I've always been more of a John Cale fan than a Lou Reed fan. I find even Cale's most difficult and unappealing work to be far more interesting than Lou's catalogue throwaways. Plus, Lou has given us more, so anytime there is new Cale music, it becomes an event.
If you're a John Cale fan, you may have read numerous articles about his prolific pandemic, writing over 80 songs of varying styles during lockdown in Los Angeles. That period has so far given us two new John Cale records in a little over a year, 2023's "Mercy," which runs 72 minutes and the just released "POPtical Illusion," which runs 62 minutes, adding up to actually four new slabs of vinyl in a year. Therein lies the problem.
"Mercy" was deep, dark, dense and demanding, and probably a few more D words, too. There is beautiful music to be found on "Mercy," but it is an endurance test. It is a murky journey with few payoffs. I didn't hate it. But I wanted to love it and I didn't. At all.
"POPtical Illusion" is brighter and bigger and offers more melody to sink your ears into, but like "Mercy," there is a sameness to its style and attack.
Now I don't know shit, but it feels like Cale sifted through his 80-plus songs and separated them by feel, which leads me to believe that his next record---the next 75 minutes---might be a third style; 12 songs similar in structure and sound to each other...maybe.
Like I said, I really don't know anything about his process. But "Mercy" does not stray too far musically at any point from its start and neither does "POPtical Illusion." I do know how much I love John Cale's music and how happy I am to be getting more 60 years after the fact. But I do think the best 20 minutes of "Mercy" and the best 20 minutes of "POPtical Illusion" would have made one John Cale record to rival his 70's heyday. Instead, I have 135 minutes over eight sides that I probably won't listen to again, any time soon.
6 comments:
make that perfect playlist.
Then why not put up the song titles of that great angle album ;urging inside the 2 releases.
No snark, genuinely intrigued.
You captured my thoughts exactly, Sal. Mercy is the more difficult listen, but the new record has a sameness of rhythm to all the songs. Sort of a cross between Paris 1919 and I'm Waiting for the Man with modern sensibilities.
The new Richard Thompson has a similar thing going on, with a rolling rhythm on most of the songs. But Ship to Shore seems to be able to handle it a little better--the songs differentiate themselves after a couple of spins.
You're spot on with my sentiments with Mercy. I heard the Popticle Illusion pre-release song, How We See The Light, which was okay but didn't really light my fire either.
Hearing your thoughts about Popticle is a bit disappointing, but not surprising. Still, I'm enough of a Cale fan to try my best with it.
Regarding the new R.Thompson, I've heard a couple of tracks... unfortunately, I lost my RT mojo sometime ago, and am struggling to get it back based on his recent releases.
Randy
Cale's never going to make your life easy, he wants you to work at loving, just like i do.
Well, damn! I love Cale, and enjoyed MERCY, so I want to like this too.
But your review seems really balanced - wanting to like it, but not - and the ding on the sameness of arrangements here - especially for a long record - doesn't bode well.
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