Lou Reed / John Cale
Songs For Drella

Artist: Lou Reed / John Cale
Title: Songs For Drella
Release Year: 1990
Pressing Year: 1990
Label: Sire Records
Catalog Number: 9 26140-1
Format: 33 RPM • 12” Album • Stereo
UPC: 075992614016

John Cale, the co-founder of The Velvet Underground, left the group in 1968 after tensions between himself and Lou Reed became intolerable; neither had much charitable to say about one other after that, and they seemed to share only one significant area of agreement -- they both maintained a great respect and admiration for Andy Warhol, the artist whose patronage of the group helped them reach their first significant audience.

So it was fitting that after Warhol's death in 1987, Reed and Cale began working together on a cycle of songs about the artist's life and times. Starkly constructed around Cale's keyboards, Reed's guitar, and their voices, this album is a performance piece about Warhol, his rise to fame, and his troubled years in the limelight. Reed and Cale take turns on vocals, sometimes singing as the character of Andy and elsewhere offering their observations on the man they knew.

Reed's songs are strong and pithy, and display a great feel for the character of Andy, and while Cale brought fewer tunes to the table, they're all superb. If this album seems modest from a musical standpoint, it's likely neither Reed nor Cale wanted the music to distract from their story, and here they paint a portrait of Warhol that has far more depth and poignancy than his public image would have led one to expect. It's a moving and deeply felt tribute to a misunderstood man, and it's a pleasure to hear these two comrades-in-arms working together again, even if their renewed collaboration was destined to be short-lived.  

Personnel: Lou Reed (vocals, guitar); John Cale (vocals, viola, keyboards).

VINYL GRADE: VG+
Notes: Minimal surface noise. A good cleaning is all this one needs. It is not warped.

LABEL GRADE: VG+
Notes: No ring wear, spindle wear, tape, or writing. Standard purple Sire circle on yellow/orange gradient; text is black on yellow/orange gradient.

SLEEVE GRADE: VG
Notes: Original plain white paper with liner notes on one side, complete lyrics on the other. No writing, no tape, no stains, no rips, a few crinkles. Two-inch split at the center of the bottom edge; one-inch split at the center of the left edge.

JACKET GRADE: VG+
Notes: No visible ring wear. No marks, no splits, no writing, no tape, no stains, slight crinkling. Edges, corners, and spine (readable) are in good shape. (See my original scan.) If you tilt the front cover up to the light, you can see a ghosted photo of Andy Warhol with his eyes shut behind the heads of Reed and Cale.

Shipping is $4.00. NOTE: I will NOT be responsible for items lost or damaged in the mail.

PayPal accepted.

Combined shipping: I will be happy to combine multiple items. If you buy more than one album from me, the shipping cost will be the original shipping fee plus $1 per additional item. However, when making your PayPal payment, please pay $4.00 for each album. I will refund the shipping cost overrun ASAP.

This is not a cut-out or a record-club pressing. It is the original issue.

Note: I haven't cleaned this 29-year-old vinyl record because everybody seems to prefer their own methods. I'll leave the cleaning up to the buyer. Also, I'm not a professional vinyl seller or buyer. This comes from my own collection. Bought at The Record Exchange, downtown Blacksburg VA.

Enjoy the auction — and good luck!