Wrong Way Up (Reissue)

Artist: Brian Eno , and John Cale
Label: All Saints
Category: Music

Average customer rating:

Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1

UPC: 031257148528
EAN: 0031257148528
ASIN: B000A3MHWG

Release Date: 2005-08-30

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Listmania:

Best Albums of 1990
Neglected Classics

Tracks:

Lay My Love
One Word
In The Backroom
Empty Frame
Cordoba
Spinning Away
Footsteps
Been There Done That
Crime In The Desert
The River
Grandfather's House*
You Don't Miss Your Water*

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Customer Reviews:

4 1/2 Stars: Strong Collaboration.......2007-04-16

Working together for the first time in years, Eno produced John Cale's Words for the Dying in 1989; the following year, Eno found himself unexpectedly inclined to resume singing, and the two collaborated on an album. For all the things a joint effort by the two could have been, it's a small miracle that Wrong Way Up turned out to be an absolutely wonderful pop record, a subversion of Top 40 formulae to the pair's own idiosyncratic (but utterly accessible) ends. Blending Eno's ambience and Cale's classical lyricism, as well as the pair's contrasting voices (and capturing the whole thing in a masterfully subtle studio effort), Wrong Way Up is a marvel, a tuneful and catchy collection whose instant likability belies its highbrow origins (not to mention the partners' reported disharmony, reflected in the cover art's dagger graphics). It's hard to remember when either Cale or Eno has sounded happier or warmer, and their co-writing has an easy, relaxed feel. With the American Southwest surfacing as a repeated theme in such songs as the rollicking "Crime in the Desert" and "The River," variations in the partnership's balance keep the album in constant stylistic motion. "In the Backroom," the irresistible "Been There, Done That" and "Spinning Away" take their cues from three different decades of R&B, while "Lay My Love" and "One Word" follow that same dance-pop arc into the technologized present. Magic. - Steven Grant/Jim Green/Ira Robbins, Trouser Press
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The remastered sound is an improvement over the original release and the bonus tracks are fine additions, but not essential. If you are an Eno fan try to find the promo CD put out by Opal/Warner Brothers at the time of this release, titled 'Words and Music from Wrong Way Up'. It's difficult to find but well worth the effort. He discusses each song, as well as his working relationship with John Cale. There are lots of fascinating tidbits and insights, such as how the death of his father and birth of his daughter gave him a different outlook on his life and music. I find myself listening to the promo CD, which also includes six of the songs, more than the official release.

One of the most underrated ever.......2007-01-25

This has to be one of the most surprising, uplifting albums ever made. It's not simple and needs some perseverence but you'll find it very textured and endlessly listenable. It's a true original. Can't recommend it highly enough.

One of my all-time favorites.......2006-12-02

I don't usually buy reissues, but when I saw this one, I had to have it. I bought the original when it first came out and I can truly say it is one of the few recordings that I listen to, year after year.

I normally like to be challenged by a recording - that is, if it is too "instantly likeable", I get tired of it quickly. This recording is definitely an exception to that rule. I remember hearing one of the tracks on radio, turning it up toward the end to hear who the artists were. I went out, bought it and loved it from the first listen. The variety of styles and lyrics (and moods created) conjure up images in my mind that, by the end, make me feel like I've watched a movie, not just listened to a CD. The melodies are catchy, but not "hooky".

The reissue sounds even better.....or maybe I'm just listening more intently. In any case, it's a winner.

John Cale seems to be at his best in collaboration with other artists. Check out "Songs for Drella" (with Lou Reed from 1990). Although totally different from Wrong Side Up, it is a great listen, too.

An all-too-easy to neglect masterpiece.......2006-10-19

I'm somewhat ashamed that I only recently discovered this album for the first time. I've long liked and frequently adored John Cale and always loved Brian Eno, so I can't explain why this collaboration between the two of them didn't grab me when this first came out. My only excuse is that there are only so many hours in the day and so many days in the week. A few gems are always going to slip one by.

This album is somewhat surprising when given the pairing of Eno and Cale. Though neither is always inaccessible and both have at times produced some music that is almost popular in approach, who would have imagined that the two together would have brought out their purest pop tendencies? There is nothing here that smacks of difficult or avant-garde. This isn't Top 40 pop, but it is wonderfully accessible stuff, as if their intent is to delight the most resistant hearer. Not that it is musically simplistic. Far from it. One just has to pay some attention to the wonderfully contrapuntal rhythms interlacing "Spinning Away" to understand that these are masterful musicians. Both performers have done better work than this, but neither has done so frequently. I'd rank this near the best work that either has done. For Cale, I'd put this slightly behind such albums as PARIS 1919, VINTAGE VIOLENCE, HELEN OF TROY, and SLOW DAZZLE, while it is very nearly as good as Eno's four vocal albums (TAKING TIGER MOUNTAIN BY STRATEGY, HERE COME THE WARM JETS, ANOTHER GREEN WORLD, and BEFORE AND AFTER SCIENCE) and his collaboration with David Byrne, MY LIFE IN THE BUSH OF GHOSTS. I can't imagine a fan of Cale or of the vocal work of Eno (some who are exclusively ambient fans may feel differently) not almost instantly adoring this album.

Though a couple of songs go a bit darker than the others (for instance, the wonderful Cale number "Cordoba" or the slow, near-cowboy ballad "The River" that ends the album), for the most part these are bright, upbeat, fast tempo numbers. Almost every song on the disc is at least entertaining, but my three favorites are probably the aforementioned "Cordoba" and "Spinning Away" (which I got on a kick with and must have played thirty times in a row), as well as the song that kicks the album off, "Lay My Love." For those who are unfamiliar with both Brian Eno and John Cale, this provides a wonderful introduction to each, though the music as a whole is more typical of Eno's other work than Cale's. But for those unfamiliar with the disc but not the performers, this will be a wonderful surprise.

an updated review for an updated album.......2006-08-04

I've already posted a review for the original issue of this disc, and I grappled for some time with the thought of purchasing the reissue. In Canada this is not a common cd to find, but upon seeing it being sold on a recent trip to London, I decided to snatch it up. I had no qualms about buying such a wonderful album twice, especially if there were bonus tracks and remastered sound. I must first say the new sound blows away the original cd release, giving me a new appreciation for what I already considered a fantastic album. So whether you're new to this album or have played it to death all the while never getting enough, this re-release is for you. The songs are about as close as clever and catchy music may ever come to each other, making for an album that is both accesible and deep to get into it. As for the questions concerning the bonus tracks, my disc came with the tracks listed by Amazon, unlike the other reviewers here (possibly because they reference the European release for track listings). They are both excellent and a pleasure to listen to, though not an essential addition to the album itself (what else could really make it better, anyways?)

Music CD:

Music CD

Music CD

Music CD

Las Quenas de Raymond Thevenot ~ Raimundo Thevenot

De Bandas Las Mejores, Vol. 2 ~ Various Artists

Wrong Way Up (Reissue) ~ Brian Eno, John Cale

Relaxation Training: A Self Care Approach ~ A-Haco Productions

Definition of Love ~ Bobby Washington

Lowrider Soundtrack, Vol. 1 ~ Various Artists

Sentimiento de Mexico, Vol. 3 ~ Chavela Vargas

Ahi Viene La Sonora Mantancera ~ La Sonora Mantancera

Bailala Y Quebrala Al Estilo Super Express ~ Banda Gato

Te Doy Una Cancion ~ Silvio Rodriguez