Curiously not the best track on this 12" ep from John Cale here . . . . . . well not my favourite . . . . but it will do [I preferred 'Heda Gabbler' ] and yes bought when it came out in Sept 1977

This track was in response to guys in the band walking out on Cale when he 'defiled' (sic?) a chicken on stage! After leaving Island John Cale had a difficult period concerning his solo work. Between 1975 and 1979, he would release only one EP, called Animal Justice, our today's post, a rather provocating affair. With it's great cover sleeve, this EP featured 2 cult songs. The first is "Chicken Shit", based upon what is sometimes called the Croydon Chicken Incident (sees below), a live set during which Cale cut the head of a chicken with a meat cleaver* 

• Chicken Shit
• John Cale
• Animal Justice

*Croydon incident

Written as a putdown for the band members who walked after the Croydon incident - with a meat cleaver and a chicken that was already dead.

Released on the Animal Justice EP, released in 1977. Also to be found on the reissue of the Sabotage/Live album. Cale's guitar player Ritchie Fliegler speaks the "Arthur" lines.

• Guts
• John Cale
• Slow Dazzle

Simply I think I bought everything John Cale out out when it was released and have pretty much everything I think . . . . . Slow Dazzle was no exception

'Guts' was and remains a favourite song and is extraordinary in it's storytelling . . . . . . 'The twelve bore that stood in the corner, quite operatic in it's self disgust . . . "

"Blew him all over the living room floor like parrot shit . . . . . . . . 

• Mercenaries (Ready For War)
• John Cale
• Sabotage/Live

So in terms of the Animal Justice tracks I bought them twice as they came with the re-issue of Sabotage/Live which I also bought when it came out and later on CD

This is a towering piece of work and favourite song it sums up everything I think about war then and now!