About time
David Comstock | Scottsville, NY USA | 08/17/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Having heard about this legendary collaboration between John Cale and Terry Riley, I was excited to see it finally appear on cd. I expected 'dark', I expected drone, I expected minimalism. What I didn't expect was "Ides of March." This 10 minute jam with keyboards and drums cooks like nothing else this side of the "Crossroads"/"Spoonful" jam on Cream's Wheels of Fire. Good God, buy this if you want your music to transport you to another planet! _"
A good instrumental work
Marty Jay | NZ | 08/21/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"A Cale collaboration with Terry Riley that works well
and has some good instrumental pieces using
drums, oboe, piano, viola and organ.
There is one track [The soul of patrick Lee] that has vocals on it.
It seems out of place on this album, but is an ok song anyway.
The songs " Ides of March" and "In the Hall of mirrors in the Palace of Versailles" are standouts."
Timeless...
applewood | everywhere and nowhere | 06/30/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Originally recorded in 1971, this collaborative (mostly instrumental) jam of Cale and Riley is a rare treat. Today it barely fills half a CD, but in that brief spell they bang and pound their way out into the open, on the border between space and density, and show us a work of genius. (It sounds like Riley sets the "tone" with droning percussive patterns, while Cale fills them out with energy, passion and whatever melody the compositions may have.)
This was one of my favorite albums in the late 70's, and I'm surprised how much it still rocks (rhythmically like a small boat tossed desperately on a big sea...) and moves me. The multiple layers of piano, organ, synth, horns, viola, guitar and percussions are a perfect balance of disjointed free fall and driving progressive patterns. And the one lyrical song is wonderfully enigmatic and evocative of a timeless moment in Wales. Ah, wouldn't it be grand if they reunited for a 40th year anniversary..."
