John Cale is a Welsh musician, composer, and record producer who was a founding member of the American rock band the Velvet Underground. Over his six-decade career, Cale has worked in various styles across rock, drone, classical, avant-garde and electronic music.
He studied music at Goldsmiths College, University of London before relocating in 1963 to New York City’s downtown music scene, where he performed as part of the Theatre of Eternal Music and formed the Velvet Underground. Since leaving the band in 1968, Cale has released seventeen solo studio albums and has also acquired a reputation as an adventurous record producer, working on the debut studio albums of several innovative artists, including the Stooges and Patti Smith.
Words for the Dying
This is Cale singing the poetry of Dylan Thomas accompanied by a Russian orchestra and choir. Recorded in St Petersburg in 1989 – a pivotal moment in Russian history – it is one of the best pieces of music Cale has ever been involved with and if you’re a fan of his that’s not a trivial statement.