OK, guiding this thread back on topic, here are my opinions of what Lou Reed albums are necessary and which are not:
You NEED:
Transformer
Berlin
Rock 'N' Roll Animal
Coney Island baby
Street Hassle
Blue Mask
There are some second-tier albums which are also excellent:
Lou Reed (debut)
Sally Can't Dance
Lou Reed Live
Take No Prisoners
The Bells
Rock & Roll Heart
New York
Third-tier albums are not so necessary, but still worth a listen:
Growing Up In Public
Legendary Hearts
My list is not complete, but these are just a few. There is only one album that I think should NEVER be purchased in CD format, and that is Metal Machine Music. If you buy it, it should be on VINYL. That is how it was meant to be played.
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Homme Fatale
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Following mg196's format, here's what I think - the great, essential ones in my opinion. The ones to be kept at hand (in addition to everything by The Velvet Underground, of course):
Transformer
Berlin
Rock'n'Roll Animal
Sally Can't Dance (I think I must the biggest fan of this album in the world, because everyone else always seems to think it's a throwaway or "just good" at most, even Lou. I love it!)
Coney Island Baby
Street Hassle
The Blue Mask
Ecstasy (The best album since the '70s! This album shows exactly what I think is wrong about New York and Set The Twilight Reeling: it's actually full of great songs and inspired musicianship and not just great lyrics, and it's not too sanitized in the production but actually has some really cool dirty sounding guitars and things on it. One of his best albums!)
American Poet (Admittedly not truly essential in Lou's overall output but a personal favourite.)
Animal Serenade (This one may not be so essential either in a lot people's opinion, but I really like the track selections here as well the classy performances.)
The good/OK ones:
Lou Reed (Great songs, really frustrating production or lack thereof. It's amazing to think such a dud is flanked by Loaded and Transformer... )
Rock And Roll Heart (Much better than the above, if not for the songs then at least for the production and feel of the album. It's good but not great.)
The Bells (It's interesting with the weird, experimental production... I like the mood of it but most of the songs are nowhere near Lou's best.)
Growing Up In Public
Legendary Hearts
Live In Italy
New Sensations (Most people probably think this one and especially Mistrial should be in the third group below, but I kind of like them.)
Mistrial
New York (I know this is probably controversial to many, but I always thought this album is better for the lyrics than the music. And as such, I don't know why it's such a classic as a record. Sure, the lyrics are great and I like listening to the album for the overall mood and the words, but to be honest most of the music is pretty boring. I really like "Endless Cycle" and "Dimestore Mystery" though.)
Songs For Drella (Same as the above. I like the idea but I can't sit through it. It has its highlights like "Open House".)
Magic And Loss
In the bin:
Lou Reed Live (It's not bad but I always had trouble seeing it as a "real" album, I mean it's just R'n'R Animal leftovers!)
Metal Machine Music (Yes, it's cool in theory but I can't take anyone seriously if they say they honestly like to sit around and listen to it.)
Take No Prisoners (It's hilarious, some people might well love it, but probably not for the music.)
Set The Twilight Reeling (Some great standout tracks like "NYC Man", "Hang On To Your Emotions" and "Adventurer" but also some really lame ones and I don't like the over sanitized production.)
Perfect Night: Live In London (Great setlist, but really boring, unispired performances.)
The Raven (Some great tracks, especially "Vanishing Act" which is really moving, but overall I find it pretentious. Again, it's supposed to be a record isnt' it? So let's have some better SONGS too instead of just great lyrics! The title track is amazing on Animal Serenade though, very intense!)
Le Bataclan '72 (Could have been great but with the wrong speed... unbelievable.)
Transformer
Berlin
Rock'n'Roll Animal
Sally Can't Dance (I think I must the biggest fan of this album in the world, because everyone else always seems to think it's a throwaway or "just good" at most, even Lou. I love it!)
