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"...Don't Want To Be Like All The Rest..."
Given that Welshman JOHN
CALE had been with The Velvets for their monster March 1967 debut "The
Velvet Underground And Nico" - following in November of that year with the
even more challenging "White Light, White Noise" album and then
having produced the definitive early Punk/Garage album - The Stooges self-titled
debut "The Stooges" (a destroyer of all that comes in its path) - big
things were expected of the Bass Player's debut. It would of course be the most
mule-rockin', nadge-kickin' debut album ever released.
Instead we got the weedy
pop-country mishmash of "Vintage Violence" - and I can remember as a
kid when I first heard it thinking 'this is crap'. And he absolutely didn't
have the cool in his voice that Lou Reed could so effortlessly conjure up. But
time and hindsight have mellowed me - and every few years I try "Vintage"
once again. And each time I think - ok - the pretty "Amsterdam" and
the Beach Boys pop of "Adelaide" alongside that Country
Byrds/melodious Tommy Flanders combo-sound Cale gets on the undeniably good
"Ghost Story" - it's not nearly as bad as I had thought - in fact its
possibly a misunderstood beast. Here are the post mortem details...
UK released 13 February 2001
(reissued 27 June 2003 and beyond) - "Vintage Violence" by JOHN CALE
on Columbia/Legacy 499945 2 (Barcode 5099749994522) is an 'Expanded Edition' CD
Remaster with Two Previously Unreleased Bonus Tracks that plays out as follows
(44:54 minutes):
1. Hello, There
2. Gideon's Bible
3. Adelaide
4. Big White Cloud
5. Cleo
6. Please
7. Charlemange [Side 2]
8. Bring It On Up
9. Amsterdam
10. Ghost Story
11. Fairweather Friend
Tracks 1 to 11 are his debut
solo LP "Vintage Violence" - released July 1970 in the USA on
Columbia CS 1037 - delayed until February 1971 in the UK on CBS Records S
64256. Produced by JOHN CALE and LEWIS MERENSTEIN (recorded in 1969 the same
week as "Church Of Anthrax" with Terry Riley - which wasn't issued
until February 1971) - it failed to chart in either country. All songs written
by John Cale - except "Fairweather Friend" which is by Garland Jeffreys.
BONUS TRACKS:
12. Fairweather Friend
(Previously Unreleased Alternate Version)
13. Wall (Previously
Unreleased)
The 8-page booklet has new
liner notes from MARGARET MOSER - several black and white photos of the young
Welshman and the usual re-issue credits (Bruce Dickenson Produced the Reissue
with Project Director Paul Matheny) and there's new input from Cale himself.
But in some ways it's a slight and frustrating read in what it 'doesn't' say.
What was the album’s actual release date (they get the catalogue number wrong
as CS 1007 when it was CS 1037) - who plays Harmonica on "Adelaide" -
why CBS in England waiting until two months before the "Church Of
Anthrax" release with Terry Riley in April 1971 before they released John
Cale's "Vintage Violence"? Why the Phil Spector production melodrama
on the overly echoed "Big White Cloud" - why even chose it as a
single? And why not take this opportunity to reproduce the lyrics?
Still - what we do get for
"Vintage Violence" is a gorgeous Remaster courtesy of DARCY M. PROPER
- a Sony Audio Engineer who handled the Kansas CD Reissues for "Point Of
Know Return" and Leftoverture". The incredible quiet and ethereal
"Amsterdam" sounds beautiful and there’s oomph in the jaunty ‘come
back again this year’ opener "Hello, There" – a song that feels like
it would fit nicely on the Velvets "Loaded" album.
Wikipedia lists it release
date as March 1970 – it was first pictured June 1970 in Billboard but didn’t
appear on an actual release schedule until July – wasn’t reviewed until
September 1970 and is listed as released December 1970 in Martin Strong’s “The
Great Rock Discography”. I’ve put it at July 1970 - which is when Billboard
gave it an official release date (the material was famously recorded in 1969 in
the same week Cale reveals as he recorded "Church Of Anthrax" with
Avant Garde artist Terry Riley who was signed to Columbia Masterworks).
Re-listening to the
dreadfully coy "Cleo" and the pedal steel guitar "Please" -
I hate the first and quite dig the second. He'd strung his band PENGUIN
together for the sessions and their playing on "Please" and the Side
2 opener "Charlemagne" add a huge amount to the 'feel'. Having said
that there’s part of me that feels much of "Vintage Violence" is
firmly in the 'what was he thinking' bracket – but when you hear the undeniably
brill melody of "Ghost Story" and the Jeffreys contribution
"Fairweather Friend" – it’s impressive.
Worth another punt – I think
so...
