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Even Cowgirls Get the Blues
Rock · 1991 · 8 tracks

Even Cowgirls Get the Blues

John Cale

A jagged, high-friction live document of Cale's CBGB residencies. Raw art-punk energy fueled by the Patti Smith Group's rhythm section and unhinged vocal performances.

1991 · Hooj Choons

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This is not the elegant, chamber-pop John Cale of the early seventies; this is Cale as a street-level provocateur, capturing the high-tension atmosphere of New York City's CBGB at its peak. The sound is thick with the grime of the Bowery, characterized by a jagged, high-friction energy that feels like it could boil over into a riot at any moment. Backed by the muscular rhythm section of the Patti Smith Group, Cale pushes his songs into aggressive, almost confrontational territory, stripping away the studio polish in favor of raw, distorted power.

Tracklist · 8 Tracks
01
Dance of the Seven Veils
02
Helen of Troy
03
Casey at the Bat
04
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues
05
Don't Know Why She Came
06
Somebody Should Have Told
07
Decade
08
Magic and Lies
Moments Worth Listening For
the moment the rhythm section locks into a proto-punk groove while Cale's vocals fray into a desperate shout
the abrasive feedback-heavy transition between tracks that captures the chaotic stage-swapping of a New Year's Eve set
the stark contrast of Memphis where the 1977 recording offers a leaner and more skeletal sonic texture
Where This Album DepartsEach spoke is a trait. The orange shape shows where this album pulls away from — or holds to — the rest of the artist’s catalogue. Tap for more.

How does Even Cowgirls Get the Blues sound next to the rest of John Cale's catalogue?

Aggressive+3.9σ

Aggressive saturates this record far more than the artist's norm.

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