Reviews (page 4 of 7)
I was surprised this came out in the 70s, half past France and Antartica starts here were my favorites
You’re telling me this guy helped make the gift and black angel death song?
eccentric
Perfectly forgettable. 5/10
Quite enjoyed this. Velvet Underground with some Kinks thrown in.
nothing exciting tbh. nice vibes, nothing really stood out to me tho
-apparently this is less experimental than most of John Cale’s stuff. i had only heard his work with Velvet Underground and his single with Charli XCX (this album provided some context for the sound they had going there!) -was pretty sure i wasn’t gonna end up liking it much but it grew on me. interesting baroque pop sound -Favorites: The Endless Plain of Fortune, Macbeth
Pretty mellow.
A step away from the sound experiments he was famous for with the Velvet Underground, this is probably Cale's most musically traditional album to that point in his career. Easy to listen to, but pretty much leaves me feeling "meh?".
Whimsical and fun art-pop, overall a nice listen from an unheard of (to me) artist
An interesting collection of ballads and anthems. A nice singer-songerwriter vibe of the early 70s. No realt standsouts but overall enjoyable
Jag kan förstå varför de lagt det på listan, men det föll inte riktigt mig i smaken. Ok album.
Det här var härligt, inte lyssnat på hans sologrejer innan! Slutade med att jag lyssnade fyra varv för att jag hade så svårt att bestämma mig, men det bara fortsatte växa. Imponerande låtskriveri och bra texter. Nära en fyra!
walmart lou reed
Meget lækre arrangementer men ikke videre memorable
Lidt samme vibe som de Scott Walker plader vi har haft men ikke nær så god stemme.
The orchestra was a nice addition on this album, not too overwhelming, but enough to make the songs even better.
Interesting one. Had expected something similar to his Velvet Underground sound but this was much softer and folksier. I mean it wasn’t unpleasant but hardly got the pulse racing. A few nice songs though.
A mixed bag of songs, mostly pretty bad, but elevated by the title track and Half Past France.
Rather disappointing really; an artist famed for his leftfield approach to music, and which I’ve never got round to listening to. And we bloody get given his most accessible pop album. So err, yeah it’s fine, there you go. Onwards…..
Never heard of singer or album. Childs Christmas in wales is pretty good. Fun song. Very 70s. More poppy than rock but good background track. Good songwriting in hanky panky no how. Catchy song. Definitely dated. Bass on the endless plain is so good. You could put any lyrics over that production and have a hit. Good guitar too. How was this released in the 70s, I can’t imagine how long it took to record all of the instruments. Andalucia is fine. Nothing special. Very 70s. Macbeth is different. Very much so 60/early 70s rock. Beatles vibes. Good production again. I like Paris 1919 a lot too. The production is ahead of its time through out. He’s singing over orchestras it’s very audibly pleasing. Graham Greene is fun, not much more to say abt it. Same with half past France. Don’t like the whispering on Antarctica, but the background track is good once again. Pretty good album. Not life changing. 2.6 stars.
5/10
This was more entertaining than any of its britpop ilk
This must have been how the average Adult Contemporary Easy Listening radio station sounded in the early 70s. It's not terrible, but uninteresting. 2/5
Otarło się o czwórkę, kilka fajnych utworów, przyjemna płyta. Ale chyba nie będę o niej jakoś długo pamiętał.
Me surpreendi positivamente, ouviria algumas novamente. Parece trilha sonora de filme
Wrong choice, shoulda been Fear instead
Fine.
I listened to this one on a gloomy Monday morning, while slightly hungover and trying to avoid speaking to coworkers. And the first half of the album just really got that vibe. Moody and slightly atmospheric. I did enjoy my listen, albeit, maybe because I was just in the right, slightly miserable mood. Overall, not super memorable, but there’s certainly a time and place for it.
Perfectly fine, and just as forgettable.
I'm a big Velvet Underground fan, but I couldn't get into this one. When I read that Cale enlisted Little Feat as his backup band for this project, I was even more interested. Paris 1919 is creative and weird, but I didn't connect to it. Three stars.
Consistently love the music in this. When the singing and lyrics are more traditional I'm very into it. When the lyrics are goofy / weird / annoying / buzzy I'm less into it.
Album No. 0088 on my list. I’ve heard who John Cale is before, but I did indeed had to look it up again. I found “Paris 1919” to be a solid album. Won’t become my favorite of all time I think, but I did enjoy listening to it in general. None of the tracks stood out to me completely, but I’ll add the title track, “Macbeth”, and “Half Past France” on my list. Decent album! 3/5 stars.
for sure man
Actually enjoyed this a lot, very good instrumentation and overall just a great album. I liked most songs
Gorgeous french horn solo in Paris 1919 at 2:25 <3 The Endless Plain of Fortune is a great song too. I liked the orchestral sounds on those two tracks. This album didn't fully grab me, but there is a quality of John Cale's voice that I really like and a nice warmth/richness to the overall sound. Good variety of tracks too. 7.5/10.
Childs Christmas in Wales, and Paris 1919 were good (the song not the album). The rest of the songs were good/fine, but honestly forgettable. Not much else to say... The typography on the album title is nice...
First half ok, halfway thought it got really enjoyable
I heard strong echoes of the Beatles in his music. But not for me
Good. Nice.
Ok. ★★★
Sounded like Raffi before he moved to children’s music. Not my favorite album but weirdly didn’t hate it. 2.5/5
"paris 1919" track 1 child's christmas in WALES so that was a lie. this was weird and neat
Ended as it was starting to wear out its welcome, so that was nice
Never heard it before, but it might something I might check out.
