Avant-Pop and the Viola Man

Review Score: (6/10)
I obtained a vinyl copy of VINTAGE VIOLENCE about twenty years ago for one dollar and I played it about five times in all of that time. I've always been a huge John Cale fan and went out of my way several times to see him live -- which wasn't too difficult, living in New York City where he often plays offbeat gigs unrelated to tours. I fanatically devoured SEDUCING DOWN THE DOOR and FRAGMENTS OF A RAINY SEASON and considered myself a bit of a Cale expert. But I never really warmed to VINTAGE VIOLENCE. I chalked it all up to early over-ambition, slapdash recording procedures, lack of a true pop voice that only emerged on his masterpiece PARIS 1919. However, listening to this remasted CD, I feel like I'm hearing it for the first time. True, there are no monumental epic songs like "Child's Christmas in Wales" or "Dying on the Vine" and the only truly strong song on the album is "Amsterdam", a slow acoustic ballad. True, this album only merely hints at the rampaging creativity that consumed his later work and turned him into a powerful voice and violent performer. True, if this was the only Cale album that existed, his legacy in the rock world would be a relatively weak album of pop tunes being performed by an avant-garde viola player trying to be like the Bee Gees. But when I heard this remaster, I thought: "That's John Cale. It's no one else." His voice is unmistakeable. His quirky avant-pop is mysterious (check out Big White Cloud) and his lyrics cryptic. And the repacking has some cool pictures of the young Cale hanging out on the street corner. I would not recommend this album to a new-comers (those unfamiliar with Cale's work should spring for the 2-CD retrospective SEDUCING DOWN THE DOOR -- it will not disappoint) but those who have a few albums, really like him and want to hear some odd pop songs with his distinct flavoring, should check this one out.

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