Helen of Troy (album)

Infobox Album | Name = Helen of Troy
Type = Album
Artist = John Cale


Released = November 1975
Recorded = Sound Techniques, London
Genre = Rock
Length = 40:21
Reviews = *Allmusic Rating|4.5|5 [http://wc03.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=&sql=10:gzfexqq5ldhe link]
Label = Island Records
Producer = John Cale

Last album = "Slow Dazzle"
(1975)
This album = "Helen of Troy"
(1975)
Next album = "Guts"
(1977)

"Helen of Troy" is an album by John Cale, the last of three albums for Island Records.

This album came out without the consent of Cale, who considered that the tapes were not finished. After shipping the first pressings Island Records replaced the track "Leaving It Up to You" with "Coral Moon", because the former song mentioned Sharon Tate, wife of film director Roman Polanski, who was murdered in 1969 by the Charles Manson gang. Things turned sour, and Cale and Island went their separate ways. The CD version contains both tracks.

John Cale explained: "It could have been a great album. I came back from finishing Patti Smith and had three days to finish "Helen of Troy" before I went on Italian tour. I was spending eighteen hours a day in the studio. When I got back, I found the record company had gone ahead and released what amounted to demo tapes. The trouble was that Island had their own ideas of what that album should sound like. They wanted to include songs I don't particularly like, but it was also an impertinent assumption on my part that I was capable managing myself. My determination to have "Helen of Troy" the way I did was not really fair to Island or my management, especially at a time when Island was losing its percentage of the market, which was making everybody very paranoid."

During the sessions Cale cut three other songs: the unreleased covers "Willow Weep For Me" and "God Only Knows", and "Mary Lou" which was released on the compilation album Guts.

The album features a cover of "Pablo Picasso" by The Modern Lovers, a song which Cale had produced for the band's debut.

Cale re-recorded "I Keep A Close Watch" in 1982 for his album "Music For A New Society".

Track listing

All songs composed by John Cale, except where indicated

# "My Maria"
# "Helen of Troy"
# "China Sea"
# "Engine"
# "Save Us"
# "Cable Hogue"
# "I Keep A Close Watch"
# "Pablo Picasso" (Jonathan Richman)
# "Coral Moon" / "Leaving It Up To You"
# "Baby, What You Want Me To Do?" (Jimmy Reed)
# "Sudden Death"

Personnel

* John Cale - keyboards, guitar, vocals
* Phil Collins - drums
* Pat Donaldson - bass
* Tim Donald - drums
* Brian Eno - synthesizer
* Chris Spedding - guitar
* Robert Kirby - string & choir arrangement

Executive Producer: John Wood