[Review] John Cale: Slow Dazzle (1975)
If you should ever leave me, life would still go on, believe me.
Kronomyth 6.0: Cindy sells me.
1975 and Slow Dazzle marked the end of John Cale’s marriage to Miss Cindy. His failed second marriage is the elephant in the recording studio, felt most heavily on the tracks Guts, Darling I Need You, I’m Not the Loving Kind and a return to his own haunted Heartbreak Hotel. It doesn’t make for a particularly happy album, but if you’re buying John Cale albums seeking happy songs you’re in for a world of disappointment. If, on the other hand, you’re seeking strange, slightly broken pop/rock songs, you’ve come to the right place. Like Fear before it, Slow Dazzle features the talents of Brian Eno and Phil Manzanera and a lineup that looks more or less like a Bryan Ferry backup band. It’s an eclectic assortment, ranging from polished pop music (Mr. Wilson) to the bizarre narrative, The Jeweller (a re-gifting of “The Gift”). A few tracks on here remind me of Lou Reed’s rock and roll: Dirtyass Rock ‘n’ Roll, Rollaroll. In the middle of it all, you’ll even find a sort of Christmas song, Ski Patrol. Slow Dazzle is best viewed as a second helping of Fear; two albums that align with the pop music of Eno (whose presence is keenly felt on Taking It All Away and “Ski Patrol”). Both works are cornerstones in the cathedral of Cale (Vintage Violence and Paris 1919 would be the other stones). You could argue that the “arty” albums (e.g., The Academy in Peril) are equally important, if not more important, but I suspect a Slow Dazzle finds its way onto the turntable more often than a Church of Anthrax. The sound is sometimes raw, probably a reflection of Cale’s emotional state (or, you know, the drugs), and his voice is still an acquired taste. When it all clicks, however, Slow Dazzle is dazzling.
Original elpee version
A1. Mr. Wilson (3:15)
A2. Taking It All Away (2:56)
A3. Dirtyass Rock ‘n’ Roll (4:42)
A4. Darling I Need You (3:36)
A5. Rollaroll (3:59)
B1. Heartbreak Hotel (Mae Boren Axton/Tommy Durden/Elvis Presley) (3:09)
B2. Ski Patrol (2:05)
B3. I’m Not the Loving Kind (3:07)
B4. Guts (3:28)
B5. The Jeweller (4:28)
All songs written by John Cale unless noted.
8-track cassette version
A1. Mr. Wilson
A2. Taking It All Away
A3. I’m Not the Loving Kind
B1. Dirtyass Rock ‘n’ Roll
B2. Darling I Need You
C1. Heartbreak Hotel
C2. Ski Patrol
C3. Guts
D1. Rollaroll
D2. The Jeweller
The Players
John Cale (piano, organ, clavinet, vocals) with Gerry Conway (drums), Timi Donald (drums), Pat Donaldson (bass), Eno (synthesiser), Phil Manzanera (guitars), Geoff Muldaur (harmony on A4/B4), Chris Spedding (guitars), Chris Thomas (violin, electric piano). Arranged and produced by John Cale; executive producer: John Wood (expect B1 by A. Secunda); engineered by Vic Gamm and John Wood.
The Pictures
Photography by Keith Morris. Design by Michael Wade.
The Plastic
Released on elpee and 8-track on March 25, 1975 in the UK (Island, ILPS 9317) and Canada (Island, Y8I-9317). (Appeared in 4/26/75 issue of New Musical Express.)
- Re-issued on elpee in the 1980s in the US (Island, ILPS 9317, blue label).
- Re-issued on compact disc in the UK (Island, IMCD 202).
