John Cale
Most people will know John Cale for his work with The Velvet Underground or his later solo efforts, but not everyone knows of his background and role in the New York experimental scene of the sixties. He was a member of La Monte Young's Theater Of Eternal Music (or The Dream Syndicate) which also included artists like Tony Conrad, Angus MacLise (who was the original drummer for Velvet Underground) and Terry Riley. Just mentioning these names conjures up just two things: minimalism and drones, and Cale, besides participating in such works, created his own soundscapes and experimented with sound. Most of the earlier stuff is quite harsh and challenging, but such is the case when one tries to push the boundaries and change the idea of what music is, but ultimately these efforts are always rewarding
I hear three different phases in Cale's career: the early, more experimental phase, The Velvet Underground and the later solo efforts. It is fascinating to hear this progression as elements of each phase bleeds into the next. It is also no wonder that the two more experimental works of VU were the ones where Cale was involved (not that Lou Reed didn't have his own "wild side" - excuse me for that one - but it was definitely not on the same level as that of Cale). I can't say I've thoroughly followed his post-VU career (ditto for Lou Reed's career), but from the few things I've heard, it doesn't fall into my immediate interests. I eventually will be exploring his later works.
Dream Interpretation: Inside The Dream Syndicate Volume IILabel: Table Of The Elements Release: 2000 Format: CD Cat. no: TOE-CD-79 |
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Stainless Gamelan: Inside The Dream Syndicate Volume IIILabel: Table Of The Elements Release: 2000 Format: CD Cat. no: TOE-CD-80 |
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