The Smiley Smile Message Board

Does anyone else here just love this guy's solo stuff to death?

+1

Dude's early 70's run is incredible. definitely the better solo career than Reed.... Has anyone heard his new EP?

Agreed!

I also think his last couple of albums (Hobosapians/Black Acetate) nearly match his Island Albums.

I also quite love Sabatoge Live!

Haven't heard his new EP!

Guy's pretty damn active for 69!

He's like the slightly less insane (or is it 10 times more?) Mike Love!

Not familiar with it. Love the things he did with Nico.

By sheer concidence, in response to my VU thread on another board, I have just been advised with some urgency to check out Paris 1919.

That is completely necessary - if you pick up the reissue it has some amazing bonus tracks too.

Also, see if you can find the comp called The Island Years, as then you'll have them bitchin' seventies records too.


I haven't listened to those last few records, but I will!

Another fun tidbit - Cale is also an alumni of my university! Read his biography and apparently we have the same favourite pub...

This is a badass Cale song in tribute in Brian Wilson-



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UuyRvoITY4

I think the Beach Boys are Cale's favorite band, incidentally.

Didn't Brian dismiss "Mr. Wilson" as being cynical?

BUMP. I'm seeing the fella tonight at the El Rey and plan on babbling about John Cale quite a bit. Anybody going, LA people?

Praying for a bit of "GUN," personally... but I'm curious to hear the new stuff live, always better than the album... altho I haven't given "Shifty Adventures in Nookie Wood" enough listens... I love all the improv flights he adds, and god his voice is freakin' incredible lately.

Now, when will we be able to finally hear his 70s take on God Only Knows?

Insanely jealous - I keep missing him when he comes here. Have a good one!

(http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/c25.0.403.403/p403x403/44624_10200215490973825_1787112694_n.jpg)

Great show! Front and center, a tad unnerving when he kept looking down and not breaking eye contact. I'd sort of laugh and look away.  I loved the new stuff, great hooks and choruses... and really enjoyed driving around in the dark listening to the new album afterwards...

I got my dose of "Gun" mixed with "Pablo Picasso" and "Mary Lou," so I'm pleased...

saaaays anaaesthetic's a waaaste of his timeee....

I'll be sticking up a pretty spectacular vid of "Captain Hook" soon along with the above three titles.

Came out quite nice!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gCF1Q4m6vY

Ontor, I am jealous as a mother*ucker because I was trapped at work basically just across the street from El Rey when this was going down!!  >:(

It was worth selling grandma for.

The encore is gonna melt your face off, it's fucking intense!

(http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/60847_10200220741985097_651254026_n.jpg)

Gramma died last year at 97! Damn her for not sticking around a bit longer!

Anymore clips to kindly share?

Here's the rest, crank it up loud!

http://youtu.be/O5DDL9N_XzM

(it'll be up about 5:35ish)

Love Academy in Peril and Paris 1919.....

Cale's run from Academy to Slow Dazzle was spectacular....things got a little patchy afterwards up to what may be his alltime best Music For A New Society. Have just heard a few of his albums since the '80s.

Here's a real curiosity. The very first release on that legendary label Ze Records: "Disco Clone."  The performer was not credited, as I recall, on the 12".  (I bought the record, later lost it, and of course it's worth a king's ransom now.)  There was a sticker on the cover, "Produced by John Cale."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1lqi29BVXE

According to the above, the guy on the record is none other than Kevin Kline.  It's pretty darn wacky, even for disco. And it makes me wish John had produced HCTN '79.

John Cale was on Jimmy Fallon last night (1/10/13).

I love Vintage Violence and all, but Cale's solo career is nowhere near Reed's. I mean, Transformer, Berlin, Street Hassle??

I think both careers are pretty complimentary as I think each guy was a bit jealous of the others specific strengths...

Vintage Violence, Paris 1919, Fear, Slow Dazzle, Helen Of Troy, Sabotage Live..... I think those all are perfectly on par with Reed's best stuff.

