March 9, 2021

45 RPMs 58: John Cale ~ Animal Justice & Hedda Gabler

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12" 45 RPM front cover detail
cover photo by Jill Furmanovsky 
photo of album cover by Styrous®


Today is the birthday of John Cale, born on March 9, 1942 in Garnant, Wales, United Kingdom. He is a Welsh musician, composer, singer, songwriter and record producer who, with Lou Reed, was a founding member of the American rock band the Velvet Underground. Andy Warhol was their manager. Over his six-decade career, Cale has worked in various styles across rock, drone, classical, avant-garde and electronic music.      
 
I remember hearing the Underground for the first time. I loved the first song, Sunday Morning, from their very first album; it hits you like a crystal cloud, then, I'm Waiting for the Man follows up with a sucker punch!            
 
Ten years later here he is in his full grunge, punk flower! A gig at The Greyhound in Park Lane, Croydon, that culminated with the beheading of an (already dead) chicken resulted in Cale's band quitting in horror, the media threw its hands up in disgust, and even the supposedly blood-craving hordes of London punk were left feeling somewhat queasy. 
 
 
John Cale & chicken
The Greyhound - April 24, 1977
 photographer unknown
 
 
Eight years earlier, Alice Cooper had done HIS chicken thing (link below). Cale remained unrepentant -- so much so that he promptly wrote a song about the incident, opening the EP with Chicken Shit. It is a mash of hard rock, heavy metal with a bit of punk thrown in for good measure. It's punk at it's best.      
 

12" 45 RPM front cover
cover photo by Jill Furmanovsky 
photo of album cover by Styrous®


There's his cover of the 1959 classic, Memphis by Chuck Berry; it is a dream of guitar squawks 'n squeals. Along with the above song, it's punk at it's VERY best.     
 
 
12" 45 RPM back cover
cover photo by Jill Furmanovsky 
photo of album cover by Styrous®

 
Then comes Hedda Gabbler with a gentle coolness of more than just the sound effects in the song. Based on a play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen it rivals anything The Beatles or Pink Floyd could have done and previews the sonic wonders that would come in later years. Slow and dreamy it whiffs you off to "Dreamland" then brings you back to reality with a bang!    
 
Hedda Gabler lyrics
 
Hedda Gabler
Had a very funny face
Tired of waiting
Tired of the human race

Like her brother
Sitting in the library
Reading how dear Adolf
Was going to save all Germany

Hedda Gabler
She'll go down in history
Hedda Gabler
Down in all her misery

Like her mother
Married to the bank manager
She took the money
Hung him in the closet for fun

Hedda Gabler
She'll go down in history
Hedda Gabler
Down in all her misery

Hedda Gabler
She'll go down in history
Hedda Gabler
Down in all her misery

Sleep... sleep... sleep, Hedda Gabler
Sleep... sleep... sleep, Hedda Gabler
Sleep... sleep... sleep, Hedda Gabler
Sleep... sleep... sleep, Hedda Gabler
(repeat to fade)
 
 
Alla Nazimova as Hedda Gabler - 1907
 
 
John Cale ~ Animal Justice 
12" 45 RPM back cover detail
detail photo by Styrous®
 
 

12" 45 RPM label, side 1 
photos by Styrous®
 




12" 45 RPM label, side 2
photos by Styrous®




Tracklist:

Side 1:

A1 - Chicken Shit, Songwriter – Cale* - 3:25
A2 - Memphis, Songwriter – Berry* - 3:15

Side 2:

B - Hedda Gabbler, Songwriter – Cale* - 7:53

Companies, etc.

    Published By – Tin Pan Punk Music
    Mastered At – Trident Studios

Credits:

    Artwork [Sleeve] – Jill Furmanovsky
    Bass – Jimmy Bain
    Drums – Kevin Currie
    Executive-Producer – Wartoke Concern*
    Lead Guitar – Ritchie Fliegler
    Mastered By – Jonz*
    Producer, Vocals, Guitar, Piano, Viola – John Cale
    Synthesizer [Moog] – Bruce Brody
    Jane Friedman − background vocals on "Chicken Shit"

Notes:

Catalog number appears on the back cover as "IL003".
Catalog number appears on the labels as "IL 003".

P 1977

Labels: MADE IN Gt. BRITAIN

Barcode and Other Identifiers

    Matrix / Runout (Side A runout, etched, variant 1): IL-003-A-1 JONZ
    Matrix / Runout (Side B runout, etched, variant 1): IL-003-B-1
    Matrix / Runout (Side A runout, etched, variant 2): IL+003+A JONZ
    Matrix / Runout (Side B runout, etched, variant 2): IL+003+B TRIDENT

John Cale ‎– Animal Justice
Label: Illegal Records (2) ‎– IL003, Illegal Records (2) ‎– IL 003
Format: Vinyl, 12", 45 RPM
Country: UK
Released: Aug 1977
Genre: Rock
Style: Art Rock, Garage Rock
     
      
      
  
Viewfinder links:       
         
Alice Cooper ~ chickens & snakes       
all things Beatles         
Chuck Berry        
John Cale         
Lou Reed       
Andy Warhol        
     
Net links:       
         
All Music ~ Animal Justice review         
Hedda Gabler plot         
Rate Your Music ~ Animal Justice review         
Rolling Stone ~ How Cooper’s Chicken Incident Really Happened   
     
YouTube links:      
        
Chicken Shit        
Memphis        
Hedda Gabbler               
      
     
      
      
     
Styrous® ~ Tuesday, March 9, 2021      







      

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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