Trans Music Feels

Once upon a time I used Twitter, and a lot of my ideas that I never developed into articles or reviews ended up as a pithy line or two in the form of a tweet. (I mean, it’s not like I write a lot of essays, but there are a few here.) When Twitter fully descended into a hellscape, I moved to Mastodon. And while I post even less there, I was still sad when the first instance I signed up for announced it was shutting down this year. I’m now over at tech.lgbt, but my old toots will soon be gone forever. For the most part, I don’t care. But there was one series of toots I made that I want to collect and keep alive here.

I’ve shared songs with the tag #TransMusicFeels that gave me some sort of emotional reaction relating to my transness. Most of these songs are by cis people, as there aren’t many trans musicians in the mainstream of the genres I like best. I don’t usually like it when cis people write or sing about us intentionally, but sometimes they get it right, or get close. Regardless, these songs resonate with me and help me make sense of my trans experience. Some were probably not written with any sort of gender consideration in mind at all, but I’ll read whatever I want into these songs. That’s my right, and besides, I believe that cis people can experience most of the same feelings we do, or at least something similar. But it is a prerequisite to be on the list that I have to actually like the song beyond just feeling seen or connecting with something in the lyrics.

So anyway, here are the songs, in the rough order they occurred to me:

• “Wishes” by Beach House. I doubt it was the intention, but I hear it anyway. This was the first song that clicked for me this way and it still makes me emotional every time.
• “Reservations” by Wilco. Again, I doubt it was intended.
• “Changes” by David Bowie. Of course.
• “Lady Stardust” by David Bowie. There are countless Bowie songs that could be here, but this one hits me the hardest. It brings me back to when I felt more non-binary. The pronouns are confusing, but that might just make it more delightful.
• “Transformer Man” by Neil Young, from the bizarre/prescient Trans (1982) album. I mean, the vocoder!
• “No G.D.M.” by Gina X. My sister ripped this song from vinyl and presciently put it on a mix CD that she gave me when I was about 18.
• “Born a Girl” by Manic Street Preachers.
• “Lose This Skin” by The Clash, written and sung by Tymon Dogg. A bit complicated but I can read it that way.
• “I Want to Break Free” by Queen.
• “Losing My Religion” by REM. I understand it to be about coming out and struggling to explain one’s sexual identity, but it applies just as well to gender identity. I prefer the IRS albums but it amuses me how popular this song is and that it seems to be widely misunderstood to be a statement about religion, which as far as I can tell, it is not.
• “It’s a Sin” by Pet Shop Boys. An absolute banger if there ever was one. I will never forget hearing this blasting down the hall while recovering from surgery on a hospital floor inhabited solely by trans people.
• “For Today I Am a Boy” by Anohni and the Johnsons.
• “Boys” by Bauhaus. I remember hearing this when I was 15 and feeling uncomfortably seen. Quite a statement for the b-side of their much more famous debut single!
• “Candy Says” by The Velvet Underground always hits me hard, even if I’m past the point now of making all the big decisions that cause endless revisions.
• “A Night Like This” by The Cure has been beloved to me ever since I first encountered it via The Smashing Pumpkins’ cover. I can relate to the mess of confusing and conflicting emotions in Robert Smith’s lyrics. The line “The way that you look at me now / Makes me wish I was you” certainly foreshadows “Why Can’t I Be You?”, which frankly is also super transy. I can read lots of Cure songs through a trans lens.
• “Closer” by Nine Inch Nails. A lot of NIN songs hit me in powerful, confusing ways as a teenager. I obviously connected with Trent’s depression and frustrations with capitalism, but the sexual angst was harder to explain. Now it makes more sense.
• “I Want Your Love” by Chromatics. The one guest contribution I got. (Thanks Mirah!)
• “Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)” by Kate Bush. I’m surprised I never mentioned before! I’ve loved it ever since I heard Placebo’s cover. (Chromatics also did a version.)

I’m definitely open to more suggestions (here or on Mastodon), and I’ll keep posting them as I encounter them!

Reconstructing the Velvet Underground's Lost Album (Again)

Nine years ago, I did one of those silly things where I tried to revise history to make my own convenient compilation of a large, disorganized body of work that is hard to track down in full. In this case, it was the "lost album" by The Velvet Underground from circa 1969. Since that time, a few new reissues and archival releases have been released, and I've tracked down a few other stray versions I hadn't been able to find before. I finally took the time to re-evaluate all of the available versions, and as a result, I've expanded my original commentary and updated the playlist to account for my new preferences. See what you think!

John Cale - Live 2018.12.08 Verti Music Hall, Berlin, Germany

Artist: John Cale

Venue: Verti Music Hall

Location: Berlin, Germany

Date: 8 December 2018

Setlist:
01. Frozen Warnings [Nico cover]

02. Story of Blood

03. Magritte

04. Hedda Gabler

05. The Endless Plain of Fortune

06. Chums of Dumpty (We All Are)

07. Mary

08. Half Past France

09. Amsterdam

10. I Keep a Close Watch

11. Helen of Troy

12. Wasteland

13. Hatred

14. I'm Waiting for the Man [Velvet Underground song]

Encore:

15. Emily

The first concert I ever wrote a review for was a John Cale show that I saw in Vienna in 2007. (It was originally published on the Fear Is a Man's Best Friend fansite and later revised for my own blog once I started it.) Shortly thereafter, I also published a review of Circus Live from the same year. Back then, he already seemed rather old, but he still had a lot of energy. He was touring with three backing musicians and mixing elements of rock, pop, drone, and noise.

This concert was billed as "John Cale & Orchestra", and sure enough, he appeared on stage with a string section and three horn players (sousaphone, bass clarinet, and mellophone/trumpet), conducted by Randall Woolf. However, he also had a rock band backing him up: Dustin Boyer on guitar, Deantoni Parks on drums, and Joey Maramba on bass. This time around, Cale's age was more apparent in that he didn't seem quite as mobile as before, but his voice has remained strong and he still played his keyboard and guitar with deftness.

Cale opened the show with a droning cover of Nico's "Frozen Warnings", the original studio version of which he arranged and performed on. It was a convincing rendition, an oddly appropriate tribute, and a strong start to the evening. Unfortunately, rarely again during the show would Cale manage to balance vision, palatability, style, experimentation, and recognizability so effectively. In fact, most of the set felt deliberately confrontational.

The setlist wandered across his entire career, from "Amsterdam" from his solo debut, Vintage Violence (1970), to "Mary" from his last album of original music, Shifty Adventures in Nookie Wood (2012). A few songs, such as the latter and the encore "Emily" (frustratingly performed without the orchestra) were performed rather straight – as in, close to the beloved and familiar original studio versions, but perhaps a bit more darkly textured and drawn out. "I Keep a Close Watch" was also done more like the beauteous and grand versions from Helen of Troy (1975) and Music for a New Society (1982) than the recent reimagining as an electro-R&B groove from Cale's latest release M:FANS (2016).

