LOU REED

Reviewed on this page:
As the creative force behind the influential (not to mention subversive) Velvet Underground, Lou Reed paved the way for nearly every rock, punk, or alternative artist that has defied the mainstream in the past 40 years. After leaving that legendary band in 1970, Reed embarked on a solo career which at first made him seem like a virtual parody of his former self, but which later became respectable in its own right. Some people think that the notorious talk-singer's music all sounds the same, but in truth, Reed has one of rock's most inconsistent album catalogues. His '70's recordings alone show how erratic Reed can be. But whether a Lou Reed album is good or bad, you can almost always count on him to be offbeat and interesting. At the time this page was created, the albums reviewed below were all out of print in the U.S. Since then, some have been reissued on CD. Most of the others are obtainable as imports.

Reed got his post-VU career off to a promising start with his self-titled solo debut in 1972. Although no less than seven backing musicians are credited (including, believe it or not, Steve Howe and Rick Wakeman of Yes), Lou Reed generally sounds like a personal singer-songwriter type of effort. Many of the songs were reworked versions of unreleased Velvet Underground songs, the original versions of which later turned up on VU and the box set Peel Slowly And See. Another song, "Berlin", would later be redone on Reed's 1973 album of the same name. Although the album is hampered slightly by faulty sound mixing, the songs themselves are very good.

Track Listing:

1. I Can't Stand It
2. Going Down
3. Walk It And Talk It
4. Lisa Says
5. Berlin
6. I Love You
7. Wild Child
8. Love Makes You Feel
9. Ride Into The Sun
10. Ocean

During the next few years, Reed jumped on the glam rock bandwagon, and his music became self-parodying. He often seemed to be imitating David Bowie, who had claimed Reed as a major influence. Worst of all, the once-believable characters and situations in his lyrics had become cartoonish.

Sally Can't Dance was the most successful album from this period. Slickly produced by Reed and Steve Katz, the album presented Reed as a mainstream pop-rock crooner. (The masquerade worked; Sally Can't Dance is the only Reed album ever to crack the Top 10 on the Billboard album chart). Besides having silly lyrics and r&b pretentions, the title track and "Animal Language" are hurt by noisy additions of horns and female backing vocals into the mix. "Ride Sally Ride" and the appropriately titled "Ennui" don't sound that much different from "Piano Man"-era Billy Joel. But the album does have a few keepers: "Baby Face", the demented "Kill Your Sons" (in which Reed alleges that his parents made him undergo electro-shock therapy as a teenager), and the moving ballad "Billy" (which features ex-Velvet Doug Yule on bass).

Track Listing:

1. Ride Sally Ride
2. Animal Language
3. Baby Face
4. N.Y. Stars
5. Kill Your Sons
6. Ennui
7. Sally Can't Dance
8. Billy

Released in 1975, Lou Reed Live contains six songs culled from the same two performances as 1974's Rock and Roll Animal. Recorded at Howard Stein's Academy of Music in NYC in December 1973 and featuring Dick Wagner and Steve Hunter from the Alice Cooper band, Lou Reed Live presents Reed as a bombastic arena rocker. Where Rock and Roll Animal had mostly contained performances of Velvet Underground songs with just one solo tune thrown in, Lou Reed Live contains just one VU song ("Waiting For The Man") and five songs from Reed's Transformer (1972) and Berlin (1973) albums. It may not be the best setting for Reed's songs, but the heavy metal performing is undeniably thrilling. Although nothing here is as good as the Rock and Roll Animal version of "Sweet Jane", Lou Reed Live is a useful companion piece to that album. Note: this album is currently available under the name Extended Versions, packaged as part of BMG's Encore Collection.

Track Listing:

1. Vicious
2. Satellite Of Love
3. Walk On The Wild Side
4. Waiting For The Man
5. Oh, Jim
6. Sad Song

Reed's next release defies description. The infamous Metal Machine Music is described on the front cover as "an electronic instrumental composition"; what you get on the double-album itself is four sides of droning nonstop feedback noise, overlapped with high-frequency beeps, squeaks, and other meaningless nonsense. Don't feel stupid if you don't understand any of the supposed technical jargon in the liner notes; it's all gibberish made up by Reed. Metal Machine Music stands as one of the worst practical jokes an artist has ever played on his record company, not to mention his fans. The album's utter weirdness has been blunted somewhat over time; in fact, fans of Sonic Youth and other avant-noise artists might find it interesting in small doses. But even the most open-minded listeners aren't likely to find much value in the toneless and mostly unvarying noise that goes on for more than an hour. (The vinyl LP can go on much longer, because the fourth side ends with a lock groove that plays continuously until the needle is manually lifted from the turntable!).

