A newly restored version of "Songs For Drella," Ed Lachman's film of Lou Reed and John Cale performing their tribute to Andy Warhol in 1990, is airing exclusively on the Criterion Channel. I had never seen this film, though I love the record. To be honest, I'm not sure I was aware of this film existing before I received the Criterion email.
In short, I was all kinds of blown away. At times, I was moved to tears.
I have no particular affinity for Warhol, other than recognizing his work and liking some of it. I am a fan of Lou Reed, but I've always loved John Cale more. This film, in just 58 minutes, said more about the relationship between the two estranged VU members and their feelings about "Drella," a nickname given to Warhol that combines Dracula and Cinderella, than any 500 page tome ever could.
The performance almost feels intrusive. The eye contact between Reed and Cale is both uncomfortable and endearing. Cale's recitation of "A Dream" over Reed's guitar playing is one of the most hauntingly beautiful performances I have ever witnessed. (If there was any doubt about Lou Reed's ability as a guitar player, this performance will change your mind.) The finale, "Hello It's Me," Reed's open letter to Andy, is nothing short of heartbreaking.
The next day, I began a Cale/Reed binge that will continue through this week. Yesterday, I listened to Lou's "Rock & Roll Animal," and Cale's "Helen Of Troy," which I wrote about back in 2010, and "Honi Soit." I've always loved "Helen Of Troy," and liked some of "Honi Soit," until yesterday, when "Honi Soit" hit me hard. I was getting so into the "other" songs on the record, the ones I thought I never cared for, a phrase came to mind that I feel describes a lot of Cale's music-- exquisitely sleazy.
Cale's songs, when stripped to their core, often have very lovely melodies. It's the piling on of strange instrumentation, nerve-shredding feedback and percussion, and vocal outbursts that usually lose the casual audience. But it is all those things that make John Cale stand out as one of the last living geniuses.
Maybe you are all familiar with "Paris 1919," a stunningly gorgeous, baroque classic. And maybe, you've heard his live take of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah," which set the stage for the next 200,000 versions that have been recorded since 1991. (It's been said, every time someone records "Hallelujah," a puppy is killed at an animal shelter.)
If you are already of fan of Cale, then talking about records like "Vintage Violence," "Fear," and "Slow Dazzle" is just preaching to the choir. But just maybe "Honi Soit" hasn't been in your rotation in some time. Give it a whirl and let yourself get lost.
Here is a trio of winners to get you started.
16 comments:
I can't be considered a fan but I really like some of his stuff, "Dead or Alive" being my favorite. I probably listened to "Riverbank" once when I first got the album and probably never again. Listening to it today makes me realize I have to go back and give the whole album another listen.
Far be it for me to make recommendations/suggestions to you about what to post, but like cmealha I'm not particularly versed in Cale, but really like what I've got. Howzabout a mix from our esteemed host? Your past mixes of other artists not particularly on my radar (Queen, Thin Lizzy) led to me adding to my music library, so I'd def be in favor of the favor.
C in California
C IN California,
https://burnwoodtonite.blogspot.com/2020/11/the-original-cale-smoothie-weekend-mix.html
Ha! So that's where I got most of the Cale I have in my library! Sorry that I forgot you already did this! Guess it's time for this li'l bird to stretch his wings and go exploring on his own.....
C in California
Nicely timed....I'm going to see Mr. Cale at the end of the month! I've always felt Honi Soit was under-appreciated. I played it to death in the record store I worked in at the time. Really looking forward to the gig. Thanks for all that you do here at Burning Wood.
Sal, thanks for this. I remember seeing the Drella movie when it came out & I was incredibly moved by it, all the inter-personal Reed/Cale vibes going on.
Always a fan of VU & Lou (I even own a copy of Metal Machine Music), but Cale was always my fave. I've seen him numerouse times, but the show at Keystone Berkeley 1977 was one of the top live shows I still fondly remember. That was Guts & definitely exquisitively sleazy. It's always been one of my favorites.
Another of my favorites is Music for a New Society, which is the next release after Honi Soit. I'm dragging out HS to give it a new & fresh listen.
I would like to recommend one of my favorites, the 12" 45 Animal Justice. Just three tunes, but it ain't Chicken Shit (well, it is...).
Thanks again.
Always great to see your Cale appreciation posts, Sal. Honi Soit is one of my favorite of his "off" records. Dead or Alive is a straight-ahead rock/pop single. Toe tapping, catchy, and a wonderful trumpet to boot. I hadn't heard Strange Times in Casablanca in a long time. Doors have doors have doors have doors...
Bill
I love Cale - e'rybody should! He's fearless. First, in his arrangements and instrumentation and subject matter ("The Gift" is so weird).
But even more so, he's fearless in some of his most outlandish vocalisms - there's literally nobody in rock & roll I can think of, outside of maybe Johnny Rotten and Captain Beefheart - who scream like he does near the end of the song "Fear". (Of course that all became a subgenre of its own later, with screamcore of whatever you call it)
He's also notable for not staying put in his old age. Have y'all heard any of his records from the last 15 years? He's gone in this weird trip hop type direction (I don't even know what to call it) that's pretty fascinating.
What's more, he can do all of this with just a piano. The first time I saw Cale live was in '92 when he was touring with just a piano. Dudes, he ended the night with a version of "Heartbreak Hotel" that laid me to waste. So powerful.
Also - for those who haven't seen Todd Haynes' film on the VU, the best interviews are with Cale, and Jonathan Richman. (The latter of whom is about to play in Athens, GA tonite, and I'll surely regret not making the 3-hour roundtrip from Atlanta to go see him)
One more thing - I chuckled at 'Anonymous' above also referencing how Burning Wood finally brought Thin Lizzy alive for him so long after the fact. I've made that statement here many times as well.
@AWITW
I rank 2003's "Hobosapiens" and 2005's "Black Acetate" as high as any of his classics. Would love to see deluxe vinyl reissues on both.
I recently found a really cool comp of Cale's Island period as a best-of. It would be great if his current/recent label would put out a best of of this harder-to-parse recent era with HB and BA and other records, to help fans pick up on what he's doing now.
I first heard "Paris 1919" on a Warner's Loss Leader album in 1972.
When I bought "Fear" it was because Eno, Phil Manzanera, and Richard Thompson were on it. I didn't know anything about The Velvet Underground.
I met John a couple times. I can't say either of us enjoyed the experience, but I don't admire him any less. I saw him open for Cheap Trick in 1978, at The Starwood, in Hollywood. THAT was a show.
Totally agree re Hobo and Black Acetate - so many great songs, Gravel Drive stands out for me. The Drella film is great - I recorded it onto a vhs back when Channel 4 in the UK showed it when the album was released, the tape has outlasted any players I’ve had!
One recommendation is a BBC programme, Songwriters Circle which matched Cale up with Nick Cave and Christie Hynde. Each plays a song and the others watch / join in. The look on Cave and Hynde’s faces after Cale’s version of Fear is priceless - shock and awe. I’ve just checked and it’s all still on YouTube.
Never mind Honi Soit, it looks like you convinced me to get the Criterion Channel.
Always been a huge fan of Honi Soit - on some days, Strange Times is my all-time fave Cale tune.
Yeah, hopefully the reissues Gods will shine on us one day with Hobo and Acetate, both diamonds in my Cale Canon.
Randy
This post gave me a reason to pull out Hobosapiens, which I hadn’t listened to in quite some time. Really enjoyed it. It reminded me of an update on Artificial Intelligence, in a way. Dying on the Vine from that record is one of my top Cale songs.
Bill
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