oined by a star-studded cast of Welsh musicians (Gruff Rhys, Cate Le Bon, James Dean Bradfield of Manic Street Preachers) who count themselves as his musical offspring, John Cale celebrated his 80th birthday in October of 2022 with a headlining performance at the Llais Festival in his native Wales. Despite the fact that Cale has dipped a cautious toe in nostalgia in recent years,, his 17th solo release—and he expresses surprise that he would write about his one-time bandmate, as if his brain conjured the song without his permission. But ask if he realized in 1965 that he and Lou Reed were doing something completely without precedent in The Velvet Underground, and he doesn't hesitate.
