- John Cale -- vocals, guitar, bass, viola, keyboards,

  percussion

  supporting musicians:

- Marc Aaron -- lead guitar (1979)

- Jimmy Bain -- bass (replaced Mike Viseglia) (1977-)

- John Bidewell -- keyboards, backing vocals (1979)

- Doug Bowne -- drums, backing vocals (1979)

- Bruce Brody -- moog

- Trevor Burton -- bass

- Tony Carr -- percussion

- Phil Collins -- drums

- Gerry Conway -- drums

- Kevin Currie -- drums (replaced Joe Stefko) (1977)

- Deerfrance -- percussion, backing vocals (1979)

- Timi Donald -- drums

- Pat Donaldson -- bass

- Raymond Duffy -- drums

- Brian Eno -- synthesizers (-84)

- Ritchie Flieger -- lead guitar

- John Gatchell -- trumpet (1981)

- Jim Goodman -- keyboards, synthesizers (1981)

- Andy Heermanns -- bass, backing vocals (1984)

- Archie Leggatt -- bass

- David Lichenstein - drums, percussion (1984)

- Andy MacKay -- sax

- Phil Manzanera -- guitar

- Robert Medici - drums, backing vocals (1981)

- Peter Muny -- bass, backing vocals (1981)

- Sturgis Nikides -- guitar, backing vocals (1981)

- George Scott (RIP) -- bass, backing vocals (1979)

- Fred Smith -- drums

- Keith Smith --- drums

- Chris Spedding -- guitar

- Joe Stefko -- drums (-77)

- Chris Thomas -- keyboards, violin

- Mike Viseglia -- bass (-77)

- John Wood -- synthesizers

- Dennis Young -- lead guitar, backing vocals (1984)

- Kevin Ayers and Company

- The Velvet Underground

Genre: rock

Rating: *** (3 stars)

Title:  Vintage Violence

Company: Columbia

Catalog: CS-1037

Year: 1970

Country/State: UK

Grade (cover/record): VG / VG

Comments: minor ring wear

Available: 2

GEMM catalog ID: 4359

Price: $9.00

Cost: $66.00

John Cale is a funny guy in that after some four decades in the music business, he's widely admired by his peers, but remains a virtual unknown to mainstream listeners.  A relatively small group of listeners know him as one of the founding members of The Velvet Underground, while an even smaller group have followed him through an interesting and frequently challenging solo career.  I'll readily admit that much of his post-VU work is just too weird for my tastes.  That said, there are some exceptions.  

An apparent power play with fellow VU member Lou Reed saw Cale leave the band in 1968.  (After all these years whether he quit or was fired remains a topic of contention.)  Cale quickly recovered his creative momentum, producing The Stooges self-titled 1969 debut, along with fellow VU alumni Nico's second solo LP "The Marble Arch".  In addition to earning his credentials with the underground music crowd, in many respects those two album laid some to the groundwork for future musical genres, such at punk and even new wave.

The production work apparently whet Cale's own appetite as an artist, so in 1970 he released his own solo debut - "Vintage Violence".  Ironically, anyone expecting to hear something avant-garde, or in the vein of his recent work with VU or the Stooges was in for a major shock.  At least to my ears, original material such as 'Hello There', 'Adelaide' and '' made for an album that was surprisingly conventional and even commercial in nature.  If that weren't enough, Cale even dared to sound balanced, happy and upbeat (check out the poppy 'Cleo').  Elsewhere, never known for his voice, Cale turned out to be more than a competent singer . At a minimum he certainly could hold a tune better than Lou Reed.  In fact, on tracks such as 'Gideon's Bible' and 'Big White Cloud' Cale's attractive Welsh accent and apparent affection for orchestrated pop even bore a passing resemblance to The Bee Gees (geez, there's a bizarre comparison).  Recorded back in the UK (reportedly completed in two weeks), the set has a hard-to-describe charm that makes it a personal favorite that I regularly play.  Cale also got first rate support from Garland Jeffrey's backing band Grinder's Switch (credited in the liner notes as 'Penguin').  (Perhaps that's why the one non-original is a cover of Jeffrey's 'Fairweather Friend'.)

