John Cale - Paris 1919 (4 men with Beards re-issue) Vinyl rip in 24 Bit/ 96 Khz + CD

One of John Cale's 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 "Child's 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. Chris Thomas' production is appropriately lush and sweeping, with many tracks set to orchestral accompaniment; indeed, there's little here to suggest either Cale's noisy, abrasive past or the chaos about to resurface in his subsequent work – for better or worse, his music never achieved a similar beauty again. –Allmusic 4,5/5.

Track listing

All tracks were composed and arranged by John Cale.

1. "Child's Christmas in Wales"
2. "Hanky Panky Nohow"
3. "The Endless Plain of Fortune"
4. "Andalucia"
5. "Macbeth"
6. "Paris 1919"
7. "Graham Greene"
8. "Half Past France"
9. "Antarctica Starts Here"

Personnel

* John Cale: vocals, bass, guitar, keyboards, viola
* Wilton Felder: bass
* Lowell George: guitar
* Richard Hayward: drums
* Bill Payne: keyboards
* Chris Thomas: tambourine
* The U.C.L.A. Orchestra
* Orchestral manager: J. Druckman
* Mike Salisbury: sleeve design and photography