The Island Years is a double

Double album

A double album is an audio album which spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically records and compact discs....

 CD

Compact Disc

The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...

 compilation

Compilation album

A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...

 of John Cale

John Cale

John Davies Cale, OBE is a Welsh musician, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer who was a founding member of the experimental rock band The Velvet Underground....

's work during 1974

1974 in music

-January–April:*January 3 – Bob Dylan and The Band kick off their 40-date concert tour at Chicago Stadium. It's Dylan's first time on the road since 1966.*January 17...

 and 1975

1975 in music

-January–April:*January 2 - New York City U.S. District Court Judge Richard Owen rules that former Beatle John Lennon and his lawyers can have access to Department of Immigration files pertaining to his deportation case....

. The collection, released in 1996, is composed of the three previously-released Cale albums issued by Island Records

Island Records

Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...

: Fear

Fear (John Cale album)

Fear is a 1974 album by John Cale. It was the first of three albums for Island Records, all of which were released in a period of just over a year...

, Slow Dazzle, and Helen of Troy

Helen of Troy (album)

Helen of Troy is an album by John Cale, the last of three albums for Island Records.This album came out without the consent of Cale, who considered that the tapes were not finished...

. The album also includes some extra tracks, b-sides, and individual tracks from other albums. In 2007 The Island Years was reissued as a budget release, Gold, with the same track listing but reduced packaging.

Track listing

1. "Fear Is a Man's Best Friend" – 3:52
2. "Buffalo Ballet" – 3:28
3. "Barracuda" – 3:46
4. "Emily" – 4:21
5. "Ship of Fools" – 4:36
6. "Gun" – 8:04
7. "The Man Who Couldn't Afford to Orgy" – 4:33
8. "You Know More Than I Know" – 3:34
9. "Momamma Scuba" – 4:23
10. "Sylvia Said" – 4:07 (remixed, leaving the original single 45 a rarity)
11. "All I Want Is You" – 2:55
12. "Bamboo Floor" – 3:24
13. "Mr. Wilson" – 3:15
14. "Taking It All Away" – 2:56
15. "Dirty-Ass Rock 'N' Roll" – 4:41
16. "Darling I Need You" – 3:35
17. "Rollaroll" – 3:57
18. "Heartbreak Hotel
    Heartbreak Hotel
    "Heartbreak Hotel" is a song recorded by American rock and roll musician Elvis Presley. It was released as a single on January 27, 1956, Presley's first on his new record label RCA Victor. His first number-one pop record, "Heartbreak Hotel" topped Billboards Top 100 chart, became his first...
    
    " – 3:10
19. "Ski Patrol" – 2:05
20. "I'm Not the Loving Kind" – 3:07
21. "Guts" – 3:26
22. "The Jeweller" – 4:11
23. "My Maria" – 3:48
24. "Helen of Troy" – 4:18
25. "China Sea" – 2:30
26. "Engine" – 2:45
27. "Save Us" – 2:20
28. "Cable Hogue" – 3:30
29. "(I Keep A) Close Watch" – 3:27
30. "Pablo Picasso
    Pablo Picasso (song)
    "Pablo Picasso" is a song written by Jonathan Richman for the proto punk group The Modern Lovers. The song was recorded in 1972 at Whitney Studios in Los Angeles, and produced by John Cale, but was not released until 1976, on the Modern Lovers' self-titled debut album...
    
    " – 3:20
31. "Leaving It up to You" – 4:33
32. "Baby, What You Want Me to Do?" – 4:48
33. "Sudden Death" – 4:36
34. "You & Me" – 2:50
35. "Coral Moon" – 2:14
36. "Mary Lou" – 2:46