But that was about as far as anything comfortable or accommodating went. "Story of Blood", a new song, was dark, brooding, and looming. The classic "The Endless Plain of Fortune" from Paris 1919 (1973), originally a lush, dramatic duel between clear skies and stormclouds, was spitefully performed without the orchestra. It instead featured a long keyboard solo with an unsettlingly cheesy tone. "Half Past France" was transformed into an amelodic dirge augmented by strange samples, again without the orchestra. "Hatred", an obscurity from the Nookie Wood era, was another intense and dark morass oddly accompanied by samples of neighing horses.

Thankfully, not every song was quite that bizarre and difficult. "Magritte" was about as weird as the original version and almost as good. "Hedda Gabler", already dark and long in the studio version from the Animal Justice EP (1977) was notably heavier and stranger. Instead of the choir and guitar solo that dominated the second half of the original, Cale let the orchestra step in to perform an extended, exciting, and varied instrumental passage. "Helen of Troy" was about as heavy and aggressive as ever, but it featured a long solo incorporating Boyer's guitar, the bass clarinet, and the mellophone. It was a combination I'd never seen before, and it was fascinating.

"I'm Waiting for the Man" was another interesting rearrangement. It is one of the only Velvet Underground songs that Cale regularly performs, along with "Venus in Furs", despite that he is not credited with writing either one. However, it was Cale that gave those songs their trademark sounds. Lou Reed usually turned "I'm Waiting for the Man" into a glam or hard rock song. Cale has always done strange things with it. This time, it was a protracted drone rendition that seemed to erase most of the chord changes. At least he kept most of the melody, so it almost felt like something you could hold on to.

The entire show was also accompanied by a visual projection above the stage designed by Abby Portner. The psychedelic patterns were about what I would expect from the sister of Animal Collective's Avey Tare, but some of the imagery such as an emaciated woman in a swimsuit (during "Wasteland") was fairly disturbing. A couple other segments also felt a bit exploitative. It helps to know that the visual artist was a woman, but the old-timey images of dancing women jarred with Cale's sound and style.

The aesthetics and location of the venue also made for a bizarre experience. The venue is named after an insurance company and only opened in October. The building is shared with a bunch of international chain restaurants and stores that I would probably never enter by choice. It sits on the Mercedes-Platz, which is surrounded by further bland establishments and filled with coordinated electronic advertising columns. On one side is the Mercedes-Benz Arena, a building whose construction in the late 00s was heavily criticized, in part because the developers convinced the city to shift a section of the nearby East Side Gallery, a part of the Berlin Wall covered in artwork created during the reunification. It was my first time ever walking around the commercial district, and it was terrifying.

Ignoring the environment, I enjoyed the show, although I'm not sure if Cale wanted me to. He continues to defy expectations and baffle the unwitting, but this is the same guy who was kicked out of The Velvet Underground for being too weird. It's a bold move to hire an orchestra and then have them sit out on all the songs originally recorded with orchestral accompaniment. When they did play, it was rarely in a traditional, melodic style. Even with Cale's aggravating elements, some songs were still enjoyable, and I appreciate that Cale isn't willing to compromise. I don't really understand what his goal was, or what he was trying to get across, but I'm glad that he hasn't mellowed out with age. He's always been a challenging artist, and it doesn't look like that is going to change any time soon.

Score: C+

Lou Reed, John Cale, and Nico - Live 1972.01.29 Le Bataclan, Paris, France

Artists: Lou Reed, John Cale, & Nico

Venue: Le Bataclan

Location: Paris, France

Date: 29 January 1972

Album: Le Bataclan '72

Release Date: 19 October 2004, 10 December 2013

Label: Alchemy Entertainment/Pilot, Keyhole

Typical tracklisting:
01. I'm Waiting for the Man
02. Berlin
03. The Black Angel's Death Song
04. Wild Child
05. Heroin
06. Ghost Story
07. The Biggest, Loudest, Hairiest Group of All
08. Empty Bottles
09. Femme Fatale
10. No One Is There
11. Frozen Warnings
12. Janitor of Lunacy
13. I'll Be Your Mirror
14. All Tomorrow's Parties
15. Pale Blue Eyes [Rehearsal]
16. Candy Says [Rehearsal]

This is one of the most popularly bootlegged concerts in the history of these three performers. It's quite a special moment, as this trio hadn't performed together since Nico separated from the Velvet Underground in 1967, and they never would again. Here, they share each other's songs, and the whole thing is done acoustically. If that weren't enough, Cale plays two songs he never released ("The Biggest, Loudest, Hairiest Group of All" and "Empty Bottles", which was given to Jennifer Warnes), and Reed's solo songs ("Berlin" and "Wild Child") are played in rather different arrangements than appeared on record. Even if the musicians are clearly a bit out of practice, and the instruments aren't always quite in tune, this is a very special concert.

But everyone seems to already know that, and what I really want to address is the legitimacy of this album in its commercially released form. The 2004 release by Alchemy Entertainment (with a Pilot catalog number) is supposedly legitimate, but I've always been skeptical. Pitchfork, Wikipedia, and the Fear Is a Man's Best Friend John Cale fansite all list it as an official release. But then why didn't the album appear on any of the musicians' primary labels, most of which are major industry players? A bit of research into Alchemy Entertainment's catalog shows a rapid string of releases, all of dubious quality, all circa 2004.

Take for example the Joy Division albums Les Bains Douches 18 December 1979 and Preston 28 February 1980, both live albums with long histories of releases on dubious labels. Both are supposedly "official" releases, yet have questionable quality, idiosyncratic errors, and features common to all bootleg versions. In the meantime, Joy Division enthusiast The Analog Loyalist has notably compiled and remastered a much improved and substantially more complete bootleg version of the Les Bains Douches concert. If the commercially available version was indeed an official release, then why is The Analog Loyalist's version obviously superior in every way? Why do the "official" albums have a history of releases on dubious labels like NMC/New Millennium Communications (some of which share the Pilot catalog numbers) and Get Back?

Note that the Bataclan album has a similar history of multiple labels (including some of the same as the Joy Division albums!), all of which seem dubious. The most recent release (and the one I ended up with) is on Keyhole, which appears to be a relatively new bootleg label, and clearly known as such even to discogs.com – every catalog item is listed as "Unofficial"!

Furthering my skepticism is that the various versions of this album contain several errors. "All Tomorrow's Parties" is often labeled as an encore (it was not, as far as I can tell). It is also sourced from an audience tape instead of the soundboard used as the primary source. These are the same sources that have been traded as bootlegs for years upon years, and this "official" version is not remastered, more complete, cleaner, or better in any capacity. Worst of all, the whole thing plays conspicuously slow, presumably because it was mastered at the wrong speed.

