PopTodd Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 Do I really need an excuse to post this magnificent, transcendental piece of music? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3ueIweuUvo&feature=related Well... happy birthday Mr. Cale. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mr. Heartbreak Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 How do you feel about Caribbean Sunset? I'm listening to that this afternoon. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PopTodd Posted March 9, 2011 Author Share Posted March 9, 2011 How do you feel about Caribbean Sunset? I'm listening to that this afternoon.Sadly, that is an album that I am not familiar with. Listening to the title track on YouTube now. Sounds pretty cool; I'm gonna have to check it out. Damnit. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jff Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 I'll go on record right now, and come out and admit it. I have never heard Paris 1919. Will remedy that soon. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 I do believe I have a copy of Carabean Sunset but can't say I found it all that memorable (will have to look at home). Paris 1919 is excellent. Happy 69th birthday John. LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PopTodd Posted March 9, 2011 Author Share Posted March 9, 2011 I'll go on record right now, and come out and admit it. I have never heard Paris 1919. Will remedy that soon.I envy you your discovery. An amazingly gorgeous album.Enjoy. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
cooperissup3r Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 i've listened to the record three or four times, and was never struck much by it. I love his work with Nick Drake, though. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PopTodd Posted March 9, 2011 Author Share Posted March 9, 2011 One thing that I find intriguing about the record is that his backing band consists mostly of members of Little Feat. Although, you would never know it by the sound of the music. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
airtaco Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 One thing that I find intriguing about the record is that his backing band consists mostly of members of Little Feat. Although, you would never know it by the sound of the music. Except on "Macbeth" of course. Def has a Little Feet feel. Amazing album. It may actually be perfect. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PopTodd Posted March 10, 2011 Author Share Posted March 10, 2011 Except on "Macbeth" of course. Def has a Little Feet feel. Amazing album. It may actually be perfect."Macbeth" is the only clue as to who it is.And a perfect album? Agreed. I think that it might be. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tinnitus photography Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 think about the amazing debut LPs that Cale produced (P Smith, Stooges, Modern Lovers). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PopTodd Posted March 10, 2011 Author Share Posted March 10, 2011 think about the amazing debut LPs that Cale produced (P Smith, Stooges, Modern Lovers).He's on my short list of producers that I would like to work with, if I ever work with any producers (along with Eno and Nick Lowe). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Synthesizer Patel Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 I'll go on record right now, and come out and admit it. I have never heard Paris 1919. Will remedy that soon. have you heard any of his other solo stuff? Paris, 1919 is pretty much a perfect album. if you know him only from the velvet underground you'll be very surprised by the arrangements - it really a baroque pop album, and really only bettered by Pet Sounds. Vintage Violence and Fear are two of his other albums (which came out either side of Paris,1919) that are brilliant albums. my favourite from Paris,1919 - the lyrics from this album are just insanely good Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PopTodd Posted March 10, 2011 Author Share Posted March 10, 2011 the lyrics from this album are just insanely goodMuch of it is very informed by classic British literature. have you heard any of his other solo stuff?Helen of Troy and Slow Dazzle are also pretty great. You can get those 2 + Fear all in this one very essential package (with lots o' bonus tracks, too):John Cale - The Island YearsLou Reed has hogged the spotlight since the breakup of the legendary Velvet Underground, but his former bandmate John Cale has had a much more consistent solo career. Cale never scored a breakthrough hit like Reed's "Walk On the Wild Side," but this new two-CD collection of Cale's mid-'70s releases-including all of the Fear, Slow Dazzle, and Helen of Troy albums plus assorted unreleased rarities-is the perfect opportunity to reassess his influential merger of art-rock smarts, classical melodicism, theatrical drama, and punk-rock abandon. Cuts range from beautiful, lulling ballads such as "Buffalo Ballet" and "I Keep A Close Watch" to full-throttle sensory assaults like "Fear Is A Man's Best Friend" and an Elvis Presley cover that will make your blood run cold. EDIT:But, Paris, 1919 is still his best. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Synthesizer Patel Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 yeah, i was going to say get the Island Years cd, if people wanted to check out those albums. i'd still say get Paris, 1919 first and then probably Vintage Violence, then Island Years. i'm sure there are loads of literary references. it's obviously also about european politics and life in the inter-war period. Paris, 1919 being the "Paris Peace Conference of 1919", which was kind of the underlying cause of the rise of the nazi party etc.... the album works without thinking about that sort of thing, though. basically, it's got many layers like most great art. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PopTodd Posted March 10, 2011 Author Share Posted March 10, 2011 And then, after checking out all of his early stuff, this album from 1990 is also really freaking good:Cale + Eno - Wrong Way UpLooks like the CD reissue has a couple of bonus tracks, but I have an earlier pressing. Go with the reissue. More music almost always = more good. Especially with an album like this one.Both Brian Eno and John Cale have always flirted with conventional pop music throughout their careers, while reserving the right to go off on less accessible experiments, which means they've always held out the promise that they would make something as attractive as this synthesizer-dominated collection, on which Eno comes as close to the mainstream as he has since Another Green World and Cale is as catchy as he's been since Honi Soit. The result is one of the best albums either one has ever made. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
airtaco Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 For anyone who hasn't heard Paris 1919 yet, I would personally recommend listening to the whole thing start to finish (instead of hearing songs individually). It has such a great flow and in context the songs feel more awe-inspiring/powerful. It almost feels like a concept album. And I mean, if the first song you hear is Antarctica Starts Here, you're impression will be totally distorted. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 Regarding individual songs from this album; Sally Timms does a great version of "Half Past France" on her album "To the Land of Milk and Honey", just in case anyone is interested. LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tinnitus photography Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 i often thought that Peter Jefferies solo work echoed _Fear_ quite a bit. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PopTodd Posted March 10, 2011 Author Share Posted March 10, 2011 now playing: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dtram Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 And then, after checking out all of his early stuff, this album from 1990 is also really freaking good:Cale + Eno - Wrong Way UpLooks like the CD reissue has a couple of bonus tracks, but I have an earlier pressing. Go with the reissue. More music almost always = more good. Especially with an album like this one. I couldn't get enough of this record when it came out but it hasn't aged well for me. I still love the opening track and a few others. I should go back and give it another shot. And Paris 1919 is awesome. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
HungryHippo Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 Regarding individual songs from this album; Sally Timms does a great version of "Half Past France" on her album "To the Land of Milk and Honey", just in case anyone is interested. LouieBJay Bennett covered Half Past France as well. It's on his acoustic Palace album along with A Child's Christmas In Wales handled by Ed Burch. As much as I love these guys, Cale's versions are far superior. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 think about the amazing debut LPs that Cale produced (P Smith, Stooges, Modern Lovers).Nico too. LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mpolak21 Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 Paris 1919 is Cale's best, but Vintage Violence has always been a close second for me. This one is tremendous:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDh1L2EvopI --Mike Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mr. Heartbreak Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 I couldn't get enough of this record when it came out but it hasn't aged well for me. I still love the opening track and a few others. I should go back and give it another shot.I would, especially if you like Eno. Spinning Away and The River are amazing, and Empty Frame has almost a Beach Boys vibe. I love those songs. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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