Paris 1919

Velvet Undergroundのオリジナル・メンバー、永遠の異端者
John Caleによるアルバム2作のリイシューが決定!

Velvet Underground活動後は、自己名義の作品を多数発表し、音楽プロデューサーとしてもThe Stooges、Patti Smithなど様々なアーティストの作品を手がけてきた鬼才John Cale。2024年にリリースされた『POPtical Illusion』に続き、1970年代のCaleが30歳を目前にして育んだ芸術的な大胆不敵さを証明する2作の再発が決定!
1972年の爽快で探求的なクラシック作品『The Academy in Peril』、そしてアメリカン・ルーツ・ミュージックを特徴とするロック・バンド、Little FeatのLowell GeorgeとRichie Haywardが参加した1973年の『Paris 1919』が〈Domino〉からリリース!
いずれもHeba Kadry(Bjork, Slowdive, 坂本龍一)がリマスターを手がけ、この2作の再発は初のアーティスト公認盤となる。
『Paris 1919』には未発表アウトテイクと解説、そして新たに録音された「Fever Dream 2024: You're a Ghost」を収録。

One of John Cales very finest solo efforts, Paris 1919 is also among his most accessible records, one which grows in depth and resonance with each successive listen. A consciously literary work -- the songs even bear titles like "Childs Christmas in Wales," "Macbeth," and "Graham Greene" -- Paris 1919 is close in spirit to a collection of short stories; the songs are richly poetic, enigmatic period pieces strongly evocative of their time and place, and full of quiet loss and pain. Chris Thomas production is appropriately lush and sweeping, with many tracks set to lush accompaniment courtesy of the UCLA Symphony Orchestra. The other musicians on the record are Little Feats guitarist (Lowell George) and drummer (Richie Hayward) as well as bassist Wilton Felder of the Jazz Crusaders; they provide wonderfully sympathetic backing that can swing from laid back and dreamy ("Andulucia") to rollicking ("Graham Greene.") Their framework allows Cale to cast off his noisy, abrasive past and create a subtle, perfectly arranged set of songs that capture loss and devastation in an almost achingly pretty way. Cale swung back to a more chaotic sound after this and for better or worse, his music never achieved a similar beauty again. ~ Jason Ankeny & Tim Sendra