I am not the only one who is skeptical about the legitimacy of these releases, and according to this thread, John Cale even took action against the pressing of this album at some point. Richie Unterberger's White Light/White Heat also confirms that Lou Reed was not pleased to learn about the album. I am curious to find more definitive answers, so if you have additional information, please share it. It's worth noting that I am certainly not against trading bootlegs of unreleased material, especially if the artists have approved such trading (as they often do). What bothers me is the idea of people making money off of these recordings without anything going to the artists in question. Anyway, why buy bootlegs when trading of lossless audio is so easy via torrents and sites like the Live Music Archive?

Score: B+

Reconstructing the Velvet Underground's Lost Album

[Edit 2019.08.11: It’s been nine years and somehow this is still one of my most popular posts. In the meantime, a few new reissues and archival releases have been released, and I’ve tracked down a few other stray versions I hadn’t been able to find before. I’ve expanded my original commentary below to include those options and updated the playlist to account for my new preferences. The new commentary is in italics and in brackets like this paragraph.]

Anyone who has listened through the standard canonical works of the Velvet Underground will probably notice the vast differences in sound between each of the albums (and each member’s solo output). Perhaps the most glaring, but least obviously explicable, is the shift from melodic, sparse, subdued work of The Velvet Underground and the direct pop-rock of Loaded. A bit of research reveals that the band was beginning to stall in mid-1969 after The Velvet Underground was released and their label, MGM/Verve, dropped them for being too subversive. Supposedly, they were not allowed to take their masters with them, so the album they had been working on was lost and had to be restarted from scratch. On top of that, by the time that Loaded was recorded for a new label, Atlantic, original member Moe Tucker was absent due to pregnancy and her unique drumming style was replaced by a more traditional approach from a set of revolving drummers.

What happened to the missing songs and the so-called “lost” fourth album? Many of the songs were re-recorded by Lou Reed for his early solo records, but the original recordings remained unreleased until the 80s and later. The first insinuation to the public that any such material existed came in 1974 with the release of 1969: Velvet Underground Live, which includes several hitherto unreleased songs and strikingly different early versions of several Loaded tracks, albeit in the form of live performances recorded with modest quality. Finally, a compilation of the best of the band’s forgotten outtakes was released in 1985 as VU, and Another View followed the next year with another set of unreleased tracks. Between them, they include fourteen tracks from the lost album (and five from 1967-1968, when founding member John Cale was still present). The Peel Slowly and See box set from 1995 and the “Fully Loaded” reissue of Loaded from 1997 include several additional songs from this era, and The Quine Tapes, an “authorized bootleg” of live material from 1969 (released in 2001) also provides some interesting perspectives on much of this material.

[All of the “lost album” tracks from VU and Another View were re-released on the the 2014 Super Deluxe reissue of The Velvet Underground, albeit in varying edits and mixes. Similarly, all but one of the bonus tracks from the 1997 “Fully Loaded” reissue of Loaded were re-released on the corresponding 2015 Super Deluxe reissue, although some were re-edited or remixed, and three new alternate mixes appeared for the first time (as far as I can tell): an even longer “Sweet Jane”, “Cool It Down”, and “Lonesome Cowboy Bill”. The one missing song is the demo of “Satellite of Love”; instead the version from Peel Slowly and See was included. And finally, all of the songs from 1969 recorded at the Matrix were re-released on The Complete Matrix Tapes (2015), which contains the full sets from both nights in surprisingly high quality. The 2014 reissue of The Velvet Underground contains a selection of the same songs in similar fidelity, but since it is entirely redundant, I won’t mention that detail again. Note that the The Quine Tapes include additional shows from the Matrix and other venues, so most of the material released there is still unique.]

The problem is that there is no single place to get a cohesive idea of what this lost album would have sounded like. The Velvet Underground Web Page suggests a version that essentially just sequences the fourteen tracks from VU and Another View. (They suggest using Peel Slowly and See over the VU versions where applicable, but I think this is irrelevant, as the versions are identical.) That works, but then there are additional problems. How do we really know that those were the only songs from that period to be considered for the band’s next album? How do we know that those are the versions that the band deemed best? The band re-recorded some of the songs for Loaded but still left them off the finished product, and there are live versions of several additional songs that either cannot be found elsewhere or that sound completely different. Perhaps some of this material should be considered as well.

Thus, I have compiled an arbitrary assemblage of songs that I deem as the best single-disc compilation of the “lost album” era. Many decisions must be made when constructing such a collection. I generally chose the best quality recording available, and thus live versions are only used when a studio version does not exist. The live versions are often fantastic in their own right, but in live performances the band would extend their songs often to two or three times their standard length. In compiling material for a single compact disc, brevity becomes preferred. I chose to remove any songs that ended up on Loaded to prevent redundancy, although any material later re-recorded by Lou Reed in his solo career I consider fair game, since Reed’s versions are usually substantially different in terms of style, production, and arrangement. And of course, I generally only included songs I rather like, and so the few that I do not failed to make the cut. So, here is my version of the Velvet’s “lost album”:

1. We’re Gonna Have a Real Good Time Together (Another View version) [Upgrade: The Velvet Underground 2014 reissue version]
2. Foggy Notion (VU version)
3. Countess from Hong Kong (demo version from Peel Slowly and See box set)
4. Coney Island Steeplechase (Another View version) [Upgrade: The Velvet Underground 2014 reissue version]
5. Andy’s Chest (VU version) [or The Velvet Underground 2014 reissue version]
6. I’m Sticking with You (outtake version from the 1997 reissue of Loaded) [Upgrade: Loaded 2015 reissue version]
7. I Can’t Stand It (VU version) [or The Velvet Underground 2014 reissue version]
8. It’s Just Too Much (live 1969.09.19 in Dallas, Texas, from the Peel Slowly and See box set)
9. Over You (live 1969.11.25 at The Matrix, San Francisco, California, from The Quine Tapes) [Replacement: The Complete Matrix Tapes version from disc 1]
10. One of These Days (VU version) [Upgrade: The Velvet Underground 2014 reissue version]
11. She’s My Best Friend (VU version)
12. Lisa Says (VU version) [or The Velvet Underground 2014 reissue version]
13. I Love You (outtake version from the 1997 reissue of Loaded) [or Loaded 2015 reissue version]
14. Ride into the Sun (demo version from the 1997 reissue of Loaded) [Replacement: acetate demo version from What Goes On]
15. Ocean (outtake version from the 1997 reissue of Loaded) [or Loaded 2015 reissue version]

And because that still leaves room for more on a standard 80-minute CD, here are some extra tracks that don’t quite make the first cut but are still quite good:

16. Ride into the Sun (instrumental version from Another View) [Replacement: demo/outtake version from the 1997 or 2015 reissue of Loaded]
17. Love Makes You Feel Ten Feet Tall (demo version from the 1997 reissue of Loaded) [or Loaded 2015 reissue version]
18. Sad Song (demo version from the 1997 reissue of Loaded) [Upgrade: Loaded 2015 reissue version]
19. Satellite of Love (demo version from Peel Slowly and See box set) [or Loaded 2015 reissue version]
20. Rock & Roll (early version from Another View) [or The Velvet Underground 2014 reissue version]
21. Sweet Jane (Live 1969.11.27 at The Matrix, San Francisco, California, from 1969: Velvet Underground Live) [Replacement: The Complete Matrix Tapes version from disc 1]

Much like my revisionist Get Back compilation that I devised earlier this year, I’d like to explain my choices, in terms of what I included, what I excluded, what versions I chose, and why I picked this track ordering. Here goes!

