# No Love for John Cale? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 7, 2007, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-love-for-john-cale/391195 "2007-02-07T10:38:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HoldenCaulfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/22d042/32.png) [@HoldenCaulfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoldenCaulfield)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2007, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-love-for-john-cale/391195/1 "2007-02-07T10:38:21Z")
According to my searches, there have been no threads dedicated to my main man John Cale. I’d known his name for a while, I guess. I knew he was the one who invented the version of “Hallelujah” that most people are familiar with. Then one night my roommate and I were driving late at night listening to the radio when the DJ put on “Chinese Envoy”. I sort of did a double take and said, “Who would put up money to have this crap recorded?” When we heard the DJ say it was from John Cale’s album _Music for a New Society_ we were intrigued and acquired the album as soon as possible. It’s about a year later and I’ve amassed most of his catalog and I love it all, even and especially _Music for a New Society_ and “Chinese Envoy”. He’s easily in my top 10 favorite artists of all time. Is he in any one else’s? Why isn’t there more love for John Cale? Some of my favorite tracks: “I Keep A Close Watch” “Buffalo Ballet” “Cable Hogue” “Paris 1919” ---
**Author:** ![Sassy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@Sassy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sassy)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2007, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-love-for-john-cale/391195/2 "2007-02-07T19:40:19Z")
Cale fan here. I would recommend the CD _Fragments Of A Rainy Season_ as a good place to start. His version of _Heartbreak Hotel_ gets to me every time. Other favorites: _Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night Darling I Need You Thoughtless Kind_ ---
**Author:** ![Marathon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7cd45c/32.png) [@Marathon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marathon)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2007, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-love-for-john-cale/391195/3 "2007-02-07T19:45:54Z")
The John Cale that I’ve heard, I’ve loved - “Paris 1919” is a current favorite of mine. I’ve been meaning to check out “Church of Anthrax” for a while, mainly because he works with Terry Riley on it and I’m curious about the results. If any other Cale fans check in, maybe they have an opinion on it. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2007, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-love-for-john-cale/391195/4 "2007-02-08T02:03:49Z")
I always get him confused with John Cage. ---
**Author:** ![Waldo\_Jeffers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e99b99/32.png) [@Waldo\_Jeffers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waldo_Jeffers)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2007, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-love-for-john-cale/391195/5 "2007-02-08T03:33:24Z")
John Cale is a good reason to briefly stop being a lurker. I would highly recommend picking up The Island Years collection. It has all of _Fear_, _Slow Dazzle_, and _Helen of Troy_, with a few bonus tracks. Basically it’s a nice easy way to get 3 (great) albums at once. I also don’t think a Cale thread would be complete without mentioning his profound effect on the Velvet Underground albums he was a part of. He was the real producer of _The Velvet Underground & Nico_, in terms of what we would normally think of as a producer of a rock album. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2007, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-love-for-john-cale/391195/6 "2007-02-08T14:18:08Z")
I only know him in terms of The Velvet Underground. Of course, that makes him a rock god who will have my eternal devotion, shoegazer that I am. Still, hard to believe he’s Welsh. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2007, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-love-for-john-cale/391195/7 "2007-02-08T18:09:54Z")
[QUOTE=Marathon] I’ve been meaning to check out “Church of Anthrax” for a while, mainly because he works with Terry Riley on it and I’m curious about the results. If any other Cale fans check in, maybe they have an opinion on it. [/QUOTE] I’m more of a Terry Riley fan than a John Cale fan, but I like it…not the best work of either man, but pretty cool. There’s one song with lyrics, the rest is a semi-rocked-up version of Riley’s minimalism. Good luck finding a copy. [QUOTE=John DiFool] I always get him confused with John Cage. [/QUOTE] He’d probably like that. [QUOTE=Waldo Jeffers] I would highly recommend picking up The Island Years collection. It has all of Fear, Slow Dazzle, and Helen of Troy, with a few bonus tracks. Basically it’s a nice easy way to get 3 (great) albums at once. [/QUOTE] Damn, that makes me wish I didn’t already have **Fear** on CD! ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2007, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-love-for-john-cale/391195/8 "2007-02-08T18:39:44Z")
As wiki warns: Not to be confused with J.J. Cale. No idea who John Cale is, but J.J. Cale is deserving of a little love, too. ---
