John Cale

version

Well-known member
Swear his back cat.'s a bottomless pit. I've got Honi Soit on atm and I'm having the familiar feeling with Cale of "Fuck, How am I only just hearing this one?".

 

version

Well-known member
I like that he isn't afraid to make a mistake or embarrass himself. He could easily have coasted on the VU stuff and his 70s output, but he didn't. I remember seeing an interview a few years ago where he was going on about Dr. Dre's production and Waka Flocka then he came out with that new version of Music for a New Society with 808s and stuff.
 

Leo

Well-known member
"slow dazzle" was formative for me, got it when I was pretty young. "church of anthrax" thru "slow dazzle" is mostly great, plus have to give him props for producing the first stooges album. loaded up with top talent in the studio: Phil manzanera, Chris spedding, Eno, even our fav drummer Phil collins.

"Fragments Of A Rainy Season" from '92 is great as well, solo piano versions of tracks from throughout his catalog.
 

WashYourHands

Cat Malogen
Paris 1919 is a personal favourite. Try not to play it too often to try and save the savouring. Lick of pedal steel in the harmonic range too, which compliments everything succinctly

 

version

Well-known member
There are some good stories about him and Eno driving each other mad working on Wrong Way Up,

The mood in the studio became that of two only children made to play together by their parents. Eno described it as being like “cabin fever.” Cale missed his wife and young daughter. Tensions culminated when, after one sharp argument, Cale turned to see an angry Eno coming towards him, a chopstick clenched in his hand. “Imagine, being frightened by Brian Eno!...The whole idea is ridiculous,” Cale said. In his autobiography, he said Eno had rattled him. “What if it had been a knife? On his private property, I was an interloper.” Cale called his manager in a panic, saying he needed to check into a hotel. (For his part, Eno said he had no memory of the chopstick attack. He felt Cale’s book “gave an unfavorable and sometimes downright untrue version of what had happened during the making of [Wrong Way Up]”).

 

jenks

thread death
Music For a New Society - pretty perfect. I love all the grim, death ridden songs and then he springs Chinese Envoy which is like a short story.
He is such a huge back catalogue ranging from LaMonte Young drone stuff to film scores to avant pop and all else in between.
I really fond of Songs for Drella.
it seems to me he is someone utterly committed- no sense of irony, instead utterly sincere in all he does.
 

version

Well-known member
Also donned the hockey mask before Jason.

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sus

Well-known member
There Was A Saviour is the highpoint of his whole fucking oeuvre imo, which is saying something given how deep this guy's catalogue is. Still, what a song

 

sus

Well-known member
I've heard a rumor that he got kicked out of VU after suggesting (insisting?) they record their next album underwater.
 

Leo

Well-known member
Reed's ego was too big to allow Cale to stay, they were pulling the band in different directions. and I think the lore is Cale suggested recording the third album with the amps underwater (not the entire band, LOL!).
 
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forclosure

Well-known member
i'd like to read his autobio What's welsh for zen?


Let's also not forget to mention some of the albums he's produced aswell Nico's first 3 and the Stooges self titled
 
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