Comments on Fragments of a Cale Season: Dying on the Vine

dying on the vine is one of the best songs i ever ...

2009-08-25T20:57:59.108-04:00

dying on the vine is one of the best songs i ever heard in my entire life. I know it sounds very dramatic, but makes me feel terrible when i heard it anytime. I discovered it in a jools holland's show with a beautiful string arragement.
Excuse my english but i'm not a english speaker.

I've owned "Artifical Intelligence" for ages, but ...

2008-04-26T17:02:00.000-04:00

I've owned "Artifical Intelligence" for ages, but must've listened to it only once and filed it under 'forgetable'. However, having recently ripped it to my PC, I noticed it had 'Dying on the Vine', which in my opinion is one of the very best songs on "Fragments of a Rainy Season" - one of my favourite albums by ANYONE. So I gave the original version a listen, and was very quickly enchanted by its unexpected tempo and seductive style. Not quite as good as the wonderful version on "Fragments", but still a great track.

zephyrjw: have you seen this?Kevin Ayers with John...

2007-11-09T13:28:00.000-05:00

zephyrjw: have you seen this?

Kevin Ayers with John Cale and Ollie Halsall: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLC9AmdM0AI

"Dying on the Vine" never made an impression on me until Fragments, but I have to stand with those who now consider it a favorite Cale tune. More recently, I really took a liking to the version of Set Me Free on the US release of Hobo Sapiens-- not realizing that the song had sliped right by me on Walking on Locusts, ten years earlier.

hmm intresting

2007-11-07T15:51:00.000-05:00

hmm intresting

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_H24Z6ux4ABest ver...

2007-11-02T22:17:00.000-04:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_H24Z6ux4A

Best version here, similar to the Fragments one but with the added lushness of strings.

I've played this live, too - solo guitar and voice...

2007-11-02T22:09:00.000-04:00

I've played this live, too - solo guitar and voice. First Cale song I ever did for a show. A favorite, yeah, and an unexpected one; a dark horse in catalog full of dark horses.

This is one of my very favorite Cale songs. It ne...

2007-11-02T12:32:00.000-04:00

This is one of my very favorite Cale songs. It never fails to move me and I quite like the cadence of the studio version. The introduction makes it sound dated, but once the song kicks in it has some kind of otherworldly tempo and the passion and delivery by Cale is astounding. This song alone makes Artificial Intelligence a good album, even though there are a few other songs on there that are quite good too. The Fragments version is nice too, but I actually prefer the slower studio rendition. All I know is that I wish that they would bring this song back into their live sets. It is such a beautiful song. Great write up, Robert.

Two things leap to mind, especially upon viewing t...

2007-11-02T11:58:00.000-04:00

Two things leap to mind, especially upon viewing this wonderful live performance of the song, and they are: 1) One of Cale's greatest single lines ever: "And if I wasn't such a coward I would run." and 2) That is the late Ollie Halsall on guitar unless I'm sorely mistaken, a guitar genius whose like we won't see anytime soon again, in a typically inspired, passionate, and technically awesome example of what a guitar can do. Especially with the right song. What a perfect pairing! I was thrilled to see this, because till now I'd only heard about the 1984 band with Halsall in it, and I just knew it had to be extraordinary. Thanks so much for posting it. Is there any more footage around of this crew?

I think the studio version is a turgid mess, mysel...

2007-11-02T11:44:00.000-04:00

I think the studio version is a turgid mess, myself. Maybe I'll have to punish myself with it to get the appeal. Inebriated may be the goal, but it sounds more like a song under the influence of barbituates.

Also, nice West ref re: "living my life like a Hollywood." I think that Hollywood/Vine wink and nod is pretty darned cute, and nicely subtle to boot. I don't know how many times I'd heard the song before I caught it.