Reviews (page 6 of 7)
An odd album. It was ok but nothing great.
Was quite looking forward to this but it's a terrible opening couple of tracks. Slightly picks up on the third track, and Macbeth injects some energy, but it's mostly boring ploddy shite. Its such a huge disappointment, as I thought John Cale is like, a classically trained musician? So I expected at least good musicianship but the compositions are so basic, I don't understand what its trying to do, and I don't understand why this list is so full of these boring, boring albums??
I think one of his more experimental albums would have been a more interesting pick. This was very plain, and I don’t like his voice anyways, so maybe there was no saving it…
It’s been less that 24 hours and I cannot remember a single thing about it
John Cale is a founding member of the Velvet Underground and his musical chops are undisputed, but I found this solo album to be largely forgettable. I expected something a little more avant garde and interesting, but the music is fairly bland and the lyrics sound muddy.
Honestly tried to give this one a listen but I kept finding myself thinking of other things. I was not able to get into the music at all and couldn't even tell you what it sounded like. Pretty forgettable, nothing distinct.
Boring. Not anything standing out
There are some nice baroque pop textures as well as a song called Hanky Panky Nohow but is it really essential? Nope, not even for the hanky panky nohow.
Soothing production, but too many songs that just wander aimlessly.
MacBeth is OK. Paris 1919 is OK. The rest gives me hope that I, with absolutely no musical talent, can make an album that would be included in someone's 1001 must listen-to's. 2/5 snoozer LOL it gets worse 1/5
Not my taste in music
I'm sorry, I tried, but the only thing consistent about this album is how awful John Cale's vocals are.
The music wasn't terrible, but the lyrics INCENSED me. Absolute naff.
I wasn’t likely to enjoy this from the get go as it is a genre I don’t generally care for. I know this is considered his masterpiece- but even accounting for taste I don’t really get it. Apart from the title song, the songs just weren’t very good. They often sounded like Flight of the Conchords parody songs to me.
Not bad to listen to on a slow Tuesday evening, but would make any other time of day feel like one. I enjoyed the guitar versions of the songs at the end more than the originals l.
Meh
Aika hajuton ja mauton oli tämä Jonne Kaali. Levystä ei jäänyt oikein mitään mieleen.
Wasn’t a fan this. Very forgettable. Stand-outs - Antarctica Starts Here
Sort of psychedelic whimsical croonery pop I think. Went by quickly but I think because it was short and nothing appealed rather than being enjoyable.
It was alright. Quite baroque. Thinks he has a lot to say. Paris 1919 was the best track. Really not as entertaining as his Velvet Underground stuff. I don't think I'd like him if I met him in a pub.
Hmm, not my thing
Decent album but didn’t leave much of an impression on me.
A really hard listen for me, I can appreciate the musical ability and the genre of which this is and the artistic side, but it doesn’t feel an enjoyable listen. I tried a number of songs, half past France and Paris are probably the only ones I listened to all the way through without wanting to turn them off. Again just a hard listen, maybe a listen for another time.
Chipping Sodbury mentioned, big up all my South West mandem
Generally pretty insipid i think. Considering he's supposed to be the more experimental one from the Velvet underground this is surprisingly boring. I did enjoy Graham Greene quite a lot, good drums and nice angular music, but the rest didn't really deliver.
This guy has a very soothing and relaxing voice. Not really sure what this album is all about - hanky panky and cocaine?? Didn’t know he was a velvet underground guy which is very cool and makes this album make sense in its experimental nature.
Some fun beats but didn’t love his voice.
I had high hopes for this but it was an absolute snooze fest. I'll choose to continue to associate Cale with Velvet Underground, Nico, The Stooges, and Patti Smith, thank you.
Nah, no me copó. 3/10
This was pretty awful. I love the Velvet Underground albums but never heard and of John Cale’s solo work until this. Nothing spectacular or unique about this. Struggled to a 2.
A little to obtuse to fit my taste.
Tycker hans album efter det här är helt okej, men det här var ganska määh, några bra textrader till trots
Är uttråkad och orkar inte ge den en till chans.
Better than I was expecting; I was ready to tear this album to shreds. Cales voice is noticeably weak at times and didn't have the range to carry some of the ideas. But he had ideas, at least. It's a 2.5 from me.
Bit dull
Reminds me of a goofier pre-DSOTM Pink Floyd. Silly. Nice orchestrations.
Easy option of an album to remove.
