ok here's the thing about growing up in public, is that musically it's kinda what would happen if the simultaneously layered and tossed-off sound of street hassle and the bells were played completely straight? so the arrangements are sorta overworked and boring and i don't really get them, especially "so alone" which is otherwise hilarious. i do think lyrically reed's starting to figure out the approach he'd fully unleash on the blue mask and that's pretty much the best part of the record
― princess of hell (BradNelson), Wednesday, 19 September 2018 13:48 (five years ago) link
Photo on the sleeve is good too!
― Ward Fowler, Wednesday, 19 September 2018 13:49 (five years ago) link
I think the 1st album is great... surprised to learn it’s undervalued here.
― stan in the place where you work (morrisp), Wednesday, 19 September 2018 13:50 (five years ago) link
It's undervalued everywhere.
― Zach Same (Tom D.), Wednesday, 19 September 2018 14:13 (five years ago) link
Photo on the sleeve in good too!
Very Al Pacino, he looks terrible on the back cover though and his musicians look like some bar band.
― Zach Same (Tom D.), Wednesday, 19 September 2018 14:15 (five years ago) link
As a Lou fan growing up in public in the UK in the 1980s, his first solo rec was out of print for a long time. So by the time it did come back into print, I'd already heard (to my mind) superior VU versions of most of the songs, on bootlegs or belated official releases. The solo version of 'Ocean' especially misses the mark.
― Ward Fowler, Wednesday, 19 September 2018 14:51 (five years ago) link
I like the VU versions of those songs too, but the album is its own thing with its own sound.
― stan in the place where you work (morrisp), Wednesday, 19 September 2018 15:02 (five years ago) link
its own dull, flat sound
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 19 September 2018 15:09 (five years ago) link
I like "Wild Child" though, that one's good
Agreed - and Wild Child is the one song on the rec where there isn't a decent VU precedent.
― Ward Fowler, Wednesday, 19 September 2018 15:11 (five years ago) link
b. what's up with the weird SBS binaural sound logo
wait did no one answer this question cuz the answer is hilarious: https://damienlove.com/writing/babe-im-on-fire-the-making-of-lou-reeds-street-hassle/
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 19 September 2018 15:18 (five years ago) link
awesome link, thanks
― sleeve, Wednesday, 19 September 2018 15:21 (five years ago) link
there's another article linked somewhere else on ILM that I can't find right now that has another account of the recording process, people involved complaining about all these heads on poles littering the studio etc.
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 19 September 2018 15:24 (five years ago) link
For the record (no pun intended), binaural recording is amazing when done properly. The jazz label Chesky records all their albums that way, with just one head, and they sound fantastic.
― grawlix (unperson), Wednesday, 19 September 2018 15:26 (five years ago) link
yeah I'm a big fan of Psychic TV's Dreams Less Sweet, also recorded that way
― sleeve, Wednesday, 19 September 2018 15:28 (five years ago) link
it became a huge thing in the 90's for a while
― akm, Wednesday, 19 September 2018 16:06 (five years ago) link
wow new sensations is fantastic
― princess of hell (BradNelson), Wednesday, 19 September 2018 16:24 (five years ago) link
yes it is! "Turn To Me" is easily in my top ten
― sleeve, Wednesday, 19 September 2018 16:25 (five years ago) link
wow, thanks for that link - great piece!
"if you remember too much, you weren’t there"
― niels, Wednesday, 19 September 2018 16:25 (five years ago) link
What could be more Lou Reed than insisting on the super-realism of live binaural recording, adding a bunch of mismatched overdubs, and then claiming the resulting sound is exactly what he'd wanted?
― Brad C., Wednesday, 19 September 2018 16:34 (five years ago) link
I can listen past the production. The arrangements and playing are great.
― stan in the place where you work (morrisp), Wednesday, 19 September 2018 16:58 (five years ago) link
The drum sound is great too, actually.
― stan in the place where you work (morrisp), Wednesday, 19 September 2018 16:59 (five years ago) link
Good article!
― The Silky Veils of Alfred (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 19 September 2018 16:59 (five years ago) link
I find the debut's sound crisp rather than dull but I also listen to a fair bit of stuff recorded & played by muso dudes whose absolute ideal is clarity over color. to me the sound of the electric guitar on "I Love You", that intro figure, is one of the most memorable musical choices in Lou's discography - as soon as I think of it, I hear it in my head & love it.
― she carries a torch. two torches, actually (Joan Crawford Loves Chachi), Wednesday, 19 September 2018 17:18 (five years ago) link
think my main problem with the debut is the backup singers, they sound kinda lame. otherwise, i think it's a solid record!
