John Cale Sabotage/Live CD

Digitally remastered by Jim Jordan and Roddy Hui (Big Apple).

From his membership in the Velvet Underground, to his production of the Stooges and Patti Smith, to his iconoclastic solo albums, John Cale has always been at the cutting edge of rock & roll. In 1979, his music reflected both his personal troubles and the sinewy fury of the emerging punk scene on both sides of the Atlantic. SABOTAGE was recorded live at CBGB's, then a mecca for the New York rock underground, with a band of young upstarts whose raw edge serves Cale well.

With fierce, brutal rockers like "Mercenaries," "Dr. Mudd," and the title track, Cale seems intent on purging his inner demons by confronting the audience with the demons of the world, his voice a virtual weapon. The only respite from the assault comes with the wistful "Only Time Will Tell," the mournful "Chorale," and the stately, enigmatic "Hedda Gabler." If you're seeking the John Cale of PARIS 1919 or WORDS FOR THE DYING, you won't find him here; if you find his darker works, such as THE ISLAND YEARS or MUSIC FOR A NEW SOCIETY, appealing, this is the place.

Though Lou Reed is often thought of as the abrasive member of the Velvet Underground, during the punk era Reed was writing confessional singer/songwriter albums while his former bandmate, John Cale, was traveling the world in the company of a band of snot-nosed youngsters raised on hard rock, shrieking himself into a frenzy, wearing a hard hat on-stage, and writing songs like "Chickenshit," a real-life tale of the time he beheaded a chicken (already dead) on stage and threw the carcass into the crowd and his whole band quit in protest, set to the most merciless music he'd been a part of since White Light/White Heat. The similarly slashed Sabotage/Live is the noisiest album of Cale's career, but there's more here than volume and feedback. Recorded live at punk mecca CBGB's, the nine songs range from the howling "Mercenaries (Ready for War)" to the more reflective, dirge-like "Captain Hook," a sardonic epic meditation on British colonialism that's every bit as powerful as the louder, faster tracks. [For completists, the CD version includes the three tracks (including "Chickenshit") from 1977's Animal Justice EP and the rare B-side "Rosegarden Funeral of Sores," later covered by Bauhaus.] ~ Stewart Mason

Unavailable in the U.S.! UK reissue of the incendiary live album from the Velvet Underground member featuring three bonus tracks taken from a 1977 EP: 'Memphis', 'Hedda Gabler' and 'Rosegarden Funeral Of Sores'. Originally released in 1979. Sabotage was recorded at New York's legendary (and now lamented) CBGB's club. Unlike most live albums, which are usually nothing more than a souvenir of a greatest hits show, Sabotage contains a collection of unreleased material written while on the road and performed with an intensity rarely heard on CD. 13 tracks. Proper.

Recorded live at CBGB's, New York, New York in 1979. Includes liner notes by Richard Thomas.

Personnel: John Cale (vocals, guitar, viola, piano, keyboards, fretless bass); Joe Bidwell (vocals, keyboards); George Scott (vocals, bass guitar); Doug Bowne, Dougie Bowne (vocals, drums); Deerfrance (vocals, percussion); Marc Aaron (guitar).

Audio Mixers: Frank Warren; John Cale.

Audio Remixers: Jim Jordan; Rod Hui.

Recording information: Big Apple Recording Studios, NY (06/1979); CBGB"s, New York, NY (06/1979); CBGB, New York, NY (06/1979); CBGB's, New York, NY (06/1979).

Personnel includes: John Cale (vocals, guitar, viola, piano, fretless bass); Marc Aaron (guitar); Joe Bidwell (keyboards, background vocals); George Scott (bass, background vocals); Doug Bowne (drums, background vocals).