John Cale was in the Velvet Underground. This is supposed to be his most accessible album. Kind of meh...
No standouts
It’s agreeable, but not much more than that.
I do not know why to sit. Not bd, but nothing stands out as a good or bad song since I already forgot the vibe.
Not very memorable, I mean , I listened, but I don’t remember much.
Considering this guy was such a key member in one of the most groundbreaking bands of all time, I was really expecting more. This album really has nothing that any Velvet Underground project does, ultimately feeling like a super generic and even almost soulless release following the stereotype of "band member makes mediocre solo album after breakup."
maybe it was because I'm hungry but this album irritated me
Too old, white, male
i listened to this like two days ago and can't for the life of me remember what it sounded like, but i saved a handful of tracks to spotify so it must have been at least ok? 2.5
Wasn’t sure what to expect with this, and not overly sure what I listened to in all honesty. Not a bad album, but didn’t do much for me. Certainly didn’t hate it, but nothing stood out for me… although Antarctica Starts Here probably was my favourite track.
2.22
I've often wondered what John Cale's output sounded like post VU. I found this a little disappointing, too accessible, too normal even. It was pleasant to listen to, but I won't be replaying it I feel. Two stars.
This one is hard to rate. Goes between a 3 and a 2. He has a nice voice, but the songs are hit or miss. The Endless Plain Of Fortune had some good music. Andalucia was nice and chill. Macbeth rocked on. Graham Greene was good. The rest was kinda whatever. Antarctica seemed like it had something going, but he was like whispering through the entire song. Another album that wants to appear more "artsy" than it is. Best song: The Endless Plain Of Fortune
Ugh. Wow. This guy really sucks as a singer. It’s painful and distracting, and I find myself chuckling in disbelief as I listen at work today. He does remind me of someone who might write children’s nursery rhymes, where the listeners (victims) are less likely to notice his many vocal flaws. Stay in your lane Cale. Stick to the kid’s table.
I found this album to be very bland.
Andalucia
I really didn’t like this. Giving it a 1 feels extreme bc I sense the man has some talent. But this wasn’t for me. I feel like I want to give it a one, but I will give it some credit. As one review said. Definitely some goofy English stuff lol.
Some of the most vanilla singer-songwriter stuff I've ever heard. At times he's doing an Elton John impression, then inexplicably, he has a single song that sounds like a .38 Special southern rock show. There's also elements of classical music sprinkled throughout. This album has a major identity crisis; it's all over the place musically and suffers because of it. 2/5
Nope. I like lyrics that make some kind of sense to me. I suppose this is poetry? Way over my head. The music isn’t bad but lacks movement and isn’t interesting enough to make up for my annoyance over the lyrics.
Fun but not fun. 2/5.
Never heard of this guy, and not sure I'll know any of these songs. meh, didn't even really give it a chance. 2 stars
Somehow self-indulgent and forgettable at the same time.
After “Hanky Panky Nohow”, I was done with this collection of questionable poetry put to music.
It’s clear from listening to this that John Cale is a huge fan of this album. But me, not so much. Some stuff to enjoy but otherwise pretty plodding and dull.
< the Beatles Love velvet underground but why is he trying to be a Beatle?
Quite possibly the twoiest two that has ever dared to two. I can only imagine this was deemed "relevant" because it's the British dude from The Velvet Underground.
I’d be interested in the conversation they had to decide this has to be on the list. I’d be curious what was the selling point that made this a must listen. The only thing I could find redeemable was it was short enough not to make me annoyed I was listening to it.
Nothing to say really, it’s a guy that used to be in critic favourite VU doing a record that wouldn’t have stood out in the year it came out. Absolutely forgettable 2 Star
C'est tellement fade et molasse que j'ai l'impression d'écouter du pain blanc.
English milquetoast. Even the more energetic tracks felt dull and lifeless. Maybe there's something deeper there. And I'll fully admit there might be. I'm just not inclined after this first listen to give it a second. Solid 2.
Pedestrian
Not much to say about this one. Not bad, but forgettable. Like a 2.25 out of 5
Quite obscure, very British, a little Beatles-esque Fav song: Paris 1919
"Highly melodic songs with arcane and complex lyrics" says Wikipedia... I would agree. This is an unusual album, and I'll not sure I'll be returning to it, but I welcome the addition to my musical knowledge - I hadn't really paid attention to how John Cale fitted in to *things* although I knew the name. Anyway, it's interesting that Lou Reed saw him as the wacky one, because this particular album seemed very gentle. Wacky in a spacy sense, I guess, but not musically challenging or avant-garde. I didn't gel with it, unfortunately. A bit too whimsical, perhaps, and it was definitely dragging for me, by the end.
