Paris 1919

Product Description:

Personnel includes: John Cale (vocals, piano); Lowell George (guitar); Wilton Felder (bass); Richie Hayward (drums); UCLA Student Orchestra.

Recorded at Sunwest Studios, Los Angeles, California.

PARIS 1919 is considered by many critics (and Cale fans) to be his best. Released in 1973, 1919 was recorded in Los Angeles with members of Little Feat, Wilton Felder and the UCLA Orchestra, and stands as one of the best "rock/classical" fusions, mainly because Cale (who is a classically-trained musician) avoids the heavy-handed pomp and pretensions that besiege so much "art-rock." He also manages to maintain the qualities of tunefulness and whimsy.

His lyrics are absurdist/Dadaist-style poetry and word play, sung in a plaintive, unaffected, almost choirboy style. The songs have a longing, haunted feel to them-"Half Past France" is a perfect distillation of the musings that often accompany late-night travel. Throughout, the usual rock instrumentation is colored and caressed by exquisite pedal steel guitar, French horn, harmonium and strings. Cale remembers to rock out, too: "Macbeth" is a dense, driving, Move-styled take on the Shakespeare play, complete with raving, keening slide guitar and thundering drums. PARIS 1919 stands as one of the "lost" classic rock albums of the 1970s.