Another album that kind of fades into the background. I can see why its popular though
Enjoyable but didn't make a lasting impression (3.5)
piacevole
It was okay.
Enjoyed it
interesting ig
For the elderly.
It's arty enough, and not arty enough, at the same time.
An accessible John Cale album is an interesting experiment in its own right. Swapping abrasion for melody works here and some of the songs tells stories like some of those old Kinks tracks. Never heard before and not a bad listen.
I understand why Lou Reed did the singing for Velvet Underground. Interesting lyrics, ok songs, wrong voice. I understand that Cale was eclectic with his musical style in his solo career - not sure why the bland 70s pop album is picked for this list. Though I didn't realize I knew and liked the earworm that is Paris 1919. Thought it was a Rufus Wainwright song.
good stuff from the caler
Fine album.
I knew nothing about John Cale but was pleasantly surprised to learn he was a founding member of the Velvet Underground. I'm sure he had a few wild Lou Reed stories to tell. I liked this album. Apparently, this was Cale's first album to take on the contemporary singer-songwriter sound that aligned with the popular rock-pop of the early 70's. The electric guitar on Child's Christmas in Wales immediately caught my attention, so I looked up who played on the album. Turns out it was Lowell George from Little Feat! John Cale isn't exactly Elton John. But hell, I thought it was a solid LP. Top tracks: Child's Christmas in Wales, Macbeth, Paris 1919, and hell, throw Hanky Panky Knowhow on there too!
Enjoyed it.
3 - pretty good, pleasant to listen to
This was enjoyable. Had never heard of the artist or any of the songs, but would probably listen to some of them again.
Nothing special here in my opinion, but also not bad
mid if folk rock originated in the 1800s this is what it would sound like
I liked this more than I was expecting, some pretty fun rock songs
I am not a great big fan of the Velvet Underground. I tend to think they were kind of up their own asses most of the time. So I wasn't really looking forward to this record today because I figure that anything that John Cale wrote was likely to be pretty Velvet Undergroundy. I was pretty happy to be wrong about that, cause this record wasn't half bad. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't amazing; it was pretty sappy and saccharine on the front half. But, it was pretty listenable without ever getting into pretentious shitheadery. And it wasn't terribly long. I doubt I'll ever give it another spin, but I realize that any listenability that the Velvet Underground ever achieved was likely because of John Cale. 3.5/5 Turns out, that’s not really true. My buddy is a big Velvet Underground fan and says John Cale is exactly the reason why VU was so weird. John Cale is a super weird dude, apparently. Anyway, this record is alright, despite John Cale’s predilection toward weirdness.
not as experimental as what I would have expected from a member of the Velvet Underground. Pretty mellow, but not a bad listen.
It is fine
V impressed with the arrangements and low down groovie about it but got bored. Alo the cocaine song lol.
I've never liked John Cale solo as much as i've liked Velvet Underground stuff.
Fun, but not sure I'll come back to it.
Ok
Not memorable but inoffensive
Just an easy listening album. That's really all it is. It's nothing like the Velvet Underground's abrasive, dark rock sound. That said, it's a pretty decent pop album. The song "Macbeth" is significantly louder and more rock oriented than the rest of the album.
Hanky panky know howwww 🗣️🗣️ Also the I Must Not Sniff Cocaine interlude lmao. Very funny for a p soft singer-songwriter album.
It had some creative lyrics that I appreciated for their imagery, but did not understand at all. Overall fine songs, but mostly I just know that this album exists now and will probably never think about it again.
Meh.
Interesting but not noteworthy. 3*
This was good but a little on the longer side. Didn’t really care for the demo tapes and wish there was a non-deluxe version. With that being said I feel like I could see myself listening to individual songs
I enjoyed this while cooking
There were a few songs that I liked. The rest were kinda meh. Glad the album was short.
I gather that Cale is typically moe avant-garde than we hear on this album which sits in a more art-pop space, not unlike something Bowie might produce on one of his more subdued days. I think there's some subtelty and complexity to this that is difficult to pickup in one listen so whilst I don't have strong feelings, I think in will bear repeated listens so I may return to it one day.
As a huge Velvet Underground fan I was looking forward to this, but was disappointed. All a bit twee and lacking the edge that Lou Reed's vocals provide.
Heretofore, I was only familiar with John Cale through his association with Lou Reed. I had heard Velvet Underground's first two albums and the Reed/Cale homage to Andy Warhol, Songs for Drella. So it was quite disorienting to find an album of radio-friendly John Cale. The opening track made me think of Brian Eno so I checked for the producer credit and it was Chris Thomas. (Incidentally, it was interesting to me that Thomas went on to have a production credit on Nevermind the Bollocks by Sex Pistols and INXS's Kick.) Anyway, there's an alternate universe where this album was huge and multiple songs became radio staples. In that universe, I think of this album as a 4.5. But this is not that universe, so I am only giving Paris 1919 a 3.
It's OK, but a little dull
Talented multi instrumentalist and good songwriter, some interesting melodic songs, but the vocals are poor
I was not expecting this music based on what I know about John Cale. I was a little disappointed at first. I mean this is a pretty straight forward pop album. I was expecting more experimentation. That said, the album grew on me, it’s not the best thing I ever heard but there’s some decent tracks on it.