Boring ahhh hell so far
Hey cool, Okkervil River covered one of these songs.
1919 seems like it’d have been a weird year to be in Paris.
4/10
Beatles if they were boring
solid 2
Not as weird as I want from Cale
Fairly melodic album. Soft singing style. Most the songs on the album up to the title song were similar. Paris 1919 introduced a new set of instruments - felt more like a musical song ( possibly the name, use of trumpets too - made me feel of Les Mis). I did enjoy the song as a different pace But the rest of the album didn’t do enough for me to warrant another listen
Paris 1919 Who knew this guy founded The Velvet Underground and is bloody Welsh!! First track is Steffs festive anthem, without a doubt. This guy is the real deal, has produced and been involved with many of the all time great records, though for me, his solo tracks are meh, obviously vibes with the synergy of collaborators. The track Hanky Panky Nohow… enough said. Lyrics like “Andalusia, when will I see ya” make me want to punch myself. ⭐️⭐️
We have Sergeant Peppers at home
Maybe it was because I only had access to the Deluxe Version, but this thing went on and on. At first I was like hey this is kinda neat, but only a few tracks had something interesting going on. It's meandering and too artful for my liking. I noticed that this guy is from Velvet Underground and friends with Andy Warhol, so this trying to be very arty makes sense (nothing against those things, just the vibe I pick up)
Generic as hell.
This wasn’t terrible. That said, it was so forgettable I had to skip through and sample Sunday night to even remember what I listened to on Friday. 2.5/5
I thought I was listening to the B-side outtake sessions of Spinal Tap’s Cups And Cakes/Flower People era…and then I realized this was written as a serious work. Yikes.
This sounded like a saltine cracker and I have never felt so white listening to this. The title track was a little interesting. The rest fell quite flat for me. Parts of it sounded familiar but not as good as what it reminded me of.
Better than Velvet Underground but still not my thing.
M/v
Assez éclectique entre rock, pop, un peu vibe Elton John par moment, pas un gros kiff particulièrement j'ai eu du mal à rentrer dedans
I really wanted to like this, but I was just bored the whole time. It's typical 1970's easy listening pop rock. meh.
Listened Before? N This reminded me of the Beatles later stuff and the Beach Boys. It was okay, but I'll stick to the bigger acts. It was easy to listen to, but just not all that unique - especially by the time it was released in the 70's. Not sure why I needed to hear it. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Paris 1919
This was ok, but not sure why on this list again.
Pues ni bien ni mal, ole por andalucia colaboracion especial con marge sipson al final de locos. Tiene algo sutil el disco que lo hace mas agradable que desagradable
point5.
Correcto
I admire Cale for being kicked out of the VU because he wanted to be less commercial (than, say Heroin?!?). But this is like listening to Wings knowing that McCartney wanted to do better than the Beatles
Why? Just why?
Hmmm...I don't think so...2
It was alright but I'm not fussed about listening to it again
It's certainly an album
This was a bland nothing burger, with extra mayonnaise.
This album is a double bland supreme with a side of meh.
Why does John Cale sound like Ringo on some of these tracks?
Just because you’re a founding member of the Velvet Underground doesn’t mean your solo stuff requires special consideration.
2/5, not my fav.
no para mi
Meh
Didn't love it. The music wasn't bad, but it didn't grab me at all.
Sounds like he would make great jingles for 60's or 70's sofa stores. Not my freshly ground mug of coffee.
His voice was nice and the songs are well executed, this just wasn't my flavour of crack
Some songs are overly serious and dreary. The album picks up with "Macbeth". and "Paris 1919". But other tracks are just a waste of time: "Half Past France", for example, rambles on.
