John Cale – Slow Dazzle

Horrible horrible sound completely muffled and noisy. bought this for the extended version of the Jeweler. A shame it's a great album

Same mastering as the UK 1987 release. Also the same as the later Island Masters release. Track 10 "The Jeweller" is longer than the version on "Island Years" cd set

from the only pic provided it looks massively off centred!!

This very heavy and experimental but still rocking and emotional album, which reflected an early punk attitude is highly recommended, and surely in this edition, which is even of better quality than the UK first pressing, because it was pressed beautifuly in Haarlem, no surface noise at all if you find one that is handled well.

最初にCD化されたこの盤の「The Jeweller」は、オリジナル盤やその後のCDと、ミックスが違います。

The mix of "The Jeweller" in this version is different from original LP.

The original vinyl LP version of The Jeweller is different. It's shorter and the the music is much more subdued. Why was this longer version put on the CD?

Sylvia Said was recorded during the sessions for "Fear"

contains the shortened version of "The Jeweller" as did the original USA LP

Mind you there's no way you'd ever mistake John Cale for ABBA, or a similar top-40 pop act, but 1975's "Slow Dazzle" was the album where I discovered he was more than an en avant-garde crackpot ... Self-produced with exceptional backing from Brian Eno, Phil Manzanera, Chris Spedding and others, the collection of largely original material sported a strange mixture of punk paranoia, old fashioned commercial pop and rock moves, and occasional nods to his more experimental roots. Yeah, I know that sounds like an impossible combination for anyone to pull off, but Cale somehow found the recipe. Ironically some critics actually slammed the set as being too commercial, demanding a return to his more experimental endeavors. The album started out with 'Mr. Wilson' which was a fawning tribute to Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys (who would've ever thought Cale was a fan) and stood as one of Cale's best and most commercial compositions - love the way he sings Californ-EYE-A. Hard to believe it wasn't a hit single. The same was true for the ballad 'I'm Not the Loving Kind' (easily his prettiest ballad) and and the unexpected pop ditty 'Ski Patrol'. Elsewhere tracks like 'Dirtyass Rock 'n' Roll' (sporting his best Bob Dylan impression) and 'Guts' (a tale of marital infidelity that featured some of Cale's most disturbing lyrics including a chorus thatI've always heard as 'he's got no guts - and stitches don't help at all'), aptly displayed Cale could rock out as hard as any of his competitors. Other highlights included the positively blood chilling cover of 'Heartbreak Hotel' (every time I hear the Presley version I now think about Cale's cover version), 'Taking It All Away' and 'Darling I Need You' (both sporting incideously catchy choruses). To be honest, the only track that didn't strike a chord with me was the bleak story teller narrative closer 'The Jeweller'. Interesting while most critics seem to gravitate to "Fear" which was the first release in Cale's Island Trilogy, this is the LP that I find the most appealing and enjoyable. Well worth checking out !!!