01. We’re Gonna Have a Real Good Time Together (Another View version) [Upgrade: The Velvet Underground 2014 reissue version] Never originally released in a studio version, the general public first heard this on the 1969 live album, released in 1974. Patti Smith began opening her concerts in 1974 (and for several years afterward) with a great version of this song with her own additional lyrics. Lou Reed eventually released a studio version in 1978 on Street Hassle, but that version is full of tremolo and other effects and totally lacks the powerful drive of the Velvets version. The outtake heard on Another View has the same energy as the live versions but was recorded in much higher fidelity. When the Velvets reunited for a tour in 1993, they opened their shows with this song, and in that tradition, I think it makes a perfect opener. [A new mix appears on the 2014 reissue of The Velvet Underground, which is ever so slightly superior to the Another View version. There are also four great-sounding live versions on The Complete Matrix Tapes. The first one is the same take from 1969 but in far better quality, and it’s just about as good as the studio version. There’s also an acetate demo version that has only appeared on bootlegs such as Searchin’ for My Mainline (1993), but it is inferior to the other versions.]

02. Foggy Notion (VU version) The live versions available on the Quine Tapes are interesting (especially the medley with “Sister Ray” recorded at Washington University in St. Louis!) but the audio quality suffers terribly. The outtake from VU rocks and captures some of the solid extended jamming that makes this song stand out. [The same version appears on the 2014 reissue of The Velvet Underground, but with an extra brief intro. I don’t think the intro adds anything, so the VU version is still marginally preferable.]

03. Countess from Hong Kong (demo version from Peel Slowly and See box set) A beautiful piece unavailable anywhere else. It sounds more like an outtake from The Velvet Underground, but it was supposedly recorded during the “lost album” era.

04. Coney Island Steeplechase (Another View version) [Upgrade: The Velvet Underground 2014 reissue version] This isn’t a particularly awesome song, but it does have a great charm, and if you’ve ever gone to Coney Island, you’ll know how perfect the lyrics are. There are no other versions. [A new mix appears on the 2014 reissue of The Velvet Underground, and it’s an upgrade, most notably with clearer vocals.]

05. Andy’s Chest (VU version) [or The Velvet Underground 2014 reissue version] A truly weird song, but I kind of like it, and it fits with some of the other slightly deranged pop songs like the previous and following tracks. Reed’s solo version from Transformer is quite good, but the Velvets version is more bouncy and strange compared to Reed’s more direct rock. (But hearing Bowie doing the background vocals is cool!) [The same version appears on the 2014 reissue of The Velvet Underground.]

06. I’m Sticking with You (outtake version from the 1997 reissue of Loaded) [Upgrade: Loaded 2015 reissue version] This song is incredibly cute and I love the arrangement. Sung mostly by Moe Tucker, the ending where she jumps back behind the drumset is great. This is particularly cool in the live take from the Quine Tapes, but that version is too lo-fi and isn’t as good of a take overall. VU also has a version, but the arrangement is too simple and the performance less impassioned. I recommend editing out the studio chatter at the beginning of the Loaded outtake version. [The same recording appears on the 2015 reissue of Loaded, but in a new mix without the annoying intro, so it’s an upgrade. The 2014 reissue of The Velvet Underground also has the same version as VU.]

07. I Can’t Stand It (VU version) [or The Velvet Underground 2014 reissue version] This song isn’t great, but the guitarwork, particularly the noisy solo near the end, is good. The theme of weird lyrics continues here. The Quine Tapes and 1969 both feature live versions of this song with extended jams, but both are too unfocused and lo-fi. Reed released a version on his first solo album, but it is too overdone and lacks the awesome solo. The VU version captures the best of the solo without going on for too long. [A new mix appears on the 2014 reissue of The Velvet Underground, but I can’t detect any substantial differences. The Complete Matrix Tapes have a much better-sounding version of the same recording from 1969 as well as a second, slightly shorter (but still lengthy) version.]

08. It’s Just Too Much (live 1969.09.19 in Dallas, Texas, from the Peel Slowly and See box set) Just like the previous track, this song isn’t the best, but the guitarwork is nice. The live versions from the Quine Tapes and 1969 are good, but are lo-fi and meander a bit too much. The 1969 version is featured in a medley with “Sweet Bonnie Brown”, but there just isn’t much there with that song. Since no studio version exists, the live version from Peel Slowly and See seems to match the best quality with a concise take. [The Complete Matrix Tapes have a much better-sounding version of the same recording from 1969, but I still prefer the shorter, tighter Peel Slowly and See version.]

09. Over You (live 1969.11.25 at The Matrix, San Francisco, California, from The Quine Tapes) [Replacement: The Complete Matrix Tapes version from disc 1] A simple but good song, it is also only available in a live form. The version from 1969 is comparable to the Quine Tapes version, but the latter features a slightly better performance and less noise. [The Complete Matrix Tapes have a much better-sounding version of the same recording from 1969 as well as a second, slower, longer version. The vast improvement in quality of the first version leads me to prefer it above even the Quine Tapes version.]

10. One of These Days (VU version) [Upgrade: The Velvet Underground 2014 reissue version] The country feel of this song makes it feel very much like a few songs that ended up on Loaded. It is unavailable elsewhere. [A new mix appears on the 2014 reissue of The Velvet Underground, and with a slightly longer outro, it’s an upgrade.]

11. She’s My Best Friend (VU version) I like this song a lot, and this is the only version. [The same version, but with a longer outro, appears on the 2014 reissue of* The Velvet Underground, but I actually still prefer the VU* version, as the only extra bit is some weird screaming. I also previously failed to mention the Lou Reed version from Coney Island Baby (1975), which is actually quite good. There’s even a version with Doug Yule from the same era on the 2006 reissue.]

12. Lisa Says (VU version) [or The Velvet Underground 2014 reissue version] A bit slow and dramatic, but it works. The 1969 live version is really good but also really long, while the VU version is cleaner and more to the point. Reed did a version for his first solo album, but it suffers from overproduction and overdramaticism. [A new mix appears on the 2014 reissue of The Velvet Underground, but I can’t detect any substantial differences. The Complete Matrix Tapes have a much better-sounding version of the same recording from 1969.]