Das Album Paris 1919 wurde in den Sunwest Studios in Los Angeles aufgenommen. John Cale, gebürtiger Waliser und bekannt für seine Rolle als Mitbegründer von The Velvet Underground, bewegt sich auf dieser Veröffentlichung im Bereich des Art Rock mit orchestralen und popnahen Elementen. Musikalisch zeigt sich das Album deutlich strukturierter als frühere Arbeiten von Cale. Songs wie „Child’s Christmas in Wales“, „Andalucía“ und der Titeltrack „Paris 1919“ gelten als besonders einprägsam und prägen den Charakter der Platte. Die Arrangements, die unter anderem mit einem Kammerorchester eingespielt wurden, schaffen eine klare Abgrenzung zu experimentelleren Werken des Künstlers. Inhaltlich setzt sich das Album mit historischen und literarischen Motiven auseinander. Dabei bleibt der Ton eher nüchtern als emotional, was der musikalischen Dichte des Albums jedoch nicht entgegensteht. Paris 1919 ist ein gut produziertes, in sich geschlossenes Werk, das Cales musikalisches Gespür für klassische Strukturen und persönliche Themen gleichermaßen zeigt.
The title track is a genuinely lovely, wonderful, charming baroque pop song. If only the rest of the album was as good.
Kind of like that album by The Beach Boys drummer, or all of Morrisey’s solo work - just because you were part of something great doesn’t mean that you are great.
This is kind of weird, with barely intelligible words, but the melodies were nice.
Aquí tenemos a John Cale, miembro fundador de The Velvet Underground, componiendo baladas de art-rock de la forma más pop (accesible) de la que es capaz. Me ha gustado especialmente la instrumentación, muy orquestal a veces y, en general, muy placentera. Por lo demás, la voz es nefasta, la producción algo mediocre, y las composiciones nada del otro mundo. Lo mejor del álbum son las letras, que, aunque algo abstractas, son muy interesantes y tratan temas muy diversos: lugares, momentos tanto históricos (la conferencia por la paz de París) como personales, y todo ello mezclado con referencias poéticas y literarias. P. D. ¿Qué les pasa a los cantautores de los 60 y 70 con Andalucía? Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Jim Morrison y ahora John Cale. Agradezco el interés, pero no lo termino de entender.
#613. Honestly just sounds super generic. What and/or who is it for? Did they play this, or anything like it, on the radio? What is the scenario in which an album like this would be played, outside of observing it like this for inspection? 2/5: why?
Meh. It just sounds 70s. It's not crap, but it just is what it is. I really only liked the closing track.
Not my cup of tea
Not really my cup of tea. It has that post-Beatles late 60s/early 70s melodramatic soft-psychedlic sound I've never been too big on, and John Cale's voice ain't all there for me. On the positive side, Child's Christmas in Wales, Macbeth, and Paris 1919 actually did hook me in a little bit.
Didn't notice a single thing about it.
Okay, not great.
Mostly forgettable.
Mid
Good for insomniacs.
Ergh, is this really one of the top albums ever made?? I can't understand this list
Thank god this was only a half hour long. The dreamy tone of this album is likely a draw for some of you, but it was not engaging to me.
wtf is this
little boring for me Will I listen to again: 2%
joonatan kaali! katso tämä oli mukana bändissä joka influentiaalinen... mahtavaaaaa eli täytyy lisätä soolotyöskentelyä vaikka ei millään tavalla erikoista heheh tai suosittua hihhelshuijahakkaa hehe! niin vitunn tärketä musikkihistoriaa koska oli mukana 60-luvun huumehörhöjen bändissä joka varasti musiikkia + vanha brittiläismies baby boomer type shi.. näitä täytyy saada lukuisasti lisää ja ei miten.. ei mikään kourallinen vaan satamäärin. harmaat häpsyt vaan riviin ja alkakaas laulamaan huonosti. ja joku kusinen rumpali sinne taakse ja jotain zappa wannabe bändiläisiä jotain saatanan ksylofonia pilputtamaan tai jotain... mahtavaa mahtavaa.. macbeth
Quite a bore.
I do like the Velvet Underground and some John Cale so this should be a pleasent experience. I hope. Haven't been so lucky here lately. first song was good enough second song is ok. weird chorus though. sadly for me this is sort of going by without leaving much of a mark. Andalucia is the best track so far macbeth is actually pretty interesting. they were clearly not as interested in making the song sound "refined". the whole song sounds like a take that made the final cut. probably my favourite so far. title track is good, and i can see why people like it. love the violin or whatever it is. but i just don't connect with it. i don't know yeah, i'm not loving this :( antarctica starts here might be one of the best moments here, but still not enough for me. this album is not bad. i just don't enjoy it. which does sadden me. i can see that some of the things done here might have been new for the time (1973 was a while back). or maybe i'm just not getting something at first listen. but this really just didn't impress me in any way. bye
Largely forgettable. Just kind of there. Fairly uninspired. Nothing that I would actively go out of my way to listen to. Not much more I can say really. There was some pretty okay guitar work here and there, and the vocals are pleasant enough. Title track was quite upbeat, as was 'Macbeth' and 'Half Past France' was probably the best of this slightly below average bunch. I can't see how this is on the list. It's not a bad album by any means, but it does absolutely nothing for me, it doesn't sound very groundbreaking for an album that came out in 1973 so I can't see what this album does that warrants an inclusion
Just background noise
Lite för bögigt för mig.
