HoboSapiens

HoboSapiens Artist: John Cale
Label: EMI/Capitol
Category: Music


Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Format: Import
Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1


UPC: 724359390925
EAN: 0724359390925
ASIN: B0000D7ZE5


Release Date: 2003-10-23

HoboSapiens


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Proto Punk Proto Punk
Categories | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
Experimental Rock Experimental Rock
Categories | Rock | Alternative Styles | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
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Pop Rock Pop Rock
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Tracks:

  1. Zen
  2. Reading My Mind
  3. Things
  4. Look Horizon
  5. Magritte
  6. Archimedes
  7. Caravan
  8. Bicycle
  9. Twilight Zone
  10. Letter from Abroad
  11. Things X
  12. Over Her Head

Album Description

Cale at 61, galvanized by new technology & world events, makes some of his most radical music yet. Copy Controlled. 324134

Album Details

Cale's 2003 Return to a Major Label is Certainly Cause for Celebration. First Off, this Album Has None of the "5 Tracks" EP that was Released Earlier in the Year, So If You're a Fan, You Must Seek that One Out as Well. Secondly, the Man's Voice is Strong as Ever as is his Boundless Creativity. This is Music for Those who have a Yen to Expand their Horizons, who Are Jaded by the Meanderings of the Pop Charts and Want Something More. Cale's Music Requires Repeated Listenings to Truly Appreciate It, as this Album is Full of Musical Twists and Turns, with Some of the Lushest Instrumentation He's Ever Attempted. Co-produced with Lemon Jelly's Nick Frangler, Cale Has Found a Kindred Spirit from the Underground Whose Sense of Studio Adventure Obviously Approaches his Own.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Vintage Violence for the new millenium?.......2004-07-01

Vintage Violence is a naive recording made by a seminal artist adjusting to a solo career. It fits with the Velvet Underground sound, but has less memorable songs and more accessible arrangements. Disregarding the experimental aspects of Vintage Violence it was a excellent stepping stone for Cale's more renowned seventies recordings.

Since Cale has been out of the limelight for so long he has to go through the stepping stone stage again. The audience for avante-guard style pop has flocked to the electro-pop stylings of Björk, the Flaming Lips, and the Beta Band - all seemingly influences on Cale's HoboSapiens. Hopefully Cale's future recordings will get away from these influences slightly and develop a more unique sound within this genre that may provide for more truly classic albums to bookend Cale's erratic career.

For those who are looking to sample some highlights from this album try the pop-gem "Things" which contains the best Charlie Brown reference in all of music-dom, or the loopy electro wind-up "Zen", or the post-rock tinged "Letter from Abroad" that at times sounds like it is going to turn into an Oriental instrumental or at other times morph into a Jesus and Mary Chain song.

5 out of 5 stars DEFECTIVE CD... NOT THE ARTIST.......2004-05-19

Many of the European imports of this CD are defective, true, but I can't help but wonder why previous "critics" decided to give this magnificent album one star as a result. The fault lies with the record company, not the musician. Wouldn't it have been better to rate the music and point out the manufacturing defects within the review?

For those who haven't purchased this album yet, or for those who have been stung by the inferior European release (like myself), may I suggest sprinting the extra $6.00 and buying the infinitely preferable Japanese version? Not only does the disc play perfectly, but Amazon incorrectly indicates that this version only has 1 bonus track. In fact, it has 3 bonus tracks, not heard anywhere else, and clocks in at over 75 minutes.

Another surprise from other "critics" is the complaint that this album lacks the hard rock power of the Island years. That was nearly 30 years ago. Is there anything more pathetic than a musician that doesn't mature? It's kind of embarrassing to watch a 60-something entertainer prancing around on stage as if he were still half that age. And, it would be boring to hear the same music rehashed release after release.

In recent years, Mr. Cale has been issuing quite a few soundtrack albums for European productions. These are excellent, as one has to remember that John Cale is a classically trained musician and is certainly in his element, but here we truly have a return to form... a form that is not only mature and evolving, but one that also never fails to entertain. Thoroughly modern, completely original, and always a pleasure to listen to. The distinct John Cale "sound" is here without the duplication of previous works or musical periods.

Bravo Mr. Cale! Please keep it coming!

5 out of 5 stars like a well crafted novel.......2004-02-20

this recording is stunning and leaves the listener room to imagine a story line much like reading a well crafted novel, superb work.

4 out of 5 stars Return to Form.......2004-02-19

John Cale is back in geopolitical mode on his return to form HoboSapiens. This being the later Cale, much of the lyrical content is obscure, not to mention unintelligible. But the freaky strains of his world encompassing musical palette gets us over the tough spots with its compelling forward motion. These are snapshots of a world in crisis, and Cale has always been more convincing when he's hotstepping with anger than playing the classically trained card. HoboSapiens doesn't equal his brilliant Island trilogy of the 70's, but it comes close enough to touch them.

3 out of 5 stars Contemplative.......2004-01-04

This 2003 album by the art rock veteran is a great improvement on 1996's Walking On Locusts, but certainly no outstanding masterpiece. The first three tracks, Zen, Reading My Mind and Things are standard Cale numbers, with nothing extraordinary in either the lyrics or the tunes.

The same goes for The Look Horizon, a rock ballad that contains a spoken female vocal. Magritte has some moving lyrics over a jagged rhythm with innovative tempo changes and instrumentation, whilst Archimedes is a brooding experimental track embellished by great instrumental touches.

The slow song Caravan is a poetic contemplation of death in moving lyrics and imagery, whilst the up-tempo pop song Twilight Zone mercifully breaks the mould with its buoyant vocals and lilting beat. Letter From Abroad has a harder edge with a complex structure and atmospheric parts, quite an experimental outing.

Music Album:

  1. Pandora's Box
  2. Firefly
  3. Psychillis Of A Lunatic Genius
  4. Second
  5. Up And Down
  6. Legends V.2 ~ Various Artists
  7. Symbol of Modern Living ~ Lomax
  8. Soul to the Pleasure ~ Ring
  9. Jamestown ~ Movielife
  10. The Red, White and Black ~ The BellRays

Music Album

Music Album

Music

Jazz to the World ~ Various Artists

Mercury Rhythm & Blues: 1946-1962 ~ Various Artists

Power Plant ~ Gamma Ray

Freak Guitar ~ Mattias %22IA%22 Eklundh

Gallery of Suicide ~ Cannibal Corpse

C'È Di Più ~ Alex Baroni

L' Enfant Phare ~ Claude Nougaro

Homenaje a la Guardia Vieja ~ Quinteto Criollo el Aleman

O Sonho Nao Acabou ~ Catedral

Okinawa Seaside Walking ~ Various Artists