i saw him in the late eighties in gastown,b.c. not many people in the room ,but the atmosphere was full of soul and so alive,i still to this day remember the evening.what a delight to remember and find him on you tube.
this was my first song by john cale, and since i heard it the first time, it never went out of my head ... its so absolutely perfect, i cant believe it.
What class, what style. I listen to every video that comes myway. I can say only one did I have to delete. He was at the piano, when suddenly bugs and hoppers and worst of all, worms started slithering and hopping all over the piano and him, too. For some reason I hate worms worse than snakes. Especially these...they were segmented and looked like blonde centipedes, crawling fast. If you wonder why I didn't delete it, I did. Wish Icould have just closed my eyes and just listened. But, that was not to be. It was bedtime, and Ididn't want my last thought to be worms crawling over that gorgeous man!
But I was thinking about my mother .... that one line says so much, you can just imagine him waking up with a mean hangover, next to somebody he doesnt recognize, dirty clothes, empty bottles and full ashtrays everywhere, totally broke, and then thinking about his mother...
@justnicknet Cale´s only part towards Chelsea Girls was to write Winter Song, Little Sister (Cale, Reed) and It was A Pleasure Then (Cale,Reed, Morrison). The LP was produced by Tom Wilson, that´s why Nico wanted Cale for the Marble Index. They recorded Nico´s Harmonium and voice first, then Cale would add the arrangements, which he did by himself, and when he presented the result to Nico she burst out into tears, saying it was wonderful. There were no orders from Nico on Cale´s musical output.
Of course he bloody well did! He had studied classical music and compossition in London in the early 60´ies and was then awarded a Leonhard Bernstein scholarship to go to the U.S. and work with John Cage.
You know a song is beautiful when it can bring you tears and you dont even know why. In a sense it's an apology song. And theres a lot to it that brings me into deep thoughts. But it's the thinking about my mother line that always gets me. Sometimes go so deep into thoughts that I completely blank out and start dralling like a completely mouth breathing gong. And that's not me trying to be funny the song is generally that powerful.
@comercuuy spot on! Cale made the Velvets sound and Nico´s Marble Index the first ever Goth Lp, recorded proto Industrial music (JC:New York In The 1960´s) and produced all those milestone lp´s leading up to Punk. He should therefore be hailed as the godfather of Alternative music! But in this shitty world, where the likes of Goldman & Sachs rule, true character and credibillity count for nothing. So it seems pretty obvious he is constantly overlooked. Remember Van Gogh? But maybe someday ...
7 років тому+1
ForARide He is also very sweet. Gave me an original recording of Nico's I'm not Saying when I was 13. Discreet but has to behave like he's insane.
je l'aime toujours cette voix veloutée et grave j'aimerai écouter ses chansons sur la guerre des malouines, des choeurs magnifiques. Peter Hammil Lou Reed Battiato....;
@michaelvoland54 instead of being dissappointed by a different version, we should all be grateful. John Cale always rearranges his songs so it dosen´t become boring and repeatative like with most musicians. I´d rather have a different version which I might like a little less instead of the same old song over and over again. That´s why he´s always worth watching live. Check out the different versions of him doing Waiting For The Man, Heartbreak Hotel or Streets Of Laredo. I´d say pretty amazing.
His best solo record probably is "Music for a new society", but a new listener should maybe start with "Paris 1919". If you like these two, look for "Fear", "Vintage Violence" and "Fragments of a Rainy Season". If you enjoy these, get'em all!
I am obsessed with this song. And this version exclusively. The original is ok, but doesn't have the same emotion really. If Charles Bukowski were alive, I think he'd love this song.
There was a live version with John singing with a Dutch orchestra. He walks out from backstage and joins the orchestra at his vocal cue. It's now been f***ing deleted. If you know of it then please feel free to contact me.
if you enjoy this you should try his live cd Fragments of a Rainy Season. otherwise see velvet underground. most of his diverse solowerk is astonishing. go for it!
@brakoify Lol! I think this is one of his best songs ever... very original, distinctive, deep, meaningful, with pathos, catchy, memorable, etc.. everything that the best Rock'n'Roll (or Rock music) can achieve...any song that mentions William Burroughs can't be too bad! I mean not only the song in general, but this particular version (in my modest opinion better than the original studio one... from Caribbean Sunset maybe?) It also has a touch, the feel of classical music, naturally... Cheers!
I don't know where to get this specific version. However, you may buy "Fragments of a rainy season" on CD only i'm afraid and currently out of print. You muy find used ones on amazon. this cd has superb piano-only renditions of most of cale's great songs.
