Song of the Day, April 16: Helen of Troy by John Cale

Today’s song is Helen of Troy by John Cale, the title track from the last of three albums he recorded for Island Records. Cale had done the initial work on the album between producing Horses for Patti Smith and leaving on a tour of Italy. Island took the tapes and released them basically as-is, including songs Cale would have discarded or at least improved. He observes

It could have been a great album. […] 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 of managing myself.

Cale would rework some of his favorites on later releases. This track works well as it is, a disturbing look at obsession and conflicting ideas of beauty. He sings the main lyrics in one of his most bombastic deliveries, mixing this with snide asides spoken in a creepy, campy lisp. The effect is jarring and disturbing, fitting the dramatic musical setting and creating one of Cale’s most offbeat but effective songs.

Enjoy this dark gem today.