The only thing I knew about John Cale was that he was in the Velvet Underground, but he was coming to play at a venue I went to all the time and the tickets were only $10, so I said “what the hell” and drove from Greensboro to Carrboro, NC and saw him play at the Cat’s Cradle on October 9, 1997. He mostly sat at the piano and performed all of Fragments of a Rainy Season and it was a tie for the best concert I’ve ever been to.* I was used to seeing 20-something year old indie rockers doing 90’s indie rock and this could not have been more different. It was otherworldly. To this day, I have never had an experience with live music quite like that one. That night he performed “The Endless Plain of Fortune” and “Child’s Christmas in Wales” but they were vastly stripped down compared to the versions on this album. Years later I would torrent all of John Cale’s albums to see if the magic that I experienced when I saw him live had ever been captured on one of his studio albums but none of them ever hit me the way that concert did. His studio albums aren’t bad but I could see someone hearing one for the first time not being that into it. But man, that night in the fall of 1997 he was something else. It’s almost thirty years later and I am still in awe of that performance. If this album didn’t wow you then check out Fragments of a Rainy Season. And when you see an artist coming to play a show that you think might be cool and are considering going; do. It might just be one of the greatest concerts you’ll ever see in your life. *Tied with seeing James Brown at the Greenwood Civic Center on December 31, 1995. Greenwood didn’t get many concerts, so it was already a big deal. He put on a killer show for hours but because it was a Sunday he wouldn’t play “Sex Machine” despite multiple requests. But then it hit midnight, he and the band led a singalong of “For Auld Lang Syne” and then James Brown - maybe the best pure showman of the 20th Century - looked out at the crowd and said “Well, it ain’t Sunday no more” and they did “Sex Machine” and blew the fucking roof off the place. There were asses in that civic center that hadn’t shaken in decades that shook like it was their job that night. It was transcendent. The fact that a Welshman behind a piano in a 200-capacity club was able to match that moment should tell you something about how good that John Cale show was.
Waking up on a Tuesday morning pondering the early results of the fantasy football season. A 1-1 record can feel like losing sometimes but this album makes you look at it with a little more optimism than usual. Egbuka is real. 3.5
Okayish background noise. But it gets boring towards the end.
I thought this was fine. One of those where you listen on Friday and then pretty much completely forget about it come Monday. 2.75/5
3,5
I think I’ve listened to this like a dozen times because I keep forgetting to score it afterwards. I like it. And I don’t.
Didn't like it, didn't hate it.
Sympa, un peu pour la route des vacances
3/5, good to listen to at work
I didn't enjoy it as much as I should.
I quite disliked this at first, on my tinny car stereo. Started over for real with headphones later. Whether a different day/time/mood contributed, I felt positive towards a number of the tunes. Nothing I’d seek out, but I appreciated the variety and uniqueness there.
Tittelsangen e ganske bra
the music was much more interesting than the vocals, but not enough to keep me engaged. another "meh" album
big beatles vibes tbh
Paris 1919 is a cool, kinda dreamy record that didn’t hit me straight away, but I get the feeling it’s one that opens up the more you spin it.
Your average 70’s folk
Didn’t really know what to expect. Sounds quite silly and fun. Goofy lyrics. Not too bad, but nothing special.
7/10
This was kind of interesting, but also fairly boring.
Sorta like a worse steely dan imo
I'm digging the strings in the first few tracks. It's a nostalgic, melodic pop sound. Laid back and slow, although The Endless Plain of Fortune beuilds to a climax with the orchestra taking it up another notch. Then a simpler arrangement with the gentle Andalucia, maybe my favourite so far. Macbeth is - somewhat jarringly - an upbeat rocker. The title track is top notch though, strings and vocals playing off each other. I don't know how I feel about this. It's quite good at times, but a little uneven and not sure it quite knows what it wants to be.
This hanky panky songs needs to get to fuck. And some of this sounds like Chas and Dave (derogatory). But some bits were incredible. The opening of Paris 1919 was BIIIIIG.
Dang, I was so into this 20 years ago. A little less so now, but I’ll come back to it.
fun
I like that this is a bit experimental, a bit unique. It's quite a nice listen, maybe one I appreciate more than I love. It fell into the background a little bit, but it's done well enough. Macbeth was a fun, upbeat track, full of instruments and stuff going on. That would be my pick of the bunch.
Didn't really listen too intently but it wasn't bad.
Better than I had thought it would be - 3 stars
un álbum muy chill la vdd no está mal hay algunas q me han gustado bastante
Un álbum poco memorable. Las melodías de la voz y la voz en sí misma tienen un trabajo bastante pobre (muchas veces no llega al registro vocal que se propone cantar). Supongo que se podría decir que es una elección estética, pero no es de mi agrado, he escuchado otras voces que suenan "frágiles" como por ejemplo la de Elliott Smith, pero él cantaba de una manera y dentro de un estilo que, considero, funcionaba. Solo en el último tema "Antarctica Starts Here" hace un mejor uso de la fragilidad de la voz al cantar, casi susurrando, vinculando mejor ese timbre en relación al tono meditabundo de la música. Si hubiese cantado todo el álbum así tal vez hubiese sido una experiencia más especial, pero solo se reduce al final del álbum. El tercer tema "The Endless Plain of Fortune" es uno de los que sí me gustó, y pensé que el álbum iba a mejorar a partir de ese punto, pero no estuvo a la altura hasta llegar al cierre. He escuchado álbumes tranquilos y me encantan, pero esto es más bien aburrido. Además considerando la cantidad de orquestación con que se produjo el álbum prácticamente no hace nada especial con ello, lo cual es un desperdicio. Leí que es uno de los trabajos más accesibles de Cale, en tanto a que es menos experimental y más pop. Tal vez si hubiese sido más experimental hubiese podido apreciar el atrevimiento, pero un álbum así se queda a mitad de camino. No puedo decir que sea un mal álbum, pero no me resultó destacable.
Having never listened to anything by John Cale before, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this. Very easy to listen to, a good, tight run time of 30-ish minutes. Lovely.
