Paris 1919

A friend reminded me to listen to the original recording of this song. John Cale released a record in 1973 and this was the title track. I believe this is a 1995 performance, live in Paris.

Cale is a great modern musician. A classically trained Welsh pianist and cellist who came to New York in the early 60's and immersed himself in the world of experimental and avant garde music. He worked with Lamont Young and Terry Riley. He recorded a record with Terry Riley called Church Of Anthrax after the Velvet Underground disbanded. Yes, he did play cello in the Velvet Underground. An interesting fact, as a child in Wales, he was raised speaking only Welsh. English was a second language learned  when he was an adolescent.

I was very much influenced by Cale as I drifted into Punk and New Wave music. One of the first songs I ever performed in public was Cale's, Fear Is A Man's Best Friend from his 1977 recording Animal Justice. Cale produced the Stooges, Nico, Devo, Jonathon Richman, the first Patti Smith record, Horses,worked with Brian Eno and reunited briefly with Lou Reed for their song cycle memorial for Andy Warhol, Songs For Drella.

There even was a brief VU reunion early in the this decade....

An intensely interesting career, his talents easily straddle violent anti social punk rock (CHICKEN SHIT!) experimental noise and pure classicly orchestrated surreal pleasure.