She's a wild child!
thomasbirch2 | 03/07/2000
(3 out of 5 stars)
"On leaving the Velvet Underground in 1970, Lou Reed took a job at his father's typing firm on Long Island, New York. During this period, he wrote both poetry and prose, and also worked on some songs. In 1972, Reed moved to London, England and with the assistance of producer Richard Robinson (a Velvet Underground enthusiast), recorded these new songs, along with a batch of numbers he had intended for the Velvet Underground, which had been left off their records for various reasons.Recruiting a band of musicians including early 1970s session stalwart Caleb Quaye on electric and acoustic guitars, and piano, and also, more controversially, Yes-members Steve Howe and Rick Wakeman on electric guitar and piano respectively, Reed arranged the spartan songs himself, directing the musicians as he saw fit. One can hear Howe and Wakeman straining at the leash on songs such as "Ride Into The Sun," where Reed's garage-band economy clashes with the progressive rock musicans' more florid leanings.As to the songs themselves, "I Can't Stand It" is a mid-tempo rocker with throwaway lyrics, which was recorded, in a version generally regarded as superior, by the Velvet Underground about three years earlier. "Going Down" is a piano ballad, and one of the record's stronger numbers, with Kay Garner and Helene Francois' backing harmonies adding melodic depth. "Walk And Talk It" was another Velvet Underground leftover, and is a medium-paced rock number, with a riff that sounds very reminiscent of the Rolling Stones' "Brown Sugar." "Lisa Says," yet another song intended for Lou Reed's previous band, is a strong torch song, slightly let down by a somewhat throwaway and incongruous middle-section. "Berlin," one of the newer songs on the album, is the highlight of this set, and features some very affecting instrumental interplay, something which is often absent from Reed's recordings. The song was revived, in truncated form, as the opening and title track of Lou Reed's classic 1973 album."I Love You" was originally demo-ed by Lou Reed after the "Loaded" sessions by the Velvet Underground, but before he had left the band. A love song with slightly sinister and cynical undertones, it is driven along by some acoustic twelve-string playing, with an unusually audible plectrum sound. "Wild Child" is another song somewhat similar in style to the Rolling Stones, and is a relatively strong piece, let down by a careless, slap-dash lyric. "Love Makes You Feel" is one of the better songs on the second half of the album, featuring a striking rapid-strumming guitar break which calls to mind Pete Townshend's work with the Who, particularly on the "Tommy" album. "Ride Into The Sun" is the song on which the two Yes-men are most prominent, with Steve Howe in particular adding one of his trademark speedy, complicated solos to this wistful Velvet Underground remnant. The final song on the album, "Ocean," was tried out by the Velvet Underground, and such was the potential Reed saw in the song, ex-Velvet Underground bassist, organist, viola-player and sometime vocalist John Cale was invited back to the band to contribute organ and viola to it. However, the old conflicts between Reed and Cale returned when the finished product featured Cale swamping the band with his powerful organ sound. Here, the song is given the epic treatment, complete with queasy timpani swells, imitating the large body of water in the song's title, and Reed totally over-reaching himself in the vocal department. Another candidate for the best song on the album.In the final analysis, this is (like many of Reed's releases) a much-maligned record. While no classic, it is not the turkey many would have you believe. There are at least three absolute classics on this record, and nothing on it is dreadful. A lot of the more throwaway numbers here can be seen as precursors to his next project, the ever-popular "Transformer," and as a document of how Reed's self-imposed two-year exile from the spotlight affected him and the way he felt towards his Velvet Underground songbook, it is indispensible. An intriguing an enjoyable record, with an instantly recognisable production style."
A Nice Start
M. Nichols | West Chester, OH United States | 08/16/1998
(3 out of 5 stars)
"Listening to Reed's solo debut, one can hear that the Velvets were still not far in the past. Many of the tracks on LOU REED now appear as Velvet demos on the box set, VU, and ANOTHER VIEW. Still, the arrangements on LOU REED are different enough to make the purchase of this disc worthwhile."I Can't Stand It," "Lisa Says," and "Ride Into the Sun" make it onto every critics list as definitive tracks for this LP, but one should also listen for "Berlin" (seeds of the marvelous LP) and "Wild Child.""
Track Listings (10) - Disc #1