John Cale - Mercy

If you needed anything else to convince you of the Velvet's superiority, here's an 80 year old John Cale showing that he's amongst the best veteran '60s/'70s musicians.

There are two ypes of veteran musicians - those who stick to what they know to varying results (think Iggy Pop, Yes, Bob Dylan), and the artists who understand that evolution is important. Of course, you have Scott Walker and Lou Reed who took such a drastic turn towards the end of their careers that you'd get whiplash listening to them, but you still have to appreciate that they were ever-changing until the end. Then you have the David Bowies and John Cales, who move WITH the times, making albums like this.

Mercy may just be the most modern take on art Pop that I've heard from any veteran musician. Cale has proven yet again to have such a vast knowledge on music, and such an open mind to embrace the moving times. Somehow, Mercy fits right in the current sound of pop while still being distinctly John Cale. It sounds like you'd expect, yet not like what others are doing. And the result is one hell of a refreshing listen amongst all these ___ Rock Revival genres you're getting from artists like Iggy Pop and other nostalgia clutches.