Music Banter - View Single Post - John Cale

4ZZZ · 11-07-2008, 06:14 AM

Paris 1919. 1973.

An album of generally soft pastoral style pop Paris 1919 starts with Child's Christmas in Wales. Considering the title the lyric is rather obscure but I guess Cale knows how this relates to a Child's Christmas in Wales as I don't. A catchy start that relies very much on the melody with standard guitar, organ and rhythm section. Hanky Panky Nohow has more obscure lyrics and we know now that we are in for lyricist's feast even if we have (just) another catchy pop song. What is this about? The religious side of prostitution or the prostitution of religion? I could be so off the mark that those comments are no doubt laughable but.........who cares. An oddly attractive piece of pastoral pop even so. The Endless Plain Of Fortune follows and is more pop with wonderful orchestration that serenely meanders along for 4 minutes though the lyric again has me questioning the motives. Transvaal. Segovia? Who's Amanda. I have always been curious at to the lyrics and I am none the wiser. And then Andalucía follows. Is this a travelogue? Andalucía is another soft pop song with some nice acoustic guitar and nice little shakers in the background as Cale sings in what at times is his most innocent. We get all Shakespeare now with Macbeth and Banquo even gets a mention. Is this what it is all about? Songs about Classical Literature? But after the pop of the previous songs this song rocks. Most peculiar. The albums title track follows and is a masterpiece. Paris 1919 is an orchestrated chamber pop song that stands out as one of the best compositions that Cale has ever written. A ghost song? More lyrics that have had me thinking that I am missing the theme. This wondrous song has me humming along. Graham Greene is next. Literature! Literature! More bouncy pop with a Cale's slight Welsh accent pronouncing the words very precisely. How many songs called Graham Greene would mention Chipping and Sodbury and Enoch Powell? Nice trumpet break there John! Half Past France has us in Cale travelogue mode with mentions of Dunkirk, Paris, Norway, Dundee and Berlin. What an itinerary! The poignant lines are "Wish I'd get to see my son again" and "People always bored me anyway" The toil of touring? Who knows but a nice song none the less. We finish up with Antarctica Starts Here and the album ends where it started with a slow gentle pop song as Cale sings in whispery tones about the life of an actress who seemingly only comes to life while in character. At least that is what I think it is about! But who knows.

This is a very good album that has stood the test of time. Considering Cale's avant garde roots and the fact that this was released at the height of Glitter, Paris 1919 was a bold and brave recording for it's time. It neither met the the needs of the teens that were the soul of the Glitter rock movement and was far too gentle for the Prog and harder Rock fans of say the Zeppelin, Sabbath, Purple ilk. Goodness know what the VU/Reed crowd thought. Lyrically it is as thoughtful and as challenging as anything that came out at the time and indeed today they stand up. A fine album that has stood the test of time.

11-07-2008, 06:14 AM	#18 (permalink)
4ZZZ Forever young Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Brisbane Posts: 608	Paris 1919. 1973. An album of generally soft pastoral style pop Paris 1919 starts with Child's Christmas in Wales. Considering the title the lyric is rather obscure but I guess Cale knows how this relates to a Child's Christmas in Wales as I don't. A catchy start that relies very much on the melody with standard guitar, organ and rhythm section. Hanky Panky Nohow has more obscure lyrics and we know now that we are in for lyricist's feast even if we have (just) another catchy pop song. What is this about? The religious side of prostitution or the prostitution of religion? I could be so off the mark that those comments are no doubt laughable but.........who cares. An oddly attractive piece of pastoral pop even so. The Endless Plain Of Fortune follows and is more pop with wonderful orchestration that serenely meanders along for 4 minutes though the lyric again has me questioning the motives. Transvaal. Segovia? Who's Amanda. I have always been curious at to the lyrics and I am none the wiser. And then Andalucía follows. Is this a travelogue? Andalucía is another soft pop song with some nice acoustic guitar and nice little shakers in the background as Cale sings in what at times is his most innocent. We get all Shakespeare now with Macbeth and Banquo even gets a mention. Is this what it is all about? Songs about Classical Literature? But after the pop of the previous songs this song rocks. Most peculiar. The albums title track follows and is a masterpiece. Paris 1919 is an orchestrated chamber pop song that stands out as one of the best compositions that Cale has ever written. A ghost song? More lyrics that have had me thinking that I am missing the theme. This wondrous song has me humming along. Graham Greene is next. Literature! Literature! More bouncy pop with a Cale's slight Welsh accent pronouncing the words very precisely. How many songs called Graham Greene would mention Chipping and Sodbury and Enoch Powell? Nice trumpet break there John! Half Past France has us in Cale travelogue mode with mentions of Dunkirk, Paris, Norway, Dundee and Berlin. What an itinerary! The poignant lines are "Wish I'd get to see my son again" and "People always bored me anyway" The toil of touring? Who knows but a nice song none the less. We finish up with Antarctica Starts Here and the album ends where it started with a slow gentle pop song as Cale sings in whispery tones about the life of an actress who seemingly only comes to life while in character. At least that is what I think it is about! But who knows. This is a very good album that has stood the test of time. Considering Cale's avant garde roots and the fact that this was released at the height of Glitter, Paris 1919 was a bold and brave recording for it's time. It neither met the the needs of the teens that were the soul of the Glitter rock movement and was far too gentle for the Prog and harder Rock fans of say the Zeppelin, Sabbath, Purple ilk. Goodness know what the VU/Reed crowd thought. Lyrically it is as thoughtful and as challenging as anything that came out at the time and indeed today they stand up. A fine album that has stood the test of time.