Listening to the John Cale rendition comes across differently to me than the Bauhaus version. The Bauhaus one is like anti-conformity rocker "angst", but the John Cale version is more like a cynical snob, motivated not by rage at being suppressed, but by a sense of superiority. To me, it's a compelling contrast. It's not like someone being angry because of the oppressive lack of creativity, but like some calm, arrogant person that understands himself to be so much more superior than "his neighbors". It's more about self-delusion, I think, in the John Cale, vs. the righteousness of an anger we sometimes associate with anti-conformity.
Either way, both versions are exceptional tunes, IMO. Cale version here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xH63m4D5tZw
Listening to the John Cale rendition comes across differently to me than the Bauhaus version. The Bauhaus one is like anti-conformity rocker "angst", but the John Cale version is more like a cynical snob, motivated not by rage at being suppressed, but by a sense of superiority. To me, it's a compelling contrast. It's not like someone being angry because of the oppressive lack of creativity, but like some calm, arrogant person that understands himself to be so much more superior than "his neighbors". It's more about self-delusion, I think, in the John Cale, vs. the righteousness of an anger we sometimes associate with anti-conformity. Either way, both versions are exceptional tunes, IMO. Cale version here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xH63m4D5tZw