John Cale, 01/13/88, (with Chris Spedding), Ballard Firehouse, Seattle, WA

Newpaper article for the then impending John Cale show on 01/13/88, (with Chris Spedding), at The Ballard Firehouse, Seattle, WA

MUSICIANS DECIDE NOT TO PLAY BY THE RULES
By Roberta Penn, Seattle Post Intelligenser Pop Critic
FRIDAY, January 8, 1988
Section: What's Happening, Page: 8

Two artists who take chances with pop and rock 'n' roll bring their experimental spirit to Seattle this week.

John Cale, who founded the Velvet Underground with Lou Reed in 1966, is still composing and performing unpredictable music.
While the Underground efforts focused on juxtaposing noise with lyricism, Cale's more recent efforts have taken him back to his
Welsh roots.

"I have just finished setting four Dylan Thomas poems to music using a chamber orchestra, pedal steel guitar and a children's
choir," Cale said by phone from his home in New York. "It recaptured my interest in classical music, which is home base for me. I
was trained in it."

Although he's classically trained, Cale has been most influenced by rock 'n' roll. In addition to laying the ground work for the
punk movement, he was producer for several new rock artists such as Patti Smith and the Stooges. He has scored movies
for Andy Warhol and Roger Corman, remixed a Barbra Streisand album for quadraphonic sound and been a consultant to
major record companies, including Columbia.

Cale's own records span hard rock, smooth pop and punk. His most recent album, "Artificial Intelligence," was a dense,
synthesizer-oriente record. Now Cale says he's working on a record that will fit the Top 40 format.

"It's new songs about love, kind of in the genre of 'Paris 1919.' I've been shaping the songs on a computer, and they're geared
to be popular songs for radio," he said.

For Wednesday night's gig at the Ballard Firehouse, Cale will have a pared-down sound. It will be just him on piano, vocals and
acoustic guitar, with well-known studio guitarist Chris Spedding. But the two avante-garde players will not sound like a
conventional duo.

"Chris was in my first rock 'n' roll band, and he's used to me throwing new songs at him on stage, so a lot of improvisation can
go on," said Cale.

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“This was my first Cale show, and is in fact a scan of my ticket stub above. The Ballard Firehouse was just what the name implies, a Firehouse
transformed into a music venue. It was really quite a wonderful little place and a shame when it closed it’s doors in 2003 - it’s still there
as a very nice restaurant though. There couldn’t have been more than a hundred people in the club, all seated at small tables. My seat
was not more than twenty-five feet away - too bad I had no recording equipment! I didn’t keep track of the set list either, however he did kick
off the set with “Ghost Story” followed by “Ship of Fools” and at some point played “Amsterdam”. I’m almost certain he played
“Thoughtless Kind”, but I won’t swear on that. At this point I’ve heard far too many Cale shows to be certain of much. Great show, of
course, although it was a very small stage and the boys had very little room to move about.” - Editor.

The Ballard Firehouse more or less as it looked back then and as it looks today. The restaurant was called Hi-Life, but it closed in 2019. From
1985 to 2003, it was music venue/local institution - booking veteran and local emerging rock, blues, hip-hop, jazz & reggae acts.