"Vintage Violence" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Hello There   (John Cale) - 2:48

2.) Gigeon's Bible   (John Cale) - 3:22

3.) Adelaide   (John Cale) - 2:18

4.) Big White Cloud   (John Cale) - 3:31

5.) Cleo   (John Cale) - 2:35

6.) Please   (John Cale) - 4:19

(side 2)
1.) Charlemagne   (John Cale) - 5:03

2.) Bring It On Up   (John Cale) - 2:24

3.) Amsterdam   (John Cale) - 3:14

4.) Ghost Story   (John Cale) - 3:48

5.) Fairweather Friends   (Garland Jeffreys) - 2:32

Genre: rock

Rating: *** (3 stars)

Title:  Slow Dazzle

Company: Island

Catalog: ILPS 9317

Year: 1975

Country/State: UK

Grade (cover/record): VG / VG

Comments: original inner sleeve

Available: 1

GEMM catalog ID: 5485

Price: $20.00

Mind you there's no way you'd ever mistake John Cale for ABBA, or a similar top-40 pop act, but 1975's "Slow Dazzle" was the album where I discovered he was more than an en avant-garde crackpot ...   Self-produced with exceptional backing from Brian Eno, Phil Manzanera, Chris Spedding and others, the collection of largely original material sported a strange mixture of punk paranoia, old fashioned commercial pop and rock moves, and occasional nods to his more experimental roots.  Yeah, I know that sounds like an impossible combination for anyone to pull off, but Cale somehow found the recipe.  Ironically some critics actually slammed the set as being too commercial, demanding a return to his more experimental endeavors.  The album started out with 'Mr. Wilson' which was a fawning tribute to Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys (who would've ever thought Cale was a fan) and stood as one of Cale's best and most commercial compositions - love the way he sings Californ-EYE-A.  Hard to believe it wasn't a hit single. The same was true for the ballad 'I'm Not the Loving Kind' (easily his prettiest ballad) and the unexpected pop ditty 'Ski Patrol'.   Elsewhere tracks like 'Dirtyass Rock 'n' Roll' (sporting his best Bob Dylan impression) and 'Guts' (a tale of marital infidelity apparently inspired by Kevin Ayers affair with Cale's wife that featured some of his most disturbing lyrics including a chorus that I've always heard as 'he's got no guts - and stitches don't help at all').  The song aptly displayed Cale that could rock out as hard as any of his competitors.  Other highlights included the positively blood chilling cover of 'Heartbreak Hotel' (every time I hear the Presley version I now think about Cale's cover version), 'Taking It All Away' and 'Darling I Need You' (both sporting  insidiously catchy choruses).  To be honest, the only track that didn't strike a chord with me was the bleak story teller narrative closer 'The Jeweler'.   Interesting while most critics seem to gravitate to "Fear" which was the first release in Cale's Island Trilogy, this is the LP that I find the most appealing and enjoyable.  Well worth checking out !!!

"Slow Dazzle" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Mr. Wilson   (John Cale) - 3:15

2.) Taking It All Away   (John Cale) - 2:56

3,) Dirtyass Rock 'n' Roll   (John Cale) - 4:42

4.) Darling I Need You   (John Cale) - 3:36

5.) Rollaroll   (John Cale) - 3:59

(side 2)
1.) Heartbreak Hotel   (M. Axton - T. Durden - Elvis Presley) - 3:09

2.) Ski Patrol   (John Cale) - 2:05

3.) I'm Not the Loving Kind   (John Cale) - 3:07

4.) Guts   (John Cale) - 3:28

5.) The Jeweller   (John Cale) - 4:28

Cale) -

Genre: rock

Rating: **** (4 stars)

Title:  Guts

Company: Island

Catalog: ILPS-9459

Year: 1977

Country/State: UK

Grade (cover/record): VG / VG

Comments: minor ring wear

Available: 1

GEMM catalog ID: 4801

Price: $15.00

Cost: $66.00

1977's "Guts" generated considerable media attention, though little of it had to do with the album itself.  Earlier in the year Cale and his touring band (keyboardist Bruce Brody, guitarist Richie Fleiger, drummer Joe Stefko and bassist Mike Viseglia) had been touring the UK.  Supposedly unhappy with the group's unenthusiastic performances, in the middle of a show in Croyden, Cale decapitated a chicken with a meat cleaver, throwing the pieces into the middle of a stunned audience.  Drummer Joe Stefko and bassist Viseglia (who were both vegetarians) walked off stage and quit the rest of the tour in protest. (A roadie had actually killed the chicken before handing it to Cale, but that was a technical detail that didn't seem to matter to folks.)  English papers condemned Cale for months on end.

