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release date: Apr. 1972
format: cd (2006 remaster)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,38]
producer: Richard Robinson, Lou Reed
label: BMG Japan - nationality: USA
Track highlights: 1. "I Can't Stand It" - 4. "Lisa Says" - 5. "Berlin" - 6. "I Love You" - 7. "Wild Child"
Solo debut album by Lou Reed after leaving The Velvet Underground originally released on RCA Records. The album was recorded in London with British session musicians, and although, the album only contains one song composed with all members of The Velvet Underground, nearly all of the songs here are actually previously-unreleased Velvet Underground songs, at least in studio versions, which means: Loud Reed-composed song for the band as it normally had been. Of the above-listed tracks, both the first and "Lisa Says" are found on the compilation album VU (first to be released in '85), and "I Love You" and "Wild Child" never made it to official album releases by The Velvet Underground but both are known to have been played live, and they also appear on later compilations albums. Only "Berlin" and the song "Going Down" (track #2) are new compositions by Reed.
The album was a highly anticipated release, but it didn't quite satisfy the expectations, and the origin of the songs - composed over a span of years - some of which were already familiar songs, and while taking part of The Velvet Underground, all makes it a bit of a mixed album debut. Stylistically, it doesn't represent anything new or original, as it's all arranged and played as had it been a new collection of songs by Velvet Underground. That said, the song quality is not bad, it's just like bread crumbs instead of a wholesome meal.