Meh. It would be more entertaining to occupy your head with a headcrab than this album
Hymns to listen to before heading to battle
I did not enjoy this. His voice is weak, the lyrics seemed parochial and rhe music was twee
I had never sat down and listened to anything by John Cale other than Velvet Underground. Not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn't this. A few songs (especially "The Endless Plain of Fortune") reminded me of a Welsh Warren Zevon. This is OK. I like "Half Past France." John Cale is obviously an important figure in the history of rock/popular music, but I am unable to see/hear why this was an album I needed to listen to before I died.
Showtunes for music snobs
Album 744 of 1001 John Cale - Paris 1919 (1973) Rating : 2.5 / 5 This album has been described as a "masterpiece of art rock, balancing experimentalism with accessibility". Interesting listen but sometimes feels like he's trying to ingratiate himself to a room full of literary scholars while forgetting the rest of us commoners.
waarom?
Not a favourite, although the album title indicates some sort of a theme or direction, I fail to find it, and then vocals are weak.
This one just doesn't appeal to me. It's a bit too mellow, and even the more upbeat tunes are rather boring.
I just could not get into this
So so
I didn't like Velvet Underground when they showed up and most of this sounds like if you let Velvet Underground flesh out the sound but also infused folk music. Not for me. Macbeth and Paris 1919 are pretty cool though.
I dont like the beach boys either 2.44
Another boring one :( 2/5
The phrase "hanky panky nohow" is so goofy I can't handle it. Otherwise this album is enjoyable 70s pop rock. Not mind blowing for me but I liked it.
interesting, not bad, but not my thing
Wusste gar nicht, was der John so gemacht hat. Er spielt auch schön Orgel!
Not great. I was finally getting some variety over the last couple weeks, but it seems the endless 70s are back Not bad: The Endless Plain of Fortune 2.5
Имаше некој коментар во рецензии, вели „добро е ова за слушање во бродска кабина“ и тоа е тоа накратко. Нема ништо впечатливо на албумот, уште еден од оние за кои не ми е јасно што бараат тука. Но сепак, не е неслушлив, не заслужува да ми стои во lowest rated секцијата. Можеби, си велам, има нешто кое што ќе го пронајдеш само ако копаш подлабоко, но ме мрзи да го правам тоа. Така што, final verdict нека биде 2/5.
Okay album. When I first saw the name, “Cale”, I thought I was in for JJ Cale. I guess I set my sights too high.
No, this is not my music. Quite boring and nothing really interesting on the album.
Man idk, it wasn't that bad but after a while I got sick of it. Lou reed is cooler
It made me kinda sleepy, but it's not bad. Just not for me
Sure, fine by me
A pair of songs are good
Literally so boring
It was ok. Standout songs: Andaluci Half past France
Pleasant and inoffensive. Macbeth stuck out to me the most, not because it's the best song on the album - far from it! - but purely because it woke me up between the rest.
2 Stars (5/15)
Paris 1919 is a pretty song but not very representative of the rest of the album. The album is alt/indie but doesn't really have anything notable other than the title track. It also didn't remind me of preconceived notions of what Paris in 1919 was like. Overall, meh.
Back to back baroque pop. I'll say this doesn't bode well, but I'll keep an open mind. Gotta say, by Andalucia this is the first album in a while that I am looking forward to being done. I'm not saying this is bad music, its just not working for me today. I'll try to give this an honest try another day, but for now this is a 2 for me. Will say that some of the arrangements are pretty intriguing. Graham Greene being one particular example.
Boring little album. Have a good day everyone. 2.5 stars
No. Just….no
Going to need to read about this one to really appreciate it.
Not a fan.
It was alright but nothing really grabbed me and I wouldn't be actively searching out any of these songs again. It was a short though which is always a blessing.
I certainly didn’t hate this but it left me with absolutely no impression
When Cale comes up with a tune, as on the title track, this is pretty fine. But too many tracks without one alas.