― tylerw, Wednesday, 19 September 2018 17:26 (five years ago) link
― sleeve, Wednesday, September 19, 2018 9:25 AM (fifty-five minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
i love the way this song is just the riff suspended in empty space for the first two verses. it's a really good riff. album has a lot of really good riffs
― princess of hell (BradNelson), Wednesday, 19 September 2018 17:27 (five years ago) link
i realllly love "fly into the sun"
― princess of hell (BradNelson), Wednesday, 19 September 2018 17:33 (five years ago) link
"What Becomes a Legend Most" sounds like he's going for a Paul Young pastiche and it works.
So many good melodies on New Sensations jfc
― The Silky Veils of Alfred (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 19 September 2018 17:37 (five years ago) link
Just wanted to say I'm not entirely convinced by Tom's assessment of Sterling Morrison's capacity as a guitar player. Obviously, the Velvets applied restraints to themselves in how they played (like Sterling is clearly restricting himself to a particular tessitura in what I assume is his six and a half minute solo in "I'm Gonna Move Right In").
I'd actually like to have a clearer view of what he and Lou do on guitars throughout those records but that's obtainable by more close listening and playing along.
― timellison, Wednesday, 19 September 2018 17:43 (five years ago) link
― Harper Valley CTA-102 (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 19 September 2018 17:45 (five years ago) link
xp there's a great quote by Mo (I think, could be Yule also) somewhere about how Lou and Sterling swapped their solos on any given night according to some inscrutable internal logic
― sleeve, Wednesday, 19 September 2018 17:45 (five years ago) link
i pretty much know who's doing what — any specific songs?
― tylerw, Wednesday, 19 September 2018 17:47 (five years ago) link
I can usually distinguish Reed and Morrison. Usually.
― The Silky Veils of Alfred (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 19 September 2018 17:48 (five years ago) link
Not who's doing what but more like chord voicings, methods of plucking, how they approached solos, gear, etc.
― timellison, Wednesday, 19 September 2018 17:49 (five years ago) link
We've talked about this before but, yes, their lead sound/styles are totally different - even their rhythm playing is quite distinct.
― Zach Same (Tom D.), Wednesday, 19 September 2018 17:50 (five years ago) link
"How in the world were they makin' that sound?/Velvet Underground"
― timellison, Wednesday, 19 September 2018 17:51 (five years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAXYW-Bft5A
― sleeve, Wednesday, 19 September 2018 17:57 (five years ago) link
(Phil Milstein, from the quasi-bootleg What Goes On 3CD on Australian Raven label)
I don't think the arrangements or playing are great - it's true they are on "I Love You" though. I like the album btw!
― Zach Same (Tom D.), Wednesday, 19 September 2018 17:58 (five years ago) link
even their rhythm playing is quite distinct.
Well...I don't see how the guitar on "Lady Godiva's Operation" sounds unlike a Morrison part.
― timellison, Wednesday, 19 September 2018 18:02 (five years ago) link
Maybe not in every single song!
― Zach Same (Tom D.), Wednesday, 19 September 2018 18:05 (five years ago) link
Ha, that was the first one I checked...
― timellison, Wednesday, 19 September 2018 18:10 (five years ago) link
Adding my thanks to Shakey for the link - I just got up early and stretched out breakfast listening to Street Hassle and reading it, I don't think I've enjoyed the start of the day quite so much in a while.
― an incoherent crustacean (MatthewK), Wednesday, 19 September 2018 21:18 (five years ago) link
lmao @ mistrial
― princess of hell (BradNelson), Thursday, 20 September 2018 23:33 (five years ago) link
you're payin' a price where there's no price to paylove is trustno money down
― The Silky Veils of Alfred (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 20 September 2018 23:40 (five years ago) link
YET
"Tell It To Your Heart" is a classic.
― The Silky Veils of Alfred (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 20 September 2018 23:41 (five years ago) link
yeah that song and "outside" are really good
― princess of hell (BradNelson), Thursday, 20 September 2018 23:48 (five years ago) link
thought you were going to say "Mama's Got a Lover"
― The Silky Veils of Alfred (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 20 September 2018 23:50 (five years ago) link
lol i nearly did admit that i like that "the original wrapper" exists in lou reed's discography
― princess of hell (BradNelson), Thursday, 20 September 2018 23:54 (five years ago) link
The video jukeboxes are-aplayin Madonna
― The Silky Veils of Alfred (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 21 September 2018 00:00 (five years ago) link