Overlooking Cale's run in with chickens, "Guts" was an excellent retrospective showcasing material from his three previous studio sets for Chris Blackwell's Island Records (including the UK-only "Helen of Troy").  Backed by an impressive array of studio help including Phil Collins, Chris Spedding and a sizable chunk of Roxy Music, the compilation goes along way to underscoring Cale's rock credentials and the debt many punk rockers owned to his  explorations of alienation, fear, hate and violence. No frills, pounding rock with a razor sharp edge, it doesn't get much tougher than the title track's description of a marriage gone astray, or the stunning ballad 'Fear Is a Man's Best Friend'.  The fact is that anyone who thought Lou Reed was the hard-assed rock and roller in the VU only needs to check this one out to see how wrong they were.  Among the highlights were the previously unreleased 'Mary Lou', the shrill 'Gun' and 'Leaving It Up To You' (a lyric that mentioned the late actress Sharon Tate ensured that the latter song was quickly deleted from the original "Helen of Troy" album).  Elsewhere, a pounding 'Pablo Picasso' served as a nice nod to Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers whose debut record Cale produced the previous year.  Cale wasn't quite as charitable in the furious title track which was supposedly inspired by Kevin Ayers' affair with Cale's wife.  Just be warned that while Cale's bile filled vocals will be difficult for most Americans to understand, this album is likely to cripple or even kill sensitive friends in your social circle.  

"Guts" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Guts   (John Cale) - 3:26

2.) Mary Lou   (John Cale) - 2:47

3.) Helen of Troy   (John Cale) - 4:16

4.) Pablo Picasso   (Jonathan Richman) - 3:21

5.) Leaving It Up To You   (John Cale) - 4:30

(side 2)
1.) Fear Is a Man's Best Friend   (John Cale) - 3:54

2.) Gun   (John Cale) - 8:05

3.) Dirtyass Rock 'n' Roll   (John Cale) - 4:42

4.) Heartbreak Hotel   (M. Axton - T. Durden - Elvis Presley) - 3:09

Genre: rock

Rating: **** (4 stars)

Title:  Animal Justice

Company: Illegal

Catalog: IL003

Year: 1977

Country/State: UK

Grade (cover/record): VG / VG

Comments: 12" 3 track 45; UK pressing

Available: 1

GEMM catalog ID: 5488

Price: $15.00

1977's "Animal Justice" was a three track, 12" 45.  Recorded with the remnants of his touring band (drummer Joe Stefko replaced by Kevin Currie and bassist Mike Viseglia replaced by Jimmy Bain), in case you hadn't guessed the title track provided further commentary on Cale's earlier chicken hacking episode.  While hard to actually understand, the spoken word sections were actually pretty funny.  Slowed down to a funeral procession pace Cale's heavy metal cover of the Chuck Berry classic 'Memphis' was okay.  I could certainly live without it.  The final track 'Hedda Gabbler' has always struck me as being one of Cale's most impressive compositions, though other than the fact it shares a title with a book by Henrik Ibsen, I don't have a clue what the song's actually about.  Anyone got the lowdown?

