Taking Sides: Lou Reed or John Cale

i like both of them. but lou is more my kind of guy. cale somehow isn't visceral enough.

i've always liked cale better myself. those three-four albums he did for island are great: "fear," "slow dazzle," "helen of troy" (the last a bit weaker), and the compilation "guts." "paris 1919" is a minor classic. "honi soit" was halfway good. i can't think of anything he's done since then that was really good, but cale always struck me as essentially smarter than reed and with a better pop sense and sense of humor. basically, they both suck now and while i hardly think the velvets are overrated like some of my more muso friends, they're really not something i go back to any more, not even "loaded." i still get a kick out of "run run run" though.

Reed is most winning when he's writing throwaways, not Important Statements. I'll take "I Love You, Suzanne" and "Foggy Notion" over, say, "Men of Good Fortune" or "Power & the Glory." That's why "New York' and "Magic & Loss" are his most overrated records. It's entertaining when on the superior first side of "New York" Lou garbles whatever he saw on the 6:30 news and turns it into catchy guitar-pop (when the songs are whizzing by so fast it's good that you're not listening too hard). It's NOT entertaining when an absence of melody forces him to croak some not especially enlightening observations about death and decay on "Magic & Loss."

Lou's best when the absurd courts the vulgar in unexpected ways, as on "Kill Your Sons," "Underneath the Bottle, "Turn to Me," or the marvelous "Mad" from "Ecstacy."

all I know is, I listen to John Cale more than I do Lou Reed, and always have. I like pop music. Lou Reed is all about being Lou Reed, that's great, but I don't get any formal satisfaction out of most of it ("New Sensations" being a big exception). That's what I'm looking for, not the cult-of-personality shit that Lou Reed's been peddling for years.

As for the cult of personality...I understand, but Neil Young and Bob Dylan are guilty of the same crime, if it is a crime.

last minute arguments:

oops I meant to post that on the poll thread

I wish to give my thanks, about locking the other thread. I wanted to write Ned in the midst of that thread, but I realized I didn't probably have his email anymore. I thought he would prolly be sympathetic to my cause. Thanks for locking the other thread.

I adore John Cale.

Won't change my vote yet, iatee, though. But I realize this is a close race. Don't give up on me, I might convert to Cale someday.

Velvet Undergound

"Its my Barbara Streisand song" - Lou Reed

Le Bataclan '72

don't even get me started on Nico

I understand the long and personal struggle you must be going through Bimble. Just understand that I'm here to support you.

thanks iatee!

alright last post from me today

I love John Cale. Okay? I really do.
But when Lou gets it right, he really gets it right.
He's the blood in my soul.

But on a good sunny day if you play me Cale's
"Empty Bottles" I might change my mind.

Sometimes Lou Reed is the only reason to live. I mean you understand me, right?

Mmm. NO.

http://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/gitpics/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/25155513/JOHN-CALE-PLUS-GUESTS-A3-01.jpeg

Interesting line-up.

this is a terrible thread

but this was a great performance. He did it again later without a drummer, after slagging drummers and other musicians in general. Only a crazy man would sack a band this good.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeFYJdW3xDg