Lou Reed - "Live Performances 1972 & 1974" DVD Review (XXL Media)

I was excited by this release as Lou Reed – Live Performances 1972 & 1974 is the first live recording from Lou’s Sally Can’t Dance tour to be commercially released. The first video segment shows Lou and his band recorded live at the Paris Olympia on 5/25/74. This segment, which was originally broadcast on French TV, captures the first six songs of Lou’s thirteen song set. The second segment contains four tracks that were recorded in Brussels in May 1974 and the final track is from Lou’s reunion with John Cale and Nico at Le Bataclan in 1972.

On Lou’s 1974 tour, the songs have been given a radical reworking to take on an urban, funky vibe. Most of the songs are longer than their respective studio versions which give the band room to jam and highlight prominent bass and keyboard. While Lou has always been the leader of the band, he had now moved to be the focal point as well. Lou is a peroxide blonde, dressed all in black, with large “Marty Rev” style sunglasses – he has completely handed off guitar playing off to Danny Weis and makes some pretty ‘interesting’ pre-disco dance moves while not singing. Lou mostly seems lost in his own world in front of the mic but does tell the crowd “Hey! Shut Up!” as the band is starting into “Ride Sally Ride”. This DVD is a great bridge between Lou’s experimental solo work and the polish of his later work as Lou was a veteran performer by the time of his next concert video – A Night with Lou Reed, which captures Lou live at the Bottom Line in 1983.

Track List - Paris 1974
- Intro/Sweet Jane
- I'm Waiting for the Man
- Lady Day
- Vicious
- Sally Can't Dance
- Ride Sally Ride



Track List - Brussels 1974
- Rock 'n Roll
- Heroin
- Walk on the Wild Side
- Goodnight Ladies



Reed/Cale - "Heroin", Le Bataclan, Paris '72 (Uploader disabled embedding)

There is some variation in quality between the three segments on the disc. The Paris footage is the best quality footage – it is filmed in color and is clear throughout. The source footage has deteriorated so this isn’t nowhere near comparable to “MTV style” live footage but it is very watchable (B/+) and the sound is solid. The Brussels footage is of noticeable lesser quality – while this segment was filmed in color, wide angles along with a good bit of generational loss make the video portion muddy. There are also some source video glitches in this segment. The redeeming factor is that audio is comparable to the Paris segment. The Le Bataclan footage was filmed in B&W and this footage is pretty good – the camera starts behind Reed and Cale but ends up with some nice close-ups of both men.

Links:
Lou Reed

Lou Reed - "Walk on the Wild Side" CD Review (XXL Media)

Lou Reed’s Walk on the Wild Side CD (XXL Media) is a re-release of Lou’s live-in-the-studio performance from Ultrasonic Studios which was recorded on Dec. 26, 1972 in Hempstead, NY. At the time this show was recorded, Lou’s second solo disc, Transformer, had come out the month prior and the songs on this ten track disc are predominately drawn from Transformer and the Velvet Underground’s back catalogue (Lou amusingly refers to one of the Velvet’s tracks as a ‘blast from the past’).



This disc is an important addition to Lou Reed’s catalog as his performance and the sound of his backing band, The Tots, sound like a logic extension of the Velvet Underground’s Loaded. In addition to the accessibility and spontaneous urgency of the performance, Lou seems (surprisingly) cheerful and upbeat, both of which stand in sharp contrast to some of his later live discs, specifically the heavy metal bombast of Rock & Roll Animal, which was recorded a year later, or Reed’s venom spitting performance on 1978’s Live: Take No Prisoners. Lou re-interprets most of the Velvet Underground tracks – playing a languid “I’m Waiting for My Man” and he adds back the verse that was dropped from the Velvet’s version of “Sweet Jane” during Loaded’s final mixing – and he gives a “punch” to the Transformer songs that David Bowie wasn’t able to capture in the studio. Lastly, this is the only legit live recording of “Walk It Talk It” and “I’m so Free” and the early version of “Berlin” (from Reed’s self-titled debut) only appeared elsewhere on the now hard-to-find live disc Le Bataclan ‘72.

For completists, there is one minor downside…this disc is missing two tracks that were part of the original radio broadcast. The first track is a brief interview that took place midway through the set where the interviewer asks Lou where Doug Yule is. The second missing track is “Rock n’ Roll”, which Reed closed the set with.

Links:
Lou Reed

Lou Reed - Berlin: Live at St. Ann's Warehouse CD Review (Matador Records)

Lester Bangs' review of the original 1973 release of Berlin was "What ["Berlin"] really reminds me of, though, is the bastard progeny of a drunken flaccid tumble between Tennessee Williams and Hubert (Last Exit from Brooklyn) Selby, Jr. It brings all of Lou’s perennial themes - emasculation, sadistic misogyny, drug erosion, twisted emotionalism of numb detachment from ‘normal’ emotions - to pinnacle. It is also very funny – there’s at least one laugh in every song - but as in ‘Transformer,’ you have to doubt if the humor’s intentional."

