I was just noticing; what does it tell you about me and my blog that I have a tag for John Cale and none for John Lennon? Because you may have never heard of Cale, but he’s so much a part of my life he’s at a Beatles-level height of importance. The Velvet Underground is like mother’s milk to me. If you didn’t grow up learning this stuff, you’re at a severe disadvantage and I pity you. If you need to get started on Cale, Vintage Violence is a good place. It’s his first and also his mellowest album. He goes from there to some weirder places, not all of which even I will follow. He’s an uncompromising artist, one of those who doesn’t care at all if he appeals to anyone or not. He doesn’t have that problem that Lou Reed has where he suddenly catches himself becoming too popular and esteemed and has to make a grand effort to make himself unappealing again. He also doesn’t have as much money as Lou Reed does. But that’s the deal – don’t give ‘em an inch of rope, John.
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