The Velvet Underground, Nico, and Andy Warhol
Their first album is still remarkable (with the notable exception of ‘European Son’, which I guess must have been pretty radical at the time, but to my ears is just boring) - the crude noisiness and dark subject matter contrasts so well with the prettiness of the melodies. I’ve never had a problem with Nico’s contributions to the album, and in particular, I love ‘Femme Fatale’.
John Cale - ‘Perfect’
John Cale again.
John Cale “All My Friends” (LCD Soundsystem cover)
There are days, though they are few and far-between, when I think that this is the best version of this song that currently exists. That may well be because of the crackle of age, wisdom and regret that Cale’s voice brings to the song (on a tangential note, imagine Leonard Cohen tackling this!), the gorgeous countermelody he chucks in at the end (“Where are your friends tooo-niiiight?”), or just fact that I’ve been listening to a fucktonne of John Cale lately. I don’t know.
Of course, then I remember that the original is probably my song of the decade.
Either way, listen and enjoy, especially if you’ve never heard Cale’s version before. Franz Ferdinand’s cover ain’t got nothin’ on this…
John Cale possesses one of the best singing voices in rock music.
