Search - Lou Reed :: Berlin (Tour Edition-Digipack)

Cycle of Sorrow

Pieter | Johannesburg | 07/23/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"These songs are harrowing but beautiful and ultimately rewarding if you can survive its labyrinthine descent into heartbreak and despair. The most melodic songs include Caroline Says I and II, the wistful Oh Jim, the painful The Kids, the bleak The Bed and the soulful Sad Song.



Over these beautiful melodies Reed lays his vocals that are so genuine, so apt and so gripping that listening to them is like being privy to the private details of a doomed relationship. Of course, these all fit the complete picture to create one of the most cohesive and searng concept albums in rock, from the jazzy intro of Berlin with its lounge piano through the spoken poem of Lady Day, right to the melancholy last refrains of Sad Song.



The grand production and sympathetic arrangements add gravitas to the somber mood to create a dark masterpiece of epic proportions. Somewhat inaccessible to some fans, Berlin has nevertheless improved with time and remains one of Lou Reed's greatest albums."

A much improved remaster

mr x | MA | 01/23/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The remastered Berlin sounds much better than the previous version. The "over the top" production sheen has been toned down to proper dimensions and the songs are a lot more musically powerful and more pleasant on the ears to listen to, if anything about Berlin can be called pleasant. If you like Berlin enough to buy Lou's new live version, you should replace your old CD with this one.



As for Berlin itself, it is a powerful set of songs. My theory is that the ending of "The Kids" was/is so disturbing that it leads to an instant desire to not hear the album again. I am fascinated by Berlin, I don't think art should always be easy and fun, and I will be listening to a lot more now that I have the remastered version. There is another fan of it too. "Though never exactly one to blow her own trumpet she [Suzanne Vega] has nevertheless found it necessary to announce, via her website, that her aim with Beauty & Crime was to create a modern classic, something comparable to Lou Reed's Berlin, which she adores." -article on independent.co.uk











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