John Cale Reworks Music for a New Society as M:FANS, Reissues Original Album
Photo by David Reich
In 1982, John Cale released his solo album Music For a New Society. On January 22, he’ll release M:FANS, a rework of that album, via Double Six/Domino. It’s accompanied by a fully remastered version of the original album that comes with three unreleased bonus tracks. Watch the Abby Portner-directed video for “Close Watch”, which features Dirty Projectors‘ Amber Coffman, below.
The albums will be available as a 2xCD package and individually on vinyl.
In a statement, Cale talked about the process of making the new version of the album, and how Lou Reed’s 2013 death informed it:
Making any form of art is always personal to my mind. During the making of M:FANS, I found myself loathing each and every character written about in those original recording sessions of Music For… Unearthing those tapes reopened those wounds. It was time to decimate the despair from 1981 and breathe new energy, re-write the story. Then, the unthinkable happened. What had informed so much over lost and twisted relationships in 1981 had now come full circle. Losing Lou [too painful to understand] forced me to upend the entire recording process and begin again…a different perspective – a new sense of urgency to tell a story from a completely opposite point of view – what was once sorrow, was now a form of rage. A fertile ground for exorcism of things gone wrong and the realization they are unchangeable. From sadness came the strength of fire!!!”
M:FANS:
01 Prelude
02 If You Were Still Around
03 Taking Your Life In Your Hands
04 Thoughtless Kind
05 Sanctus (Sanities Mix)
06 Broken Bird
07 Chinese Envoy
08 Changes Made
09 Library Of Force [ft. Man In The Book excerpt]
10 Close Watch
11 If You Were Still Around (Choir Reprise)
12 Back To The End
Music For a New Society:
01 Taking Your Life In Your Hands
02 Thoughtless Kind
03 Sanctus (Sanities)
04 If You Were Still Around
05 Close Watch
06 Broken Bird
07 Chinese Envoy
08 Changes Made
09 Damn Life
10 Risé, Sam And Rimsky Korsakov
11 Library Of Force (Unreleased)
12 Chinese Envoy (Outtakes)
13 Thoughtless kind (Outtakes)
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