Audio CD review:
John Cale - Guts

John Cale - Guts

Band: John Cale Title: Guts Rating: Release Date: 05 June, 2001 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: Guts 2: Mary Lou 3: Helen of Troy 4: Pablo Picasso 5: Leaving It up to You 6: Fear Is a Man's Best Friend 7: Gun 8: Dirty-Ass Rock 'N' Roll 9: Heartbreak Hotel

Customer Reviews Excellent Cale compilation At its foundation, this is 45 minutes of rhythmical countryish rock, performed by respectable musicians like Phil Collins, Geoff Muldaur, Chris Spedding and Phil Manzanera. A collection of some of the nastiest songs ever recorded. But projected over the top of that is the violent, perverted filth of John Cale, twisting every sweet harmony and country nuance into something truly unsettling. Brilliant! From the infamous opening lyric, through an eight minute ode to homicide, to Cale screaming "Fear is a man's best friend!" repeatedly while playing his guitar like a deranged chimp, this is a savage business. But a hugely enjoyable business too. The lyrics are smart, endlessly quotable, and often hilarious. Highy recommended. The album cover is my all-time favorite too. Clarification It is a collection of songs from the "Fear," "Slow Dazzle" and "Helen of Troy" albums (plus "Mary Lou"). Just to make a point, this is not an album of new material. It has some terrific things on it, including the title track and "Leaving It Up to You" with its reference to Sharon Tate, and an anguished version of "Heartbreak Hotel" which makes one realize the meaning of the words, if they're taken seriously. But if you like the hard-rocking Cale, the three original albums are all good ones. Art Rock/Hard Rock K. By the time Cale ended up recording for Island, the label had already established itself as a leader in avant garde rock and pop (thanks to such U. signings as Roxy Music, King Crimson, The Strawbs, Traffic, Nick Drake and John Martyn). Cale seemed to fit right in and the label wasted no time in setting the ex-Velvet Undergrounder with top-notch players like Roxy Music's Phil Manzanera (who turns in remarkable guitar pyrotechnics on this album) and Phil Collins (long before he turned into an Adult Contemporary mainstay). Guts is Cale's brightest Island release; its power growing stronger through the decades thanks to hard-edged performances filled with anger, thought, hooks and imagination. Yes, this is thinking-person's rock and roll. No, it won't alienate fans of either Roxy Music or the Velvets. Superb!. . You can see a complete list of all John Cale discography, or go back to the John Cale tabs