To my ears, Paris 1919 is the sound of someone writing ambitious pop music that is interesting but totally fails on a vocal level. But that is right in line with pretty much every, forgive the term, indie-pop record of the last 25 years or so. So if one likes the modern indie conception of "pop", I can understand liking those type of Cale records. If I want to hear music like that, I'd much rather listen to someone who has a really great voice. I don't hear anything distinctive about his voice, he lacks charisma and authority to my ears. And that song Hanky Panky Nohow is silly and lame.
I feel bad even saying what I think about Cale's solo work, because he is a key member of my favorite band of all time.

I happen to love Cale's voice... I really dig his accent. And no one does psychodrama on record better than him. To each his own, but I think the guy has a great, if unusual voice.... But, I will give you this: the material on 1919 would probably be better suited to someone with a more traditionally "good" voice. Fear, Slow Dazzle, Helen Of Troy: Cale's voice just owns the stuff.

Fair enough! I'll listen to those last three you mentioned again, I may love them this time, who knows! Also, I realize how subjective these vocal things are, since I love Leonard Cohen's voice, and he is less traditionally gifted than Cale.

Cale is playing the Brooklyn Academy of Music Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.  The first show is a Nico Tribute, the last two a performance of Paris 1919.

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music-arts/john-cale-salutes-nico-paris-1919-article-1.1239905

I'm seeing the Saturday show. That being said I think John Cale sings like Ringo Starr with less emotion.

Here's a little clue as to what Paris 1919 might have sounded like with a (slightly) more traditional singer.

http://youtu.be/RGK1cNaJSfE

How was the show?

It was interesting. He played with a full orchestra and a three piece rock band, who were placed behind one of those sound-blocking transparent walls, which resulted in the guitar being a lot quieter than I would've liked it. Played the whole album in order, except Macbeth was moved to be the last song in the set. Then after an intermission he played an hour more of music (couldn't tell you what he played as I haven't heard most of his albums) and then encored with Venus in Furs, which was awesome.

Cale's voice has deepened with age and I think in a lot of ways his singing is better now than it was in the 70s. Played keyboard on every song  except a few on acoustic guitar and two on what I assume was an electric viola. Didn't talk to the audience, went straight into the next song a few seconds after the previous one ended.

Thanks for the report.  I thought about going but had conflicts -- also I admit to not being very familiar with his solo work.  It seemed like a cool opportunity to see him though and I'm glad you got to go.

Saw his recent Hamburg gig, not many old songs. I came in late and thus was in a bad mood, thinking I had missed a whole lot (when in fact I came in during the first song according to the setlist). I have to say I liked more the previous (2005 & 2007) gigs I saw in London, though I came in late for the 2005/RFH one as well and heard Venus In Furs only through the door (as at RFH you have to wait for a song to end when entering the venue as a latecomer) >:(

A solo career far more enjoyable to my taste than Mr. Reed's.  ;D
The Island Years is an excellent starting point to explore the man's music (isn't this the comp with Fear, Slow Dazzle and Helen Of Troy?). No unkind words about Vintage Violence, Paris 1919 or Music for a New Society either... or Songs for Drella. Love the voice, songwriting and arranging qualities and he did an excellent job at producing Nico. Oh, and playing on  the best VU albums...

New track: "All Summer Long"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-yJuwkWsTo

"When writing for Shifty Adventures I noticed an apparent theme of claustrophobic darkness and so of course, I felt at home in that place. There were though a handful of songs unfinished. One in particular was me dreaming about a breeze, space and light. Recalling those early days in my sticky, sweltering NYC flat - how I'd heard summer from the West Coast - thinking how the California landscape informed a vibe that churned out Brian Wilson, Herb Alpert and that strange sexy breeze in your ears. Since the album was predominantly located in the darker, eerie swamps of 'Nookie Wood' , it seemed like the wrong place to put this song, but now, just feels right to let it out..."