"Animal Justice" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Chicken Shit   (John Cale) - 

2.) Memphis   (Chuck Berry) - 

(side 2)
1.) Hedda Gabbler   (John Cale) - 7:53

Genre: rock

Rating: **** (4 stars)

Title:  Sabotage/Live

Company: I.R.S. / Spy

Catalog: SP 004

Year: 1979

Country/State: UK

Grade (cover/record): VG+ / VG+

Comments: --

Available: 1

GEMM catalog ID: 5667

Price: $15.00

Self-produced, 1979's "Sabotage/Live" captured John Cale live at New York's famed CBGB's.  It didn't take long to figure out that Cale was in a rather foul and frustrated mood, apparently not very pleased with the politics of the day.  Backed by a hyper aggressive band (lead guitarist Marc Aaron, keyboardist Joe Bidewell, drummer Doug Bowne, percussionist Deerfrance, and bass player George Scott), the collection featured Cale literally slashing his way through new material.  This is easily one of the angriest and loudest albums I've ever heard with Cale taking repeated shots at such uplifting topics as colonialism, ('Captain Hook') genocide ('Evidence') and various forms of war mongering ('Mercenaries (Ready For War)'), etc.  Judging by the bruising 'Baby You Know' personal relationships weren't off limits either.  (Sad that some three decades later we're still confronted with the same issues.)  Elsewhere, propelled by some bizarre bass work from the late George Scott, the lone non-original was a cover of Rufus Thomas' 'Walkin' Dog'.  It may well be the weirdest Stax cover you'll ever hear.  Ironically, the album included two of Cale's prettiest compositions - sung by Deerfrance 'Only Time Will Tell' could have been a single, while the album ended with the stunning 'Chorale'.  Talk about a startling juxtaposition.  Devoid of any glitz, the production emphasis was clearly on capturing the band's raw energy and intensity.  Not that it made for the most listenable album - 'Sabotage' would definitively be in the running for quickest-song-to-clear-a-room contention.  Still, with a good stereo or set of headphones it's pretty easy to imagine what it must have felt like to see Cale at CBGBs - loud and sweaty.  

I.R.S. actually tapped the album for a single:

- 1979's 'Mercenaries' b/w 'Rosengarden Funeral of Sores' (IR 9008)

"Sabotage/Live" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Mercenaries (Ready For War)   (John Cale) - 7:33

2.) Baby You Know   (John Cale) - 3:52

3.) Evidence   (John Cale) - 3:28

4,) Dr. Mudd   (John Cale) - 3:42

5.) Walkin' the Dog   (Rufus Thomas) - 4:06

(side 2)
1.) Captain Hook   (John Cale) - 11:26

2.) Only Time Will Tell   (John Cale) - 2:37

3.) Sabotage   (John Cale) - 4:59

4.) Chorale   (John Cale) - 3:42

In 2000 the album was reissued by the Diesel Motor label on CD (catalog number 1002).  Sporting a slightly modified cover (note where the title's placed), the CD version supplemented the original LP with four added tracks; three taken from Cale's "Animal Justice" EP, rounded out by the 'B' side 'Rosengarden Funeral of Sores'.

- Chickenshit   (John Cale) - 

- Memphis   (Chuck Berry)

- Hedda Gabler   (John Cale) - 

- Rosengarden Funeral of Sores   (John Cale) - 

Genre: rock

Rating: *** (3 stars)

Title:  Honi Soit

Company: A&M

Catalog: SP 4849

Year: 1985

Country/State: UK

Grade (cover/record): VG / VG

Comments: small cut out notch lower edge; original lyric inner sleeve

Available: 2

GEMM catalog ID: 5524

Price: $10.00

For his first new studio set in six years John Cale apparently decided to shake things up.  He turned to an outside producer in Mike Thorne, though Cale was credited as executive producer).  He also hired a new band consisting of keyboardist Jim Goodman, drummer Robert Medici, bassist Peter Muny, guitarist and Sturgis Nikides.  Those changes alone were enough to ensure 1981's "Honi Soit" attracted critical attention.  Those decisions also saw Cale turn in one of his more conventional and commercial sounding LPs.   Most folks will probably just laugh, but Cale's always been capable of writing a hook and he aptly demonstrated the talent on tracks like 'Dead or Alive', 'Magic & Lies' (both which would have been great singles), the pastoral 'Riverbank' and the surprisingly funky title track (yeah, never thought I describe a Cale song with that word).   Irregardless of the sound, lyrically material like 'Strange Times In Casablanca', 'Wilson Joliet' and '' continued to reflect a mix of obscurities and the full array of Cale's personal baggage embedding healthy doses of anger, fear, self-loathing, and all those emotions that make critics fall over themselves in praise of serious artists.  If there's an album out there with a darker sense of forebaring I'd like to know what it is.  Cale even managed to mutate 'Streets of Laredo' into some sort of post-apocalyptic industrial rant ...  Cool if in an extremely disturbing fashion !  Andy Warhol design the cover, though Cale apparently decided to add color to what was a black and white image.  Bet Warhol wasn't thrilled by the changes ...

