release date: Mar. 1983
format: digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,55]
producer: Lou Reed
label: RCA Records - nationality: USA
Track highlights: 1. "Legendary Hearts" - 2. "Don't Talk to Me About Work" - 6. "Turn Out the Light" - 9. "Bottoming Out" - 10. "Home of the Brave" - 11. "Rooftop Garden"
12th studio album by Lou Reed is one of Reed's better albums in the 1980s. The album has a fine balance of pop / rock and blues rock with some jazz rock elements on top of more typical singer / songwriter material. I also like the production side of it, which seems like a rare album being released at a time when almost all artists followed a productional idea with [too] heavy focus on drums and keyboards up front. In fact, listening to it from post-2000-perspective the album doesn't feel like an early 1980s release at all. The album doesn't contain big hits, nor great single tunes - it's more like the whole album is its biggest asset. It's fine just to listen to, but it's also brilliant as background wall-paper (not paying lyrics or music much attention) for a quiet evening with red wine and good company.
[ allmusic.com, Rolling Stone 4 / 5 stars ]