Track Listing:

1. METAL MACHINE MUSIC, Part 1 (16:00)
2. METAL MACHINE MUSIC, Part 2 (15:40)
3. METAL MACHINE MUSIC, Part 3 (16:04)
4. METAL MACHINE MUSIC, Part 4 (13:40)

Having apparently gotten those self-indulgent urges out of his system, Reed got back down to serious singer-songwriter business with 1976's Coney Island Baby. On this album, Reed sounds like he's picking up where his 1972 solo debut left off, as if the intervening albums never happened. Finally allowing himself to develop, Reed showed a new and surprising sensitivity on the title track, "Crazy Feeling", and "A Gift". For those who prefer Reed's darker side, "Kicks" is a deliberately ugly song written from the viewpoint of a psycho who kills for thrills. "She's My Best Friend" was an expanded version of a then-unreleased Velvet Underground song whose original version later turned up on VU; oddly enough, Reed sounds like he's singing it to the tune of "Lisa Says". Coney Island Baby is certainly one of the high points of Reed's '70's output. (Note: the album was reissued on CD in September 2006 with six worthwhile bonus tracks, four of which featured Doug Yule on guitar and bass).

Track Listing:

1. Crazy Feeling
2. Charley's Girl
3. She's My Best Friend
4. Kicks
5. A Gift
6. ooohhh Baby
7. Nobody's Business
8. Coney Island Baby

Sadly, the promise of that album was negated later that same year by the release of Rock and Roll Heart, a pallid set of woefully uninspired songs. Most of the tracks sound like half-written throwaways; Reed's attempts to display his sensitive side ("Ladies Pay"?) sound phony this time around. The good-time title track and the short instrumental "Chooser and the Chosen One" provide nice little respites from the silly posturing on other songs.

Track Listing:

1. I Believe In Love
2. Banging On My Drum
3. Follow The Leader
4. You Wear It So Well
5. Ladies Pay
6. Rock and Roll Heart
7. Chooser and the Chosen One
8. Senselessly Cruel
9. Claim To Fame
10. Vicious Circle
11. A Sheltered Life
12. Temporary Thing

For the 1978 album Street Hassle, Reed was reunited with producer Richard Robinson, who screwed up the sound mixing on his solo debut. This time, the two experimented with binaural recording. Also, they recorded some tracks live and some in the studio, and awkwardly placed them side by side. The results aren't always easy on the ears, but creatively, Street Hassle is one of the better albums Reed made in the '70's. It showed examples of him at his goofiest (the self-parody "Gimmie Some Good Times") and at his most biting (the controversial "I Wanna Be Black"); at his artiest (the title track is a brilliant three-part magnum opus, featuring a spoken-word cameo by Bruce Springsteen) and his rawest ("Leave Me Alone" and "Dirt" are full of heartfelt hostility). For those keeping track, "Real Good Time Together" was yet another "lost" VU track which later turned up on Another View.

Track Listing:

1. Gimmie Some Good Times
2. Dirt
3. Street Hassle
--a. Waltzing Matilda
--b. Street Hassle
--c. Slipaway
4. I Wanna Be Black
5. Real Good Time Together
6. Shooting Star
7. Leave Me Alone
8. Wait

As if the world needed another self-parodying album from Reed, the 1978 double album Live: Take No Prisoners captures him during an evening of improvisation. Recorded at the Bottom Line in New York City in May of that year, it consists of extremely long and obnoxious performances of songs from Reed's solo albums and the VU. Reed clearly did not intend to play the songs straightforwardly. He constantly ad-libs while his backing band jams endlessly behind him. Aside from a semi-intriguing rethinking of "I'm Waiting For The Man" (which incorporates "Temporary Thing" into its 13-minute-plus framework), Live: Take No Prisoners is a musical morass. A few songs ("Berlin", "Coney Island Baby", "Street Hassle") manage to survive their treatment, but Reed's 16-minute dissection of his hit "Walk On The Wild Side" sounds too bitter to be funny. I guess you had to be there.

