Lou Reed - should I go?

[buffcoat]

Lou Reed is playing at the Carolina Thee-ater in Durham on April 28.  Tickets are $55.50.  Worth going?


Of his later stuff, I loved New York, liked a lot of Magic and Loss and Set the Twilight Reeling but I haven't heard a lot of his more recent stuff.

[Spoony]

Go for it. He still puts on a pretty lean set. Make sure he's not doing any of his ambient soundscapes though. I sat through one of those thinking I was going to expand my mind and within a few minutes I was squirming in my seat like a 5 yr old being forced to sit through mass.

[bruce]

Saw him on the Mistrial tour many many many years ago. He was just all kinds of awesome well except for the two crap songs off that album he did.

[KickTheBobo]

Lou Reed is playing at the Carolina Thee-ater in Durham on April 28.  Tickets are $55.50.  Worth going?


Of his later stuff, I loved New York, liked a lot of Magic and Loss and Set the Twilight Reeling but I haven't heard a lot of his more recent stuff.

given that you named three albums that I didn't know he even made, I would say you are a fan. If you haven't seen him live before, just pony up the $ and go, because you might never get the chance again.

...and maybe he'll play that "Can I Kick It?" song from the Gatorade commercial!

[Sarah]

You might not know the album name New York, Bobo, but I have no doubt you've heard at least one song from it.

[jane]

I lost track of the guy.  I don't pay attention to stuff he did after Bob Quine stopped playing guitar with him.  Once he started singing about riding his motorcycle, or something or other, i dunno...he just lost me.  But who knows, it might be good.

[Sarah]

As uneven as he can be, he was a fave of mine up to Magic and Loss, which I barely listened to after I bought it.  Saw him in Boston in the early eighties and didn't much enjoy the show, but that was my fault not his.

New York got a ton of airplay at the U. Maine Orono station when it came out, from which I think it's reasonable to extrapolate that college stations, at least, were playing it.  The big hit, if you can call it that, was "Romeo Had Juliette."  I bet you've heard it.

***

Jesus, I just went through all my Lou Reed albums (yes, vinyl), and I sure do have a lot of them, and a lot of them sure are bad.  But he'll always have a place in my heart.  I fell in love with him when I heard "Heroin" in memorable, X-rated circumstances when I was fourteen; the passion has long since faded to familiarity, but I'm still loyal.   

[buffcoat]

I lost track of the guy.  I don't pay attention to stuff he did after Bob Quine stopped playing guitar with him.  Once he started singing about riding his motorcycle, or something or other, i dunno...he just lost me.  But who knows, it might be good.

You mean, "Crack it open!!!!!!!!!!  Crack that MOTHAFUCKA OPEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Do a HUNDERD AND FIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Yeah, that was a bit weird.

[Spoony]

He can usually do no wrong by me (my favorite of his is 'Growing Up In Public'... really dated sound, but I yam what I yam). I got to work with Mick Rock a little while ago (the crazy crazy crazy photographer that shot him in the 70's and 80's) and he had a lot of hilarious stories about him.

This is making me want to see that little frankenstien play again.

C

[dave from knoxville]

Lou's also coming to Knoxville. I bet he will love it here.

[Sarah]

I think my favorite is Berlin, Spoony.

he had a lot of . . .stories about him.

So does Rainer!

[bruce]

I think my favorite is Berlin, Spoony.

The last tour Lou did overseas was a full on production of Berlin. I've got two shows of it great recordings. One being the album actually performed in said city terrific stuff. Great music to read Denis Lehane by.

[Spoony]

AARGH! I missed that Berlin preformace. One thing Lou never mentioned on that New York album is how things in NYC sell out 5 minutes before tickets go on sale. That would have been the saddest song of them all.

[Swami]

He's hit or miss. I'd go if I hadn't seen him before. Saw him doing an intro for L. Cohen tonight. Ponderous. Unrelated story. An acquaintance spilled red wine all over the ex-Mrs. Reed's (Sylvia?) white pants at a party in the mid 90's. Brushes with fame. Sigh.

[Rainer]

An acquaintance spilled red wine all over the ex-Mrs. Reed's (Sylvia?) white pants at a party in the mid 90's. Brushes with fame. Sigh.

She's now Sylvia Morales, and if nothing else has changed, is with (married?) to a sweet guy named Angel.

Lou Reed is playing at the Carolina Thee-ater in Durham on April 28.  Tickets are $55.50.  Worth going?

I would say yes, and for one reason: to hear him play guitar live.  It's a cliche to say "he rocks", but he really does, as a rhythm guitarist.  And even if you don't know (or don't like) the songs he is writing now, he generally drops in some "hits" once he accomplishes his mission (e.g. playing the entire Magic and Loss album start to finish).  Also, he has (or had) this incredible refrigerator-sized guitar rack built by Pete Cornish that gives his guitar incredible presence and heft.  I feel like a Rush fan writing that, but there it is. 

Funny story: after the Hammersmith Odeon show on the Magic and Loss Tour, I was gathering Lou's stuff together and noticed that Shane McGowan was talking with him (Sylvia had invited him backstage). They were both sitting in a dark room with dark glasses on. Cannot remember exactly the words he used, but McGowan was basically wondering why Lou didn't write songs "as good as Venus in Furs" anymore. Ouch.