portrait of this blog's author - by Stephen Blackman 2008

Friday, March 22, 2019

JOHN CALE
The Music of The Velvet Underground Revisited

LIVE in Paris France 2016


From the wondrous Floppy Boot Stomp the other day comes this quite extraordinary document from John as he revisits the music of The Velvet Underground for the first time (on his own) in some 50 years! (yes fifty years) he makes no mention in the interview here of the reunion concert of 1992 but they had fallen out again afterwards and perhaps he would rather not mention it especially as everyone else bar Tucker are now dead.
The intro here consists of a mini interview that helps explain the why the what and the wherefore but it is in the music that one needs to pay attention. In my humble opinion this is the most extraordinary  project ever performed of the VU's material. Rather than play it like the band did when they reformed to revisit originals and get as close was they could with Lou and Mo and Sterling, John has reinvented the works as a contemporary composer would and made them his own for the 21stC as only he could. can and indeed should! There are truly unique performances of material we thought we knew. With invited guests numbering The Libertines, Mark Lanegan, Animal Collective and Saul Williams it is the arrangements here that take ones breath away. Highlights fo me are 'Heroin', 'Sunday Morning' and a rousing (of course) finale of Sister Ray. But also check out the dissonant 'Waiting for My Man' for a reinvention of the classic drug dealer song.



La Philharmonie 
Paris France
2016-04-03  
Webcast @320


01. John Cale Intro
02. I’m Waiting for My Man
03. White Light/White Heat (with The Libertines)
04. All Tomorrow’s Parties (with Mark Lanegan)
05. Venus in Furs
06. I’ll Be Your Mirror (with Étienne Daho)
07. There She Goes Again (with Animal Collective)
08. Sunday Morning
09. European Son (with The Libertines)
10. Femme Fatale (with Lou Doillon)
11. Black Angel’s Death Song (with Mark Lanegan)
12. Run Run Run (with The Libertines)
13. Heroin (with Saul Williams)
14. Sister Ray (finale with all the guests)

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