★★★½
In 1982, Velvet Underground founding member John Cale releasedMusic For A New Society, a futuristic recording that was – according to Cale – an excruciatingly painful exercise.
Although the album was deemed a commercial failure at the time of release, 33 years later it has been remastered and re-released alongside a reworking of all 11 original tracks by Cale himself, in an effort to explore the relationship between new and old.
On first listen, it is hard not to wonder who on Earth would choose to sit through such a harsh combination of discordant synths combined with jarring spoken-word vocals, but this rejuvenated record has the power to grow on the listener, conveying an abundance of emotion. Midway through the album, ‘Chinese Envoy’ provides some relief from the madness with a more relaxing sequence of strings and acoustic guitar, demonstrating Cale’s diverse talents. Comparing the 1982 recordings with their contemporary counterparts is a fun exercise in itself, and to Cale’s credit, many of the songs have been altered significantly.
Although the collection begins downright weird, its source material has been lauded a masterpiece for a reason – listeners need to be patient and have a well and truly open mind.