Ok but not too exciting/pleasing to my ear bones
Not my bag
Mehh
Nope - didn't like this, just seemed like a random collection of songs and I didn't like any of them
Pleasant but not for me
Paris 1919 - John Cale Best: Macbeth Worst: Hanky Panky Nohow Liked songs: 33%, 3/9 Mid 2 If there ever existed a boomer album this is it because I can so imagine my grandpa just jamming out to this while he watches wheel of fortune and the house actively burns down but his hearing aids aren't charged. If you want to know what it sounds like, the album cover is pretty representative of the album sound. It's nothing special but tolerable all around (besides the damn hanky panky song that one sucks). A weird phenomenon with it is that a lot of the songs, and especially the B-sides creep up so close to that arbitrary liked song requirement but just fall short. I also appreciate the loose concept about the treaty of Paris and ww1, but it's just that: loose. Overall, definitely not bad enough to be a 1, but not good enough to creep into the 3/net positive territory. It's whatever.
Smart album, but poorly executed. Think Simon and Garfunkel on heroin, but they let some rando in the studio do the vocals.
Not think
Soft rock, not for me
I was sidetracked while listening so i only heard the vibe of the songs mostly but it had a good vibe. I would give this album a 2.5/5 just because it’s still pretty old and a different style of music then what I prefer.
Sikke et underligt lille album.
Twee and really quite boring. I listened a few times and I think I might have dozed off, it just went in one ear and out the other.
Paris ne-ne-ne-ne-nineteen, nineteen.
Paris 1919! Decadence! Absinthe! oh
Forgetabble but inoffensive.
Really quite boring. Two.
I can understand the relevance of this album. However, it does not hit me to enjoy it fully. Great production for the era.
Not a fan of what I listened to but I didn't get very far. I could have gotten better
Pretty unmemorable album. Find for some soft background music you're not really listening to.
Kind of weird. Not super into it. Found it to be a pretty boring album.
Couldn't quite get into his one.
I was expecting something special, but somehow I got some generic 70s crap. Oh well
70s easy listening
Meh
On first listen I thought it wasn’t too bad. Subsequent hearings told me it was !
It was fine. Bit dull perhaps.
It's okay
Don't make me mad John Cale. what even was that. I mean it was fine but it sounds like a record you'd find at a record store for a dollar and then pretend you like because you spent money on it. Kinda forgettable too. Fav Songs: Paris 1919
So this album exists. Not good or bad, just there. I guess for 1973, it has a "modern" sound, but overall this just killed the time.
JFC this was dull
Strange
Artiste inconnu. Pas désagréable, mais l'album parait interminable alors qu'il dure à peine 32 mn. Aucun morceau ne m'a accroché. =>2/5
Forgettable
Langweilig.
Eh
Slow very soft vocals.
Not sure what to say about this one. It was kinda meh
I had to go with 2 stars because after all, it's not wonder wall
Largely meh
Spotify was playing some recommended songs based on albums I've been listening to from this project, and it was playing a Brian Eno / John Cale track from their album together. I didn't know who John Cale was, so I looked him up. Then I checked my album for the day and it was this one. That was cool. Unfortunately this album wasn't cool. I just didn't enjoy it at all. I did kind of like that song with Brian Eno though, and I like what I know of the Velvet Underground, so John Cale will get a second chance, but this album won't.
It’s clear this is a very personal album for Cale, but as an American living in the 21st century some of the historical references are hard to pin down, lessening the impact of the lyrics. The orchestral arrangements are pleasant but the whole thing’s a bit of a bore. Listened to: walking around holy cross cemetery. Favorite tracks: Half Past France, Antarctica Starts Here
Pretty lackluster.
British singer songwriter. Not too bad but nothing special either. An easy listen that faded into background noise for me.
idk man it sounds like generic 60s
Meh I couldn’t get into this album and I thought it was quite boring.
Here's another one of those records where there's just not much to say about it. It's there, it's listenable and sometimes almost good, but it never really reaches that point. Other dudes did this slow, sleepy singer-songwriter thing better. There was one standout though - Paris 1919 was pretty fun and theatrical. The rest could put me to sleep.
Rather uninspired. Much of this sounds like Sgt. Pepper’s-era Beatles leftovers. This record doesn’t really go anywhere, and while this album is easy listening, you’re better off employing it as music for an elevator, or as hold music.
