John Cale Announces The Academy in Peril and Paris 1919 Reissues

John Cale has announced reissues of his second and third solo albums; a new edition of 1972’s The Academy in Peril, as well as a deluxe version of 1973’s Paris 1919, will arrive November 15 via Domino. Both records have been remastered by Heba Kadry, and will be available on vinyl, CD, and digital streaming platforms.

“Revisiting work from the past is a double-edged sword for me. Of course, it’s bound to happen when you’ve been making music for 60 years or so,” Cale said of the reissues in a press release. He continued:

What’s unique about this process with Domino, is their desire to get it right. Not merely reissue something for the sake of an anniversary or racking up a catalogue favorite—but finding new treasures and highlighting what made it special in the first place. After hearing the test pressings, it occurred to me that the new mastering was a major part of how these works will be presented, rather than simply being preserved. There are moments of clarity and even a laugh or two had by revisiting not only the music, but recalling the sessions (and antics) that made up what became these two recordings. It is my pleasure to share these with you… again.

Cale recorded The Academy in Peril and Paris 1919 not long after he relocated from New York to Los Angeles, following his departure from the Velvet Underground. The two LPs marked Cale’s only solo albums on Reprise; his solo debut, 1970’s Vintage Violence, was issued on Columbia.

The Academy in Peril cost Warner Bros. a whopping $120,000, and featured the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, so things got scaled back a bit for Paris 1919. Cale enlisted Little Feat and bassist Wilton Felder for the Paris 1919 sessions, captured at Sunwest Studios in Hollywood.

The remastered reissue of The Academy in Peril features a bonus track, “Temper,” while the deluxe edition of Paris 1919 includes previously unreleased tape audio, a drone mix of “Hanky Panky Nohow,” a new track called “Fever Dream 2024: You’re a Ghost,” outtakes, and more. The set also contains liner notes by Pitchfork contributor Grayson Haver Currin.

Cale, who is now 82 years old, continues to put out new music. His latest studio album, Poptical Illusion, landed in June.