In Praise Of...Lou Reed "Take No Prisoners"

Anyone heard the "Tiger In My Tank" song?

I wanna be black.

There isn't much in the world that can happen to me in life where the version of "Waiting For My Man" from this album won't pull me out of the blues. I remember hearing that at 3AM in the dark on the radio when I was a teenager and I played it on my iPod just now as I walked outside. That shit has magical properties for me. It heals me on levels I can't explain. It is the ultimate go-to record for me when I'm down, only I don't tend to think of it as anywhere near the first thing to play in those moods. For those who haven't heard it, this is about 6 billion miles from the Velvet Underground version, we're not in Kansas anymore.

A recent girlfriend of mine pointed out to me that he & Laurie Anderson finally tied the knot in April.

Love Xgau's review:

Lou Reed Live: Take No Prisoners [Arista, 1978]
Partly because your humble servant is attacked by name (along with John Rockwell) on what is essentially a comedy record, a few colleagues have rushed in with Don Rickles analogies, but that's not fair. Lenny Bruce is the obvious influence. Me, I don't play my greatest comedy albums, not even the real Lenny Bruce ones, as much as I do Rock n Roll Animal. I've heard Lou do two very different concerts during his Arista period that I'd love to check out again--Palladium November '76 and Bottom Line May '77. I'm sorry this isn't either. And I thank Lou for pronouncing my name right. C+

Haha, OMG that's weak.

I've got just about all the Reed albums up 'til the mid 80s, and this is one of his worst. Excruciating. So was it the drugs that stopped his ability to sing? He did a bit on Coney Island, and then that was about it.

lou reed is such a dick

bahahaha

And I thank Lou for pronouncing my name right

This always confuses me: Doesn't Lou pronounce it "Crist-ow"? It's always sounded that way to me. But a coupla years ago Xgau did an open-question Q&A, and when I asked him if the "g" was silent, he said "no". Weird.

Bimble's right about this album. Probably my favorite versions of "Satellite of Love" and "Berlin." I did always think that Xgau/pronunciation line was a good one, though.

This record is totally dope and the band on it are awesome and tbh this and Metal Machine Music and the VU albums are all the Lou Reed I've ever needed.

lou reedchristgau is such a dick

responsible for the chuck eddys and the frank kogans of our time, r.i.p.

B-++

That's the second review I know of where he applauds an artist for pronouncing his name right (the other is for Sonic Youth's Kill Yr Idols). I wonder how many albums there are where his name is pronounced wrong. Hundreds? Two? None?

Listen to what he says about Xgau on "Walk On The Wild Side". That is classic.

XG's review, didn't it also say "Can you sue for being called a toe-fucker?" ?

HAHAHAAH I was trying to figure that out! I was like "what did he say? TOE-FUCKER? am I just drunk?" LOL

No, look, I just have to say...there are times when it's only Lou Reed that holds my soul together. Him, and ONLY him.

Maybe my favourite non-sequitur: "You ever put a quarter in those machines, man?
You know, like the bear that plays basketball?"

HAHAHAAH I was trying to figure that out! I was like "what did he say? TOE-FUCKER? am I just drunk?" LOL

No, Lou's drunk, not you

this is hilarious

man this is funny. I feel kinda sorry for his band but hey they were getting paid

I want to talk to that fcuking Reed man why did he throw a cup at his roadie

fuck radio ethiopia, this is radio brooklyn

what do I look like, Henny Youngman?

she gives good clerk

I do Lou Reed better than anybody, I thought I'd get in on it.

I know Einstein couldn't tie his shoe laces, but it's not like that

I'll sing when you shut the fuck up

I want to talk to that fcuking Reed man why did he throw a cup at his roadie

LOLz

One of the best stand-up albums ever. Or maybe it's a really raucous, vulgar proto-Laurie Anderson record.

*shrieking feedback*

is that annoying?

*more shrieking feedback*

LOL again, I thought he said "Isn't that annoying?"

i've always liked the groan of barely-concealed disgust one of the (presumably black?) backup singers emits during "i wanna be black" ...

Bimble otm about the weirdo version of Waiting For the Man tho, that is genuinely great.

in general the band is horrible tho, kinda get the feeling Lou hates them as much (if not more) than the audience

Most of this album I can live without, but "Satellite of Love" is epic.

You can really live without the version of "Street Hassle"?

Need a what?
Need a what?

"I need a boyfriend can't you hear?"

"The best lack all conviction
and the worst are filled with a passionate intensity
now you figure out where i am"

Lou Reed is my reason for living. Just saying.

I wrote a fairly pointless post about this album not too long ago. You can read it here.

Wow, thanks, Alex!

"they charge us for the towels here"

haha i just heard this again at friends house a couple weeks ago.

what an album!

I first heard this a few months ago when I was listening through the complete Lou oeuvre. This was a highlight amidst the dreariness of the landscapes of the other 70s albums.

"you ever put a quarter in, y'know, the wooden bear that plays basketball"

Yes! That was Lou at his most Louist.

Go write a bible

Your mother, your father, your cocksucking brother, they don't mean shit to me

We were driving around the other wknd and "Walk On the Wild Side" from this came up on the 'pod. At abt the 11 minute point my wife stopped and said "Wait, is he still playing the same song? Wait has even played the song? This has been going on for 11 minutes?"

Different album but https://damienlove.com/writing/babe-im-on-fire-the-making-of-lou-reeds-street-hassle/

Thanks to tipsy mothra for link

no, sorry, lovebug coleman

I never said I was ept!

HI DERE

sorry we were late but we were just tuning

That’s pathetic

It's an elecric fire, man, you plug it in...

https://damienlove.com/writing/im-set-free-the-making-of-lou-reeds-take-no-prisoners-an-oral-history/

I'd like to send this one out to Lou and Rachel, and all the kids at P.S. 192.

you're almost as boring as you look, thanks

Great article just there btw

RELEASE THE TAPES!

yo the SECOND song on that '78 WFMU broadcast is the SECOND track i put on a mix a few days of "songs that sound like oh sweet nuthin" for that one thread

it's dion "your own back yard"

Cool.

I think John Cale's "The Jeweler" was played before that home tape was rolling, but haven't checked in a while.

Great article just there btw
That guy has some good stuff on his blog besides the two links posted here, including more Lou, like this one: https://damienlove.com/writing/through-the-ringer-lou-reeds-the-bells/

"Andre Previn!"
"Who?"
"He's French."

lol

Thread of missing Οὖτις

attn: lou-heads, i just started a bootleg Lou listening project today ... https://doomandgloomfromthetomb.tumblr.com/post/619460181736161280/lou-reed-the-robinson-apartment-new-york-city