New York in the 60s
Angus MacLise - The Cloud Doctrine
About this album
Released in 2003. Sub Rosa SR182.
Four experimental recordings featuring Cale can be found on the Angus MacLise 2CD The Cloud Doctrine: Trance #1, Trance #2, Two Speed Trance, and Four Speed Trance.
The tracks were recorded by Tony Conrad in New York in 1965.
Press Reverse / Press Play by Gerard Malanga
In 1965, Angus would become one of The Velvet Underground's founding members, yet his association with the group would be quickly shortlived. Disenchanted with the direction in which the group's musical agenda was heading, he allowed himself to be fired by Lou Reed, thus curtailing his own part in the Velvet's future recording career, also shortlived. And so the existent old tapes served as a substitute for the past live performances he no longer pursued, nor would he have any hopes of listening to again. The boxes and boxes of tapes remained undisturbed in Don Snyder's closet halfway around thew world in New York. In the end it was destitution and chronic ill-health, not isolation, that led to his untimely death at 42. Astonishingly, his oeuvre spanned hardly a decade.
Choice and Method of Archives Material
Musically the adventure starts here, in 1963, in the company of Tony Conrad - very present throughout the disc - and is prolonged with John Cale circa 1965 and continues either with Angus alone, or with Conrad, or with his wife Hetty. It all ends a few years prior to his death, during an important reading at the Millenium Film Workshop, in New York, on the 17th September 1976. We will be at liberty, through almost 160 minutes of this adventure, to understand the importance of this musician fascinated by the biggest underground activity of New York at that time - we may even discover a few missing links.
Musicians:
Angus MacLise: Cimbalom, drums
John Cale: guitar, viola, keyboards
Tony Conrad: guitar, violin, and keyboards
Other credits:
Co-producer: Marc Doutrepont
Sleeve design: Baby Mountain
Liner notes: Gerard Malanga, Guy Marc Hinant
Original recordings in low-fidelity monaural: Tony Conrad
Recorded by: Stuart Leigh, Tony Conrad
Archival remastering: Sheldon Rochlin
Digital remastering: Tony Conrad