A&M tapped the LP for a single in the form of:

- 1981's 'Dead of Alive' b/w 'Honi Soit' (A&M catalog 45-2329)

- 1981's 'Dead of Alive' b/w 'Honi Soit' (A&M catalog SP-17154) 12" format

"Honi Soit" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Dead or Alive   (John Cale) - 3:51

2.) Strange Times In Casablanca   (John Cale) - 4:13

3.) Fighter Pilot   (John Cale) - 3:10

4.) Wilson Joliet   (John Cale) - 4:23

5.) Streets of Laredo (arranged by John Cale) - 3:34

(side 2)
1.) Honi Soit (Le Premiere Lecon de Francaise)   (John Cale) - 3:20

2.) Riverbank   (John Cale) - 6;26

3.) Russian Roulette   (John Cale) - 5:15

4.) Magic & Lies   (John Cale) - 3:26

Genre: rock

Rating: ** (2 stars)

Title:  Caribbean Sunset

Company: Ze

Catalog: ILPS 7024

Year: 1984

Country/State: UK

Grade (cover/record): VG+ / VG+

Comments: still in shrink wrap; original inner sleeve

Available: 1

GEMM catalog ID: 5498

Price: $15.00

A lot of folks don't realize that John Cale's extensive catalog includes some material that's quite commercial.  That isn't to imply those works are particularly good or bad, rather to underscore he's done far more than the avant garde stuff critics tend to rave about.  Self-produced, 1984's "Caribbean Sunset" was kind of an odd effort in the repertoire.  Exemplified by songs like the title track, 'Hungry for Love' and 'Praetorian Underground' the set offered up one of Cale's most mainstream releases.  Mind you nobody was going to mistake this for top-40 pop, but every one of these songs sported recognizable melodies and song structures - the ballad 'Where There's A Will' would have actually sounded good on radio.  Yeah, it wasn't his most original work.  'Model Beirut Recital', 'Magazines' and the funky (!) 'Villa Albani' sounded like David Byrne and the Talking Heads castoffs.  While one of his most mainstream releases at the same time the album sounded surprisingly raw and unpolished (check out 'Experiment Number 1' which sounded like a demo track complete with Cale barking out direction and chord changes to the backing band of bassist Andy Heermanns, drummer Dave Lichtenstein and guitarist David Young).  The album also had a distinctive 1980s feel which today sounds kind of dated (to say nothing of the hideous sweater Cale was wearing on the cover).  Not great, but not nearly as bad as the reviews would have you believe ...  Worth picking up if you can find a copy on the cheap. which takes a little effort since it was released with virtually no publicity and instantly vanished into cutout bins.   Ze also tapped the album for singles in the English and German markets:

- 'Caribbean Sunset' b/w '' (Ze catalog number IS 157)

- 'Hungry for Love' b/w 'Caribbean Sunset' (Ze catalog number 106302-100)

"Caribbean Sunset" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Hungry for Love   (John Cale - David Young) - 3:26

2.) Experiment Number 1   (John Cale) - 5:42

3.) Model Beirut Recital   (John Cale - David Young) - 4:30

4.) Caribbean Sunset    (John Cale - Sloman) - 5:15

(side 2)
1.) Praetorian Underground   (John Cale - David Young) - 3:06

2.) Magazines   (John Cale - David Young) - 3:26

3.) Where There's A Will   (John Cale - Sloman) - 245

4.) The Hunt   (John Cale - David Young) - 3:56

5.) Villa Albani   (John Cale) - 5:35

YouTube has a performance of the title track at  an October 1984 performance at Essen's Rockpalast concert hall:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPRl6iO6UE8