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.
― Bimble, Saturday, 12 July 2008 07:33 (fifteen years ago) link
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+
― Jazzbo, Saturday, 12 July 2008 14:40 (fifteen years ago) link
Haha, OMG that's weak.
― Bimble Is Still More Goth Than You, Saturday, 12 July 2008 15:32 (fifteen years ago) link
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.
― Fastnbulbous, Saturday, 12 July 2008 17:13 (fifteen years ago) link
lou reed is such a dick
― Surmounter, Saturday, 12 July 2008 17:18 (fifteen years ago) link
bahahaha
― Bimble Is Still More Goth Than You, Saturday, 12 July 2008 18:18 (fifteen years ago) link
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.
― Myonga Vön Bontee, Sunday, 13 July 2008 09:32 (fifteen years ago) link
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.
― If Timi Yuro would be still alive, most other singers could shut up, Sunday, 13 July 2008 09:58 (fifteen years ago) link
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.
― Noodle Vague, Sunday, 13 July 2008 10:07 (fifteen years ago) link
lou reedchristgau is such a dick
― strgn, Sunday, 13 July 2008 10:14 (fifteen years ago) link
responsible for the chuck eddys and the frank kogans of our time, r.i.p.
― strgn, Sunday, 13 July 2008 10:15 (fifteen years ago) link
B-++
― strgn, Sunday, 13 July 2008 10:17 (fifteen years ago) link
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?
― dlp9001, Sunday, 13 July 2008 13:39 (fifteen years ago) link
Listen to what he says about Xgau on "Walk On The Wild Side". That is classic.
― The More You Live The Faster You Will Die (Bimble Is Still More Goth Than You), Monday, 29 September 2008 07:21 (fifteen years ago) link
XG's review, didn't it also say "Can you sue for being called a toe-fucker?" ?
― Mark G, Monday, 29 September 2008 07:25 (fifteen years ago) link
HAHAHAAH I was trying to figure that out! I was like "what did he say? TOE-FUCKER? am I just drunk?" LOL
― The More You Live The Faster You Will Die (Bimble Is Still More Goth Than You), Monday, 29 September 2008 07:27 (fifteen years ago) link
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.
― The More You Live The Faster You Will Die (Bimble Is Still More Goth Than You), Monday, 29 September 2008 07:32 (fifteen years ago) link
Maybe my favourite non-sequitur: "You ever put a quarter in those machines, man?You know, like the bear that plays basketball?"
― Myonga Vön Bontee, Monday, 29 September 2008 08:43 (fifteen years ago) link
No, Lou's drunk, not you
― Tom D Gives You the Big Reassure (Tom D.), Monday, 29 September 2008 09:36 (fifteen years ago) link
this is hilarious
― Adam Bruneau, Monday, 29 September 2008 17:28 (fifteen years ago) link
man this is funny. I feel kinda sorry for his band but hey they were getting paid
― One of the Most High Profile Comedy Directors of the 90s (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 11 March 2009 19:09 (fifteen years ago) link
I want to talk to that fcuking Reed man why did he throw a cup at his roadie
― moe greene dolphin street (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 11 March 2009 19:20 (fifteen years ago) link
fuck radio ethiopia, this is radio brooklyn
― tylerw, Wednesday, 11 March 2009 19:25 (fifteen years ago) link
what do I look like, Henny Youngman?
― One of the Most High Profile Comedy Directors of the 90s (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 11 March 2009 19:28 (fifteen years ago) link
she gives good clerk
― Fox Force Five Punchline (sexyDancer), Wednesday, 11 March 2009 19:29 (fifteen years ago) link
I do Lou Reed better than anybody, I thought I'd get in on it.
― moe greene dolphin street (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 11 March 2009 19:31 (fifteen years ago) link
I know Einstein couldn't tie his shoe laces, but it's not like that
― moe greene dolphin street (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 11 March 2009 19:32 (fifteen years ago) link
I'll sing when you shut the fuck up
― One of the Most High Profile Comedy Directors of the 90s (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 12 March 2009 15:38 (fifteen years ago) link
LOLz
― Free the Northampton 1 (Tom D.), Thursday, 12 March 2009 15:41 (fifteen years ago) link
One of the best stand-up albums ever. Or maybe it's a really raucous, vulgar proto-Laurie Anderson record.
― The Screaming Lobster of Challops (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 12 March 2009 15:44 (fifteen years ago) link
*shrieking feedback*
is that annoying?
*more shrieking feedback*
― One of the Most High Profile Comedy Directors of the 90s (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 12 March 2009 15:55 (fifteen years ago) link
LOL again, I thought he said "Isn't that annoying?"
― Free the Northampton 1 (Tom D.), Thursday, 12 March 2009 15:57 (fifteen years ago) link
i've always liked the groan of barely-concealed disgust one of the (presumably black?) backup singers emits during "i wanna be black" ...
