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Vintage Violence

John Cale - Vintage Violence Audio CD

A fair review of the John Cale "Vintage Violence" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all John Cale reviews here, or go back to the John Cale tabs.

Band: John Cale
Title: Vintage Violence
Rating:

Release Date: 2001-02-13
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Hello There 2: Gideon's Bible 3: Adelaide 4: Big White Cloud 5: Cleo 6: Please 7: Charlemagne 8: Bring It on Up 9: Amsterdam 10: Ghost Story 11: Fairweather Friend

What a funny photo on the back
I have not always liked this disc. I picked this up years ago and have not heard the remastered version. I probably listened to it 10 times before I realised I liked "Cleo" like a crush. It was a very wierd feeling for a very strange little song. I have heard these songs too many times to count. Lately I have taken to listening to it on my tractor. At this point when I hear the piano in "Hello, There" it is like an old friend is back to visit.

Although I can probably sing this album without any prompting of words, I have never really thought about what any of the words mean. Cale's voice is so unique and captivating throughout this disc. I feel something when I hear "grand old mother greedy", but have absolutely no knowledge of the reference. The viola in "Gideon's Bible" is thick, electric, and beautiful.

"Adelaide" is such a strange tune and I would be embarassed if anyone heard me sing to this stupid song, but it is bouncy and fun. I used to think "Big White Cloud" was a transparent, heavenly, fluffy song, but one time I had an occassion to really hear it. It is sick and ugly and not unlike "For A Ride" on Black Acetate. After about the 25th time he repeats "Oh, I love it. . . " the cynical aspect of this piece rises to the surface.

The Tommy James work on "Please" is cool and psychedlic. Cales pulls the song like electric taffy. His voice on "Charlemagne" might be my favorite on any Cale tune. All the instruments are played in almost a round at the end. "Bring It on Up" is like something from "The Band", but still all John Cale.

I am not as enthusiastic about "Amsterdam" as many of the other reviewers. It has always felt like a pause in the album to me. "Ghost Story" is just a great tune. Wierd words, terrific organ, with a wonderful channel shifting industrial sound toward the end. Not as drill-like as "Lady Godiva's Operation", but still very cool. And then it just stops.

"Fairweather Friend" with its rock-a-billy twang, boogie woogie keyboards, and layered vocals is a finish tune and serves as the other bookend for "Hello There". I have listened to a huge amount of music, and this is on the top 10 list for me.

Cale's First Solo Outing Holds Up Well
98 purchases I have made on Amazon lately where I replaced a well-worn piece of vinyl from my record collection with the CD version. This is one of those $9. Many times when I have done this, some aural magic has been lost due to shoddy re-mastering. Not this time! "Vintage Violence" holds up extremely well and like Cale's "Paris 1919" has a distinctive Welsh feel to it, although I would characterize "V. V. " as more country manor and "1919" as more townhouse. Hearing songs like "Gideon's Bible" and "Ghost Story" again after all this time is a treat, and they fit very well next to his new material on the e. p. "5 Songs. "
One of the bonuses of updating my vinyl to CD is the new liner notes that are very enlightening. For instance, I had no idea that it was Garland Jeffreys and his band that provided most of the instrumentation.
My three favorite Cale albums remain "Vintage Violence," "Paris 1919" and "Fear. "
.

John Cale the Instrumentalist as a Songwriter!
After his departure from V. John Cale first solo album, originally released in 1970, came as a pleasant surprise to many fans of Velvet Underground. U. in 1968 Cale had among other things produced for Nico, and some may have expected a more radical album, but here Cale reveals himself as a brilliant songwriter capable of writing and producing in a very melodic way, and several of these songs may even have had hit-potentials. Especially the catchy "Gideon's Bible" with its Beach Boys harmonies could very well had hit the charts, given the right exposure.

Among other very memorable tracks is the great opener "Hello There", featuring Cale driving piano. The majestic "Big Cloud" is another stand-out; sound almost like a Robbie Robertson song.

There's a slight country feel to another favourite,"Please", and the haunting "Ghost Story" features lyrics that make you think of Keith Reid of Procol Harum.

This could very well be John Cale's artistically most consistent album; which obviously says quite a lot, and at any rate this is without question the first time he really proves himself as a prolific songwriter.

a spectacular solo debut
this is the only solo album of his which I'm really familiar with. Though I'm only really familiar with Cale's work with the velvets, and his work producing and playing with Patti Smith, the Stooges, Nick Drake, Nico, etc. While I can't make comparisons with his later work, I can say that this album is just a really well written, well performed piece of work which surpassed my expectations. While there is quite a variety of material on the album, there is a certain sensibility and overt moodiness which pervades throughout. I find it is one of those rare albums that can really change your mood every time you hear it. This is a rich work which only sounds better each time I hear it.

John Cale's pop music
Any expectations at all you bring into this will be blown away about four bars into "Hello There"; you'll realize there is so much more to this guy than the feedback/experimental genius you hear on the first two VU albums. Vintage Violence is one of those albums where you just can't believe your ears the first time you hear it. Cale reveals himself here as a student of pop songwriting in the line of the early BeeGees and Paul McCartney. Actually, songs like "Adelaide" and "Cleo" sound like lost B-sides from the Merseybeat era. His adventurousness displays itself on the swirling climax to "Ghost Story" where he finds the perfect instrumental only to mercilessly cut the song short, leading into the closer "Fairweather Friend. " The highlight here is "Amsterdam," a drop-dead beautiful song that Lou Reed could never have written. This isn't John Cale's best album (try the more cohesive "Fear"), but this is a gem that ought to be in every record store and in any pop fan's collection.

You can see a complete list of all John Cale discography, or go back to the John Cale tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.