Customer Reviews

Songs for Drella

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"SONGS FOR DRELLA" may be one of the most emotional pieces of music I have ever encountered. Not only is this disc a tribute to Andy Warhol, but it may also be the finest work of both Lou Reed, and John Cale. These songs feel so personal, one feels as if one is invading the very souls of each of these brilliant songwriters. While telling Andy's story they reveal much of themselves. Reed & Cale take turns covering every conceivable aspect of Andy Warhol's world. From art, work, style, childhood, fear, and envy. No stone is left unturned. One of the most haunting moments on this disc is "The Dream" by John Cale. A true masterpiece of inner terrors, and human weakness. Lou Reed shines on "WORK", "NOBODY BUT ME", and most notably on "HELLO IT'S ME". Here we can hear Lou's sadness, and longing for a friend lost. "SONGS FOR DRELLA" is heart wrenching, enlightened, and unimpeachable as music can get. Wether you're a fan of Lou Reed, John Cale, The Velvet Underground, or Andy Warhol; you will find beauty and truth in the music found on this emotional powder keg.

Songs for Drella is not your standard Pop affair. It is not soft, not chewable, doesn't have a moderate drumbeat and sickening sweet singing. Drella isn't even your typical Lou Reed/Velvet Album - there are no really catchy tunes, no long guitar solos, little angst.

What Songs for Drella is is simply a beautyful, personal theme album, written by two of Pop music's most able artists, to morn and settle their affiars with Andy Warhol.

The songs are not really a biography od Warhol, but rather Warhol as experienced through Lou Reed and John Cale's eyes... which is why the many of the songs are written from Lou's perseptive and why there is little reference to Warhol's like between 1970-1987.

But what you have is powerful in a melodic way. I heard a live version of the opening song, Small Town, with drums and all, but it didn't convey the power the album version does. "When you grow up in a small town, you know you grow down in a small down".

The album continues to demonstrate the wit and power of the three main figures: Reed, Cale and Warhol. Some of the best lyrics Reed, one of the best poets in Rock, has ever written, are in this album. In "The trouble with the Classicists" he declares: Trouble with a classicist, he looks at a tree, that's all he sees, he paints a tree/ trouble with a classisict, he looks at the sky, he doen't ask why, he just paints the sky" there are violent moments in this album - Reed declaring in 'I Believe', when talking about Valierie Solanes "I believe... there's got to be some retribution... I would have pulled the plug on her myself" there is also self examination: in the very same song, Reed quotes Warhol as saying "Where were you, you didn't come to see me/ Andy said I thought I died, why didn't you come to see me" Sometimes the album is sad : when Cale as Warhol whisphers "I was... forever changed" or when Lou claims "Sometimes I think what would Andy have said" and there's that humor, because the line continues "He'd probably say you think too much that's because there's work you don't want to do"

THE highlight of the album, though, is the last, beautiful song: "Hallo its me". Probably the best quiet song Reed has ever written. Its tragic, its powerful.

Drella isn't Transformer. It isn't Ecstsy. But it is no less unique, and no less powerful.

...after hearing this attempt by two middle-aged musicians come to terms with the death of a mentor. Loosely structured as an autobiography, Songs for 'Drella is a remarkably honest work, recognizing not only Warhol's shortcomings, but Reed and Cale's as well.

The narrative arc begins with the young Warhol's decision to leave Pittsburgh for New York ("Smalltown" -- Pittsburgh may not qualify in a literal sense, though the Oakland neighborhood where Warhol grew up in the 1940s might qualify in some cultural sense), the move to New York and employment as a commercial graphic artist ("Open House"), and the subsequent founding of the Factory and Warhol's emergence as an artist.

Valerie Solanis nearly succeeds in killing him ("I Believe" in which Reed and Cale advocate her execution), and it is pretty much downhill from there, both personally and artistically. The disk closes with "Hello, It's Me," an epilogue delivered from the standpoint of Reed and Cale.

The music is quite extraordinary, especially insofar as it is just Reed (vocals, guitar) and Cale (vocals, keyboards, viola). The soundscapes that they create are quite varied, particularly in the Cale dream song ("A Dream").

My work takes me places where I quite literally have to pack desert island disks. This one is among the ones I always take.

Parenthetically, if you ever find yourself in Pittsburgh, drop by the Warhol museum and you can see many of the objects (the silver flaoting pillows, the cow wallpaper, the Maos, the films etc.) that are referred to in these songs.

Even though I'm not as avid a listener of rock as I used to be - this morning, I heard Drella after a gap of 3 years, and realized it's perhaps the most successful example of narrative-art-rock.

