I got drunk and went to Borders tonight. I'm browsin through CDs and spotted that Velvet Underground CD with the Warhol bannana on the cover.

I've never really listened to lou reed much, because he always kinda freaked me out when I was younger.

But since alotta people hold this album in high regard, and it was only $11.99, I figured I'd check it out.

WOW!

Now a question for all you lou-reeders, where do I go next with his stuff? Is it all this good? I need help here.

Transformer is a pretty legendary Lou album...but my advice to you is, FOR GOD'S SAKE, get your hands on a copy of an album by him called "Berlin" - it's not one of the more famous Lou Reed albums, but it's freakin' brilliant and beautiful and gorgeous and psychadelic and depressing and disturbing.

Anxiety said:

Thanks so much Anxiety ~ I was going to begin listening to him this weekend! There are a couple of copies of thie Berlin CD on ebay right now, Tom ~ don't go outbidding me though!

I bet you can find a copy of Berlin on CD really cheap used on Amazon or Half.com - it was released as an inexpensive CD reissue a few years back...though if it's out of print again by some chance, it's definitely worth the effort to hunt down a copy.

Essential Velvet Underground:

The Velvet Underground (3rd album, black and white sleeve)
Loaded (Get the 2 CD version)
White Light White Heat (2nd album, black cover)
Live 1969
VU (Outtakes collection)


Essential Lou Reed:

Berlin
Transformer
Street Hassle
New York
Magic & Loss
Songs For Drella (w/ John Cale)
The Blue Mask
NYC Man (Compilation)


Essential John Cale:

The Island Years
Paris 1919
Sabotage Live
Seducing Down The Door (2 CD compilation)
Honi Soit
Music For A New Society
Hobo Sapiens (latest album)

Happy listening. You'll have a ton of fun. Come back and let us all know how you get on.
[This message was edited Thu Oct 16 23:20:09 PDT 2003 by JohnnyTheFox]

I would agree that the second album is pretty damn great as well. There was a good 3 cd compilation called What Goes On released early 90s which is very very good also.

GET

'TRANSFORMER'

produced by BOWIE...

nuff said!

Don't forget "Rock 'n Roll Animal" by Lou...
One of the best live albums ever!

First get Loaded by the VU.

Then:
Transformer
Berlin
Rock 'n Roll animal
New York

Things to do:

1. Listen to Lou Reed incessantly for a couple of days
2. Lie down in warm bath
3. Slit wrists

This guy's both a bore and a fucking downer, and he should have retired years ago. BTW, he was on the PBS blues show a few weeks ago and he looked and sounded like shit.

VANITYSprisonBYTCH said:

TRUE!!