John Cale - Circus Live (2006)

Live set by former Velvet Underground member and the ringmaster of the avant-garde, Mr. John Cale. The album is virtually a career retrospective, recorded live on John's 2006 European tour. Cale felt like he'd finally found the personnel to interpret his songs with new twists, new dimensions and new emotions. None more so evident than the track 'Gun', originally appearing on 1974's Eno & Manzanera produced Fear but now sounding akin to a heavy arsenal of crunching weaponry. Inspired, Cale recorded the dates and the band began to tear up a 40 year musical history book, challenging and breathing new life into Cale's work. In full, confident stride they take in everything from 'Femme Fatale', the Warhol tribute 'Style It Takes', a capricious 'Pablo Picasso', the sweet groove of 'Hanky Panky Nohow' from 'Paris 1919', 'Look Horizon' & 'Zen' from 2003's 'Hobosapiens', the Neptunes inspired funk of 'Outta The Bag' and 'Hush' from 'black:Acetate', an impassioned take of Presley's 'Heartbreak Hotel' and the viola swathed VU masterpiece 'Venus In Furs'.