Fear is the fourth solo studio album by Welsh musician John Cale, released on 1 October 1974 by Island Records.
Video Fear (John Cale album)
Recording and content
Fear is the first of Cale's three studio albums for Island Records, all of which were released in a period of just over a year. During this time Cale was also producing records for other artists, working on albums such as Horses by Patti Smith, one of the most influential of all proto-punk records.
In addition to his lead vocals on Fear, Cale also played keyboards, guitars, viola, violin and bass, and was joined by Fairport Convention's Richard Thompson, Roxy Music's Brian Eno and Phil Manzanera, and other artists who were signed to Island at the time.
"Gun" features an unusual two-man guitar solo from Manzanera and Eno, with the latter using a synthesizer to process the former's guitar playing in real-time. The promotional album for Fear released by Island Records contained an interview with Cale. He announced an adaption of the William Blake poem "Jerusalem", and cover versions of the songs "Girl from the North Country" by Bob Dylan, "Eight Miles High" by the Byrds and "I Can See for Miles" by the Who.
The cover photography was by Keith Morris.
Maps Fear (John Cale album)
Release
Fear was released on 1 October 1974. "The Man Who Couldn't Afford to Orgy" b/w "Sylvia Said" was released as a single.
The album was remastered in 1996 as part of the 2CD release The Island Years, containing also both Slow Dazzle and Helen of Troy. It contained the following bonus track "Sylvia Said (Remix)" making the single version of "Sylvia Said" unissued on CD (as of 2018).
Critical reception
Trouser Press called it "a brilliant record full of neat surprises and great, unsettling songs."
Track listing
All tracks written by John Cale.
Personnel
Adapted from the Fear liner notes.
- John Cale - lead vocals; bass guitar; guitar; keyboards; viola
- Phil Manzanera - guitar; slide guitar on "Momamma Scuba"
- Fred Smith - drums
- Brian Eno - synthesizer; effects
- Archie Legget - bass guitar
- Michael Desmarais - drums on "Momamma Scuba"and "Fear"
- Richard Thompson - slide guitar on "Momamma Scuba"
- Bryn Haworth - slide guitar on "Momamma Scuba"
- Brian Turrington - bass guitar on "Momamma Scuba"
- Doreen Chanter - backing vocals
- Irene Chanter - backing vocals
- Liza Strike - backing vocals; girl's choir
- Judy Nylon - lead vocals on "The Man Who Couldn't Afford to Orgy"
Production
- John Cale - producer
- Brian Eno - executive producer
- Phil Manzanera - executive producer
- John Wood - engineer; mixing
- George Peckham - mastering
- Keith Morris - photography
References
External links
- Fear at Discogs (list of releases)
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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