» Listings for 2024

1. 2023/4 Albums Thing 294 - Lou Reed “New Sensations”

   Posted on 9:45am Wednesday 13th Mar 2024

   In the 80’s I had this album on cassette. I was never a particularly big Lou Reed fan so I must have got it cheap from somewhere but I got right into it and played it to death. I’m guessing it’s not many people’s but on a small sample size (i.e. I don’t know that many of Lou’s solo records that well) it’s my favourite Lou Reed album.

   Released in 1984 it’s a very 80’s sounding record, big drums, mostly clean sounding chorused and reverbed to death guitars but there is something about the songs within that really drew me in and hooked me. Side 1 kicks off with the pop ’n’ roll romp of “I Love You Suzanne” which is followed by the vaguely dancey pairing of “Endlessly Jealous” and “My Red Joystick” (wink wink). All OK but nothing too special.

   After that, starting with “Turn To Me”, this album really takes off. “Turn To Me” begins with the withering lyric “If you gave up major vices, You're between a hard place and a wall” but winds up being a beautfulliy supportive thing promising that whatever ill befalls you, you can rely on Lou. Title track “New Sensations” feels quite important to the whole record. Lou sings of wanting to change “I want the principles of a timeless muse, I want to eradicate my negative views” and jumping on his motorbike to head out of the city “I headed for the mountains feeling warm inside”. Now to me Lou Reed’s writing has always been firmly set in the city, more precisely in New York City, so to hear him heading for the hills is quite the departure.

   Side 2 begins with the gorgeous “Doin' The Things That We Want To”. Lou talks about going to see a friends play and how that made an impression on him. Then he moves onto Martin Scorsese’s films about New York and how they inspire him. He finishes with the lyric “I wrote this song 'cause I'd like to shake your hand, In a way you guys are the best friends I ever had” and the admission that what he wants is “A true love”. "What Becomes A Legend Most" feels like it may be looking back at one of Warhol’s “superstars”.

   “My Friend George” is my absolute favourite, a strange tale of Lou’s friend George who sounds like something of a card who had a “killing stick” (which may or may not have been a sword), boxed and was ready for “the fight”, whatever that may be. It’s a song of friendship and  love it. We end with the gentle “High In The City”, a tale of how dangerous New York can be while at the same time wanting to be there, and all that alongside a Steel Drum solo. And thats where the interest ends for me as final song “Down At The Arcade” is a companion to “My Red Joystick” and suggests Lou may have spent too much time playing video games.

   There seem to have been some changes going on in Lou Reed’s life when he was writing “New Sensations” and all of that is played out in song. Its a record that’s been with me a long time and one  still turn to regularly.

   My Friend George - https://youtu.be/9Et2mU16CjU?si=ZRR7rBhp3s4RYUVj

2. 2023/4 Albums Thing 293 - Lou Reed “Transformer”

   Posted on 9:05am Tuesday 12th Mar 2024

   Bowie “Producing”, Mick Ronson on guitar and arranging, Lou Reed dripping New York snarl and cool all at the same time, THAT sax solo…what’s not to love about “Transformer” ?

   Lou Reed had departed the Velvet Underground in the summer of 1970. His first solo album, the imaginatively titled “Lou Reed” recorded in London in late 1971 with assistance from members of Yes (!), was released in the Spring of 1972. It was a mixture of leftover Velvets songs and new material and was almost completely ignored by everybody, although critic Stephen Holden in Rolling Stone described it as an "almost perfect album. ... which embodied the spirit of the Velvets”. Reed himself said of it “It's got some of the best songs I ever wrote, but the production sucks".

   David Bowie liked a reclamation project. He had already handed over “All The Young Dudes” to Mott The Hoople and produced the single that revived their fortunes. Later in the year he would attempt to salvage “Raw Power” for Iggy & The Stooges (whether he did or not is arguable). Bowie had been a massive VU/Reed fan since his then manager handed him an acetate of”The Velvet Underground & Nico” in 1966, and was likely the very first to record a cover of “I’m Waiting For The Man” later that year.

   So when presented with the opportunity to produce a Lou Reed album I’m sure he didn’t have to think for long. Now I don’t know for sure but as co-producer and main session musician, contributing guitar, piano, recorder and backing vocals alongside acting as arranger, scoring the string arrangement for “Perfect Day”, I’m positing that Mick Ronson’s influence on “Transformer” is every bit as important as his Boss’s. Lou Reed often praised Ronson’s contribution.

   The songs themselves were again a mixture of old Velvet’s songs and newer Reed material. “Andy's Chest" and "Satellite of Love" were both demoed by the VU in 1969 and 1970 respectively, while "New York Telephone Conversation" and "Goodnight Ladies" were played live during the Velvets 1970 residency at Max's Kansas City.

   Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past 50 years there are two songs on this album that have entered the consciousness of anyone with a liking for music. “Perfect Day” is not only one of Lou Reed’s finest songs it gained a wider audience when in 1997 the BBC included it in a promo film to big up their music coverage. It was sung by Reed and a host of other artists, including but not limited to Bowie, Burning Spear, Emmylou Harris, Shane McGowan, Dr John, Joan Armatrading, Tom Jones and many others. After much public demand the recording was released later that year to raise money for the Children In Need charity, contributing £2m+ to the events highest total in six years.

   The song from “Transformer” that became Reed’s calling card is “Walk On The Wild Side”. It was Lou’s biggest hit, released as a double A-side with “Perfect Day” it reached #16 in the US and #10 in the UK singles charts through late 1972 and early 1973. For those who have been living under a rock the song is a lazy, jazzy acoustic shuffle with a prominent bass line courtesy of Herbie Flowers (later heavily sampled by A Tribe Called Quest). Each verse relays the story of one of Andy Warhol’s Factory “superstars” (Verse 1 actress Holly Woodlawn; verse 2 actress Candy Darling; verse 3 actor Joe Dallesandro; verse 4’s “Sugar Plum Fairy” is thought to be actor Joe Campbell who played the character Sugar Plum Fairy in Warhol's film “My Hustler”; verse 5 actress Jackie Curtis). The song plays out on a superb baritone sax solo supplied by British Jazzman Ronnie Ross, who had been the saxophone teacher to a young David Bowie.

   Elsewhere songs like “Vicious” (a song suggested to Reed by Warhol) and “Hangin’ Round” have something of the Glam Rock feel of the times, while others like “Andy’s Chest” (another song about Warhol), “Make Up” and “Satellite Of Love” project more of Reed’s New York. The mixture of Reed’s “dangerous, powerful music” as one reviewer described it, Bowie’s involvement, paying back a musical debt he’d incurred in 1966 and Mick Ronson’s superb playing and arranging make “Tranformer” a really special record and one that ensured Reed’s importance and influence were spread to a much larger audience. 

   Vicious - https://youtu.be/4WzdYMv4MM0?si=0hvNrnuNLWt_UI_w

3. 2023/4 Albums Thing 292 - Ramones “Mania”

   Posted on 9:05am Saturday 9th Mar 2024

   Oh this is a sorry specimen. It’s marked and scratched, one of its inner picture sleeves is missing, it needed some TLC. So, much like that Doors album a few months back, I took it home, cleaned it up as best I could, found it a nice clean but plain inner sleeve and stored it away in a new anti-stat Poly sleeve next to its li’l bro’ “Ramones”. It skips in a couple of places and it’s not something I’ll play very often but I’m happier it is now treated with more of the respect the music it contains undoubtedly deserves.

   Bonzo Goes To Bitburg - https://youtu.be/P-L_5HedJbw?si=2IBuQ5Do3sfVEmp1