Caribbean Sunset
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox album|
| name = Caribbean Sunset
| type = Studio album
| artist = John Cale
| cover = Johncale-caribbeansunset.jpg
| alt =
| released = January 1984
| recorded =
| studio = Right Track Recording (New York)
| venue =
| genre = Rock
| length = {{duration|m=36|s=59}}
| label = ZE
| producer = John Cale
| prev_title = Music for a New Society
| prev_year = 1982
| next_title = John Cale Comes Alive
| next_year = 1984
| misc = {{Extra chronology
| artist = John Cale studio album
| type = studio
| prev_title = Music for a New Society
| prev_year = 1982
| title = Caribbean Sunset
| year = 1984
| next_title = Artificial Intelligence
| next_year = 1985
}}
{{Singles
| name = Caribbean Sunset
| type = Studio album
| single1 = Hungry for Love
| single1date = 1984
| single2 = Villa Albani
| single2date = 1984
}}}}
Caribbean Sunset is the ninth solo studio album by the Welsh rock musician John Cale, released in January 1984 by ZE Records.
Caribbean Sunset became Cale's only studio album to chart on the Dutch Album Top 100, peaking at No. 28.{{cite web |title=Discografie John Cale |url=https://dutchcharts.nl/showinterpret.asp?interpret=John+Cale |access-date=20 July 2022 |website=Dutch Charts |publisher= |language=nl }}
Release
Caribbean Sunset was released on vinyl and cassette in 1984 by ZE Records. It was reissued on vinyl by Mango in 1990. Both the ZE and Mango vinyl versions are now out of print.
"Villa Albani" was released as a 12" single in Germany. "Caribbean Sunset" was issued as a promo 7" in the UK.
To date, the album remains unavailable on CD or MP3, though a remastered download with two bonus tracks was made available on the ZE Records website in 2011.{{Cite web|url=http://www.zerecords.com/release/102/caribbean-sunset.html | title=JOHN CALE CARIBBEAN SUNSET| website=ZE Records|accessdate=16 July 2020}}
The album features contributions from Brian Eno and an otherwise "young unknown" band, that consisted of David Young on guitar, Andrew Heermans on bass guitar, and David Lichtenstein (son of artist Roy Lichtenstein) on drums.{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/caribbean-sunset-mw0000850790 |title=Caribbean Sunset – John Cale
The cover photograph was taken by Risé Irushalmi Cale.
Critical reception
{{Album reviews
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1Score = {{Rating|1.5|5}}
| rev2 = Rolling Stone
| rev2Score = {{Rating|3|5}}http://web.archive.org/web/20010730175724/http://www.rollingstone.com:80/recordings/review.asp?aid=66289&cf=866
}}
Upon release, Caribbean Sunset received negative reviews from critics. In a retrospective review for AllMusic, critic Stewart Mason panned the album, calling it "something of a mess. The songs are among the poppiest of Cale's career, and one gets the sense that it's meant to be Cale's attempt at a straight-up pop album, especially given the Jimmy Buffett-like title and cover photo." Ira Robbins of Trouser Press called it his "least interesting album to date", adding that "even if the puzzlingly muddy self-production hadn't stifled everything but his jagged-edged vocals, the songs themselves are too flimsy to support his words or passion."{{cite web |url=http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=john_cale |title=TrouserPress.com :: John Cale |last1=Grant |first1=Steven |last2=Sheridan |first2=David |last3=Robbins |first3=Ira |website=TrouserPress.com |accessdate=July 5, 2016}}
Track listing
{{Track listing
| all_writing = John Cale and Dave Young, except where noted.
| headline = Side one
| title1 = Hungry for Love
| length1 = 3:48
| title2 = Experiment Number 1
| writer2 = John Cale
| length2 = 5:45
| title3 = Model Beirut Recital
| length3 = 4:15
| title4 = Caribbean Sunset
| writer4 = {{hlist|Cale|Larry Sloman}}
| length4 = 4:23
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Side two
| total_length = 36:59
| title5 = Praetorian Underground
| length5 = 3:09
| title6 = Magazines
| length6 = 3:26
| title7 = Where There's a Will
| writer7 = {{hlist|Cale|Sloman}}
| length7 = 2:44
| title8 = The Hunt
| length8 = 3:56
| title9 = Villa Albani
| writer9 = Cale
| length9 = 5:33
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Bonus tracks on 2011 remastered download
| title10 = Villa Albani
| note10 = Long Version
| writer10 = Cale
| length10 = 6:28
| title11 = Villa Albani
| note11 = Instrumental Version
| writer11 = Cale
| length11 = 5:31
}}
Personnel
Adapted from the Caribbean Sunset liner notes.{{cite AV media notes|title=Caribbean Sunset|others=John Cale|year=1984|publisher=ZE Records|type=CD booklet}}
Musicians
- John Cale – vocals; keyboards; guitar
- Dave Young – guitar; backing vocals
- Andy Heermans – bass guitar; backing vocals
- David Lichtenstein – drums; boobams
- Brian Eno – A.M.S pitch changer (effects)
Production
Charts
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
! scope="col" | Chart ! scope="col" | Peak |
| {{album chart|Netherlands|28|artist=John Cale|album=Caribbean Sunset|rowheader=true|access-date=14 July 2023}} |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{discogs master|147841}}
{{John Cale}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Caribbean Sunset}}