Solo albums
The Academy In Peril
About this album
Released in July 1972.
Reprise REP 44212.
Tracks:
- The Philosopher
- Brahms
- Legs Larry At The Television Centre
- The Academy In Peril
- Intro
- Days of Steam
- 3 Orchestral Pieces
- Faust
- The Balance
- Capt. Morgan's Lament
- Faust
- King Harry
- John Milton
"I took three weeks in England to do The Academy In Peril, and it wasn't enough.
I spent a week at the Manor in England recording and after that I had the bare essentials of some pieces that I wrote down. I had to wait around for two weeks for the Royal Philharmonic, but I was pleased with the results. I had forgotten what it was like to work with musicians like that, who really need an authorative figure. I had to conduct the orchestra. The pieces were self-explanatory, but they needed someone to tell them where the beat was because there was no time signature on the music."
He wasn't too pleased about how the John Milton track came out:
"The results on John Milton are not entirely to my satisfaction because of the very low level of the cut. It's a long piano piece, the inspiration came to me after seeing a BBC tv Omnibus programme, I found Milton very interesting, what he did with language, his attitude to it-- very puritanical, very rigid.
The piece I have written is romantic, almost French impressionist. But the way it was recorded-- it was so soft. We were using this church in Cripplegate, London. But the orchestra hasn't go any presence.
It was really funny, you know, I used to be in an orchestra myself see, so I was a bit easy-going about the whole thing, like 'we'll try this...how about that' but I know with classical symphony orchestras what they are really at home with is authoritarian figures. I think it would be a totally different story if I was conducting Brahms, but because I was doing my own stuff, which was written very strangely, it was a bit difficult for them. But they did very well, I think the way the approached it was like they would approached Cage or something like that."
Musicians:
John Cale: bass, guitar, keyboards, viola
Adam Miller: vocals
Del Newman: drums
Ron Wood: slide guitar on The Philosopher
Legs Larry Smith: narration on Legs Larry At Television Centre
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra: 3 Orchestral Pieces
Other credits:
Producer: John Cale
Mixing engineer: Jean Bois
Cover photo: Andy Warhol
Photography: Ed Thrasher
Brahms, Intro and 3 Orchestral Pieces recorded at Shipton Manor, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom. Days Of Steam and King Harry recorded at St. Giles Church, Cripplegate, London, United Kingdom
Mixed at Air Recording Studios, London, United Kingdom
Cover concept by Andy Warhol. Cale traded it for the use of Days of Steam for the movie soundtrack of Heat.
Single
Days of Steam b/w Legs Larry At The Television Centre is released as single in the US (promo only) and New Zealand.
Temper outtake
Temper, an outtake from the recording sessions, was released on the promotional 2LP compilation Troublemakers (Warner PRO A 857, 1980). Also released on the Seducing Down The Door compilation. It is included on the remastered reissue of the album in 2024.
4 Men With Beards Vinyl reissue
The album was reissued on October 21, 2014 on 180 Gram Vinyl on specialty label 4 Men With Beards. Remastering by engineer Gary Hobish (A. Hammer Mastering). To put it mildly: it does not sound good. The album comes in the die-cut custom gatefold jacket, designed by Andy Warhol.
Remastered reissue
The album is reissued on November 15th 2024 on vinyl and CD via Domino. All tracks are remastered from the original tapes by Heba Kadry. Includes the bonus track Temper (download for the vinyl version). This was previously released on the promotional compilation Troublemakers in 1980 and Seducing Down The Door compilation in 1994.
Reissue credits:
Remastered from the original tapes by Heba Kadry
Lacquer cut by Chris Bellman