How do you approach the music of John Cale? He supposedly butted heads with Lou Reed in the Velvet Underground for being too experimental....the creator of Metal Machine Music didn't like that Cale was too experimental!!!!
Welcome to episode 137 of Love That Album podcast.
I am joined by my partner from the See Hear podcast, Bernard Stickwell and first time guest and music-head Fnord Buissuant (aka Doug to his family). The central focus of the show is John Cale's most musically accessible album Paris 1919 (but is lyrically dense). The album is named for the post-WW1 Paris Peace Accords, so we explore how 20th century European history (as well as literature and cinema) dictated the subject matter of these songs.
Of course it wouldn't be an LTA episode without much some peripheral discussion about Cale's career in the Velvet Underground, his work as a producer, how he came to write a (none too flattering) song about Soft Machine songwriter Kevin Ayres, Oliver Reed, Dylan Thomas....and a ton of other things.
It's been way too long since Bernie did an LTA, so I was really happy to have his perspective (and his recommendation) of this album. Huge thanks also go out to Doug for making the first of hopefully many appearances on the show – the man knows his stuff.
Download this episode of LTA from Spotify, Stitcher or iTunes (search for “Love That Album podcast”). Love That Album is proudly part of the Pantheon Podcast network. Go to PantheonPodcasts to check out all their great shows.
You can send me feedback at rrrkitchen@yahoo.com.au (written or mp3 voicemail) or join the Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/lovethatalbum.
If you’d consider writing an iTunes review we’d be immensely grateful. However, it’d be even better if you told a friend about the podcast and Pantheon – at a (socially distanced) barbecue, over coffee (on Skype), on social media….whatever way you choose, consider me grateful.
Right click to download episode 137 here.
