glampunk
Crab On The Rampage
gloompunk; glitter goth: disciple of Rikki Nadir: demonik in disguise, etc.
Posts: 61
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Post by glampunk on Mar 18, 2008 12:39:17 GMT
Great moments from GLAM: Lou Reed Sells Records!Lou even looked glum when he was making smash hits! " ... and this is the place where she took the razor and cut her wrists that strange and fateful night. And I said oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, what a feeling ...." Despite their Godlike genius, the Velvet Underground only sold about six records in their entire career, and Lou Reed's first solo album was clobbered by too many session men showing off, so things weren't looking so great for everbody's favourite bisexual nihilist junkie come 1972 (or any other year, come to that). Fortunately, Lou is one of Bowie's heroes, and Ziggy takes him under his wing (see also Iggy). The result of their collaboration is the poppy Transformer album which not only sells millions but also spawns a hit single, Walk On The Wild Side, a record the BBC famously failed to ban because they didn't understand what he was droning on about. Pans People even wobbled to it on Top Of The Pops. So, he's a successful artist at last and a Gay Lib icon to boot, but happily, Lou is not long in slagging off his contemporaries, the scene, his record company and anyone else who isn't Lou. "Maybe I'll do a song called Get Back In The Closet, You f**king Queers" he muses. To ensure that he grabs defeat from the jaws of victory, Lou follows the sing-a-long bubblegum of Transformer with his masterpiece, the unspeakably depressing Berlin(RCA, 1973). It sells stacks during the first week of release. It clutters up car-boot sales for the next three years.
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Post by redbrain on Mar 18, 2008 19:36:58 GMT
Despite their Godlike genius, the Velvet Underground only sold about six records in their entire career Crumbs! And four of those were sold to me!!
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Post by sean on Mar 19, 2008 10:54:43 GMT
'Berlin' is one of the best albums ever! Every track is a 'it can't get much worse...can it?' winner. I used to listen to it at 3am a lot, seemed like the best time to do so. And I used to have to fast forward past the bit with the screaming kids...
Lou Reed at his best.
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glampunk
Crab On The Rampage
gloompunk; glitter goth: disciple of Rikki Nadir: demonik in disguise, etc.
Posts: 61
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Post by glampunk on Mar 19, 2008 11:28:07 GMT
There have been several great moments from Mr. Lurid since, but, upsetting as it is to listen to, I don't think he's ever bettered Berlin. Apart from the length's Bob Ezrin went to to achieve the spontaneous weeping on The Kids (he reputedly told his old children that their mummy had left them), perhaps the most disturbing thing about it is, when he played Sad Song on tour - "I'm gonna stop wasting my time/ somebody else would have broken both her arms" - it would be greeted with much whooping and air punching from the audience like it was some male equivalent of Gloria Gaynor's I Will Survive.
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Post by sean on Mar 19, 2008 11:45:41 GMT
Yeah, that Bob Erzin anecdote is a bit grim. He worked on that other laughathon, Pink Floyd's 'The Wall' as well, didn't he?
'Lady Day' is a nice catchy number, which Lou ruined in later full-on rock performances, unfortunately.
The most vicious song Reed ever recorded was 'The Blue Mask' (on the album of the same name), where it was surrounded by other songs of the take it or leave it mid 80s variety. It stands out like a sore thumb.
There's a good piece in Nick Kent's collection of essays on great rock loons, 'The Dark Stuff', in which he attempts to interview a completely out-of-it early 70s Lou, without much sucess. Also contains stuff on Roky Eriksson, Syd Barrett, Sid Vicious, Iggy Pop, Shane Magowan etc etc.
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Post by franklinmarsh on May 9, 2011 13:29:43 GMT
Hee! I knew this was on here somewhere. A local record shop (now sadly defunct) was flooded out before it closed down and flogged off loadsa coverless cds for £1 each. Among the wheelbarrow full I picked up were Lou's cheerful Coney Island Baby and rub-your-nose-in-it thrown together Street Hassle. Fascinated by the latter, I've since picked up Berlin, New York and Magic & Loss, and would dearly like to obtain The Raven. The only one of the three I've managed to get an earful of is Berlin, and yes, it can teach Morrissey, Joy Division and Leonard Cohen a thing or two about misery. The old bore is playing in Lunnon in July. I saw him once circa Songs For Drella and was less than impressed.
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Post by Craig Herbertson on May 9, 2011 16:28:35 GMT
i liked that one about playing football for the coach on Coney Island Babie.
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Post by Dr Strange on May 9, 2011 16:36:36 GMT
For full-on miserableness it's hard to beat his live album "Take No Prisoners" - he's so pissed off on it that he can't really be arsed with the music at all, and most tracks seem to degenerate into him just slagging off people (including people in the audience).
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Post by Jojo Lapin X on May 9, 2011 18:38:02 GMT
The one you want is METAL MACHINE MUSIC. It is, or at least until quite recently was, quite unique.
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Post by sammyterry on Jul 17, 2011 18:06:26 GMT
I prefer middle Lou, like The Blue Mask, New York, Songs for Drella, and Magic and Loss. The last album is a particular favorite and represents Lou's best work. The Blue Mask is another album where Reed is in full command of his powers and inspired.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2011 19:36:16 GMT
I find the second half of Berlin a bit heavy-going (with the exception of Sad Song). Did someone say above they used to fast-forward past the weeping children on The Kids? I still do.
Caroline Says I is the standout for me.
As for the rest of Reed's career - it's a bit up and down. The Blue Mask is startling, in particular the title track (which I assume influenced the Joel Lane novel of the same name). But my favourite album is probably Coney Island Baby. Again, with a standout title track which I sometimes think was the last honest track Reed recorded. Everything after - including Blue Mask and New York - felt a bit self-aware. That's not to their detriment, just a niggling thought I sometimes have.
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Post by sammyterry on Jul 17, 2011 20:50:44 GMT
Jack Bruce's bass playing on Berlin is a highlight for me. Otherwise, I find Reed's performance captivating, but the lyrical content is slight. Reed's theatricality and the stellar musical backing redeems it.
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Post by Craig Herbertson on Jul 17, 2011 21:59:36 GMT
Dylan asked questions, Reed made statements. I always like the simplicity of things like 'Down at the Arcade'
Down at the arcade the defender is there Down off of Broadway he's there playing his games It's very dangerous putting money down on Robotron Oh, I'm the Great Defender And I really know just how to get along Down at the arcade
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Post by mattfinucane on Dec 9, 2012 20:46:12 GMT
Anyone seen the film-of-the-concert thing he did with Julian Schnabel (relatively) recently? Not only did it work very well - better than it should've 30-odd years on - but also wonderful to see this album getting the recognition it deserves, at last.
I bow to no man/woman/other in my appreciation of Lou Reed. Which explains a lot.
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Post by dem bones on Oct 28, 2013 8:18:15 GMT
Victor Bockruis & Gerard Malanga - Uptight: The Velvet Underground Story (Omnibus, 1983) "There's a bit of magic in everything, and there's loss to even things out." Rest in Peace, Lou dem/ glampunk
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