What I thought was the first track (there was a slight issue were I clicked on the title track instead of the album and then got extremely confused when the second track on the record was "Another One Bites The Dust" by Queen) pleasantly surprised me - the musical parts of the song reminded me of Harry Nilsson, Divine Comedy or Badly Drawn Boy and I loved it. I also liked the lyrics. What I was really struggling with was his voice. After the mistake was realised and I played the actual first song, that continued. I don't like his lyrical delivery at all, but I do mostly like everything else. I do really struggle to get into an artist, no matter how talented in other ways, if I don't enjoy the singer's voice. Conversely, for the artists I do love, it's a voice that always cemented my love of them (even in some notable cases, where it's band with a beautiful voiced backing singer). I had to try very hard not to laugh at his pronunciation of Chipping Sodbury. I think I'd give the musicanship a 4/5 (I did really like the songs) but his voice 1/5, so: 3/5
Not bad but nothing to remember it by
3.5
John Cale isn't Lou Reed, but he's definitely not his Garfunkel either if you know what I mean. This is a good album.
A nice album (to have in the background while I was reading my book)
I think I liked it
Decent. Nothing terrible here but nothing great.
It's 70's sounding folky rock. The instrumentation is nice. I'm not into his voice so much. In some of the tracks it sounds like he's straining to his notes (e.g. some parts of Andalucia, not the falsetto parts). In the end I got into one track: The Endless Pain of Fortune.
There were some moments on this where it almost caught my attention, but outside of some baroque flourishes this felt too straight-forward to win me over.
Sounds like a Beatles cover band that tried to write its own music. So not objectionable, but not memorable either. 2.5⭐️
Lovely ditties, nothing much to add.
Feels like France a hundred years ago
carino
Bangs but it‘s a ons
I see that this is quite a praised album, but I must say I didn't find it very exciting. 'Paris 1919' is a familiar song from before and stands out as the best one, but even at that it's not that fun. While fitting conceptually, I find the old victorian-like sound found in some songs quite off-putting. Overall quite a tame record, and I find John's voice quite lacking of power which makes it a bit boring to listen. Not a big fan. This ends up on the lower end of the middle spectrum for me.
This album grew on me. From being bored the first time and forgetting about it I tried listening to it again and found it had something. That something might turn in to something memorable but after 2 listens I can’t remember how any of the songs actually went. The only song I recognized was “Paris 1919” but I have no clue from where. I feel like this could grow on me as it had a fun and whimsical sound but I have spent enough time with it for now. Mid 3.
This was a solid folk rock album with some pretty melodies and catchy songs! I would definitely give this a listen again in the future and recommend it to others!
Ihan hauska, vähän hiljainen torventöräyksistä huolimatta. Boheemielämän kaipuu kuuluu, vaikka kivasti ei silleen halolla päähän. Eurooppa vaan on romanttinen, ei kai sille mahda mitään, ja jos siitä teemalevyn tekee, se kuulostaa ennalta-arvattavalta äänimaailmassaan, vaikka olisi pikku vitsiä mukana. Mutta jääkö tämä mieleen?
Muuntuu tekotaiteellisesta ykkösestä melkein heti sympaattiseksi kolmoseksi. Temppu jos mikä. Iskevistä melodioista on apua.
Prima muziek
Incredibly inconsistent - but there is something here. Closer to 3.5 than 4, though.
Troligtvis 3. Hade kunnat bli högre utan hanky panky nohow...
Not particularly my thing. Probably an album that requires more than one listen
Trevlig skiva och lyssning. Tappar lite under andra halvan, med undantag för Paris 1919. Kul med orkester och stråkarna. Stark trea.
This is fine. A worthy inclusion, but not something I’ll likely be back to.
This was nice but nothing amazing. Fun fact, the version of Hallelujah from Shrek is John Cale but the album version is not the John Cale. The cover isn’t on this album but I just thought it was fun to point out.
This was a very pleasant but forgettable listen
01) Child's Christmas in Wales - 6,0 02) Hanky Panky Nohow - 5,5 03) The Endless Plain of Fortune - 6,0 04) Andalucia - 7,5 05) Macbeth - 6,5 06) Paris 1919 - 7,0 07) Graham Greene - 6,5 08) Half Past France - 6,5 09) Antarctica Starts Here - 6,0 TOTAL: 6,39 (64/100) Current ranking: 401/549
What a change of pace from recent albums in this collection, both temporally and tonally. I'm not sure I've ever really listened to John Cale's music before, and didn't realize he was a co-founder of The Velvet Underground until I read the Wikpedia entry. As I listened to the album, I was struck by how *un*-Velvet-Underground it sounds, and how you'd never guess that Cale was apparently very experimental and wide-ranging both before and after this album; "Paris 1919" seems very much the opposite of any of those things, with lush but fairly tepid songs and no hint of drones or "lunatic" flourishes. In many ways the song titles are the best aspect of this album for me, although I did enjoy the harder-rock "Macbeth", the Beatles-esque title track "Paris 1919", and the mildly-quirky "Graham Greene" more than the others. And I suspect the lyrics are a *lot* more interesting with repeated playback (or so the glowing reviews would suggest).
Fun.
Liked that this sounded like he had a whole orchestra with him, the endless pain of fortune & Paris 1919 stood out
Good
Too slow for my taste. Good songs. But can't really listen to them on repeat.
Not much to comment, was okay.
I don't know how to feel about this one. I don't hate it but I don't love it either. Nothing grabs me.
I'm not entirely sure what to make of this album. I guess it's pleasant enough. The meaning of the lyrics are beyond me. It's average I guess. Best track: Macbeth.
