Posts Tagged “Lou Reed”
There are a lot of shorter songs on Legendary Hearts. Of the eleven songs, only one clocks in at over 6 minutes, with four under 3 minutes and six between 3 and 4 minutes in length. Did returning to his previous record label do something to Lou Reed? His previous album, as well as this…
The Blue Mask was released in 1982, and opens with “My House” a typical Lou Reed story song told in the first person. It is difficult to tell just how autobiographical this song is, but by name checking his then-wife Sylvia, one suspects the lyrics were indeed inspired by some real-life event. She is named…
Musically this album starts out… upbeat? What is this? Growing Up In Public was Lou Reed’s album written, recorded and released at the dawn of the Reagan era. 1980 saw a cultural shift, and Lou Reed was shifting as well. The opening number “How Do You Speak To An Angel?” is about the uncertainty of…
After the success of Street Hassle, Lou Reed went back to the studio and found himself in a collaborative mood. The opening number “Stupid Man” was co-written with Nils Lofgren, who would a few years later join the E Street Band, furthering the connection between Lou Reed and Bruce Springsteen. The second song is a…
The concert kicks off with a strong rendition of “Sweet Jane” originally performed by Reed’s previous outfit The Velvet underground before he embarked on his solo career. What makes this version interesting to hear is how it varies in its lyrical content. Reed is in a very good mood apparently and ad-libs quite a bit…
Feeling confident with his new record contract Lou Reed decided to start experimenting in the studio. Not with his songs, but with the actual recording. His second album for his new label, Arista, was a binaural recording. This is a method meant to create a stereo effect during the recording process. I won’t go into…
After the debacle regarding Metal Machine Music and fulfilling his contract, Lou Reed got a new contract at a different label. Switching from RCA to Arista (both now under the ownership of Sony acting as the same label) Lou Reed got to work on a new record. Rock & Roll Heart was released the same…
After giving the proverbial “middle finger” to critics, the record label, and to a certain extent, fans, Lour Reed went back to work making his next record. Coney Island Baby was released in the early part 1976 and is a sort of nostalgic look at a time and place, sort of like coming to terms…
This is a gloriously difficult album to listen to. And part of what I like about it is that it is intentionally designed to be difficult. I can’t even post one of the tracks here as an example of what this album sounds like because each of the four tracks are 15 minutes in length….
Lou Reed’s 4th solo studio album built on the success of Transformer, his second album, as well as his first solo live album. Sally Can’t Dance sees the same storytelling narratives getting a more rocking arrangement, with plenty of “punch” to them. And horns. Sally Can’t Dance is full of production. The album seems to…