Reed's lyricism is at its best; unforced, easy with his usually acerbic voice taking on an intelligence and humanity that is missing when he decides that he's a young rock n roller and not an adult...

Musically neither Reed nor Cale have done anything as formally unified since the first VU album. It's an album with no percussion, catapulting the album audiomatically into an audio space which is unique. The minimalist shifts are minute and detailed - some of the most exhilirating Reed guitar work is here - hooks that are moving, and sublimely bluesy, in his normally sloppy wonderful way - all of this is done within a rigid Cale structure - making this work so incredibly strong.

The songs are spectacular,with them wisely chosing to use Cale's haunting voice on several songs.

Really, you do not know Lou Reed or John Cale until you've heard this one.

"Drella"--an amalgam of Dracula and Cinderella--was Lou Reed and John Cale's private nickname for Andy Warhol. That name conjures up Reed and Cale's massively conflicted feelings about Warhol, as well as Warhol's trademark mixture of sweet blankness and Machiavellian manipulation. The emotionally thorny, musically breathtaking songs on this CD give us a dazzling picture of Warhol's complex, troubled life and of his endlessly convoluted love-hate relationship with Reed and Cale. Anybody who knows the work of Velvet Underground knows what to expect here: if you can't take repetition, dissonance or sharp, furious irony, stay away. Otherwise, this is a masterpiece.

I got this one as soon as it came out in 1990 and it took me several listens to fully appreciate it. To reiterate what's already been written, this album is a song-cycle about the life of pop-artist Andy Warhol who took the Velvet Underground under his wing back in the mid-60s. Not long after Warhol died, principle original Velvet members Lou Reed and John Cale reunited for the first time since Cale last worked with the VU (on the song "The Ocean") in order to pay tribute to a very important figure in their lives. Reed originally kicked Cale out of the band after recording the WHITE LIGHT/WHITE HEAT album for "artistic differences" (rivalry, creative control).

Many songs here are lovely, sweet and poignant. A few others are monotonous and grating. Those unfamiliar with the VU asthetic will likely find it hard to appreciate songs like "Work" and "Images" (I've listened with various individuals who demanded that I turn these songs off). I myself had to get used to them before I could revel in their repetitive propulsion. Non-fans are more likely to find this rather arty and experimental album too far off the beaten path for their tastes.

So I'd say anyone just getting into these artists needs to go where it all began - THE VELVET UNDERGROUND AND NICO debut album from 1967. This is arguably the beginning of "alternative rock" (as well as "Goth" thanks in particular to "Venus in Furs").

SONGS FOR DRELLA features no outside musicians, just Reed on guitar, Cale on viola and keyboard, both sharing vocals. I especially love "The Trouble with Classicists," an easy-going song until Cale pounds away at the piano in the chorus as he gets worked up about conventions and conceits in the art world. "The Dream" is a cool little atmospheric piece immersed in a foggy netherworld and narrated by Cale (in spoken word) - it really does sound like a dream. "Forever Changed" has a controlled intensity with Reed's serpentine guitar figures sounding almost Middle Eastern. And judging what I've heard from others including some reviewers here, "Nobody but You" is a deserving favorite, a loping, lovely tune that also betrays an undercurrent of ill feelings. Back in the 60s, Lou Reed ended up firing Warhol (who didn't really know a thing about making albums or managing a band anyway) as producer and hurt feelings ensued. We can at least be thankful that Warhol's death finally melted Lou's cold heart enough to produce this wonderful, deeply personal album with Cale.

Just an electric guitar, a piano and a viola are enough to draw the tracks' outlines of this work.
A perfect fusion between the Lou Reed underground rock and the John Cale's classic and experimental style.
Some tracks are violent, some other are sad.
They all remember the Factory years.

A stylish collection of songs that adds up to an elegant exploration of Andy Warhol's life and work. John Cale says in the sleeve notes - "Lou did all the work", but the collaboration is seamless. Lou Reed's affection for his long-time friend Andy Warhol shines through. A great addition to the classic album collection for fans of Lou Reed, John Cale _and_ Andy Warhol.

When i bought this album, i really thought that it would be merely a historical document. I didn't expect the moving, passionate music and lyrics that lay within. This is definately some of the best work done by either Reed or Cale.
It made me miss warhol so deeply, even though he died before i was even born.

I would go so far as to say that this album is the best work that these two artists have produced since the Velvet Underground split. Some beautiful and powerful songs are present.

Although the album deals with the relationship between famous artists and musicians, the themes are universal. They are dealing with selfish, tragic, glorious human relationships and truisms All those who have felt alienated and misunderstood should check out this recording.

Excellent.