Okay album. Macbeth was a pretty fun track, but writing this a few days after having listened I don't recall being really wow'd by much else.
Nice album. More straightforward than I'd expect from someone from Velvet Underground, but I enjoyed it. 3.25/5
Not bad, not... enthralling?
Hmm, not at all what I expected from John Cale. Very approachable, dare I say, poppy melody here... That being said, it lacks a certain something. Seems kind of dispassionate. Well performed, just not having much that draws me in and makes me want to listen to it more.
This one is a bit of a rollercoaster for me. It starts off so incredibly mid. Like impressively mid. And then the middle of the album is actually quite good? The instruments are definitely what carry it, but the steel guitar, the drum work, and the orchestral instruments all work really well (in the songs that they're in). But the end of the album gets all weird and, consequently, really bad. It's really hard for me to rate because of those massive swings in quality. I'm just going to average it out to about a 3. It's definitely on the low end, because the mid isn't interesting and the bad is pretty damn bad. I would listen to the middle of the album again, though. Favorite Song(s): Andalucia, Paris 1919
sounded like the beatles? it was fine.
i'm no longer confident that john cale was in velvet underground because he sounds like the sixth beatle here. the early 70s orchestral pop-rock sound works here, and with only a few real duds. it's a 3.5 for me but i'm rounding down because i had a velvet underground album recently and it was awful. thanks a lot, john. favorites: hanky panky nohow, andalucia, macbeth, paris 1919, half past france, antarctica starts here
I guess this month we are getting the solo albums from the Velvet Underground members after getting Lou Reed like a week ago. I found that album to be a lot more compelling and emotional than anything this album offers. I did like Paris 1919 and Graham Greene, but most of this album was pretty standard stuff from the late 60s. For an album in 1973, there wasn't nearly as much evolution as what Reed demonstrated.
i didn't realize this was the guy from charli xcx's song house, which is really interesting, since this album has a VERY different feel from that project. this is very english, very chill, very goofy
A cup of coffee, a cigarette and a time machine back to 1919.
Perfectly middle of the road. I enjoyed the use of the orchestra, but it’s largely forgettable in the grand scheme of things.
This was better than I expected from a 70s album with psychedelic tags
No está mal, mejor la segunda cara que la primera. Me guardo "Paris 1919" y me gusta como termina "Antarctica Starts Here". Se va llevar 3 estrellas, aunque es más bien un 2,5.
Good story telling. Half-past Paris made me think
I felt like I should know who this is, but I didn't. I guess I need to listen to more Velvet Underground. Macbeth and Paris 1919 are kind of interesting and Graham Greene has an unexpected Reggae twist. Overall, this is a thoroughly average album that seems to be trying hard to sound like the Beatles. Nice enough to listen to, nothing bad, nothing great.
like a really, REALLY watered down version of the songwriting on the TVU self-titled. very grateful this isn't longer than 30 minutes but Paris 1919 is wonderful
First half was very mid, 2nd half became better
a bit too folksy for my taste but there were good times here, and wtf happened at the end there?
Film musik
Schöne Songs aus den 70ern in einer Mischung aus Beatles und Bob Dylan. Bester Song ist „The Endless Plan of Fortune“
This was one that didn't stand out as spectacular in any real aspect. Paris 1919 was a standout though. The brass and strings chanting out the beat broken down into a winds and strings chorale. Good writing and execution. Other tracks were forgettable or even unlistenable (Macbeth).
Yeah enjoyed it!
Wildly imaginative, lyrical and conceptual. John Cale puts more into pop than meets the eye. At times, however, the album seemed trite and predictable. The production is immaculate for the time. The title track is the best. 3.75/5
Damn, I love it when I get an album I've never heard. Just look at this rascal... you can tell this guy knows his way around a clit. There's a 100% chance a few of these less jaunty songs will make it onto my "the kids aren't home" (aka boner jamz) playlist.
Quite a nice listen-to
20/02/25
The hook in the title track feels like a rip off of Mrs Robinson by Simon & Garfunkel. This was fun and had some cool instrumental moments as well some pretty interesting lyrics.
Yeah not bad, still waiting for Steely Dan.
Album cover looked cool but the music did not fit, still alright overall tho
A nice surprise of an album
Some good, some boring...that's a 3 for me. I thought the title track (Paris 1919) had a similar sound to an Electric Light Orchestra song, which I really liked. Graham Greene is a funky track. Last song sucked. Overall, pretty good classic rock album.
Meh, short enough to scrape a 3
Beautifully arranged baroque pop. Pleasant and charming. The songs are mostly short and sweet. I like that. Just because the arrangements are elaborate, doesn’t mean the songwriting has to be or that the songs should be drawn out. Nothing overstays its welcome here. I know John Cale because he was in The Velvet Underground for their first two albums. Very different style here and interesting to see where he went with a solo career versus where Lou Reed went.
John Cale's got a really smooth, round, and overall enjoyable vocal tone. The instrumentation behind him is interesting- with some surprising orchestral moments, and mostly standard folk type songwriting structures. While it's a mostly passive / smooth listening sort of sound, I did enjoy the moments where songs were more dynamic, like "The Endless Plain Of Fortune" has that great outtro with strings giving you what feels like the end of a movie score. The title track was also really nice and reminded me of a Beatles song with the stabbing staccato strings and tuba giving us a percussive bass line.
