I've got about 18 Lou solo albums and a dozen Cale ones. I love a lot of them, there aren't many that don't have at least a few good tracks on them. Drella is nearly perfect.
My fave solo albums are:
Lou - Berlin, Take No Prisoners, The Bells, Street Hassle, New York
John - Paris 1919, Fear, Sabotage, Hobo Spiens, Black Acetate.
Is Anybody Here NOT Into Lou Reed?
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Homme Fatale
- Head held high
- Posts: 430
- Joined: 06 Mar 2004 12:22
- Location: between thought and expression
I love the Velvets as much as the next guy here and got into them first, solo stuff later. The reason I started checking the solo stuff out is because I loved the VU so much I wanted to hear more from Lou (and John but that's not the issue here).
It seems to me some of you are being a bit unrealistic in your expectations from the solo material. It's never going to equal the VU in the areas most hardcore fans love them for. As for me, I got tired of the extreme side of it quite quickly, I mean, if someone wants to listen to all the noisefest bootlegs and all that, more power to you. I'd rather listen to the third album for the songs. And so, the solo stuff works for me as well.
Sure, most of it is not as good as most of the VU material, but there's a lot of great stuff. Apart from The Bells which I find hard to get into because of the weird production I think all the '70s studio albums are great (particularly the way underrated Sally Can't Dance, Coney Island Baby, Street Hassle and yes: Transformer and Berlin), and even The Bells has its moments.
Everyone seems to say don't bother with anything post The Blue Mask, well, I like the next one, Legendary Hearts better. I also prefer Ecstacy to New York, both great though.
Even New Sensations and Mistrial have their moments for me. But that's because I love Reed's songs, I love his lyrics, and I like how he sings. Some of you seem to want him to sing in a more conventional way, I like the way he sings, even in very recent years. It's like a friend's voice I like listening to even when the music is not the very greatest as on the mid '80s albums.
Also I think some people want to see him in some sort of punk or indie context saying "Don't Talk To Me About Work" is good because it has Velvets type drumming or claiming to only like Metal Machine Music (which I find completely pretentious, I'm sorry). These are hardly among his finest solo works, loosening up a bit might help...
I just picked up the recent DVD Live At Montreaux 2000 and I loved it. I also saw him live last year and it was fantastic.
Again, I love the Velvets but I can't keep listening to four albums and the same songs on crappy bootlegs, there's so much stuff in Reed's catalogue to listen to. And most of it is great.
But hey, it comes down to taste!
It seems to me some of you are being a bit unrealistic in your expectations from the solo material. It's never going to equal the VU in the areas most hardcore fans love them for. As for me, I got tired of the extreme side of it quite quickly, I mean, if someone wants to listen to all the noisefest bootlegs and all that, more power to you. I'd rather listen to the third album for the songs. And so, the solo stuff works for me as well.
Sure, most of it is not as good as most of the VU material, but there's a lot of great stuff. Apart from The Bells which I find hard to get into because of the weird production I think all the '70s studio albums are great (particularly the way underrated Sally Can't Dance, Coney Island Baby, Street Hassle and yes: Transformer and Berlin), and even The Bells has its moments.
Everyone seems to say don't bother with anything post The Blue Mask, well, I like the next one, Legendary Hearts better. I also prefer Ecstacy to New York, both great though.
Even New Sensations and Mistrial have their moments for me. But that's because I love Reed's songs, I love his lyrics, and I like how he sings. Some of you seem to want him to sing in a more conventional way, I like the way he sings, even in very recent years. It's like a friend's voice I like listening to even when the music is not the very greatest as on the mid '80s albums.
Also I think some people want to see him in some sort of punk or indie context saying "Don't Talk To Me About Work" is good because it has Velvets type drumming or claiming to only like Metal Machine Music (which I find completely pretentious, I'm sorry). These are hardly among his finest solo works, loosening up a bit might help...
I just picked up the recent DVD Live At Montreaux 2000 and I loved it. I also saw him live last year and it was fantastic.
Again, I love the Velvets but I can't keep listening to four albums and the same songs on crappy bootlegs, there's so much stuff in Reed's catalogue to listen to. And most of it is great.
But hey, it comes down to taste!
I think that is exactly how I feel with most bands that have had limited output...particularly the VU. I mean, how many times can you listen to Sister Ray before you ache for something new? 10,000? 50,000? There is a reason the BANDS stop playing the songs (or completely change the arrangements). They get bored with them!Homme Fatale wrote:Again, I love the Velvets but I can't keep listening to four albums and the same songs on crappy bootlegs, there's so much stuff in Reed's catalogue to listen to. And most of it is great.
But hey, it comes down to taste!
For the most part, solo artists are forever trying to outrun the legacies they established with the bands they left behind. Lou, Cale, Peter Weller, John Lydon, David Johansen.... Personally, I like some of their solo stuff AS MUCH AS I like their original bands. Well...maybe not Paul Weller!
If I was stuck on an island with only a few LP's for the rest of my life, I guarantee I would hate them after a relativley short time!! The answer for some people, and I don't say this mockingly, is to hunt for every single possible version/generation/recording of every single song. I used to do that, but lemme tell ya, I became more concerned w/ COLLECTING the music than actually LISTENING to it.
Branching out is important. Even though you may always come back to the original 4 albums, without listening to other stuff (and learning to appreciate and enjoy other stuff) you get stuck in the proverbial rut.
For me, the VU is not the be-all/end-all of music. I got so tired of listening to the same songs over and over that I had to move on. I listen to solo Lou MUCH more than the VU. Even though his "great" works are spread out over a couple dozen albums, I enjoy Lou solo more than the VU. I find "Street Hassle" off of Take No Prisoners to be as powerful as anything he did with the VU...and even moreso when I hear Moose's bass slam home the final verses. Ever hear the Liquid Air bootleg LP? I mean, as a member of the VU, Lou never expressed the raw emotion of the Liquid Air version of "Men of Good Fortune!"
Besides, how can I listen to the VU when there is Johnny Thunders to listen to!!!! And I just received the Sonic's Rendezvous Band box-set for Channukah - the VU (and Lou) are gonna have to wait a VERY long time to be played on MY stereo!!
Bargain bin gold, favorite bands, concerts, photos, and my record collection: All Good Music
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iaredatsun
- Now jelly rolls in the street
- Posts: 1894
- Joined: 08 Jun 2004 21:38
- Location: London, Texas
I can't believe that the only alternative to listening to the VU is Lou Reed, John Cale or even other American (or otherwise) rock, for that matter. And if the only reason to listen to them is because you'd rather be listening to the VU then that's not a great testimonial to their music, is it? There are a billion and one other musical excursions out there, if not in the here and now, then at least in the less trodden crevices of history.
underground, overground
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Sunshine
Lou Reed is not the only alternative I would say. But everybody has his favourit musician. In this case it's Reed or Cale. And you're right. There are million other bands and I love the progressive music of the 70s. There are so much outstanding guitarists and bands they released only one or two LPs; like T2, Morly Gray.......
But why listen people to the music of Lou Reed? Mabe they can identify most with his sound, music, lyrics, life. And it's the voice and all of Reed is deep-going. Which other musicians lyrics are as deep-going-to-your-heart as Lou's? Everybody has an other answer for this question, his own answer and so this would be a neverending dicussion
Chris
But why listen people to the music of Lou Reed? Mabe they can identify most with his sound, music, lyrics, life. And it's the voice and all of Reed is deep-going. Which other musicians lyrics are as deep-going-to-your-heart as Lou's? Everybody has an other answer for this question, his own answer and so this would be a neverending dicussion
Chris
