As one of the first groups to have hit songs under the direction of Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, they were a major influence on the development of Philadelphia soul.
On 'Slow Dazzle', Cale sounds like a jaded Brian Ferry whose syrupy croon is sliding downhill into a Sadian croak, a perfect fit for the songs of loss, betrayal and emotional damage gathered here.
If being avant-garde is the act of subverting common expectations, then Cale slyly crafted a brilliant achievement in Paris 1919 by utilizing a mournful gentility to catch his original target audience unaware and hiding in plain sight.