Was a little hard to get into his voice reminds me of the singer of Kraftwerk. It’s a light 3/5
totally not what i expected and all this time now I know what he sounds like LOL interesting listen
It was fine
Fine
Interessant. Bisschen hit or miss
I asked AI to write my 3 star review using the keywords from the global reviews. Paris 1919 by John Cale is an interesting solo album that showcases his versatility beyond his work with the Velvet Underground. The orchestral arrangements add a beautiful, baroque vibe to the tracks, and the lyrics are fine, though not particularly memorable. While some songs have a cool and catchy folk influence, others tend to be slow and a bit boring. Overall, the album offers a pleasant and accessible experience, but it might feel too familiar and meh for some listeners. It's a fine listen, though not as groundbreaking or fun as Cale's work with Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground. Fave: Paris 1919
An interesting and unique album but didn’t capture my attention much
Perfectly harmless
I didn’t mind this, but didn’t love it either. I think one of the reviews nailed it when it stated that Cale sounds a lot like Ringo Starr at times. Anyway, I found it somewhat enjoyable, but thought it was a three for me on the low end.
John Kaali John Pork haha!
Some odd choices on here, but also some very nice interesting pieces too.
1973: A great year for music. Distinctly introspective, clever, and well writ, John Cale puts on a unique performance from his other work and especially that of the Velvet Underground. Worth revisiting for more perspective 3.5/5 Hailee's friend Wendall dated him that's crazy.
Wanted to like it more. Will have another listen.
Eh? It was pretty decent, but nothing amazing. I really liked "The Endless Plain of Fortune" and "Antarctica Starts Here".
Jeg har hørt albummet mindst 2 gange.. Men det lider godtnok under at være gennemsnitlig på denne liste.
Singer songwriter stuff just isn't for me but this is clearly a good example of it. I could easily listen again, just won't seek it
nice rocky sound
sympa mais sans plus
Nothing too standout.
pleasant enough.
Title track is a keeper. Other than that, was kinda bored.
Nothing stood out.
what the hell sure
this was an odd one, gonna have to form an opinion on this later
Pre-listening thoughts: another Welsh singer. Need the Welsh to step up their game Post/during listening thoughts: this is fine. Unremarkable foot tapping at best. I have almost no feelings towards this but I wouldn’t complain if someone turned it on. 5/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: no Fav tracks: Child’s Christmas in Wales, Macbeth Least fav tracks: Graham Greene, Antarctica Starts Here
Solid album. Classic 70s feel. Middle of the road.
El men de Hallelujah. Esta decente pero un poco repetitivo el ritmo?
just okay, was expecting more.
This is realy REALLY odd since it came soon after Velvet Underground and sounds so British despite being recorded in California. Can't say I like it much but I'm glad things like this got made way back then
This record is full of great moments, but fails to construct many great songs. His release "Fear" is more to my liking.
Not anything to hate here, but I just don’t see myself listening to this again.
John Cale was one of the first core members of the Velvet Underground the break off from the band. While Lou Reed would dabble in glam rock, art rock, and noise, Cale had a keen fascination with the baroque. Enlisting the UCLA Symphony Orchestra, Paris 1919 explores deeply melodic songs that delve into the world of high art and history before western popular music took hold. It's a pretty rich experience which might require re-listens in order to full appreciate it, especially given its relative complexity.
Quite enjoyed 3.8
It was ok. Pretty standard 70s classic rock. Reminiscent of older Pink Floyd. Probably won't revisit it, but I didn't hate it. I always wonder why it sounds like they recorded the vocals in a tin can.
I'd never heard of John Cale before I started this project, but I enjoyed The Velvet Underground and Nico more than I enjoyed their self-titled album they put out after John left, so I think there's a good chance I'll enjoy this album. I really don't know what to expect, but it's a tight thirty minutes, so if it's painful, at least it will be over quickly! I thought this album was fairly enjoyable. There was something about its sound that really reminded me of another artist, but I can't quite put my finger on who it that artist is. I think it's something about the vocals and how they're mixed that feels really familiar. Whatever the case is, I enjoyed the orchestral sounds of this album, and I liked John Cale's vocals too. The songwriting was a little too abstract for my tastes, but I was mostly focused on the arrangements, so it didn't take away from my enjoyment. "Child's Christmas In Wales" and "Paris 1919" were my favorite songs on the album, with the latter of those taking the cake for my overall favorite. "Adalucia" and "Half Past France" were pretty good too, but nothing else really held a candle to the title track on this album. The other songs that didn't stand out to me weren't bad; I thought they were fine, but they felt pretty standard for seventies art pop, and I didn't think there was anything particularly noteworthy about them. Overall, this album was fine, and it was interesting to listen to something from a member of Velvet Underground who isn't Lou Reed.
Had this on in the background while cleaning the house so it played like 3 times through. A few more songs grabbed my attention each time. Macbeth and Paris 1919 were the highlights for me.
This is interesting for the most part, some art rock with classical influences. But I can't say that it especially hooked me in any way.
Passed me by without much of an impression
Dramatic
Somber, has a reflective quality. Can be a bit of a drag but a wonderful drag at that.
This ended up being background music while I worked and nothing really grabbed me. Cale's work with VU is impressive and I would guess evident of the importance of Lou Reed's contributions. 3/5
Banale
It feels almost like Glenn Campbell went to France. Le passe
Ah, it’s fine. Nothing really set me on fire though
It was ok, some nice moments, but another one where I'm unsure why it's included on this list. I didn't consider turning it off, nor would I seek it out again for a re-listen. That has got 3 stars written all over it.
спокойный радиохед но в стиле кантри 5/10
Un album lyrique mais incarné. Pop efficace.
Listen again someday ?
