Remastered Lou Reed Box Set: The RCA and Arista Album Collection

[dial4]

It's probably good, but if NOBODY buys that, perhaps is there a chance for new material from his thirties.
And if some improvement, what's the factor, 1 or 2 percent...

[DavidH]

So has anyone bought this, and have any comment?

[iaredatsun]

So has anyone bought this, and have any comment?

There's a lot of talking on Steve Hoffman. I guess if you do not have the better CD remasters that were already out there then this one appears to get the thumbs up for most of the albums. Seems to me that there is an increase in bass response on many of the earlier albums, from what I have heard of these new remasters in their 2015 HD format. People do not like the new Transformer, but Sally, Coney do get the thumbs ups – as, I think, does Rock n Roll Heart. Also Street Hassle is clearer than at least one of the earlier CD remasters I have compared it to. MMM is a weird remastering disaster and is the one Lou commissioned for his Sister Ray label.

Bottom line. You could spend time identifying and searching for the best early CD versions or just buy this box and be 90% happy. I speak as someone who does not own the box but has made a few comparisons for myself and read the whole Hoffman LR thread.

[DavidH]

So has anyone bought this, and have any comment?

There's a lot of talking on Steve Hoffman. I guess if you do not have the better CD remasters that were already out there then this one appears to get the thumbs up for most of the albums. Seems to me that there is an increase in bass response on many of the earlier albums, from what I have heard of these new remasters in their 2015 HD format. People do not like the new Transformer, but Sally, Coney do get the thumbs ups – as, I think, does Rock n Roll Heart. Also Street Hassle is clearer than at least one of the earlier CD remasters I have compared it to. MMM is a weird remastering disaster and is the one Lou commissioned for his Sister Ray label.

Bottom line. You could spend time identifying and searching for the best early CD versions or just buy this box and be 90% happy. I speak as someone who does not own the box but has made a few comparisons for myself and read the whole Hoffman LR thread.

Thanks for that. I'm probably going to wait a bit longer until I can hear it properly myself, or hear what someone here has to say about it. The Hoffman boards took a big hit in credibility in my eyes when there were people on there who claimed to like the original VU&N CD, and they weren't immediately laughed off the boards and forced to surrender their hi-fi's and their ears

[iaredatsun]

There's a lot of talking on Steve Hoffman. I guess if you do not have the better CD remasters that were already out there then this one appears to get the thumbs up for most of the albums. Seems to me that there is an increase in bass response on many of the earlier albums, from what I have heard of these new remasters in their 2015 HD format. People do not like the new Transformer, but Sally, Coney do get the thumbs ups – as, I think, does Rock n Roll Heart. Also Street Hassle is clearer than at least one of the earlier CD remasters I have compared it to. MMM is a weird remastering disaster and is the one Lou commissioned for his Sister Ray label.

Bottom line. You could spend time identifying and searching for the best early CD versions or just buy this box and be 90% happy. I speak as someone who does not own the box but has made a few comparisons for myself and read the whole Hoffman LR thread.

Thanks for that. I'm probably going to wait a bit longer until I can hear it properly myself, or hear what someone here has to say about it. The Hoffman boards took a big hit in credibility in my eyes when there were people on there who claimed to like the original VU&N CD, and they weren't immediately laughed off the boards and forced to surrender their hi-fi's and their ears

What do you mean by the original VU&N CD? I like the originals of WLWH and 3rd, but I don;t have the original VU&N CD. Do you mean those very first CDs? I prefer the 45th versions of everything but then next I like the MFSL and the first CDs.

Anyway – I do not want anything from the new box. I think that all the albums can be had better elsewhere if you find the right versions.

[DavidH]

What do you mean by the original VU&N CD? I like the originals of WLWH and 3rd, but I don;t have the original VU&N CD. Do you mean those very first CDs? I prefer the 45th versions of everything but then next I like the MFSL and the first CDs.

The original CDs of the other two Verve records are fine, but for some reason, the banana album was completely botched. I don't know if they actually remixed it or just destroyed it with bad EQ'ing, but the drums sound like trash, the vocals are weirdly balanced with the music, and the heavy guitar is somehow transformed into an annoying buzz. It was the first version of the record that I heard, and until I heard better vinyl pressings (at that time the best place to hear the record), I thought that Run, Run, Run was a bad song, and other songs like There She Goes Again and Waiting For The Man were flat and dull. Avoid it at all costs.

[peppergomez]

Am I the only one here who can't bring themselves to listen to most of Reed's solo material?

When I have, it's just served to remind me how much better his work with VU was. I caught serious flack on FB in a thread for suggesting that he is perhaps rock and roll's biggest disappointment, in the sense of failing to live up to his early promise in VU. Lyrically he continued to show ambition I guess, but the music is tepid so much of the time. And overall his hit/miss ratio is IMO really bad after 1970. It all comes down to taste, I realize.

Anyway, I guess this post serves no constructive purpose, so I'll STFU.

Well, I will ask this: what albums other than Blue Mask and New York are worth listening to, for someone who wants to hear harder, intense music (though not indulgent nonsense like MMM)? Transformer is catchy but gutless. Thanks.

[taxine]

Well, I will ask this: what albums other than Blue Mask and New York are worth listening to, for someone who wants to hear harder, intense music (though not indulgent nonsense like MMM)? Transformer is catchy but gutless. Thanks.

As a VU. harcore fan and not very fond of Reed's solo dicography,actually got 5 or 6 lps,Lou's masterpiece is Berlin.Maybe a bit dark for some people but a truly treasure,cheers !!

[iaredatsun]

What do you mean by the original VU&N CD? I like the originals of WLWH and 3rd, but I don;t have the original VU&N CD. Do you mean those very first CDs? I prefer the 45th versions of everything but then next I like the MFSL and the first CDs.

The original CDs of the other two Verve records are fine, but for some reason, the banana album was completely botched. I don't know if they actually remixed it or just destroyed it with bad EQ'ing, but the drums sound like trash, the vocals are weirdly balanced with the music, and the heavy guitar is somehow transformed into an annoying buzz. It was the first version of the record that I heard, and until I heard better vinyl pressings (at that time the best place to hear the record), I thought that Run, Run, Run was a bad song, and other songs like There She Goes Again and Waiting For The Man were flat and dull. Avoid it at all costs.

Thanks for the review! Makes me want to hear it

[iaredatsun]

Am I the only one here who can't bring themselves to listen to most of Reed's solo material?

When I have, it's just served to remind me how much better his work with VU was. I caught serious flack on FB in a thread for suggesting that he is perhaps rock and roll's biggest disappointment, in the sense of failing to live up to his early promise in VU. Lyrically he continued to show ambition I guess, but the music is tepid so much of the time. And overall his hit/miss ratio is IMO really bad after 1970. It all comes down to taste, I realize.

Anyway, I guess this post serves no constructive purpose, so I'll STFU.

Well, I will ask this: what albums other than Blue Mask and New York are worth listening to, for someone who wants to hear harder, intense music (though not indulgent nonsense like MMM)? Transformer is catchy but gutless. Thanks.

Shamefully I prefer the catchy but gutless Lou (Sally, Trans, 1st, Coney) to the grim worthiness of New York

Seriously, don't many of his later works have the quality you seek? I prefer Legendary Hearts to 'Mask'. Lyrically stronger, it's not quite as muscular in the playing but deffo proper song-writing and the same line-up as the one you like.

Have you tried Ecstasy. That's the one of Like A Possum on it. That sounded quite 'hard' to me at least from that track.