Brian Eno is MORE DARK THAN SHARK

INTERVIEWS, REVIEWS & RELATED ARTICLES

Record Collector FEBRUARY 2025 - by Jeremy Allen

JOHN CALE: FEAR / SLOW DAZZLE / HELEN OF TROY

Island trilogy gets the vinyl reissue treatment

John Cale's solo career was already well underway when he returned to the UK and signed to Island in the mid-'70s. The Welshman is in impressive form right across this bullish trilogy, proving that he wasn't the only mercurial genius in his old band. Fear kicks things off with the help of Roxy Music pair Brian Eno and Phil Manzanera, a slow cooking collection with the languorous, brooding Gun the pick of the tracks, and Slow Dazzle does just that with songs like Dirty Ass Rock'n'Roll and a dark take on Heartbreak Hotel. Perhaps the best of the three is Helen Of Troy, with a strong set of songs and Phil Collins on drums, plus Chris Spedding blitzing everything away on guitar.