Does anyone know if this version or other live version is available for download on iTunes or elsewhere? Much prefer it to the version on the album Artificial Intelligence. Grateful for advice.
@brakoify I meant Rock'n'Roll as the wider musical art-form, "the context", in which John Cale works, not the style of this particular song... from The Velvets' White Light/White Heat to his own solo stuff, he does Rock'n'Roll (Fairweather Friend on Vintage Violence, Macbeth on Paris 1919, his cover of Chuck Berry's Memphis, etc..) Cale might come from the avantgarde & his output is very varied, but he's definitely a Rock'n'Roll musician, isn't he? 'Dirtyass Rock'n'Roll' as he himself sings...
I'm not saying its plagiarized just that there are a fair amount of songs with that tune, not just that one Joe Satriani, ever heard Foreigner Suite by Cat Stevens or many other songs that have a similar Melody. Just because Nickleback, Seether etc. sound the same, doesn't mean they copy each other.
Great song, lovely textures and his version of Heartbreak Hotel is one of my fave performances ever. But, as a drummer, I'm wounded by his comments about drumming at the start. John, you've forsaken us! We don't *have* to play backbeat ... drum kits can have lots of cool colours. Sorry about the digression, I just had to speak up. Please resume normal service ...
I can't give my source but he is in the industry. I feel for John Cale or anyone who struggles with that dragon, but Jesus -- be nice to other people mate. I respect Cale's intense abilities, he is a great for sure... Wasn't he a child prodigy who studied piano under Leonard Bernstein? Cale is brilliant but so, apparently, is his demon. "I wish somebody would tell me where to draw the line..." -Cale This song is particularly poignant to have this conversation isn't it?
Anything on Fragments of a Rainy Season is great, and here are some suggestions of songs that don't appear on it: Riverbank Wilson Joliet Melanethon (A Reading) Sanities The Jeweller and for a controversial ending: Caribbean Sunset OR Emily
Thomas Mallon in regards to drummers he says "when you drop it, where do you go?" and then something along the lines of thinking string quartet is one option.
@ForARide While Cale is marvelous, and certainly instrumental in Nico's first albums, he was taking full orders from Nico on Marble Index, after he - in her view - bungled t he Chelsea Girls LP. So he can't take credit for the sound of that album.
I love his music too, but he is a vicious alcoholic who is terribly abusive to his wife and for that I can hardly listen to him anymore. It is a shame... I feel sorry for people close to him.
Thanks to the universe for soulful intelligent artists like John.
John is an absolute genius with music, easily one of the best musicians of his generation! Bloody fantastic!
I can't believe how beautiful this masterpiece is
i listen to this nearly everyday. it's addictive
This song is as close to perfection as you can get and still technically be human.
I can't stop to listen to this song... It's a drug!!
i saw him in the late eighties in gastown,b.c. not many people in the room ,but the atmosphere was full of soul and so alive,i still to this day remember the evening.what a delight to remember and find him on you tube.
absolutely beautiful and perfect
Such an extraordinary song! John Cale is an artist ahead
No one writes like that anymore.
Music today is garbage.
I listen to this piece every now and then just to stay sane.
AUGH this is so gorgeous it nearly kills me.
this was my first song by john cale, and since i heard it the first time, it never went out of my head ... its so absolutely perfect, i cant believe it.
What class, what style. I listen to every video that comes myway. I can say only one did I have to delete. He was at the piano, when suddenly bugs and hoppers and worst of all, worms started slithering and hopping all over the piano and him, too. For some reason I hate worms worse than snakes. Especially these...they were segmented and looked like blonde centipedes, crawling fast. If you wonder why I didn't delete it, I did. Wish Icould have just closed my eyes and just listened. But, that was not to be. It was bedtime, and Ididn't want my last thought to be worms crawling over that gorgeous man!
Never could get this song out of my head, nothing like it.
So many die by the vine. Brilliant. Thanks for uploading.
oh, this is brilliant!I just love Cale's voice on this show, and strings blending in here even better than in Hallelujah
Best version ever of a perfect piece of work.
Wow.....so in love with this great song.....man!.... how could it be any better
This is a fantastic musician. Bravo!!!!
But I was thinking about my mother ....
that one line says so much, you can just imagine him waking up with a mean hangover, next to somebody he doesnt recognize, dirty clothes, empty bottles and full ashtrays everywhere, totally broke, and then thinking about his mother...
It’s 2023 And in dying on the vine
Gives me chills this song
A masterpiece.
