songs for drella: c/d

it was one of the first cds i bought. not top ten but probably top 100.

God, after all these years, 'A Dream' is still so damn beautiful and affecting, I wish for a 200-hour audiobook of Cale reading The Warhol Diaries in that wistful, monotone voice.

I still find Smalltown quite short and sweet.

I love this album, but haven’t listened to it in probably 25 years... really ought to rectify that

bought it in a bin sale this Record Store Day. it's pretty good, and certainly heartfelt.

There's a really good live Drella bootleg knocking about *with an audience* from Tokyo; it's amazing but disconcerting at the same time; applause and whoops randomly throughout etc. It's such a sombre piece in the main that it's odd hearing any interaction at all.
They come on at the end to do Pale Blue Eyes and it's pretty incredible.

This is an.. interesting version of A Dream too; an unusual choice of encore from a '92 Magic And Loss tour show

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bn5X_UfhROI

I love this album, but haven’t listened to it in probably 25 years... really ought to rectify that

I fucking love this record, and the performance video, so much. The emotional complexity of those two guys with that history and that much baggage, doing something so personal by making such art.

Incredible, totally. There's a really good bootleg from Tokyo knocking around; it's odd to hear live reaction throughout, but totally worth a listen. They do the whole album, then Pale Blue Eyes as an encore at the end, and the roof sounds like it's going to come off.

Sounding especially wonderful this Saturday afternoon

https://doomandgloomfromthetomb.tumblr.com/post/628339639633248256/lou-reed-john-cale-st-anns-church-brooklyn

anyone grab the RSD vinyl reissue?

drella was officially pulled back to the 10/24 RSD drop, which didn't prevent some stores from selling it anyway, but they were in the minority.

damn you CJV, listening to that it's hitting me all over again

<3

Picked this up today — it was the only thing I wanted from the RSD list. Sounds effin great! I don’t think I’ve heard this since about 1994.

Turns out, after some confusion, that the run was indeed 8500 copies, which probably means I’ll be buying a few more copies at half price somewhere down the road.

streaming free through the 19th.

https://stannswarehouse.org/show/lou-reed-john-cale-songs-for-drella-a-fiction-1990/?utm_campaign=586306_Drella%20Talks%2011%2F13&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&dm_i=63KQ,CKEA,5KDQYY,1B3GI,1

awesome. Thanks for the link!

I only got/heard this within the last year or so and recently re-listened, pretty damn good. I look forward to spending more time with it.

The new 4K restoration of the film, screening in New York this week and next week

https://www.filmlinc.org/nyff2021/films/songs-for-drella/

Coming to a streaming service near you!

https://www.uncut.co.uk/news/unearthed-lou-reed-and-john-cale-songs-for-drella-concert-film-coming-to-streaming-137643/

I revisited this album last week (after several decades)… it’s really a masterpiece

I discovered it over lockdown. Love it to death.

Yes it's a late masterpiece. Supposedly the movie is made from the footage also available on Youtube? Would love to see it in high quality.

Managed to avoid listening to this all these years but maybe tonight is the night.

I think there was a laserdisc and VHS of the performance, but I'm not sure if it made it to DVD.

OMG never mind, I watched the trailer for the restored version and it looks INCREDIBLE, the version I have is terrible by comparison.

Never heard of MUBI… anyone have experience with it?

I have subscribed for years and think it’s great although am always a little disappointed when something is streaming in the UK and Ireland but not the US.

Fascinating interview with original director of the Drella film Ed Lachman, lots of technical detail about the new restored version. Lachman has a pretty amazing CV; cinematographer for Carol, Far From Heaven, The Virgin Suicides etc.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADENLtNXoBw

I don't listen to this much, but I still quote it. I think Lou would think that sufficient.

This is pretty well-done and fun to listen to after watching the doc. Surprisingly good meshing of latter day Lou and John. In particular enjoying wordy Lou lyrics more than expected.

Is “Trouble with Classicists” based on some stuff Andy actually said?

I can’t believe you never listened to this, James!

Lou called me a rat and I fired him.

But Billy said
Both those nerds are dead

https://mubi.com/films/songs-for-drella

Ah brilliant!

The story behind the restoration:

https://filmmakermagazine.com/112486-a-haunting-symbiosis-on-ed-lachmans-newly-restored-lou-reed-john-cale-concert-film-songs-for-drella/

I was pretty cool towards the album, but I found the movie on YouTube (a LaserDisc rip) and surprisingly it made a huge difference for me. Something about it made the whole project much more affecting - everything from the projected backdrops to just seeing John and Lou's faces. Probably helps that Lachmann is one of the great cinematographers and that comes through too in the lighting and composition.

Scanning from the original long-lost negatives makes a huge difference. Glad it's streamable but definitely see it projected if you can. I hope this gets a Blu-ray release as well.

Enjoy, MUBI UK and Ireland subscribers!

John channelling the dreaming Andy is incredible.

xp Can we license the UCAN rights for ILX TV?

Could be. Have to get back to you.

God. Haven't watched the restored live show but like a fool I decided I'd listen to the album while I did some work this afternoon, now I have a great ball of grief welled up in my chest, what a fantastic record and so emotionally complex.

Criterion Channel's got the remastered concert film streaming now.

Cale hair in classic form.

I love this line from Dave Connolly’s AMG review of words for the dying:

Perhaps Cale's own unusual hairstyle (which resembles a book of carpet samples more than anything) led him to re-evaluate the impact of an actress who could dance with ten pounds of fruit on her head.

might be my favourite reed, favourite cale

i had no idea it was considered "lost", i had on (terribly recorded) videotape for years

"but I have some resentments that can never be unmade"

vmic

Loved this v much.

All the more moving for Lou’s unwillingness to emote. But “A Dream” just kills me every time.