Ah, here we are in Paris. The Great War has ended. Come sit with me in this little bistro just off Rue Américain and tell me tales of German imperialism and la musique de la monde... Boyz II Menu: Starter: ▪️John kale soup dragons garnished with Elvis parsley Main: 🔸k. d. langoustine Side dishes: 🔹Alan parsnips project 🔹Death cabbage for cutie 🔹My chemical romaine lettuce 🔹Bruce spring bean 🔹Brian Eno ki mushroom 🔹De la salsify 🔹Godley and creamed korn 🔹Fiona Apple Corrs 🔹Nat King Coleslaw Drinks list: ▫️Coctail twins ▫️Kool-ade & the gang ▫️Flat white stripes ▫️Panic! at the pisco sour Bon appetit!
I would describe most of this as gentle, slightly sappy orchestral rock that didn't really make me feel one way or the other in terms of enjoyment. Those kinds of albums usually warrant a 2/5 from me, and normally this would be no exception. But then we arrive at the killer title track, with its infectious string arrangement and excellent "la-la" singalong hook, and my rating is raised (almost singlehandedly) to a 3/5. Child's Christmas In Wales is another strong track for its festive carol-esque sound. Notable instruments on several tracks include the glowing strings and organs, as well as the simple yet expressive bass and drums. But the weaker tracks definitely bring this down. The song Macbeth has little to show aside from the horrible mixing of an already fairly weak vocal, plus some brash electric guitars to drown the guy's voice out. Hanky Panky Nohow and The Endless Plain Of Fortune bring out Cale's voice more clearly but the compositions (and the voice itself) are nothing to write home about. 3/5 Key tracks: Child's Christmas In Wales, Paris 1919
Een kabbelend gitaartje, af en toe zwelt een orkest aan, af en toe krijgen we een lekker cuntry-achtige slide gitaar erbij of juist een elektrische, waarbij de drummer ook een opleving krijgt. Ome John loopt als een te laat geboren troubadour wat hardop te mijmeren met z'n heldere, hoge stem. Af en toe slaat 'ie de plank volledig mis en pakt 'ie een halve toon te laag, maar in de zeventiger jaren mocht dat nog. Bij track 5 is het even rocken geblazen, om daarna weer het theater in te duiken met een staccato pianootje en wederom een orkest erbij. Ik kan me hier geen bult aan vallen. Voorzichtig geschat ben ik dit overmorgen alweer vergeten, maar in het kader van deze lijst is het soms al lekker als je je niet hoeft te ergeren aan een album. 31 minuut 31 totale lengte, met toch flink wat afwisseling. John heeft gewoon strak werk afgeleverd. Ik weet niet of ik hem zou aanraden aan familie of vrienden, maar ik ben niet ontevreden. Drietje.
Ég veit eiginlega ekki hvað mér á að finnast. Ég næstum því zone:aði út þegar ég var að hlusta og það var ekkert sem greip mig en það var heldur ekkert slæmt við hana. Hún bara var. Þess vegna auðgleymanleg þótt ég hafi ekkert á móti henni
3.5/5
This was nice and not at all what I thought it was going to be, John Cale's Welsh accent makes everything sound lovely, worth a listen.
I enjoyed this one rather well, and was unaware of it until yesterday.
I liked this one just OK, not sure baroque pop is to my taste.
3.5/5
Enjoyable as a whole, though I'm not crazy about any of the individual songs outside of the opener.
Pleasant
Endless Plain rules.
Early 70s baroque pop that doesn't really pull be in though I admire it's ambition.
Graham Green was my favorite song on this album.
More fun than I initially expected but very 70s folk
An unagitated album that played in the background without any conspicuous features. Not bad, but not remarkable either. At two points, John Cale's voice reminded me of John Watts from Fisher-Z. 3/5
Nothing memorable here, but nothing to dislike either.
It was nice to have an album from the early 70s recently that wasn’t totally unremarkable. This had some fun tracks like Macbeth to counteract being somewhat forgettable overall.
Po pire
3 at best—it’s probably a stretch. You’d think the historical and literary references would draw me in, but I just couldn’t stay focused. Not sure what else to say—it floated by like arty wallpaper.
Not that exciting. Like Kale. John Kale.
Apparently a part of Velvet Underground. It says rock and pop here, but Spotify sees it as baroque pop too, so I must like this. Many people didn't like it tho, too slow and forgettable. Things is some of them also said that it's a grower and I might just listen to this album twice to fully get the vibe, because ik that first listen is never how I'll perceive the album in the future. First song, fun start I suppose. Not a remarkable voice he has. The lyrical delivery is really good in the chorus. His vocals suck too badly. Sonically it's quite nice to hear. It's missing something tho, this song is definitely a grower, but I don't really wanna hear it again, it's not for me. Second song, slow already? His voice sounds much better here, but the song is boring. Probably the worst example of baroque pop. It's not catchy or I interesting in any way, just a basic fake-sad song. For example mitski makes me sad even after a happy song, and this one would never do that unless I'm already depressed. I just need a context and it a better production. Third song, I mean isn't this literally the same vibe. Sonically it's reaaally good and the instrumental fusion is quite nice, but that's it. The violins are the best part actually. It's progressing love that, ohhh it just got better, it's giving Divine. Because of that part I'll add it to my playlist. Outro must do the same I hope. YESSS as I said he did the same at the end, it's kinda dry, but from Cale I can't expect more. 4th song, this is weirdly catchy, I think because of the way he sings. Song is quite country I must say. It's too long, but when he says Andalucia I like the song again. 5th song, finally an upbeat start. Sounds like Beatles. It's too basic of a rock song tbh, there's no good lyrical delivery and it's kinda dry in general, but I do like that he changed up the game a little. Outro is long af. He could've done more in that matter. 6th song, oooh already a very catchy start. The verse isn't as good as it should be, but I kinda like it. The chorus increased the violin sound, also it's a fun one. Vibe fully changed and it's naturey, I think it's bridge, but only sonically. It was fine, but it's missing smth as always. 7th song, lyrically catchy. He's telling a story where I'm the main character I think. Chorus has a background vocals for help, which makes it better, but not the best. He can do better than this song. Chorus was the best part especially the way he sang it, but still not it. 8th song, there was not a single unique sound used I think, that would make like the song at the very least. These are just Beatles songs if they were bad. Cole must have better albums than this I bet, and I hope I'll be able to check them through this. The outro was kinda touching, but not in the way I wanted. 9th song, this one's familiar because of the beat. He's whispering? That's different, though idk if it's good or bad. It was slowly progressing and after finishing the talking the rock part came in and kind of made the whole thing better, it does have a vibe of a last song on the album. Songs usually just faded away at the end, almost every one of them here, which is quite expected in this era. I wanted more, baroque pop is one of my favourite genres and only Florence and the Machine do it one of the best. Cole doesn't have that kind of a voice nor the production, but he still could have done a looot more with the album than whatever this was. Because of the fact that I like the genre and he's from Velvet and that the songs weren't a total disaster, I'm gonna rate it 3 stars. I doubt if I'll listen to this again today, maybe someday as a nostalgic come together, though I added some songs, so I'll have them in rotation probably.