Total Class, beautiful string quartet. Thank you for the upload
amazing song, perfect.
Faith in Human Kind Feeling !
Simply superb!
@justnicknet Cale´s only part towards Chelsea Girls was to write Winter Song, Little Sister (Cale, Reed) and It was A Pleasure Then (Cale,Reed, Morrison). The LP was produced by Tom Wilson, that´s why Nico wanted Cale for the Marble Index. They recorded Nico´s Harmonium and voice first, then Cale would add the arrangements, which he did by himself, and when he presented the result to Nico she burst out into tears, saying it was wonderful. There were no orders from Nico on Cale´s musical output.
Of course he bloody well did!
He had studied classical music and compossition in London in the early 60´ies and was then awarded a Leonhard Bernstein scholarship to go to the U.S. and work with John Cage.
Wonderful song from a real genius. This is Rock'n'Roll as Art with a capitol A.
wow. this is perfection
beautiful song
divine!
You know a song is beautiful when it can bring you tears and you dont even know why.
In a sense it's an apology song.
And theres a lot to it that brings me into deep thoughts.
But it's the thinking about my mother line that always gets me.
Sometimes go so deep into thoughts that I completely blank out and start dralling like a completely mouth breathing gong.
And that's not me trying to be funny the song is generally that powerful.
@comercuuy spot on!
Cale made the Velvets sound and Nico´s Marble Index the first ever Goth Lp, recorded proto Industrial music (JC:New York In The 1960´s) and produced all those milestone lp´s leading up to Punk. He should therefore be hailed as the godfather of Alternative music! But in this shitty world, where the likes of Goldman & Sachs rule, true character and credibillity count for nothing. So it seems pretty obvious he is constantly overlooked. Remember Van Gogh? But maybe someday ...
ForARide He is also very sweet. Gave me an original recording of Nico's I'm not Saying when I was 13. Discreet but has to behave like he's insane.
My new favorite version of this song
I like john Cale
je l'aime toujours cette voix veloutée et grave j'aimerai écouter ses chansons sur la guerre des malouines, des choeurs magnifiques.
Peter Hammil Lou Reed Battiato....;
Belle voix, belle musique ..!
@michaelvoland54
instead of being dissappointed by a different version, we should all be grateful.
John Cale always rearranges his songs so it dosen´t become boring and repeatative like with most musicians. I´d rather have a different version which I might like a little less instead of the same old song over and over again. That´s why he´s always worth watching live.
Check out the different versions of him doing Waiting For The Man, Heartbreak Hotel or Streets Of Laredo.
I´d say pretty amazing.
I'd say The Island Years, which is basically a collection of 3 of his best albums!
Chapeau
I love this ...
1985 was a good year! I was thinking about the Mother.
I have Fragments and it´s the most great thing I ever heard from him!
sei spettacolare
Cale forever!
What a great version,His best.
Damn, writing a song for my metal band and thought this would be a great title. I guess great minds think alike.
Magical
His best solo record probably is "Music for a new society", but a new listener should maybe start with "Paris 1919". If you like these two, look for "Fear", "Vintage Violence" and "Fragments of a Rainy Season". If you enjoy these, get'em all!
GREAT!!
There's a supreme version (solo piano) on Close watch : an introduction to John Cale 1999. Played live beautifully. Cheers.
best version ive heard!
I am obsessed with this song. And this version exclusively. The original is ok, but doesn't have the same emotion really. If Charles Bukowski were alive, I think he'd love this song.
There was a live version with John singing with a Dutch orchestra. He
walks out from backstage and joins the orchestra at his vocal cue. It's
now been f***ing deleted. If you know of it then please feel free to
contact me.
Heh, what he said about drummers seems to have changed recently, he's had Michael Jerome in his band for a few years now.
Yes!!
Yes, great!
wait i want to hear Television play too!
He is so good you might call him John Cake.
Genius
I think the version on Fragments Of a Rainy Season is the same: you can find it on youtube Live in Brussel 1992
if you enjoy this you should try his live cd Fragments of a Rainy Season. otherwise see velvet underground. most of his diverse solowerk is astonishing. go for it!
I think there are a lot of songs that have a pretty big similarity to "viva la vida"
@brakoify
Lol! I think this is one of his best songs ever... very original, distinctive, deep, meaningful, with pathos, catchy, memorable, etc.. everything that the best Rock'n'Roll (or Rock music) can achieve...any song that mentions William Burroughs can't be too bad! I mean not only the song in general, but this particular version (in my modest opinion better than the original studio one... from Caribbean Sunset maybe?) It also has a touch, the feel of classical music, naturally... Cheers!
