Shifty Adventures in Nookie Wood

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Shifty Adventures in Nookie Wood
Shifty Adventures in Nookie Wood album cover art.jpg
Studio album by
John Cale
Released1 October 2012 (2012-10-01)
Recorded2011–12
StudioARM Studios, Los Angeles, CA
Mondo Studio, Los Angeles, CA
Genre Art rock, art pop
Length53:53
Label Double Six
Producer John Cale
Danger Mouse ("I Wanna Talk 2 U" only)
John Cale chronology
Extra Playful (EP)
(2011)		Shifty Adventures in Nookie Wood
(2012)		 M:FANS
(2016)
Singles from Shifty Adventures in Nookie Wood
  1. "I Wanna Talk 2 U"
    Released: 6 July 2012
  2. "Face to the Sky" / "Living with You (Organic Mix)"
    Released: 29 August 2012

Shifty Adventures in Nookie Wood is the fifteenth solo studio album by Welsh rock musician John Cale. It was released on 1 October 2012 in Europe and 2 October in North America on the Double Six Records imprint of Domino Records. [1] It was released as digital download, heavyweight vinyl and CD. [2] Most of the songs were recorded by John Cale in his own studio in Los Angeles. [3] [4] On one track he collaborated with Danger Mouse. [5] In September 2011 Cale released the Extra Playful EP and its release promised that the new album would be released the following year. It is his first studio album since 2005's blackAcetate . [6]

Contents

Release

Shifty Adventures in Nookie Wood was released in three standard versions: on CD, on double vinyl LP and as digital download (mp3 320 kbit/s and wav 16-bit / 44.1). When pre-ordering the vinyl-edition, it came with one of three one-track mystery bonus 7" singles. "Bluetooth Swings Redux" (5:25), "Hatred" (3:58) or "Cry" (5:33).

Singles

First single from this album "I Wanna Talk 2 U" was released on 6 July 2012 as digital download. Second single "Face to the Sky" was released in August (on the B-side was "Living with You (Organic Mix)"). It was released both in digital format and vinyl SP).

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 73/100 [7]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [8]
The A.V. Club B [9]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [10]
The Line of Best Fit 8/10 [11]
Mojo Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [12]
Pitchfork 6.0/10 [13]
PopMatters 8/10 [14]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [15]
Slant Magazine Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [16]
Uncut 8/10 [17]

Critical reception of the album has been mixed to positive. The Guardian newspaper called the album "it's an album that combines the 70-year-old's experience with the glee of a small child." [10] Online magazine Slant Magazine called it "both provocative and strange." [16]

Weekly charts

Chart (2012)Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [18] 58
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [19] 169
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard) [20] 44

Track listing

All songs written and composed by John Cale except "I Wanna Talk 2 U" (words by John Cale, music by Cale and Brian Burton).

No.TitleLength
1."I Wanna Talk 2 U" (feat. Danger Mouse)3:32
2."Scotland Yard"4:59
3."Hemingway"3:58
4."Face to the Sky"4:58
5."Nookie Wood"4:05
6."December Rains"4:41
7."Mary"5:39
8."Vampire Cafe"5:47
9."Mothra"3:30
10."Living with You"4:03
11."Midnight Feast"5:00
12."Sandman (Flying Dutchman)"3:44
Total length:53:53

Personnel

Musicians
Production

References

  1. ↑ Jenn Pelly (7 June 2012). "John Cale Announces New Solo Album". Pitchfork. Retrieved 9 June 2012.
  2. ↑ Hans Werksman. "Shifty Adventures in Nookie Wood" . Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  3. ↑ Ryan Bort (7 June 2012). "John Cale Announces New Album" . Retrieved 9 June 2012.
  4. ↑ "John Cale 'Shifty Adventures in Nookie Wood' Revealed". 7 June 2012. Retrieved 9 June 2012.
  5. ↑ "John Cale announces new album, 'Shifty Adventures in Nookie Wood'". 7 June 2012. Retrieved 9 June 2012.
  6. ↑ "John Cale announces new album details". Uncut. Retrieved 9 June 2012.
  7. ↑ "Shifty Adventures in Nookie Wood – John Cale". Metacritic . Retrieved 21 March 2014.
  8. ↑ James Christopher Monger. "Shifty Adventures in Nookie Wood". AllMusic. Retrieved 12 January 2012.
  9. ↑ Heller, Jason (2 October 2012). "John Cale: Shifty Adventures In Nookie Wood". The A.V. Club . Retrieved 23 October 2025.
  10. 1 2 Dave Simpson (27 September 2012). "John Cale: Shifty Adventures in Nookie Wood – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
  11. ↑ Alex Wisgard (26 September 2012). "John Cale – Shifty Adventures in Nookie Wood". The Line of Best Fit . Retrieved 27 September 2012.
  12. ↑ The result is as good as anything Cale's delivered in years. [Nov 2012, p.91]
  13. ↑ Greene, Jayson (8 October 2012). "Shifty Adventures in Nookie Wood - John Cale". Pitchfork . Retrieved 23 October 2025.
  14. ↑ Bergstrom, John (10 October 2012). "John Cale: Shifty Adventures in Nookie Wood". PopMatters . Retrieved 23 October 2025.
  15. ↑ His first album in seven years is vigorously diverse. [Nov 2012, p.90]
  16. 1 2 Douramacos, Yorgo (30 September 2012). "John Cale: Shifty Adventures in Nookie Wood". Slant Magazine . Retrieved 22 March 2014.
  17. ↑ It all sounds closer to 1990s David Bowie studio funk than the man who once went commando with the likes of Sabotage/Live and Music For A New Society. [Nov 2012, p.71]
  18. ↑ "Ultratop.be – John Cale – Shifty Adventures in Nookie Wood" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 March 2014.
  19. ↑ "Ultratop.be – John Cale – Shifty Adventures in Nookie Wood" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 March 2014.
  20. ↑ "John Cale Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 22 March 2014.
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