Track Listing:

1. Sweet Jane (8:18)
2. I Wanna Be Black (6:21)
3. Satellite Of Love (6:54)
4. Pale Blue Eyes (6:23)
5. Berlin (5:46)
6. I'm Waiting For The Man (13:50)
7. Coney Island Baby (8:21)
8. Street Hassle (11:58)
9. Walk On The Wild Side (16:53)
10. Leave Me Alone (7:18)


The binaural experimentation continued on Reed's next studio album. The Bells had crisper sound but weaker material than Street Hassle. It's a mixed bag of songs which Reed co-wrote with others (including Nils Lofgren and Don Cherry) instead of writing by himself. The first few tracks strain one's patience: "Stupid Man" and "With You" are annoying stabs at new wave, and the repetitive "Disco Mystic" almost singlehandedly dates the album. The album's better moments come later: "City Lights" is a charming ode to Charlie Chaplin, and "Families" is fairly touching. The lengthy title track suggests that Reed was listening to Bowie and Eno's work from that period. The Bells is a middling album that does not represent Reed at his best or worst.

Track Listing:

1. Stupid Man -- (Lou Reed, Nils Lofgren)
2. Disco Mystic -- (Lou Reed, Michael Suchorsky, Marty Fogel, Michael Fonfara, Ellard Boles)
3. I Want To Boogie With You -- (Reed, Fonfara)
4. With You -- (Reed, Lofgren)
5. Looking For Love -- (Reed)
6. City Lights -- (Reed, Lofgren)
7. All Through The Night -- (Lou Reed, Don Cherry)
8. Families -- (Reed, Boles)
9. The Bells -- (Reed, Fogel)

Reed next made Growing Up In Public with most of the same backing band as The Bells. All of the songs were co-written and co-produced by Reed and Michael Fonfara, who played guitars and keyboards. Growing Up In Public has an unexpectedly mainstream rock sound, but it works just fine. Reed once again began to portray himself as a sensitive singer-songwriter type, and this time he sounded convincing. Growing Up In Public was clearly a transitional album in which Reed was looking at mature middle age. Still, it's odd to hear him sing (jokingly or not) about "The Power Of Positive Drinking", considering that he became clean and sober soon after this album's release. In any case, Growing Up In Public paved the way for the strong albums Reed would record in the '80's.

Track Listing:

1. How Do You Speak To An Angel
2. My Old Man
3. Keep Away
4. Growing Up In Public
5. Standing On Ceremony
6. So Alone
7. Love Is Here To Stay
8. The Power Of Positive Drinking
9. Smiles
10. Think It Over
11. Teach The Gifted Children

Over the next few years, Reed finally freed himself from his well-documented drug abuse, and found new acclaim when his music became more focused than ever. In addition, he enlisted a backing band (consisting of guitarist Robert Quine, bassist Fernando Saunders, and drummer Fred Maher) that was evidently Velvet Underground-influenced, and who apparently understood Reed and his music better than his previous backing musicians.

This lineup recorded Legendary Hearts in 1983. It was un unusually laid-back album for Reed, but it was excellent. Some of Reed's best lyrics can be found in songs like "Martial Law" and "Bottoming Out". The band's playing is tight and perfectly in synch with Reed's talk-singing style. Impressive.

Track Listing:

1. Legendary Hearts
2. Don't Talk To Me About Work
3. Make Up Mind
4. Martial Law
5. The Last Shot
6. Turn Out The Light
7. Pow Wow
8. Betrayed
9. Bottoming Out
10. Home Of The Brave
11. Rooftop Garden

Reed wisely took that band out on the road. Live In Italy was recorded during two dates in Verona and Rome in September 1983. This double-album was never released in the U.S., which is unfortunate for Reed's American fans; Live In Italy is the best of Reed's many live albums. Reed and the band perform the Velvet Underground classics possibly as well as the original VU would; several selections from Reed's solo albums ("Kill Your Sons", "Waves Of Fear", "Martial Law") also receive top-notch treatment. Live In Italy is worth searching out for Reed fans. In some countries, it has been retitled Live In Concert.