I don't know where to get this specific version. However, you may buy "Fragments of a rainy season" on CD only i'm afraid and currently out of print. You muy find used ones on amazon. this cd has superb piano-only renditions of most of cale's great songs.
"Fragments of a rainy season" is brilliant. A classic to keep forever!! Robert Lloyd -Composer
Download it from here. Just google "youtube to mp3". You'll find the site that does it for you.
Is there a recording of this version that I can buy, does anybody know? I much prefer it than the original
Does anyone know if this version or other live version is available for download on iTunes or elsewhere? Much prefer it to the version on the album Artificial Intelligence. Grateful for advice.
Yes I UNDERSTAND...!
@brakoify
I meant Rock'n'Roll as the wider musical art-form, "the context", in which John Cale works, not the style of this particular song... from The Velvets' White Light/White Heat to his own solo stuff, he does Rock'n'Roll (Fairweather Friend on Vintage Violence, Macbeth on Paris 1919, his cover of Chuck Berry's Memphis, etc..) Cale might come from the avantgarde & his output is very varied, but he's definitely a Rock'n'Roll musician, isn't he? 'Dirtyass Rock'n'Roll' as he himself sings...
Why the hell are we talking about this shit anyway, John Cale is beyond all this.
i think he sings this song better in this vid then the other ones.
Casa like it
Check out "dying on the vine" posted by mooseontheloose to see the stunning guitar solo played by ollie halsall to this song
@kidcalabria i wouldnt exactly say its rock'n roll lol but it is epicly great
I'm not saying its plagiarized just that there are a fair amount of songs with that tune, not just that one Joe Satriani, ever heard Foreigner Suite by Cat Stevens or many other songs that have a similar Melody. Just because Nickleback, Seether etc. sound the same, doesn't mean they copy each other.
Great song, lovely textures and his version of Heartbreak Hotel is one of my fave performances ever.
But, as a drummer, I'm wounded by his comments about drumming at the start. John, you've forsaken us! We don't *have* to play backbeat ... drum kits can have lots of cool colours.
Sorry about the digression, I just had to speak up. Please resume normal service ...
turn down speed to 0.75...
I can't give my source but he is in the industry. I feel for John Cale or anyone who struggles with that dragon, but Jesus -- be nice to other people mate. I respect Cale's intense abilities, he is a great for sure... Wasn't he a child prodigy who studied piano under Leonard Bernstein? Cale is brilliant but so, apparently, is his demon. "I wish somebody would tell me where to draw the line..." -Cale This song is particularly poignant to have this conversation isn't it?
Guys can you suggest me the five best songs of J Cale? I know it's subjective, but it would really help me discovering his career
I haven't heard all of them, but if I could suggest some: Ghost Story, Leaving it up to you, Do not go gente, Dead or Alive and Half Past France
Luis Mario Guerrero Sánchez Thank you
Anything on Fragments of a Rainy Season is great, and here are some suggestions of songs that don't appear on it:
Riverbank
Wilson Joliet
Melanethon (A Reading)
Sanities
The Jeweller
and for a controversial ending: Caribbean Sunset OR Emily
@amsongonfia They had at least four geniuses in there.
(OK, twelve if they say so themselves.)
@kidcalabria lol i know who cale is i thought u were refering to THIS particular song/version being played lololol
What does he say after "life after the backbeat(?)"?
Thomas Mallon in regards to drummers he says "when you drop it, where do you go?" and then something along the lines of thinking string quartet is one option.
"Life after the backbeat. When you drop it, where do you go? And I think a strong quartet is one very good direction to go in."
well, i don't think so. but write that under a coldplay video. will be great fun.
Sure, blakedawg76!
No, bands like that fit into trendy narratives, or did when they came out. Nickeback and Seether I mean of course.
i ADORE this song and THIS Performance. He fucking HATES Jools Holland doesn't he? Greatest Living Welshman by a Country Mile.
I remember seeing him in the 80s. Wow.
But disliked this version of this great and normally very sad song.
eaterHP is little crazy, I think...
@ForARide While Cale is marvelous, and certainly instrumental in Nico's first albums, he was taking full orders from Nico on Marble Index, after he - in her view - bungled t he Chelsea Girls LP. So he can't take credit for the sound of that album.
I get the feing here that jules and John don't like each other. I may well be wrong.
ROFL
I love his music too, but he is a vicious alcoholic who is terribly abusive to his wife and for that I can hardly listen to him anymore. It is a shame... I feel sorry for people close to him.