Not counting the AI-generated total rubbish biographies there haven't been many books about John Cale. Belgian author (and musician) Wouter Bulckaert's effort Underdog in de underground is a worthy addition to Cale's autobiography What's Welsh For Zen (co-written with Victor Bockris) and Tim Mitchell's Sedition and Alchemy. Part retelling of his all over the place career, part critical review of the extensive discography, Bulckaert is obviously a fan, but he doesn't turn a blind eye to the weaker spots and odd decisions made by a perennial outsider, restless musical seeker, collaborator, and producer.
Bulckaert's insights about how Cale's modus operandi works, especially for the Paris 1919, Music For A New Society, Artificial Intelligence, Walking On Locusts and Shifty Adventures in Nookie Wood albums, will be new and refreshing to most people. As for the biographical details itself, those will be familiar to readers who have been following his career: the falling out with Lou Reed and being ousted from the Velvet Underground, the drugs and paranoia-fueled concerts, getting sober, the endless solo shows to make ends meet, and the resurgence as a musical inventor in the 21st Century. This book pretty much covers it all and for the writer it would be nice if an English translation should happen. For now, Bulckaert will have to settle for a place in the underground himself, catering to a niche within a niche crowd who can read Dutch.
Underdog in de underground is published by Uitgeverij Noordboek. 308 pages. Paperback. Illustrated by Edward Hall.
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