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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: Lou Reed-composed song for the band as had been the usual way. Of the above-listed tracks, both the first and "Lisa Says" are found on the 'compilation' or: 'lost' album VU (first to be released in 1985), 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. Only "Berlin" and the track #2, "Going Down" are new compositions by Reed.
The album was a highly anticipated release but it didn't quite satisfy the expectations, and the origins 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 this 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 The Velvet Underground. That said, the song quality is not bad, it's just like bread crumbs instead of a wholesome meal, and when the many of the actual first recordings with The Velvet Underground came out in '85 it became clear that the original versions contained something that was lost on Reed's solo debut.
