release date: Mar. 1983
format: digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,52]
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 follows only one year after his fine The Blue Mask (Feb. 1982) is another of Reed's better albums in the 1980s. It's worth noticing that Reed is exclussive producer on this - something that really doesn't help in the overall sound. It does have a fine mix of pop / rock and blues rock with the addition of some jazz rock elements on top of more typical singer / songwriter material, which in many ways documents his many influences. I both like the production side of it and then don't. The good part is that it 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. The down side to it, is little dynamics and the absence of great guitar sound as found on the predecessor. But listening to it from a post-year-2000-perspective, the album doesn't feel like an early 1980s release at all. It doesn't really contain any noteworthy hits, nor great single tunes - it's more like the whole album is its biggest asset with some great songwriting. 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.
Not as strong as The Blue Mask but still a fine album in the discography of Lou Reed.
[ allmusic.com, Rolling Stone 4 / 5 stars ]