13. I Love You (outtake version from the 1997 reissue of Loaded) [or Loaded 2015 reissue version] A really pretty song, and the outtake version is rather loose but still strong. The emotion is much stronger than the demo version also included with the Loaded reissue, and that version suffers from sparseness and apparent incompleteness. Reed’s version from his first solo record is good but totally different, based mostly around acoustic guitars. [The 2015 reissue of Loaded includes both of the same versions.]

14. Ride into the Sun (demo version from the 1997 reissue of Loaded) [Replacement: acetate demo version from What Goes On] This is a really cool song, and it’s hard to pick the best version. I think the demo from the Loaded reissue is best, since the organ and vocal parts are so good. The instrumental version from Another View is almost as good; it features awesome guitarwork but has a very different feel, but the lack of vocals puts it squarely in second place. The Quine Tapes include a cool version, but it is way too long and too lo-fi. Reed also did a version for his first solo album, and it has some good parts, but it is far more rock-oriented and a bit too overproduced and overblown. [A new mix of the Another View version appears on the 2014 reissue of The Velvet Underground with a slightly longer outro, and the demo from the 1997 Loaded reissue also appears on the 2015 reissue, albeit labeled as an outtake. However, my current favorite version is the acetate demo released on What Goes On (1993) that features vocals over an arrangement closer to the instrumental version from Another View. It’s the best of both worlds despite the lo-fi sound and the loose performance. There’s also yet another acetate demo version that has only appeared on bootlegs such as Searchin’ for My Mainline, but it’s just a more guitar-oriented arrangement that otherwise sounds similar to the Loaded demo/outtake.]

15. Ocean (outtake version from the 1997 reissue of Loaded) [or Loaded 2015 reissue version] This is probably my favorite Velvets song, and it makes a perfect dramatic closer. There are several versions, but the outtake version from the Loaded reissue has tons of great guitar and organ parts, and the ominous feel and slow tempo totally work in its favor. The demo version from the same reissue is also good, but just not as full and complete. (Supposedly John Cale guested on the organ for that version, but that’s unconfirmed and the outtake version has a better organ sound anyway.) The VU version is also good, but the drumming is too cymbals-heavy, and the organ is far inferior. 1969 also has a good live version, but it’s just too long and lo-fi. Reed’s version from his first solo album is good but more directly rock-oriented and lacking many good parts. [The Loaded outtake and demo versions both appear on the 2015 reissue; the VU version also appears on the 2014 reissue of The Velvet Underground; and the live 1969 version also appears on The Complete Matrix Tapes in superior quality.]

And now for the “bonus tracks”. They were all re-recorded and released on either Loaded or one of Reed’s first solo albums, and although these versions are interesting, they just don’t quite make the cut.

16. Ride into the Sun (instrumental version from Another View) [Replacement: demo/outtake version from the 1997 or 2015 reissue of Loaded] As I said above, this is a really great version. It’s extremely pretty but just doesn’t quite beat the demo version. [Since I replaced the Loaded outtake/demo version above with a version that sounds similar to the instrumental Another View version but with vocals, it probably would make sense to use the Loaded outtake/demo version here.]

17. Love Makes You Feel Ten Feet Tall (demo version from the 1997 reissue of Loaded) [or Loaded 2015 reissue version] This song is pretty good but not awesome, but has a different, slower, and more drone-like feel that Reed’s later solo version from his first album. [This demo also appears in a new mix on the 2015 reissue of Loaded, but I can’t detect any substantial differences.]

18. Sad Song (demo version from the 1997 reissue of Loaded) [Upgrade: Loaded 2015 reissue version] Also not particularly awesome, but this version is far more focused and direct than Reed’s overblown, overproduced, and overextended version from his first solo album. [This demo also appears on the 2015 reissue of Loaded, but without the brief, unnecessary intro, so it’s an upgrade.]

19. Satellite of Love (demo version from Peel Slowly and See box set) [or Loaded 2015 reissue version] The demo from Peel Slowly and See is just barely better than the alternate demo from the Loaded reissue; this version is simply a better take (and lacks the studio chatter at the start). The Velvets’ version might not top Reed’s classic version from Transformer, but it is an interesting alternate version. [As mentioned above, the same demo from Peel Slowly and See was released on the 2015 reissue of Loaded.]

20. Rock & Roll (early version from Another View) [or The Velvet Underground 2014 reissue version] This is a nice alternate version, although it doesn’t beat the Loaded version. This version has a very different feel – it’s far more drone-like, and the verses almost sound like the Beatles’ “Tomorrow Never Knows”. The demo from the Loaded reissue and the live versions from 1969 and The Quine Tapes are good but aren’t as interesting (and are too lo-fi). This track is generally considered part of the “lost album” in full right (particularly by the Velvet Underground Web Page as mentioned above), but I think it’s better to focus on material that didn’t appear on Loaded. [The Another View version also appears on the 2014 reissue of The Velvet Underground, just as the demo and alternate mix from the 1997 reissue of Loaded appear on the 2015 reissue, and the 1969 version appears on The Complete Matrix Tapes in far superior quality.]

21. Sweet Jane (Live 1969.11.27 at The Matrix, San Francisco, California, from 1969: Velvet Underground Live) [Replacement: The Complete Matrix Tapes version from disc 1] This is a really cool early version, and although it could never beat the full-length version from Loaded, this one does feature different lyrics and a much more laid-back style. The early version from the Loaded reissue is somewhat similar, but the annoying cowbell is just too distracting. [The 1969 version appears in better quality on The Complete Matrix Tapes, but there’s another even better, longer, and wilder version on the first disc that is my new favorite of the early versions. The early version from the 1997 reissue of Loaded reappears on the 2015 reissue in a new mix, but that cowbell still ruins it.]

And that’s all! There are a few notable exclusions that I’d like to point out. The most significant is probably “Ferryboat Bill”, which appears on Another View and is often considered a necessary part of the “lost album”, but frankly, the song is too weird and nonsensical and just plain not good. “Follow the Leader”, released as a 17-minute jam on The Quine Tapes, is just too long and unfocused to consider. The version Reed later did for Rock and Roll Heart in 1976 is superior. “I’m Gonna Move Right In” from Another View is a contender, but that version is an instrumental and not that interesting. Bootlegged live versions from 1968 with vocals aren’t that much better. “Oh Gin” and “Walk and Talk”, both found as demos on the Loaded reissue, are not bad, but also not that great. They may be less overproduced and more focused than Reed’s solo versions from his first album (where they were renamed “Oh Jim” and “Walk and Talk It”, respectively), but that doesn’t actually make them better. [“Ferryboat Bill” and “I’m Gonna Move Right In” both appear on the 2014 reissue of The Velvet Underground. “Oh Gin” and “Walk and Talk” both appear on the 2015 reissue of Loaded, but without the unnecessary intros, so the new versions are slightly preferable.]

