, 23 September 2006 00:11 (nineteen years ago)

the outtakes are worth hearing, especially the Hanky Panky Nohow (Drone mix). as for the remaster, i couldn't hear much difference between this and its earlier cd release.

― nerve pylon (flat_of_angles), Saturday, 23 September 2006 02:32 (nineteen years ago)

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