Time has been kind to Lou's uber-dark rock opera about Jim and Caroline and their collective decent into adultery, addiction, abuse and suicide. It is interesting to hear Lou and his band play Berlin through from start to finish as I don't believe that he played any more than half the songs from this disc during his 1973 "Berlin" tour (and these were interspersed between Transformer and Velvet Underground songs). Listening to the story unfold from start to finish gives the material the consistency that it needs.

What is missing though in this live performance is the creepy, claustrophobic ambiance and the over-the-top (Pink Floydish) production of the original studio recording. The studio recording of Berlin was mesmerizing because you came away from it with the unclean feeling that you just wallowed in someone else's filth.

This live recording has an openness and warmth that somewhat de-emphasizes the darkness and power of the songs. Guitarist Steve Hunter, who played on the original Berlin recording, returns to the fold for this live recording and his electric solos bring more of a rock vibe to the performance. Some of the other special guests include Sharon Jones, who sings with Lou on "Oh Jim" and Antony sings with Lou on "Caroline Says, pt. II". Neither of these performances make-or-break either of these songs and the delivery is, again, a bit more upbeat than the subject matter of the songs would suggest. I did though enjoy hearing the songs that include the Brooklyn Youth Chorus as they add a nice flourish.

After the band finishes all of the material from Berlin, there is a three song encore at the end of the disc that closes out the show - "Candy Says" (where Lou duets with Antony), "Rock Minuet" and "Sweet Jane".

While this disc doesn't replace the need to have Berlin, it is a worthy companion piece (and it is better than a lot of Lou's recent studio recordings).

Links:
Lou Reed's Website

What Laura Says - Thinks and Feels CD Review

What Laura Says stirred up a major buzz on the indie rock scene after the band played a few shows at SxSW this year, which included the all-star tribute to Lou Reed.

On August 19th, the band will be releasing their debut CD , Thinks and Feels, which is an incredibly eclectic but charming disc. This disc seems to incorporate influences as diverse as "Smile"-era Beach Boys, pre-Revolver Beatles, Grateful Dead/CCR style country rock and the mellow-side of 70's rock. With this range of influences, it is little wonder that the band is signed to The Annuals' Terpsikhore Records.

The first song on the disc, "Couldn't Lose Myself", sets the tone for the rest of the disc. The track starts with a man's voice counting off the time ("One and Two and Three and Four") and quickly segues into some rich multi-part vocal harmonies. Midway through the song, there is an Oingo-Boingo style breakdown and the band switches over (mid-piece) into a piano-driven rocker. From here, the band goes into "Fashionably Moral", which is a Canned Heat/Grateful Dead style country rock tune. There are tempo, tune and style changes throughout this disc.

To try and break the remainder of the disc into styles/genres:
- "Illustrated Manual" is a piano-rocker but the band's vocals harmonies push this past any of the Ben Folds/Billy Joel comparisons
- "Wish I Could Fly" is predominately an a cappella tune that is carried on the band's multi-part harmonies
- "Dot Dot Dot" is pure 70's lite-rock in the spirit of Harry Nilsson or Randy Newman
- "Paradice" is one of my favorite tracks on this disc. This track uses movie theatre effects as an intro and outro and the core of the song is simply a great rock and roll tune
- "Waves" is a Jeff Buckley/60's crooner-style tune
- "Get Better Soon" goes back down the 70's country path and the song is complete with shakers and what sounds like a saw blade
- "July 23" is almost comparable to David Gilmour's Pink Floyd songs
- "1000 Faces" has a Doobie Brothers' style California swing
- "Done What's Right" is an Annuals' style spiritual. This tune segues into a hidden track which is an atmospheric instrumental

This is great stuff and I would love to see how the band performs material this diverse live on stage. The band is currently touring around Arizona (check their MySpace page for details and dates) but hopefully some East Coast dates will follow the CD release.

If anyone is wondering about the band's name, Get Out (appears to be an AZ equivalent of the Village Voice ) asked the band about the name in an interview last year. Here is what they had to say:
Get Out: So who is the “laura” of the group’s name?

The band doesn’t really have an answer — there is no specific “laura,” so the band isn’t able to explain what “she” says, thinks or feels. “We just like to think there’s a little a little laura in everybody,” says [keyboard/guitar/vocals Danny] Godbold.

New Lou Reed Song, "Power of the Heart", Posted As a Free Download

Lou Reed has been playing a new song on his current tour, "Power of the Heart", which reviewers are calling 'understated and beautiful'.

There is a studio version of this track posted to the Cartier LOVE website which is available as a free download. The song is being used by Cartier's Love Campaign to raise funds for the group Action Against Hunger.

Lou Reed Interviews Roderick Romero of Sky Cries Mary

Last year, Sky Cries Mary regrouped and recorded their first new studio album, "Small Town", in a decade. Lou Reed is a fan of the band and he spent some time with vocalist Roderick Romero talking about the new CD and music in general.