Boring, plain. Not terrible.
good listen. probably will not think about this album ever again 5/10
Not for me 2/5
Not my thing
Just droning on and on with that terrible voice about nothing. 3/10.
It's OK, but it kind of sounds like he is singing with his mouth full on a few songs? Title track & "Graham Greene" were pretty good, though.
meh all the way through.
Eh it's fine. The la la la la la song is awesome.
It was ok, not mad it’s on the list but not my thing
C'était correct.
Did not get it.
This is probably what would happen if you made Ringo the leader of the Beatles. He’s got a good voice - he sounds like an alternate universe Jim Morrison, all but that last track. The whisper singing just absolutely threw me over the edge. I also hate those asmr videos people put out and this was way too similar.
no
Interesting large orchestral sound. Somehow none of the tracks are memorable.
This is a no-no album for me. The orchestra vibe is ok. 2/5
Much like the vegetable, this cale was bland, joyless, and difficult to digest. I didn’t enjoy it.
Early 1970's Art-Pop doesn't do it for me and neither does this album.
It's fine, but boring? 2.4.
Not digging this so far. It sounds from it’s time but not anything special or unique that stands out to me.
Not for me.
The Jukebox Rebel review of this album says "His predilection for the avant-garde is truly abandoned on this springtime ’73 offering, as he explores his inner Randy Newman. Artsy and poetic, the set is graceful from beginning to end and never grates, despite some real MOR vibes from tracks such as “Macbeth” and “Andalucia”." I am not sure that _any_ of those comments, intended as praise, are actually good things. John Cale is an intelligent artist who has done many (MANY!) challenging, interesting and influential things across the space of his long and varied career, and I own a lot of records where he has had some input as a performer or producer. And this is a sophisticated and beautiful album, (even if his voice isn't _quite_ up to what he wants from it. But it bores me, especially coming from such an eclectic and adventurous artist. I'd never really listened to this album before, although I know of it by reputation. And I was distinctly underwhelmed, maybe because I was expecting more. It's not bad per se, but I just wanted more. The title track is catchy, and I quite enjoyed. 2.5 stars, rounding down for "disappointing album from a great artist".
Ayup. That’s it, no thoughts or feelings, just a Goofy-esque “Ayup” (2.5/5)
This is easily Cale’s most accessible music outside of the Velvet Underground. The orchestral arrangements are great throughout the album, and Cale’s composition is good but he’s just not a good singer unfortunately. Probably my favorite Cale album up until Hobosapiens which surprised me with how much I enjoyed it.
nette hintergrundmusik
Naja, ein ruhiges harmloses Album. Nichts für mich.
Melancholy. That's when this evoked. If I ever need to quell myself, I'm sure this could come in handy. Though it's pace may have the opposite effect. Though Macbeth was grooving.
Cale is one of my favorites, but this album was not my favorite.
Paris 1919 isn't up to much. The first few songs are mostly miserable, then we get something really quite good in Macbeth, before by far and away the most recognisable song in the title track. Shame that's quite forgettable too, then we're into the closing few because thankfully the record doesn't outstay its welcome, and those last few songs aren't memorable either, although Half Past France does sound quite sweet at times. Think it scrapes a 2.
This is a real mixed bag. Starts badly, most of the first few tracks are slow and a bit dull, but gets much better towards the middle of the album with two very different songs in Macbeth and Paris 1919. Doesn't quite manage to get to 3 though.
Difficile per i miei gusti... alcune canzoni quasi ostiche...altre un po' meglio...ma non più di 2* per il sottoscritto.
I don't know man, I just can't get into this.
Really expanding the range of "Alternative" here. It's not even close to "Alternative" in a cool, Indie sense of the word you'd expect for 2024. It's bad, slow, baroque-style singer-songwriter type stuff that could only have been appreciated 50 years ago. And some songs on here are just dumb. Flirting with a 1*.
This list seems to have devolved to random 60s unnotable folk, 80s British pub rock, and bunch of avante garde stuff. Guess which this is?
I get this guy is a legendary producer but his actual music just sounds like a bored Ringo Starr
John Cale was mij niet bekend, maar z’n naam zal ik ook weer snel vergeten
Put me to sleep.
The first half of the album is nice I guess. The sort of thing you would have as background music in a cafe. Not something I would actively seek out. It picks up a bit with Macbeth, then the title track Paris 1919 which I found interesting. It dropped back off a bit after that.
