John Cale
"John Cale is a fucking elitist. He did not like the people he was playing for. He's Welsh, and they're all nasty bastards."

Nat Finkelstein

Fear Is A Man's Best Friend (Est. 1999) is the ultimate unofficial John Cale website
Fear Is A Man's Best Friend - John Cale

Album reviews

Shifty Adventures in Nookie Wood

Shifty Adventures in Nookie Wood

Review by Ken Clark

John Cale has produced one of the most vibrant, original works by anyone still standing. While many 60s survivors riff what ever creative essence they once had into decrepitude, Cale takes all the game sounds from hip hop, old Beach Boy records and combines them with incisive words and concepts into a whole new sphere of endeavour. Who cares whether he is using Auto-Tune, a Fender Stratocaster or Pro Tools, there is a sonic landscape here as rich as anything. For some of the pieces, each time you play them you will hear something different that has been layered in. You can hear everything from old Welsh hymns to the ghettos of LA. The gift of the artist is to overflow the fountain, drink deep.

It always takes a while when an artist such as Cale releases a new album to determine where it fits in the cannon of all that has gone before. This is definitely one of his best and blows anything else released this year into smithereens. Get it now and convince yourself.


» Fresh Cale

Paris 1919 Order the remastered and expanded Paris 1919 album (2LP, CD) via Domino Records
The Academy in Peril Order the remastered and expanded The Academy in Peril album (LP, CD) via Domino Records
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