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THE ISLAND YEARS

John Cale

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John Cale The Island Years album cover
4.08 | 5 ratings | 1 reviews | 50% 5 stars

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Boxset/Compilation, released in 1996

Songs / Tracks Listing


1."Fear Is a Man's Best Friend" - 3:52
2."Buffalo Ballet" - 3:28
3."Barracuda" - 3:46
4."Emily" - 4:21
5."Ship of Fools" - 4:36
6."Gun" - 8:04
7."The Man Who Couldn't Afford to Orgy" - 4:33
8."You Know More Than I Know" - 3:34
9."Momamma Scuba" - 4:23
10."Sylvia Said" - 4:07 (remixed, leaving the original single 45 a rarity)
11."All I Want Is You" - 2:55
12."Bamboo Floor" - 3:24
13."Mr. Wilson" - 3:15
14."Taking It All Away" - 2:56
15."Dirty-Ass Rock 'N' Roll" - 4:41
16."Darling I Need You" - 3:35
17."Rollaroll" - 3:57
18."Heartbreak Hotel" - 3:10
19."Ski Patrol" - 2:05
20."I'm Not the Loving Kind" - 3:07
21."Guts" - 3:26
22."The Jeweller" - 4:11
23."My Maria" - 3:48
24."Helen of Troy" - 4:18
25."China Sea" - 2:30
26."Engine" - 2:45
27."Save Us" - 2:20
28."Cable Hogue" - 3:30
29."(I Keep A) Close Watch" - 3:27
30."Pablo Picasso" - 3:20
31."Leaving It up to You" - 4:33
32."Baby, What You Want Me to Do?" - 4:48
33."Sudden Death" - 4:36
34."You & Me" - 2:50
35."Coral Moon" - 2:14
36."Mary Lou" - 2:46

Line-up / Musicians



* John Cale - bass guitar, guitar, keyboards, viola, vocals,piano, organ, clavinet,
* Phil Manzanera - guitar, slide guitar on "Momamma Scuba"
* Fred Smith - drums
* Brian Eno - synthesizers
* Archie Leggatt - bass
* Michael Des Maris - drums on "Momamma Scuba"
* Richard Thompson - slide guitar on "Momamma Scuba"
* Bryn Haworth - slide guitar on "Momamma Scuba"
* Brian Turrington - bass on "Momamma Scuba"
* Irene Chanter - background vocals
* Doreen Chanter - background vocals
* Liza Strike - background vocals, girl's choir
* Judy Nylon - vocals on "The Man Who Couldn't Afford to Orgy"
* Gerry Conway: drums
* Pat Donaldson: bass
* Tim Donald: drums
* Geoff Muldaur: harmony vocals on "Guts" and "Darling I Need You"
* Chris Spedding: guitar
* Chris Thomas: violin, electric piano

Releases information

2CD compilation released in 1996. Island Records 524 235-2

Contains the three albums on the Island label: Fear, Slow Dazzle and Helen Of Troy.
Additional tracks: All I Want Is You and Bamboo Floor from the Slow Dazzle sessions.
Sylvia Said originally released in 1974 as the B-side of The Man Who Couldn't Afford To Orgy single. You & Me is a previously unreleased track from the Helen Of Troy sessions.
Coral Moon replaced Leaving It Up to You, because it mentioned Sharon Tate, wife of film director Roman Polanksi, who was killed in 1969 by the Charles Manson gang.
Mary Lou taken from the Guts compilation album.

Re-released as a budget reissue called Gold in 2007.

Thanks to snobb for the addition
and to snobb for the last updates
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JOHN CALE The Island Years ratings distribution


4.08
(5 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of rock music(50%)
50%
Excellent addition to any rock music collection(25%)
25%
Good, but non-essential (25%)
25%
Collectors/fans only (0%)
0%
Poor. Only for completionists (0%)
0%

JOHN CALE The Island Years reviews


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Collaborators/Experts Reviews

Review by fuxi
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars This set must be one of the best bargains in an overcrowded market. It offers you three complete albums on two CDs (all properly remastered), together with some astonishing bonus tracks. The albums in question are FEAR, SLOW DAZZLE and HELEN OF TROY, all of which I have reviewed separately.

FEAR is widely regarded as a classic, and deservedly so. SLOW DAZZLE is less well-known; apparently it was Cale's attempt at making a "commercial" album, and of course he went on to spoil the effect by including a couple of near-psychotic tracks. When the time had come to record HELEN OF TROY, Cale must have known he was going to leave Island. He just owed the label one more album on which he could do whatever he wanted. He went into the studio and poured out all his negative emotions. As its original cover photograph suggested, HELEN OF TROY is a truly uncomfortable album, which would provide Cale with material for his legendary live shows in decades to come! The only other band I can think of who were expressing similar levels of paranoia and aggression in music at the time, is the New York duo Suicide. By the way, Cale's band on HELEN OF TROY sound unhinged but absolutely gorgeous.

THE ISLAND YEARS is not for the faint-hearted, but it is an excellent set if you want to acquire three of John Cale's most unsettling albums in one go.

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