Track Listing:

1. Sweet Jane
2. I'm Waiting For The Man
3. Martial Law
4. Satellite Of Love
5. Kill Your Sons
6. Betrayed
7. Sally Can't Dance
8. Waves Of Fear
9. Average Guy
10. White Light/White Heat
11. Some Kinda Love/Sister Ray
12. Walk On The Wild Side
13. Heroin
14. Rock And Roll

Reed continued his winning streak with 1984's New Sensations, which is lighter than Legendary Hearts but no less impressive. Saunders and Maher returned for this album, but Reed played guitar himself this time. A lively set of tunes that are both exciting and intelligent, this album has more kinetic energy than almost any other Reed album. From the snappy lead-off track "I Love You, Suzanne" on down, New Sensations is a model for other middle-aged songwriters to follow.

Track Listing:

1. I Love You, Suzanne
2. Endlessly Jealous
3. My Red Joystick
4. Turn To Me
5. New Sensations
6. Doin' The Things That We Want To
7. What Becomes A Legend Most
8. Fly Into The Sun
9. My Friend George
10. High In The City
11. Down At The Arcade

Mistrial was a step down from the last few albums. Saunders played bass once again, and on some tracks, the only musicians were Reed, Saunders, and a drum machine(!). Mistrial opens promisingly with the title track, which has an almost VU-like resonance, and the snappy "No Money Down", but the rest of the album is hit or miss. Mistrial is either too arty or too slick: most of the energy that made New Sensations accessible is gone here, in favor of simpler arrangements that were apparently meant to draw more attention to the social commentary in the songs; but at the same time, the production (by Reed and Saunders) gives the material a typical mid-'80's style whitewash. On the whole, Mistrial is less than the sum of its parts, but it does have insightful lyrics about social ills ("Video Violence", "Outside") and relationships ("Mama's Got A Lover", "Tell It To Your Heart"). And Reed even tries his hand at contemporary street-rhyming on "The Original Wrapper" (get it?). Mistrial is a good, not great, Reed album.

Track Listing:

1. Mistrial
2. No Money Down
3. Outside
4. Don't Hurt A Woman
5. Video Violence
6. Spit It Out
7. The Original Wrapper
8. Mama's Got A Lover
9. I Remember You
10. Tell It To Your Heart

Reed was nearing the age of 60 when he made the 2000 album Ecstasy. Contrary to the album's title, there isn't much joy or elation to be found in Reed's anguished songs about love and sex. Two of the first three songs take on the topic of infidelity ("Paranoia Key of E", "Mad"); the title track and "Tatters" examine relationships that are falling apart; "Baton Rouge" laments a long-lost love and what it could have become. In the ugly lyrics of "White Prism" and "Rock Minuet", Reed looks askance at the type of sexual deviancy he once sang about with swaggering pride. On that same note, the bizarre "Like A Possum" is an 18-minute orgy of depravity and distortion, but it's a long way from "Sister Ray". Whatever flaws may mar Ecstasy, it is a more potent mixture of passion and style than Reed's '90's albums were. It's helped greatly by the reliable support of Mike Rathke (guitar), Fernando Saunders (bass), and Tony "Thunder" Smith (drums).

Track Listing:

1. Paranoia Key of E
2. Mystic Child
3. Mad
4. Ecstasy
5. Modern Dance
6. Tatters
7. Future Farmers of America
8. Turning Time Around
9. White Prism
10. Rock Minuet
11. Baton Rouge
12. Like a Possum
13. Rouge
14. Big Sky

American Poet is an official release of a much-bootlegged concert from December 1972, recorded in Hempstead, NY for a radio program. Backed by a band called the Tots, Reed played songs from the Velvet Underground and from his first two solo albums. Logically enough, the sound is a middle ground between the mellow 1969 VU live album and the arena bombast of Rock And Roll Animal. It's a riveting and engaging set, and a revealing glimpse at Reed just as his solo career was beginning to take off. Reed even seemed to be enjoying himself on this occasion. One song that stands out is "I'm Waiting For The Man", which receives a strangely gentle treatment that virtually (intentionally?) changes the meaning of the song. The spontaneous playing makes the solo album selections preferable to their studio versions. Halfway through the CD, Reed is interviewed by a DJ in an amusing exchange. At one point, the DJ asks Reed, "Where is Doug Yule?", to which Reed replies, "Dead, I hope". Ouch!

Track Listing:

1. White Light White Heat
2. Vicious
3. I'm Waiting For My Man
4. Walk It Talk It
5. Sweet Jane
6. Interview
7. Heroin
8. Satellite Of Love
9. Walk On The Wild Side
10. I'm So Free
11. Berlin
12. Rock 'n' Roll

 See also Velvet Underground

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