Customer Reviews

Berlin: Live at St. Ann's Warehouse

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Though Lou Reed has seemingly taken pleasure to twist the noses of the suits who operate the record industry - Metal-Machine Music comes to mind - his true creative energy was behind his third solo effort, the rock-opera, Berlin.

Exploring the reality of living in the anonymous shadows - with the landscape being the cracked sidewalks and dilapidated buildings of urban decay - Reed tackled the bleakness of drugs, depression and desperation of a doomed couple. A planned stage adaptation was abandoned in 1973 after mixed (mostly negative) reviews by critics and poor record sales.

But nearly 35 years later, Reed picked up the pieces of this shattered project by enlisting the Brooklyn Youth Chorus and a 30-piece band for a series of Berlin performances. Prior to the 2007 concert dates, Reed never played the rock-opera in its entirety and rarely utilized the music while on tour.

The power contained in the music has not diminished and Reed is in full flight artistically as the director and performer. A maligned masterpiece, this is street life as the slow storm rises to soon engulf those who believe they can win the game of roulette that's played with a shattered rotating disk .

Truly remarkable. This recording (33 years in the making) takes Reed's classic "Berlin" and stages the entire original LP live.
Live recordings often leave a lot to be desired due to sound quality. Not this one ! This sound is stunning for a live recording. The mix is perfect , and Lou is in perfect "voice".

I played the disc 3 times straight through upon purchase (minus the "extra" non-Berlin tracks) (which I will get to sometime). The entire disc is nothing short of amazing , but "The Kids" and "Sad Song" are the standouts for this listener.......PUT IT IN YOUR BASKET!!!!!

a commercial flop when released berlin has always been one of lou reeds masterpiece works. as a rock opera it has a better story than pete towshends tommy. what this live version offers is both a fresh look and a fuller sound quality which makes this release a newer experience. the inclusion of steve hunter of rock and roll animal fame on guitar makes this album worth the price! lou reed has grown as an artist over the years and his best music stands as a testimony. lou reed has made an excellent circle!

By far the classiest jewel in Reed's crooked crown, Berlin was the height of decadence meets glam. Produced by an infinitely resourceful Bob Ezrin and boasting a host of class A session musicians, the music on this platter is an endless delight of detail, nuance, and attitude. And needless to say, great songs played consummately. So, my dismay at listening to this live run through is almost inevitable, I suppose.

Ezrin's stylish keyboard, choir, string, and brass arrangements may be unmatched by any other rock album. They're lush, intricate, regal, and mystical, dressing Reed's tunes in emperor's clothes. This stage version includes all the armory yet, with the exception of the brass section, the rest sound insignificant and bring little to the table. Listen to the one-dimensional arrangement of the vocals on "Sad Song" -- they simply follow the chord changes and leave out the original harmonies. Also, the choir melody lines in most songs are oversimplified to the point of banality. The keyboard (which starts off promisingly) and the strings are not only drowned out but also dumbed down to obvious phrases. Basically, half the beauty of the album is missing, that's what.

While it is a pleasure to hear Steve Hunter on guitar (no Dick Wagner, however), this is strictly a Lou show and not a Berlin one. As another review pointed out, a strange vibe permeates the performance, as if everyone is afraid to step on Lou's toes. I watched the dvd too, and the same feeling comes through (the director's adulatory intro is enough to get that ball rolling).

On another note, Lou still refuses to sing complete melodies and goes for the 'out-of-tune' effect whenever he can. A shame really, since Berlin is a deeply and enchantingly melodic record. To be fair, however, Lou seems to have trouble singing entire phrases and his voice has dropped at least half an octave, leaving it hoarse and rough. Chopping the phrases up is the alternative. The problem becomes glaring on the up-tempo songs, particulary "Caroline Says" where Lou is nowhere near the chorus parts. So, if you're looking for that mellifluous, world-weary, seductive, and wry enunciation wrapping itself around those stately tunes, go to the source.

If anything, this live version made me listen to the original again...and again.

Following the unexpected commercial mainstream success of the 1972 "Transformer" album, Lou Reed celebrated his newly found status of successful rock star by recording the 1973 album "Berlin", one of the most depressing albums of all time. The album tanked commercially (not surprising, since this isn't a single hummable tune on it), but more importantly also critically.

