John Cale says he won’t remake any of his other albums after his reimagining of Music For A New Society arrives this month.
Cale’s M:FANS is released on January 22 via Double Six/Domino on 2CD, with the second disc including a remastered version of the original record featuring three previously unreleased bonus songs.
The former Velvet Underground man decided to remake his 1982 solo record in the wake of ex bandmate Lou Reed’s death in 2013. But despite being thrilled with the results, Cale won’t take on any similar projects.
On whether he has plans to remake any other albums, Cale tells the Guardian: “Not at all. I get the opportunity to do that anyway when I do a concert. I like tearing them apart and reassembling them. It keeps my interest.
“I get bored really easily. In April we have this Velvet Underground anniversary concert in Paris. That’s going to be all about rearranging them again. You’re always rearranging the furniture on the Titanic anyway.”
Cale has also paid tribute to the late David Bowie, who died of cancer on January 10 at the age of 69.
He adds: “Seeing that headline made me hold my breath. If I stared at my computer long enough, would I find out it was a horrible mistake?
“My mind went to a time when David and I had been vowing to do something together – write, record, tour. We barely scratched the surface creatively, but we did make a menace of ourselves with the girls.
“There was an attempt at a song – I even taught him to play a viola part. If we’d given half as much attention to the work as we did to the party… but then I wouldn’t have these colourful memories of our ridiculous behaviour, running around the streets of New York. Good night Dai Jones, you are the Blackstar that never burns out.”