Pop, 1973 -> 2
So boring. Its best quality is that it’s only 32 minutes. Almost like he was tasked with making an album, but actually didn’t want to draw any attention to himself. 2/5
Shockingly did not make me want to do the hankey pankey
Liked the vibe. I didn’t necessarily “get” the album though. Short and moderately sweet, but fairly forgettable.
This album wasn’t for me. It wasn’t hard to get through by any means, it just didn’t do much to compel me. There were a couple solid songs in the quick listen, but nothing notable. If I had to choose my favorite it would be Macbeth, and the fact that it sounds so different than the rest of the album is probably why.
Nothing special came from this one for me. 2/5
Dude can't sing. At least it wasn't Johnny cash tho
This guy lived during the 60’s and thought that all British people could write music
Yeah this was not good. Reading up his background you'd think there'd be something interesting in this album, but there's just isn't. A couple orchestral moments are nice tho, gotta give it that. Also it's short, that's another bonus.
nothing on first listen to indicate a major miss in my musical history timeline
Kind of interesting, but mostly just an odd album. It never gets bad, but never really does anything great. 2/5 Likely won't listen again
On the one hand, you can hear how important the pulsing and calming things he brought to the Velvets were. On the other hand... It's a bit boring.
Nah
Very poetic. I'm not very familiar with his work, which should appeal to my avant garde sensibilities. This album probably needs more context (time, place) for it to make sense to me. Another critically acclaimed record that made me wonder why. I like a lot of his later work better. Not sure what I'm missing here. If I had more time I would probably listen a couple more times.
Inget som riktigt fånga mig
I listened to this this morning and have left it to marinate. My only memory is how annoying the organ was in the first song so I can’t say I enjoyed this.
If I'd been a record label exec and John Cale was in my office with his demos I'd have taken out my cigar king enough to say "Where's the zing John? The kids want zing these days. Zing!" then I'd have thanked him and sent him on his way and to see my secretary on the way out for his travel expenses
My second solidly mediocre album in a row. Nothing about this stood out to me.
Meh
Eigentlich ne ganz geile stimme. Ja okay, bin irgendwie schon wieder raus
I listened to this the same day as NIN 😆. It was fine. Nothing overly special to me.
could i write poetry to this? n
The title track came up on my Discovery Weekly a long time ago, and I've loved it ever since. I've tried to get into this album a few times since, and I just can't do it.
Booooring
Odd choice for the list - maybe you had to be there?
very 70s accusticish
No thanks.
Eh, not a fan.
It's interesting in some places, but they didn't make up for the boring-ness of the rest of the album.
Would’ve voted for a 1 but it was so forgettable I wasn’t sure how bad previoussong sucked.
Gives you a lot of respect for Lou Reed who had to put up with this in the Velvet Underground. Sounds like a bad Ringo solo album
Not my taste.
Couple of half decent song but kind of just meanders along without really doing anything. Not bad music but does nothing for me.
2/5 - Did nothing for me, just unoffensive background music
Lyrically dense and full of orchestral influences this is one of the only solo efforts from John Cale I can enjoy listening to, he kinda reminds me of Bert Jansch on this. Overall it is a bit bland as an album however. His work as part of the velvet underground was much better.
Engelsk singer/songwriter poprock, lidt kedeligt, et par ok numre
I can tell this album deserves a spot here, but like most, it just doesn't do much for me. Despite it not being an album I deeply enjoyed or resonated with, it was still an okay listen. One complaint I have with a lot of the other albums I've heard so far is that most of the songs feel very "samey." That is not the case here, there is so much variety within this album and I truly appreciated that on my listen! The standout song for me was definitely Paris 1919 (unsurprising that it was the favorite as it's the name of the album), but otherwise nothing else really stood out. Deserves higher I'm sure, but giving it 2 stars. Would probably be 2.5 if that was an option.
First half bearable. Second half not so. Please end. 2.5*
No doubt its an important artistic statement, a commentary on politics and the state of the world, but sadly it isn't at all interesting to listen to. Way too much orchestration and not enough Lowell George, who apparently played guitar, though you'd never know. All too epic and baroque in a whimsical masquerade. Don't like it at all. Naive melodies. Hotted up around Macbeth, but still failed to capture any interest.
Olipahan tylsää ja turhankin rauhallista matskua. En tykännyt.
Kuunteli tuon läpi, mut tylsä
Meh.
A pedestrian affair.