Music Banter - View Single Post - John Cale

Gavin B. · 05-21-2009, 06:13 AM

John Cale is my favorite musician and I never understood why he's never reached a wider audience. It's great to read reviews of Cale's work by someone who understands his huge signficance as artist.

A good album for new listeners is Songs for a Rainy Season which may be the best live album I've ever heard. It's just Cale playing solo and the album showcases his strengths as a songwritter, vocalist and pianst.

I saw Cale live for the first time when he released Honi Soit which is his most lividly uncomfortable album besides Fear. It's a lost jewel in the Cale catalog. I also admire the fact that Cale remained a friend and musical associate of Nico's long after everyone else had written her off as a hopeless junkie. I saw Nico perform in 1980 a few years prior to her death in 1988 and despite her legendary heroin excesses, she could still walk on a stage and mezmerize an audience.

My favorite Cale song is Dying on the Vine. Cale has said that Dying on the Vine is the one song he couldn't escape.. It's an autobiographical song in which Cale is ruthlessly self critical about his own decandent lifestyle. Notice Nick Cave at the other piano in this lineup in the video below.

05-21-2009, 06:13 AM	#29 (permalink)
Gavin B. Model Worker Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 1,248	John Cale is my favorite musician and I never understood why he's never reached a wider audience. It's great to read reviews of Cale's work by someone who understands his huge signficance as artist. A good album for new listeners is Songs for a Rainy Season which may be the best live album I've ever heard. It's just Cale playing solo and the album showcases his strengths as a songwritter, vocalist and pianst. I saw Cale live for the first time when he released Honi Soit which is his most lividly uncomfortable album besides Fear. It's a lost jewel in the Cale catalog. I also admire the fact that Cale remained a friend and musical associate of Nico's long after everyone else had written her off as a hopeless junkie. I saw Nico perform in 1980 a few years prior to her death in 1988 and despite her legendary heroin excesses, she could still walk on a stage and mezmerize an audience. My favorite Cale song is Dying on the Vine. Cale has said that Dying on the Vine is the one song he couldn't escape.. It's an autobiographical song in which Cale is ruthlessly self critical about his own decandent lifestyle. Notice Nick Cave at the other piano in this lineup in the video below. __________________ There are two types of music: the first type is the blues and the second type is all the other stuff. Townes Van Zandt Last edited by Gavin B.; 05-21-2009 at 06:21 AM.