A couple cool tracks, but kidna boring and reductive. Has much better work elsewhere.
Meh, I did not get a lot of this. Overall fine. Maybe I missed something.
3☆/5 07.21.2024
lofar góðu, aðra umferð! 3,5.
Неплохо, неплохл
Tbh, ni fu ni fa
To make sure I wasn't hearing things, while I was listening I had to google "John Cale" "Paris 1919" "Here Come the Warm Jets". And then to make sure I wasn't hearing things, while I was listening later I had to google "John Cale" "Paris 1919" "twee".
I checked out another John Cale album which I liked a good deal better. This one was decent with some cool stuff on it.
middle calm ok
Wow. Short. Only ~32 minutes. It's a mix of art rock with orchestral pop in a pretty cool way. The music is interesting, though some songs feel a bit too "over" produced, if that makes sense? It's a good album, but I couldn't quite connect for some reason. Gave it a double shot too.
Highlights: Andalucia, Macbeth, Paris 1919. In a nutshell: dream-like, poetic and whimsical. Could this album be one of the precursors to yacht rock? It does mix baroque pop and chamber pop too. I think it's an album that needs repeat listens to appreciate, which I sadly didn't have enough time to do. I'll come back to it. Overall: 5/10
Ожидал шарма Парижа - не нашёл.
I liked the album length. Apart from that it was fine. Chilled out vibes except for Macbeth. Also I think this is the first time I've been the first to review an album. High 3.
Mid. Not bad 6/10
6/10 - It was alright. It was sort of nice to listen to but nothing stood out to me as great or as terrible. I would not play the album again since there are just songs I like more.
Parts reminded me of simon and garfunkel, but a little goofier. Didn't like it that much, but not offensively bad
Bueno
Interessante. Daqueles discos que você ouve e não cansa os ouvidos. As músicas são suaves e muito melódicas.
This album gets redeemed by it's second half. Pacing was just completely wrong. Some of these more upbeat songs should've been at the start rather than only at the end
It's poetic, it's well written, but it leaves me cold for some reason.
Uneven; it started well enough, but by the fourth song I was dreading finishing the album. Even as the songs got better, those few tainted the collection.
Okay music, rough vocals.
It was fine. Not my thing.
Nothing to see here.
I know this is supposed to be a masterpiece but outside of the more upbeat songs I don't find this to be something I crave to listen to again. It is constantly pitched to me on streaming platforms in the past and I skip after a few seconds. great musicians involved but just seems maybe too smart for me.
Started off not knowing wtf I was listening to but it got better… not amazing, just better
I’ll bet he thought “Andalucia, when can I see ya?” was a really clever line. He was wrong. 3 because it’s not actively bad, just boring.
I listened to the song Paris 1919 constantly in 2020, and one day I will do a very over the top karaoke of it. I love that song to death, but hand listened to the rest of the album. I enjoyed the rest, but the only other song that stuck out was The Endless Plain of Fortune. Album cover: B+
I can't quite give it a 4 but I want to.
This was okay. Nothing stood out at me.
Not bad, but this kind of music leaves me cold.
Here it goes…..lalalalalalalala Naja 1 velvet underground punkt
It's fine. Not terrible, but I won't listen to it again. Just sounded like your stereotypical 70s soft rock.
Good, or at least alright.
This felt pretty boring and unremarkable. Personal enjoyment: 3/5 Relevance to this list: 3/5
I thought this was a very pretty album
Chilled out easy listening, and he has a nice voice
3.5
This really didn't do much for me. A couple of great tracks, and a few tracks where his voice is straight up annoying.
Got about halfway through and got bored. Better than Elvis Costello Lou reed and Neil young. But that’s not hard. I like Cale. But should this be here? 2.5.
The music, a mix of folky orchestral art rock is very good, as are the catchy songs. Cale, unfortunately, is not the most gifted of singers, so the end result is a little amateur sounding, but still enjoyable enough.
This was ok, better in subsequent listens listens but still not quite hitting the spot. Velvet underground was better than the sum of its parts I guess.
The title track is a clear standout, and accompanied the reading of the Wikipedia pages on the 1919 Paris Peace Accords well. None of the tunes were bad or tedious they just didn't hook me in much.
Some parts good, some parts less so. Listenable enough.