Coney Island Baby
Street Hassle
The Blue Mask
Ecstasy (The best album since the '70s! This album shows exactly what I think is wrong about New York and Set The Twilight Reeling: it's actually full of great songs and inspired musicianship and not just great lyrics, and it's not too sanitized in the production but actually has some really cool dirty sounding guitars and things on it. One of his best albums!)
American Poet (Admittedly not truly essential in Lou's overall output but a personal favourite.)
Animal Serenade (This one may not be so essential either in a lot people's opinion, but I really like the track selections here as well the classy performances.)
The good/OK ones:
Lou Reed (Great songs, really frustrating production or lack thereof. It's amazing to think such a dud is flanked by Loaded and Transformer... )
Rock And Roll Heart (Much better than the above, if not for the songs then at least for the production and feel of the album. It's good but not great.)
The Bells (It's interesting with the weird, experimental production... I like the mood of it but most of the songs are nowhere near Lou's best.)
Growing Up In Public
Legendary Hearts
Live In Italy
New Sensations (Most people probably think this one and especially Mistrial should be in the third group below, but I kind of like them.)
Mistrial
New York (I know this is probably controversial to many, but I always thought this album is better for the lyrics than the music. And as such, I don't know why it's such a classic as a record. Sure, the lyrics are great and I like listening to the album for the overall mood and the words, but to be honest most of the music is pretty boring. I really like "Endless Cycle" and "Dimestore Mystery" though.)
Songs For Drella (Same as the above. I like the idea but I can't sit through it. It has its highlights like "Open House".)
Magic And Loss
In the bin:
Lou Reed Live (It's not bad but I always had trouble seeing it as a "real" album, I mean it's just R'n'R Animal leftovers!)
Metal Machine Music (Yes, it's cool in theory but I can't take anyone seriously if they say they honestly like to sit around and listen to it.)
Take No Prisoners (It's hilarious, some people might well love it, but probably not for the music.)
Set The Twilight Reeling (Some great standout tracks like "NYC Man", "Hang On To Your Emotions" and "Adventurer" but also some really lame ones and I don't like the over sanitized production.)
Perfect Night: Live In London (Great setlist, but really boring, unispired performances.)
The Raven (Some great tracks, especially "Vanishing Act" which is really moving, but overall I find it pretentious. Again, it's supposed to be a record isnt' it? So let's have some better SONGS too instead of just great lyrics! The title track is amazing on Animal Serenade though, very intense!)
Le Bataclan '72 (Could have been great but with the wrong speed... unbelievable.)
My copy has been played once (well, to be honest, just the very end of side 4 to see if it really had an unending loop).Homme Fatale wrote:Metal Machine Music (Yes, it's cool in theory but I can't take anyone seriously if they say they honestly like to sit around and listen to it.)
Bargain bin gold, favorite bands, concerts, photos, and my record collection: All Good Music
Homme Fatale said:
"Sally Can't Dance (I think I must the biggest fan of this album in the world, because everyone else always seems to think it's a throwaway or "just good" at most, even Lou. I love it!)"
I also like this ablum. I admit that I'm not much of a solo Lou fan, but this one just seems to hit me right.
And as for "Lou Reed Live" being simply "Rock & Roll Animal" leftovers... I thought that they were simply the rest of the set that wouldn't fit on a one disc live record that was released as "Animal" - am I wrong? I thought I remembered seeing the same date, personnel and venue listed for both.
"Sally Can't Dance (I think I must the biggest fan of this album in the world, because everyone else always seems to think it's a throwaway or "just good" at most, even Lou. I love it!)"
I also like this ablum. I admit that I'm not much of a solo Lou fan, but this one just seems to hit me right.
And as for "Lou Reed Live" being simply "Rock & Roll Animal" leftovers... I thought that they were simply the rest of the set that wouldn't fit on a one disc live record that was released as "Animal" - am I wrong? I thought I remembered seeing the same date, personnel and venue listed for both.
