So I've heard some really interesting Lou Reed news, which I will pass along as we get closer to the date of it being made public, but in the meantime I was moved to re-visit Lou's first solo album, which I haven't listened to in ages, but adored back in 1972. (To the point that I conned the powers that be at the Magazine Formerly Known as Stereo Review to favor it with a Record of the Year award.)
Quel disappointment.
Seriously, that's pretty much the best thing on it, and it's a complete mess.
In retrospect, the coolest thing about the album is the cover, which is the work of the great Tom Adams, who also did the covers for the early 70s paperback re-issues of the novels of Raymond Chandler.
Hmmm. As at the time my 15-year-old self knew nothing of the Velvet Underground, the SR Record of the Year award is what got me to pick it up. Which is good because it led to Transformer, Berlin, Coney Island Baby, etc. and back to Sister Ray. RCA didn't know what to do with Lou, so they put him in an English studio with session cats. Yeah, better things were to come...
i played this to death on 8 track tape when it was released; i love love loved it. i had not heard it for many years, i suppose it's the same many years as since i had an 8 track tape deck, and i recently bought a cd. oof. one listen was all i could endure. i love love love coney island baby, metal machine music and berlin, and that's all the solo lou i want or need. just thinking about rock and roll animal makes me queasy.
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5 comments:
Yeah. Afraid so.
Hmmm. As at the time my 15-year-old self knew nothing of the Velvet Underground, the SR Record of the Year award is what got me to pick it up. Which is good because it led to Transformer, Berlin, Coney Island Baby, etc. and back to Sister Ray.
RCA didn't know what to do with Lou, so they put him in an English studio with session cats. Yeah, better things were to come...
I actually still quite enjoy some of the songs ("I Love You", "Wild Child", "Love Makes You Feel") on the first album.
Chris E.
i played this to death on 8 track tape when it was released; i love love loved it. i had not heard it for many years, i suppose it's the same many years as since i had an 8 track tape deck, and i recently bought a cd. oof. one listen was all i could endure. i love love love coney island baby, metal machine music and berlin, and that's all the solo lou i want or need. just thinking about rock and roll animal makes me queasy.
I love this record.
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