CONEY ISLAND BABY IS OUT!!
Posted: 19 Sep 2006 01:09
Who has picked it up?! here is what allmusic.com had to say:
In 2006, Sony BMG/Legacy released an expanded and remastered version of Coney Island Baby -- a welcome surprise, since it was never one of Reed's more popular albums, even though it ranks with his best work of the decade. In addition to a sonically upgraded presentation of its original eight songs, the 2006 edition includes "Nowhere at All," a emphatic and hard-edged B-side; alternate versions of "Crazy Feeling," "She's My Best Friend," and "Coney Island Baby" that rock harder but also sound a good bit sloppier; and early drafts (with different lyrics) of two songs that would later surface on 1978's striking Street Hassle, "Downtown Dirt" and "Leave Me Alone." For the most part, the bonus tracks follow a different path than the rest of the material on Coney Island Baby, and it sounds like Reed was wise to leave these takes on the shelf, but they also offer a fascinating insight into his working process and how this minor masterpiece came to be. Hopefully Sony BMG/Legacy will follow this by upgrading a few more gems from Reed's back catalog.