― tylerw, Thursday, 12 March 2009 15:58 (fifteen years ago) link
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
― One of the Most High Profile Comedy Directors of the 90s (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 12 March 2009 16:00 (fifteen years ago) link
Most of this album I can live without, but "Satellite of Love" is epic.
― snoball, Thursday, 12 March 2009 16:03 (fifteen years ago) link
You can really live without the version of "Street Hassle"?
― Free the Northampton 1 (Tom D.), Thursday, 12 March 2009 16:05 (fifteen years ago) link
Need a what?Need a what?
"I need a boyfriend can't you hear?"
"The best lack all convictionand the worst are filled with a passionate intensitynow you figure out where i am"
Lou Reed is my reason for living. Just saying.
― Sleep Tundra (Bimble Is Still More Goth Than You), Monday, 23 March 2009 18:19 (fifteen years ago) link
I wrote a fairly pointless post about this album not too long ago. You can read it here.
― Alex in NYC, Monday, 23 March 2009 19:28 (fifteen years ago) link
Wow, thanks, Alex!
― Sleep Tundra (Bimble Is Still More Goth Than You), Monday, 23 March 2009 19:56 (fifteen years ago) link
"they charge us for the towels here"
― Moshy Star (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 27 July 2010 15:39 (thirteen years ago) link
haha i just heard this again at friends house a couple weeks ago.
what an album!
― my dream is to own a fly casino (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Tuesday, 27 July 2010 15:47 (thirteen years ago) link
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.
― Euler, Tuesday, 27 July 2010 15:57 (thirteen years ago) link
"you ever put a quarter in, y'know, the wooden bear that plays basketball"
― Moshy Star (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 27 July 2010 16:07 (thirteen years ago) link
"like going to bed with a brontaurus man, it's outta style"
― Master of the Manly Ballad (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 30 July 2010 19:48 (thirteen years ago) link
love this album
― da croupier, Friday, 30 July 2010 19:49 (thirteen years ago) link
as good as any old Cosby album.
― balls and adieu (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 30 July 2010 19:51 (thirteen years ago) link
"it's not that we don't want to play your favorites, it's just that there's SO MANY to choose from"
― Master of the Manly Ballad (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 30 July 2010 20:04 (thirteen years ago) link
haha, just put this on. there should be a box set a la Live at the Plugged Nickel of this stuff. Liners from the reissue says every show (10 in all, 2 a night) was recorded.
― tylerw, Friday, 30 July 2010 20:12 (thirteen years ago) link
hahahahahahaha oh man I haven't heard this in years.
― gross rainbow of haerosmith (underrated aerosmith albums I have loved), Friday, 30 July 2010 20:13 (thirteen years ago) link
here comes the condominium -- oh shit!
― tylerw, Friday, 30 July 2010 20:16 (thirteen years ago) link
HI DERE
― Bring Me The Binaural Heads Of Butch Firbanks (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 15 May 2018 22:22 (five years ago) link
sorry we were late but we were just tuning
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 15 May 2018 22:27 (five years ago) link
That’s pathetic
― Bring Me The Binaural Heads Of Butch Firbanks (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 15 May 2018 22:28 (five years ago) link
It's an elecric fire, man, you plug it in...
― Do you like 70s hard rock with a guitar hero? (Tom D.), Saturday, 13 April 2019 14:16 (five years ago) link
https://damienlove.com/writing/im-set-free-the-making-of-lou-reeds-take-no-prisoners-an-oral-history/
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 5 November 2019 00:11 (four years ago) link
I'd like to send this one out to Lou and Rachel, and all the kids at P.S. 192.
― Spocks on the Run (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 21 May 2020 21:54 (three years ago) link
you're almost as boring as you look, thanks
― budo jeru, Friday, 22 May 2020 03:25 (three years ago) link
Great article just there btw
― Mark G, Friday, 22 May 2020 07:39 (three years ago) link
RELEASE THE TAPES!
― chr1sb3singer, Friday, 22 May 2020 13:57 (three years ago) link
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"
― budo jeru, Friday, 22 May 2020 14:07 (three years ago) link
Cool.
― Spocks on the Run (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 22 May 2020 14:14 (three years ago) link
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 btwThat 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/
― Spocks on the Run (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 22 May 2020 14:16 (three years ago) link
"Andre Previn!""Who?""He's French."
― Is Lou Reed a Good Singer? (Tom D.), Friday, 29 May 2020 15:42 (three years ago) link
lol
― Trouble Is My Métier (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 29 May 2020 15:43 (three years ago) link
Thread of missing Οὖτις
― Trouble Is My Métier (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 29 May 2020 15:44 (three years ago) link
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
― tylerw, Friday, 29 May 2020 22:53 (three years ago) link