In his 40+ year career, Lou Reed has taken more twists and turns than anyone could possible keep track off. So it was somewhat surprising that in 2006, Reed announced to take the "Berlin" album on the road to perform it in its entirety. "Berlin: Live at St. Ann's Warehouse" (14 tracks; 79 min.) was recorded during a 5 evening span of these performances in December, 2006. Couple of things that strike me immediately when I listened to this and re-listened to the original album. First of all, Lou Reed's voice has, quite understandably, changed (lowered), and at times this actually helps the (re)interpretation of the original songs (in particular on "The Kids" and "Sad Song". Second, the album is helped very nicely with the addition of the Brooklyn Youth Chorus (check out the outro on "The Bed", for example). Third, Lou Reed features electric guitar prominently (check for example "Men of Good Fortune"), which was lacking altogether on the original songs. The encores are unnecessary frankly (certainly, we don't need yet another version of "Sweet Jane"), as they don't connect with the "Berlin" songs, and make this CD 18 min. longer than it needs to be.

In all, this is quite a nice reconstruction of the original "Berlin" album. But I can't imagine too many wanting to replay this again and again, for the sheer "joy" of it all! Please note that there is also a DVD of these performances, directed by Julian Schnabel (the Oscar-nominated director of "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"), and that this CD serves as basically the soundtrack for the DVD.

Ladies and Gentleman!!..... I now present you The king of New York....Mr Lou Reed !!!!!
One of the first thing you can read when opening the CD case is indeed a very interesting fact: That live performance here on "BERLIN: LIVE at St Ann's Warehouse" in 2006 was actually the first time in 33 years that Lou performed the whole album LIVE!!!!!!

This is a very solid addition to my Lou Reed collection!!...just like LULU was!!...lol.... It features Lou with a full band, some horns and a children's choir: The Brooklyn Youth Chorus. They also made a DVD for it and i cant wait to receive it!!!!

The songs were mostly kept in their original forms and haven't changed much from the original BERLIN album. There's a few small changes of course as we have a little choir here and some other instruments like trumpet, trombone, viola, cello, flute and saxophone. Lou is also having a lot of fun here and you can feel it as he sometimes plays long and extended solos on some of the songs. As he is now a lot more older than he was when the original BERLIN came out, the vocals work is just perfect!!!! My favourite track from BERLIN is definitely THE KIDS but...... we also have a UNIQUE and OUTSTANDING performance of "THE ROCK MINUET"!!!!!!! which was originally release on the ECSTASY album in 2000, but trust me, this version of the song here is absolutely AMAZING!!! It may be song # 13 on the album but its clearly the peak of the whole show!!!!....

After the original BERLIN track listing, Lou ends the album with CANDY SAYS which is another song he did way back then during the VELVET UNDERGROUND post period and then the rock minuet comes in to finally blow your mind away!! The album ends with SWEET JANE, another one of Lou's biggest hits!!!!

Overall this is a very good album!!! Any fans of the BERLIN era should get this album!!!! Another real and unique audio experience!!!...well done Lou!!!!

ENJOY!!!!

I was present at the actual performance where this album is recorded. Some reviews here claim that the band seems to be "scared" of Lou somehow, and that the concert is mediocre. Nothing could be further than the truth. Maybe the recording somehow doesn't represent it properly, but the mood at the concert was electric. Amazing. It was evident that all the musicians were having a great time and really feeling the music. Maybe you had to be there, but it was one of the best performances I have ever been to.

Having seen the video of this show, I could appreciate how good the music is. Even after 30 years languishing as a commercial flop this is still one of Lou Reed's finest works and this recording breaths new life. As a collective of songs it is hard to surpass and the energy in delivery is so compelling - each musician in the ensemble is superb. Also, this CD is one of the most beautifully recorded I've ever heard - hats off to the engineers - the subtlety and nauances of each instrument are clearly heard.

`Berlin: Live At St. Ann's Warehouse' finds Lou Reed performing his dark masterpiece in its entirety. Recorded in 2006 and released in both audio and video formats, `Berlin' is a reflection of broken souls doing incomprehensible things to each other while in a relationship. Easy listening, this is not. Lou Reed is at his most self -loathing best while constructing these tales of despair. Topics include suicide, drug abuse, spousal abuse and depression, typical Lou Reed fare.

Thankfully, `Berlin' translates well to a live concert recording. The instrumentation is spot on and highlights include, "Men of Good Fortune" with its jagged guitar lines and "Caroline Says Pt. 1" with its soaring exit. As documentation of this performance, this recording is beyond reproach. Antony Hegarty of Antony and the Johnsons fame contributes backup vocals on "Candy Says," "Rock Minuet" and "Sweet Jane."

I am saddened by what I am about to write, Lou. I listened to the original and this performance back-to-back and I have to say that you phoned this one in. The band plays scared,like you are James Brown and will fine them if they play one original note. Please lighten up, dude! You are one of the most interesting and talented musicians on earth, but your need to be "difficult" is ruining what time you have left on earth. You need to relax and , GULP, have some FUN with your incredible body of work. Thanks for listening and I can't wait for the Metal Machine Music Trio to tour!!!