**Author:** ![TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2007, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-love-for-john-cale/391195/9 "2007-02-08T19:05:48Z")
My favorite is _Vintage Violence_ - I like Cale as pop songwriter more than Cale as “experimental” guy hanging with Riley and Tony Conrad. _Paris 1919_ is a close second. My band usually closes our shows with a cover of “Hanky Panky Nohow.” ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2007, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-love-for-john-cale/391195/10 "2007-02-08T19:18:56Z")
[QUOTE=VCO3] _Paris 1919_ is a close second. [/QUOTE] Another one I wish I didn’t already have on CD (and I only own, I think, four Cale CDs). I’ve just discovered this morning that it was reissued recently with a slew of bonus tracks–demo versions of all the songs. ---
**Author:** ![Marathon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7cd45c/32.png) [@Marathon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marathon)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2007, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-love-for-john-cale/391195/11 "2007-02-09T19:06:48Z")
[QUOTE=Biffy the Elephant Shrew] I’m more of a Terry Riley fan than a John Cale fan, but I like it…not the best work of either man, but pretty cool. There’s one song with lyrics, the rest is a semi-rocked-up version of Riley’s minimalism. Good luck finding a copy. [/QUOTE] Well, I acquired a copy and am listening right now. I’m through the first side. I like it! Except for Terry Riley’s soprano sax playing. It’s better than it is on his own recording of “In C”, but … I’m not crazy about it. Thanks for finally getting me motivated to hear it! ---
**Author:** ![Junior\_Spaceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Junior\_Spaceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Junior_Spaceman)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2007, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-love-for-john-cale/391195/12 "2007-02-10T00:06:20Z")
Big John Cale fan here - I used to be completely nuts on him, now I’m just in awe of him. Music For a New Society is one of the most unique records ever, as is Nico’s **The Marble Index** which he orchestrated and performed. Anybody have any thoughts on his last four or so albums? I haven’t bought them yet because I’m boycotting copy protected CDs … ---
**Author:** ![scotandrsn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@scotandrsn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotandrsn)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2007, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-love-for-john-cale/391195/13 "2007-02-10T00:15:13Z")
I saw John Cale live about 20 years ago in Cambridge MA. One of the best shows ever. He made Heartbreak Hotel sound like the most profound song ever written. He ended ballads by suddenly pounding on the piano and screaming. The whole time, you just never knew what to expect. ---
**Author:** ![scotandrsn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@scotandrsn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotandrsn)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2007, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-love-for-john-cale/391195/14 "2007-02-10T00:18:19Z")
Meant to add, I dug up a copy of Vintage Violence. I like “Gideon’s Bible” and “Big White Cloud”. Can’t recommend, though, the famous _June 1, 1971_ concert recording by ACNE: Ayers (Kevin), Cale, Nico and Eno with Mike Oldfield and Rabbit Bundrick in tow. For such a stellar lineup, it’s a lackluster collection of songs. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2007, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-love-for-john-cale/391195/15 "2007-02-10T00:22:03Z")
I hate to show such ignorance–especially around here–but I can never remember which one’s John Cale, which one’s John Prine, aand which one’s John Hiatt. Of course, I wasted half my life listening to top 40 radio. ---
**Author:** ![Junior\_Spaceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Junior\_Spaceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Junior_Spaceman)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2007, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-love-for-john-cale/391195/16 "2007-02-10T04:09:58Z")
[QUOTE=Dr. Rieux] I hate to show such ignorance–especially around here–but I can never remember which one’s John Cale, which one’s John Prine, aand which one’s John Hiatt. Of course, I wasted half my life listening to top 40 radio. [/QUOTE] It’s easy. I can’t speak for the others, but John Cale is the one who had long hair in the early sixties, used to smash pianos with an axe, and played viola on ‘Heroin’ by the Velvet Underground. I’m pretty sure the other two didn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2007, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-love-for-john-cale/391195/17 "2007-02-10T05:38:44Z")
[QUOTE=scotandrsn] Can’t recommend, though, the famous _June 1, 1971_ concert recording by ACNE: Ayers (Kevin), Cale, Nico and Eno with Mike Oldfield and Rabbit Bundrick in tow. [/QUOTE] Not that Cale had a lot to do with that album anyway…he only has one song on his own (and a cover, at that), plus contributing instrumentally to the Eno songs and one of the Ayers songs. I like this album more for the Eno material than anything else. I almost forgot about the Cale-Reed **Songs for Drella** album, of which I’m a big fan. I have the version with the fuzzy cover.