For anyone not familiar with Sky Cries Mary, the band has been around 20 years and plays trance/ambient rock in a style similar to Spacemen 3 or My Bloody Valentine. There are three tracks from "Small Town" streaming on the band's MySpace profile (link below).

Links:
Sky Cries Mary's Website
Sky Cries Mary's MySpace Profile

Lou Reed Played Highline Ballroom Last Night (May 6th)

Last night, Lou Reed played the one-year anniversary show at Highline Ballroom. After the negative reviews on Reed's show at Highline Ballroom last year (see previous post), I skipped last night's show.

It sounds as though I missed a good show as Reed was described as being in reasonable spirits and good form. Here is the set list (taken from the Highline Ballroom blog) for the show:

01) Mad
02) Sweet Jane
03) I'm Set Free
04) Ectasy
05) I'm Sticking With You
06) Power of the Heart
07) I Wanna Know
08) Halloween Parade
09) Video Violence
10) Guaridian Angel
11) Magic and Loss
12) Pale Blues Eyes
13) Perfect Day
14) Satellite of Love
15) Walk on the Wild Side

This is an infinitely better set list than the prior year's show and it sounds like one of the highlights of the show was a 15 minute version of "Ectasy" with John Zorn.

Lou is off the road until June when he heads over to Ireland for a couple shows.
Links:
Lou Reed's Website
Village Voice Review of the Show
Pictures from the show from Highline Ballroom blog

Lou Reed @ Highline Ballroom, NYC, 4/30/07

Let me start by saying that I did not attend this show. I am a huge Lou Reed fan but $85 a ticket was too rich of a price for me. Based on the set list and reviews, it sounds like I made the right choice. The set list was composed exclusively from later period material (from 1988's New York onward).

Set List:
1. Dorita
2. What's Good
3. Last Great American Whale
4. Gassed And Stoked
5. Trade In
6. Sword Of Damocles
7. The Dream
8. Faces And Names
9. Who Am I?
10. Ecstasy
11. Baton Rouge
12. Magic And Loss
(encore)Rock Minuet

Rolling Stone posted a review of the show.

I don't need to hear Waiting for the Man every show but I was disappointed and a bit bored by Reed's Magic & Loss CD. With five of the songs performed at this show coming from this release, I'm glad I skipped the show.

Tunde Adebimpe, Lou Reed, Laurie Anderson are Guest Narrators for Brand Upon the Brain Live Tour

This is one of those rare events that makes me love living in NYC. Brand Upon the Brain is Guy Maddin's new movie which will have a 7 night advance run here in New York. What makes this really cool is that the soundtrack will be performed live in the theatre each night with an 11-piece live orchestra, a 5-piece live Foley (sound effects) team a live celebrity narrator, and Castrato supplementing the filmic image to comprise a one-of-a-kind cinematic spectacle. Filmmaker Guy Maddin will also appear in person to present the film. Following the live tour, BRAND! will open in platform release as a regular film, with a pre-recorded soundtrack narrated by Isabella Rossellini.

Brand Upon the Brain! In which the shocking truth is finally revealed about young Guy Maddin and his hellish childhood on a remote island, under the hyper-watchful eye of a crazed mother hellbent on restoring her youth and a diabolically distant scientist-father, proprietors of a mom-and-pop orphanage they surreptitiously operate within the dank confines of the family lighthouse. Watch! as the sex instinct grabs hold of young Maddin and his sister! Thrill! as the Mysteries of the Light House are divined by teen detectives! Reel! at the headstrong invention and heart-stopping rhythms of the elder Maddin¹s heroic silent moviemaking!!

Here is the current list of guest narrators:

Wed. May 9 @ 7 pm: tba - Buy Tickets!
Wed. May 9 @ 9:30 pm: tba - Buy Tickets!
Thurs. May 10 @ 7 pm: Anne Jackson - Buy Tickets!
Thurs. May 10 @ 9:30 pm: Eli Wallach - Buy Tickets!
Fri. May 11 @ 7 pm: Joie Lee - Buy Tickets!
Fri. May 11 @ 9:30 pm: tba - Buy Tickets!
Sat. May 12 @ 7:00 pm: Laurie Anderson - Buy Tickets!
Sat. May 12 @ 9:30 pm: Lou Reed - Buy Tickets!
Sun. May 13 @ 7 pm: John Ashbery - Buy Tickets!
Sun. May 13 @ 9:30 pm: Tunde Adebimpe - Buy Tickets!
Mon. May 14 @ 7 pm: Edward Hibbert - Buy Tickets!
Mon. May 14 @ 9:30 pm: John Glover - Buy Tickets!
Tue. May 15 @ 7 pm: Isabella Rossellini - Buy Tickets!
Tue. May 15 @ 9:30 pm: Isabella Rossellini - Buy Tickets!

I am going to have to figure out how many of these shows I can get to as it looks like a great movie and I would love to see a number of the narrators (Lou, Laurie, Tunde and Isabella Rossellini all would be great).