The Island Years features three of John Cale's strongest solo albums of the '70s (Fear, Slow Dazzle, and Helen of Troy) in their entirety, along with outtakes and b-sides. This mid-'70s work includes some of Cale's most focused rock 'n' roll. Musicians such as Roxy Music's Brian Eno, Andy Mackay, and Phil Manzanera, notable session guitarist Chris Spedding, Richard Thompson, Judy Nylon, Chris Thomas, Geoff Muldaur, Robert Kirby, and even drummer Phil Collins all show up to bring this underrated songwriter's work to full fruition. Tracks such as "Fear Is a Man's Best Friend," "Gun," "Dirty Ass Rock 'n' Roll," "Guts," "I Keep a Close Watch," and covers of Elvis Presley's "Heartbreak Hotel" and Jonathan Richman's "Pablo Picasso" make this collection feel somewhat like a greatest-hits set. It's surely a blueprint for alternative rockers who already counted Cale's work with The Velvet Underground to be as important as anything by Chuck Berry, Bob Dylan, or The Rolling Stones.