There are also early versions of several additional tracks from Loaded available on the 1997 reissue (and extended early versions of “New Age” can be found on 1969 and The Quine Tapes), but none of them are all that particularly different than the final incarnations, with the possible exception of “I Found a Reason”. Presented as a demo, it is done in a sort of country style with harmonica and Moe Tucker on drums. It’s still just not interesting enough to make the cut. The only other tracks that I’m aware of that could possibly be included are the unreleased songs from 1967 and 1968 with John Cale that can be found on VU and Another View. However, since they were almost certainly not considered to be a part of the “lost album” that the other songs on those albums reconstructed, they do not really deserve to be a part of this discussion, no matter how good they may be. [The same version of “New Age” also appears on The Complete Matrix Tapes in much better quality, and all five of the 1967/68 outtakes with Cale from VU and Another View were re-released on the 2013 reissue of White Light/White Heat, although some were subtly remixed.]

As I’ve said before, I don’t feel comfortable in breaking copyright laws to upload my mix for public download, but if you own the albums, it should be really easy to put this together on your own. If you have constructed your own version, please let me know! I’d love to hear some other ideas.

John Cale - Circus Live (2007)

You might have gotten tired about hearing about John Cale after my review of his live show, but his new live album seems to stand out to me and really is pretty good. And as word has been sparse about it on this side of the ocean (since it hasn't yet been released in North America as far as I know), I figure I'll spread the word. It's actually a bit odd that John Cale doesn't get much respect in America. His input into The Velvet Underground is often overlooked in favor of Lou Reed, who may be cool, but isn't actually as cool or straight-up creative as John Cale. What can Lou Reed do? Play a mean guitar and sing like a rock star. John Cale, though, can play viola, keyboard, bass, guitar, probably anything, and sing like an angry punk or a melodic troubadour. Cale has worked with Brian Eno several times (such as the famous June 1, 1974 concert with Nico and Kevin Ayers, Cale's mid-70s Island albums, which featured Eno's synth all over them, and Wrong Way Up, a collaboration between the two), but Cale is an influential figure himself. As I mentioned in my review of the concert of his I saw, he arranged, produced, and played most of the instruments on most of Nico's albums, produced Squeeze's first album, the Modern Lovers' only album, the Stooges' first album, Patti Smith's first album (Horses), and Siouxsie & the Banshee's last album. Bauhaus loved to cover his obscurity "Rosegarden Funeral of Sores", Billy Bragg does "Fear Is a Man's Best Friend", David J (bassist of Bauhaus and Love & Rockets) does "Fear", "Antarctica Starts Here", and "Ship of Fools", Siouxsie & the Banshees do "Gun", and The Teardrop Explodes do "I'm Not the Loving Kind" (as I've mentioned before). Put simply, Cale rules.

I apologize right now for how ridiculously long this review is. It's a long album, after all.

Artist: John Cale
Album: Circus Live
Release Date: 19 February 2007
Label: EMI

Tracklisting:

Disc 1:
01. Venus in Furs [originally performed by The Velvet Underground]
02. Save Us
03. Helen of Troy
04. Woman
05. Buffalo Ballet
06. Femme Fatale [originally performed by The Velvet Underground] → Rosegarden Funeral of Sores
07. Hush
08. Outta the Bag
09. Set Me Free
10. The Ballad of Cable Hogue
11. Look Horizon
12. Magritte
13. Dirty Ass Rock 'n' Roll

Disc 2:
01. Walkin' the Dog [Rufus Thomas Jr. cover]
02. Gun
03. Hanky Panky Nohow
04. Pablo Picasso [Modern Lovers cover] → Mary Lou
05. Drone – Into Amsterdam Suite
06. Zen
07. Style It Takes
08. Heartbreak Hotel [Elvis Presley cover]
09. Mercenaries (Ready for War)
10. Outro Drone

DVD:

Electric Rehearsal:
1. Model Beirut Recital [partial]
2. Sold Motel [partial]
3. Gun
4. Reading My Mind [partial]
5. Heartbreak Hotel [Elvis Presley cover]

Acoustic Rehearsal:
1. Dancing Undercover
2. You Know More Than I Know
3. Gravel Drive
4. Chorale
5. Ghost Story

Extras:
1. Jumbo in the Modern World [promo video]
2. Gravel Drive (Blathamix) [audio track]
3. Big White Cloud (2007 Version) [audio track]

Analysis:
The songs here were recorded by Cale and his live band during his 2004 and 2006 European tours, and it's interesting to compare the song selection with what I saw on his 2007 European tour. To be honest, all the songs come from a slightly bigger collection of songs that he liked to play these days. Looking at other setlists, you can clearly see he has a certain number of songs that form his basic repertoire and he picks a good count to do at any given moment. I'll mostly discuss what I think sounds particularly interesting here and maybe compare a little with the performance I saw.

The album opens with The Velvet Underground's "Venus in Furs", which was written by Lou Reed but is mostly memorable for Cale's thick droning viola. The performance here is faithful to the recording, and it works well. Cale then proceeds to do "Save Us" and "Helen of Troy" from his Island years and then "Woman" from his latest album, 2005's Black Acetate. This sort of mix of old and new forms the basis of this album. "Helen of Troy" rocks pretty hard, even more so than the recorded version, and now that I've heard the live version several times, I prefer it to the original version. The female spoken parts in the original kind of annoy me now, and although I like the horn part in the recording, the riff works just fine on an effects-laden live guitar, too.

"Buffalo Ballet" is done quite faithfully and shows the sweeter, more melodic and acoustic side of Cale that shows up now and then. Later in the album, Cale does similarly low-key versions of "Set Me Free" and "The Ballad of Cable Hogue". All three are beautifully done and contrast well with the more rocking material. The concert I saw had a very large number of these types of songs, which I thought worked really well.

The first really interesting song is the medley of the Lou Reed-penned "Femme Fatale" (originally sung on the first Velvet Underground record by Nico) with Cale's obscure b-side "Rosegarden Funeral of Sores", a song perhaps better known a staple from Bauhaus' live performances. The medley skillfully interweaves the two songs, mostly playing around with the main riff of "Rosegarden" while alternating verses from both songs and changing the root of the riff as necessary for "Femme Fatale".

The newer song "Hush" doesn't seem to go anywhere and is the first weaker track. If you listen to the album so that there are gaps between each song, you can clearly hear the fade-out of the song (as it must have kept on going), but without the gap, it sounds like the band just suddenly shifts into the recent single "Outta the Bag", which is quite an improvement. They may have done it that way in concert, but depending on your playback system, the production either sounds kind of tellingly bad or really good. "Outta the Bag" has some weird sampled effects, but the song sounds rather good, and I love the wordless vocalizations over the ending jam, presumably done by Cale's backing musicians.

