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The story of how a young man from the Welsh Valleys found himself in New York in the mid-sixties, collaborated with some of the doyens of the avant garde classical movement and then went on to inspire some of the best music ever in the Velvet Underground is one of rock n rolls most endearing stories. The fact that Cale then went on to produce the likes of the Stooges, Patti Smith and the Happy Mondays only makes the tale more remarkable. For these very reasons and despite the fact he is now 63, Cale should demand our respect. ‘blackAcetate:’ follows 2003’s ‘Hobosapiens’ and sees Cale attempting to get to grips with modern production techniques (he claims to be heavily inspired by Dr Dre) and make a thoroughly contemporary art rock album.
To this end at least Cale hits more targets than he misses, but the irony of much of this album is how it sounds like many of the acts Cale has inspired. Opener ‘OuttaTheBag’ is a case of point, with Cale replacing his gruff Welsh baritone, with a convincing falsetto and a melody straight from the Dandy Warhol’s book of gonzo art rock. This is all well and good, but what has impressed most about Cale in the past has been his startling originality, whether it be adding screeching viola to the Velvets or soaring piano to Nick Drake. Much of this album has the icy impersonal tone of David Bowie’s Berlin music or the hit and miss electronica of REM’S later work and as a result seems rather sludgy and uninspired. Only ‘Woman’ surges with the repetitious riffing glory of old and the rather desperate attempts at RnB grooves are unsuccessful. Despite this there are many snatches of melody and inspiration that hint at Cale’s true standing. It’s just now that he seems more inspired by than truly inspiring.
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