Kevin Ayers, John Cale, Nico & Eno - June 1, 1974 (Outtakes)
I've been spending the better part of the week digging into the new reissue of John Cale's Paris 1919; I've bought this record at least four times in various formats over the decades, but I have to admit that I was pushed into getting the latest edition because I wanted to hear the previously unreleased bonus track "I Must Not Sniff Cocaine." Who could resist?! Turns out it's not really a song, just a little bit of studio banter. There's a sucker (sniffer?) born every minute — I guess that's me. Oh well, the remaster sounds great, and maybe you can never have too many copies of Paris 1919 ... it's a masterpiece, doncha know?!
I'm somewhat surprised that the powers that be didn't see fit to release a 50th anniversary version of June 1, 1974 — the debut of ACNE (Ayers, Cale, Nico, Eno). Did anyone sniff any cocaine here? Yeah, probably. But it might've been nice to have the complete concert all gussied up for suckers like me. Instead, we've got to make do with the audience tapes of the stuff that didn't make the proper LP, which includes a grinding version of Cale's "Gun" (though it misses the Manzanera/Eno fireworks found on Fear), Nico's, er, provocative "Das Lied Der Deutschen" and a 20-minute trip through Ayers' epic nightmare "It Begins With A Blessing."
ACNE was short-lived, but CNE got back together later that year for some interesting gigs — there's a raw tape of a Berlin show that you definitely want to check out, if only for the surprisingly tender "Guts," which according to legend was inspired by the behind-the-scenes events of June 1, 1974.
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