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Homme Fatale
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That's what I'm saying; instead of making it a double album in the first place those tracks were originally left out, i.e. they're R&R Animal leftovers, are they not?tarbaby2 wrote:And as for "Lou Reed Live" being simply "Rock & Roll Animal" leftovers... I thought that they were simply the rest of the set that wouldn't fit on a one disc live record that was released as "Animal" - am I wrong?
Being a Lou Reed aficionado myself, I thought I'd throw in my $.02 about what albums are essential. My list is pretty similar to MG's and Homme's.
MUST Haves:
Transformer
Berlin
Rock 'n' Roll Animal
Coney Island Baby
Street Hassle
Should Haves:
Lou Reed
Sally Can't Dance ("Sally Can't Dance" is one of my favorite songs ever.)
Lou Reed Live
Rock 'n' Roll Heart
Take No Prisoners (Personally, I love this album, but I can see how it's an either you love it or don't kind of thing.)
New York
Magic & Loss
Ecstasy ("Baton Rouge," "Rock Minuet," and "Modern Dance" are favorites of mine.)
Perfect Night: Live in London (I listed this only for the inspired performance of "Coney Island Baby" on it.)
As you can see I didn't list any '80s albums (with the exception of New York) but that has mostly to do with my bias against '80s music. I just can't listen to it.
Now I would love it someone made list of Must Have Lou Reed Bootlegs!
My favorites are from the U.S. leg of the Rock 'n' Roll Heart tour (Claim to Fame, Boston Orpheum, the newly posted on DIME Live in Akron).
MUST Haves:
Transformer
Berlin
Rock 'n' Roll Animal
Coney Island Baby
Street Hassle
Should Haves:
Lou Reed
Sally Can't Dance ("Sally Can't Dance" is one of my favorite songs ever.)
Lou Reed Live
Rock 'n' Roll Heart
Take No Prisoners (Personally, I love this album, but I can see how it's an either you love it or don't kind of thing.)
New York
Magic & Loss
Ecstasy ("Baton Rouge," "Rock Minuet," and "Modern Dance" are favorites of mine.)
Perfect Night: Live in London (I listed this only for the inspired performance of "Coney Island Baby" on it.)
As you can see I didn't list any '80s albums (with the exception of New York) but that has mostly to do with my bias against '80s music. I just can't listen to it.
Now I would love it someone made list of Must Have Lou Reed Bootlegs!
My favorites are from the U.S. leg of the Rock 'n' Roll Heart tour (Claim to Fame, Boston Orpheum, the newly posted on DIME Live in Akron).
Well, the Chicago 1978 show (Park West) is among the greatest ever! If I could pick a few Lou boots (in no particular order):Sweetly wrote:Now I would love it someone made list of Must Have Lou Reed Bootlegs!
1. Sweet Jane (bootleg available as American Poet - and better)
2. The Complete Orpheum '76 Broadcast
3. Rock And Roll Mammal
4. Liquid Air
5. The Compilation Tapes
6. Park West
7. Bringing The Streets To Life
8. Berlin Live (12.14.06)
This list is based purely on SOUND and not on their historical "value."
Bargain bin gold, favorite bands, concerts, photos, and my record collection: All Good Music
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Homme Fatale
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Aaargh, I MUST get some of those! How about a Lou vine?mg196 wrote:Well, the Chicago 1978 show (Park West) is among the greatest ever! If I could pick a few Lou boots (in no particular order):Sweetly wrote:Now I would love it someone made list of Must Have Lou Reed Bootlegs!
1. Sweet Jane (bootleg available as American Poet - and better)
2. The Complete Orpheum '76 Broadcast
3. Rock And Roll Mammal
4. Liquid Air
5. The Compilation Tapes
6. Park West
7. Bringing The Streets To Life
8. Berlin Live (12.14.06)
This list is based purely on SOUND and not on their historical "value."