"Magritte" is a fairly good song introduced as being "about [his] favorite painter", which in itself is pretty cool, but the song is also one of the few Cale ever does on viola. It is followed by the thoroughly rocking "Dirty Ass Rock 'n' Roll", which is perhaps even better than the original. The piano sound and the guitar workouts work so well. The song goes on for a bit while everyone jams their heart out.

The second disc features more radical reworkings of classic Cale songs. "Walkin' the Dog" is an old standard by Rufus Thomas Jr. that a lot of people like to cover for reasons I fail to understand; I don't think the song is all that great, but I guess it's kind of fun, and Cale does a fairly good job with it. (He had previously released a version of the song on his first live album, Sabotage/Live in 1979.)

"Gun", which in the studio was a long, seriously rocking song with a two-man solo featuring Brian Eno throwing his effects board on the guitar solo, is here presented as an even longer piece, more atmospheric and slow. Considering the nature of the song, I think that's a poor choice as it drags too much and gets a bit boring. It's not too bad, though, and the best part of the rendition is that it seamlessly transitions into Cale's classic "Hanky Panky Nohow". I didn't even notice the segue the first time I listened until Cale started singing the chorus. The version here is very minimalist, but for the song it works well.

The "Pablo Picasso" → "Mary Lou" medley is also pretty good, albeit maybe a little indulgent in the extended jam that links the songs, but this is a rock band, after all. The medley rocks pretty hard, and it feels like the musicians are really into the songs. "Pablo Picasso" seems to be one of Cale's favorite songs to cover, which is interesting considering that it's a Modern Lovers song, and he produced the album the original recording is found on. I can't help but like Cale's sneering rendition of the repeated line, "Pablo Picasso never got called an asshole". The lyrics aren't really amazing, but the point that fame can lead people to overlook character flaws still comes through. This is the last song before the "Amsterdam Suite", and the main "set" appropriately ends with Cale repeatedly singing "goodnight" throughout the outro of "Mary Lou".

The so-called "Amsterdam Suite" is basically a fragment of a spacey acoustic set Cale did with a few different musicians in Amsterdam in 2004. (A video of the whole concert can be found here. [Edit 2014.06.16: Not anymore, apparently.]) When I first saw the tracklist, I hoped that the "song" "Drone – Into Amsterdam Suite" implied that Cale would do a version of his old song "Amsterdam", but such is not the case. It's just a long drone, just like the "Outro Drone". These two tracks are largely worthless (except to prove that "outro" is a word) but they do mimic the intro and outro of the concert I witnessed.

"Zen" goes by slowly and has a pretty, shimmering keyboard throughout. I think this song and Cale's homeland inspired the name of his biography, What's Welsh for Zen?, which is a great title. "Style It Takes" is from Cale's 1990 collaboration with Lou Reed, Songs for Drella, which was a song cycle dedicated to Andy Warhol, the "producer" of the first Velvets album. This particular song is a bit humorous and self-referential, and it sounds great due to some great keyboard, sound effects, and banjo.

"Heartbreak Hotel", the Presley standard, is done as a slow, atmospheric piece, devoid of the rocking guitars of Cale's normal version, although the version he played at the concert I saw was noticeably different from either version. This version is totally minimalist and barely holds together. It's cool that Cale is experimenting around, as it works okay here, but when I couldn't even make out a single word he sang in his pitch-shifted version at the concert I saw, I count that as a bit of a drawback.

"Mercenaries" largely has the same story as "Gun" or "Heartbreak Hotel", which can be seen as unfortunate or interesting. I've never heard the original version, because the studio recording was only released on a vinyl single and never reissued anywhere (since the master was lost), and the other common version is the live take on Cale's first live album, Sabotage/Live, which I cannot find a copy of anywhere. My understanding is that the original rocks out, which is quite contrary to this version. It's so slow and drawn out, which could be cool, but it feels like this song could have benefited from a bit more of something. [Edit 2014.06.16: I have since heard both of these earlier versions, and indeed, they are powerful rockers.]

So this is a long review. Anyhow, the whole thing comes with a DVD, too, which has some interesting material on it. The rehearsal features a bunch of songs that don't appear on the CDs, several of which were performed at the concert I saw. (You can even see the drummer playing his box as I mentioned in my live review! [Edit 2019.01.07: That instrument is called a cajón.]) Since these are rehearsals, a few of the songs break down or are edited, but you do get to see several full performances. There's also the requisite banter, but the best is when Cale dons his old ski mask as he used to in concert (and as seen on the cover of the Guts compilation.)

The electric rehearsal tracks include another protracted version of "Heartbreak Hotel" in yet another arrangement. This version rocks a bit harder but is still fairly abstract. The version of "Gun" is here done closer to the rocking original version, but they somehow play the song in three minutes instead of eight. The acoustic rehearsals include some solid renditions of Cale classics like "Dancing Undercover", "You Know More Than I Know", and "Ghost Story", which is a real treat. The "Jumbo in the Modern World" video is a CG-heavy affair featuring weird creatures that consume all beauty in the world and then each other, ending in the last surviving member vomiting up the entire world.

The two audio tracks are fairly interesting. "Outta the Bag (Blathamix)" isn't really very great, but I haven't actually heard the normal version, so I don't know how much is the song versus the mix. I suspect it's the mix that fails, as it's overly electronics-laden and it doesn't go anywhere. I accidentally listened to it once while fast-forwarding my DVD at 1.5 speed, and it sounds noticeably better and doesn't drag as much. "Big White Cloud (2007 Version)" is simply an update of the original, with a bigger atmospheric background. It isn't particularly revelatory, but it's certainly not bad.

Review:
The album was culled from Cale's 2004 and 2006 tours, but like the show I saw in 2007, Cale plays a wide array of material. He's got old Velvet Underground material, songs from his earliest albums, several songs from his famed Island years, and several songs from his last few albums. The mix is interesting and flows fairly well, and he re-arranges a lot of his songs, for better or worse. Perhaps even more than the concert I saw, the record relies on a bit more recent material than older, which makes sense as Cale does have older live albums with some of the same material, and he's only really re-arranged a limited number of his songs so many times. Still, it's a good listen, but I should warn that I adore Cale's 70s albums but know little about anything thereafter (and I love the Velvet Underground), so many of these songs were completely new to me. He's backed by a solid band, and he can rock out on request.

The album's actually a fair introduction to the man and his music, and it's a great album for a longtime fan. I only wish that his new arrangements of old songs were less dependent on just being long, droning space-versions. I know Cale loves his ambience and drones, but I think he could do some really more interesting things. Or just provide more variety. All the medleys, be they done that way live or just skillfully mixed in the album production, work really well. The two medleys that were clearly done live (that is, "Femme Fatale" → "Rosegarden Funeral of Sores" and "Pablo Picasso" → "Mary Lou"; I'm not entirely confident about the "Hush" → "Outta the Bag" or the "Gun" → "Hanky Panky Nohow" segues... they could have been done live or via post-production) are two of the best tracks on the album, and both were fairly cleverly arranged. Do note that slower songs are not necessarily bad: as I said before, "Buffalo Ballet" and "Style It Takes" (among others) succeed well with the more thoughtful approach.

The DVD also makes for a fun little viewing. It isn't totally enlightening or anything, but you get to see the band having fun and playing parts of songs you don't hear on the CDs. Not fantastic, but it's there and it's not bad. The video is worth a watch, and the audio tracks are worth a listen. Unlike the CDs, which I think merit repeated listenings, the DVD probably has a more limited appeal.

Scores:
CDs: B+
DVD: C+
Whole package: B
Full "Amsterdam Suite" performance as seen here [Edit 2014.06.16: Sorry, no longer available.]: B-

John Cale - Live 2007.03.06 Arena, Vienna, Austria

I still haven't gotten around to really telling people about this blog of mine, but I may as well write another post. Well, actually, I'm cheating a bit: I'm just going to revise a review I already wrote and submitted to the Fear Is a Man's Best Friend website. If the name of the page didn't clue you in, I'm talking about ol' John Cale, former bassist, violist, and organist for the Velvet Underground, producer of Nico, Squeeze, Siouxsie & the Banshees, the Modern Lovers, the Stooges, and others, collaborator with Brian Eno (effectively the god of music, or rather patron saint if that suits your tastes better), and veteran of 37 years of a solo career. So, here we go:

Artist: John Cale
Venue: Arena Wien
City: Vienna, Austria
Date: 6 March 2007

Setlist (thanks to Fear Is a Man's Best Friend):
01. Intro Drone
02. Evidence
03. Model Beirut Recital
04. Save Us
05. Helen of Troy
06. Walkin' the Dog [Rufus Thomas Jr. cover]
07. Sold Motel
08. Heartbreak Hotel [Elvis Presley cover]
09. Reading My Mind
10. Hey Ray
11. A Day in the Life of the Common Cold → Big White Cloud
12. Hush → Outta the Bag
13. Chinese Envoy
14. Ghost Story
15. You Know More Than I Know
16. Dancing Undercover
17. Buffalo Ballet
18. Cable Hogue
19. Things
20. Dirty Ass Rock 'n' Roll
21. Venus in Furs [originally performed by the Velvet Underground]

First Encore:
22. Fear Is a Man's Best Friend
23. Pablo Picasso [Modern Lovers cover] → Mary Lou

Second Encore:
24. Chorale

While studying abroad in Vienna, I happened to see a placard for this concert and I knew I had to go. My sister was in town that week, so we went together. We figured that I was probably the youngest person in attendance, but that hardly affected my enjoyment of the show, which I thought was rather awesome. There was no opening act, and the medium-sized venue (a former slaughterhouse, I'm told) was fairly crowded and anxious for the show to begin. After a long wait, a loud drone enveloped the building, and finally the band walked out. After the intro drone, the band started out in full-on rock mode: Cale on electric guitar, accompanied by three guys I didn't recognize on lead guitar, electric bass, and full drumset. I don't remember the setlist exactly, and I'm unfortunately still in the process of becoming familiar with all of Cale's material, so I can only guess at an approximate order and the precise content. [Edit: I have since found the correct setlist.] I think I remember five rocking songs before Cale moved over to the keyboard for the first time. The setlist was fairly varied. Cale focuses on his heyday, the mid 70s, but he threw in songs from all over his career (but sadly just one Velvet Underground song). I'll comment on a few specific parts.

Cale played two new, unreleased songs: "(A Day in the Life of a) Common Cold" and "Hey Ray". "Common Cold" I remember as fairly good, but despite the thorough introduction that "Hey Ray" got, I have to say it was the song I was least impressed with the whole night. The lilting lyrical delivery and choruses ticking off the years just didn't strike me strongly. I picked up on most of the cultural or historical references he was making in the song, but I just didn't like the way it coalesced. The other song that I felt didn't work too well was "Heartbreak Hotel", an Elvis Presley cover that normally rocks really hard both on album and in most live bootleg versions I've heard. This time, through, the song featured dense keyboards and such a strong pitch shifter on Cale's voice that I couldn't understand the lyrics and I wasn't even sure exactly what song it was. I think if the effect hadn't been quite so strong it would have worked really well.

About halfway through Cale started playing some of his more melodic old classics, such as "Big White Cloud", "Ghost Story", "You Know More Than I Know", and "Cable Hogue" (apparently referred to these days as "The Ballad of Cable Hogue"). These four in particular earned some serious applause from the audience. After setting down his electric guitar after the first five songs, Cale tended to favor his acoustic guitar and keyboard most the rest of the night. For about four or so of the various softer songs, the drummer came around to the front of his set for a while and sat down on a box [Edit 2019.01.07: specifically, a cajón]. It was well-mic'd and he knew what he was doing, because he kept a solid beat going just by beating on it the whole while. I was impressed by the effectiveness of the simplicity. Now and then the bassist would also trade his electric for an acoustic stand-up.

I had noticed at the start of the show that I didn't see a viola anywhere on stage, and I told my sister that I just knew Cale would have to bring one out. Sure enough, right before the encore, he pulled his viola out from behind an amplifier or something and went right into "Venus in Furs". Some of the audience members really got into it, despite the fact that it's not an easy song to dance to. Anyway, that was pretty cool.

After Cale left the stage, the audience kept cheering until he came back out for an encore. He went right into "Fear Is a Man's Best Friend", which got a great crowd response. (As it's one of my favorites, too, I was rather enthralled.) He followed the first chorus with a classical-styled interlude not present in the studio recording, and the bassist did a good job of capturing the noisy finish of the song as heard on record. They then rocked through a medley of "Pablo Picasso" (a Modern Lovers cover) and "Mary Lou", which featured some extended jamming. After that, the band left the stage, the audience applauded, and the lights came on, so me and my sister figured the show was over. She went to the bathroom and I went to pick up my camera, which had been confiscated at the door. While waiting for my sister, Cale came back out to do "Chorale", so I not only got to hear the beautiful finale, but I got to take a few blurry photographs. After that, my sister and I left for good, but for all I know he did another encore. I wouldn't put it past him, but I'm pretty sure that was the end, as I heard a loud drone much like the intro one as we left. All in all, it was a pretty great show. For the sake of public record, here is the better of the two photographs I took, but I warn that it really is not a great shot:

[Retrospective Score: A-]