Customer Reviews

Blue Mask

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"The Blue Mask" is often hailed by critics and fans alike as one of Lou Reed's greatest achievements, and it is deserving of the considerable praise. The disc contains some of Reed's most brutally honest writing in a concise set of songs exploring all aspects of human frailty - good, bad and ugly.

"My House", "Women" and "Heavenly Arms" are inspiring tributes: the former to Reed's mentor Delmore Schwartz; the latter to Reed's then-wife, Sylvia Morales. "Underneath the Bottle" details the struggles of addiction. "The Gun", "Waves of Fear" and the title cut are easily three of the most harrowing, unforgiving songs Reed has ever penned.

The real bounty, however, has to be the sheer beauty of the musicianship. Reed is once again playing guitar, having been inspired and goaded by ex-Voidoid Robert Quine, whose work here is among the best of his influential career. Quine's guitar - at turns shimmering, droning and apocalyptic - creates sublime moods and textural frameworks that serve the songs perfectly; Reed has not been fortunate to work with such a sympathetic musician since.

The quartet of musicians (filled out by Fernando Saunders on bass and drummer Doane Perry) respond to each other with the intimacy of a seasoned jazz combo. This is a real musician's album: dynamics are carefully observed, the space between the notes is respected, and all elements coalesce into a perfect whole.

Let me get this out in the open so we're all on the same page, I'm a Lou Reed fan. I enjoy virtually all of his solo records, never expected some sort of extension of his work with the Velvet Underground, and feel he has at times gotten unfairly treated by a music press expecting something that will never come, mainly, records that would touch as many people as his previous band's did. His epic solo catalogue is exactly that, a document of a single songwriter finding his way with different bands and, at times, different styles. The songs themselves more than stand the test of time, even on recordings when Lou got bogged down with exactly how he tuned his dozen guitars. That said, for my money "The Blue Mask" is his best record. Lou and Robert Quine couldn't sound better together; tough, lean complimenting sounds to great melodies and, naturally, wonderful lyrcis. Heavy, dense tracks like 'The Blue Mask' and 'Waves Of Fear' rock like Lou rarely does, cruching walls of sound punctuated with horrifying imagery that seem to always get personal in the most chilling fashion ("Make the sacrifce-mutilate my face-if you need someone to kill-I'm a man without a will"). But the true brilliance of the record is the quieter moments, odes of admiration to a former mentor, a love song to his wife that seems to be a modest stab at something almost radio friendly, and an effective time piece about America's lost innocence. These songs pull you inside the worlds of their protagonists, one moment your nursing a hangover and wondering why your leg hurts, the next remembering why you love your girlfriend. Oh yeah, and there's one about a guy with a gun, who knows how to use it...

All one can really say is this: In the cold of November, Bicycle Dan strapped on the headphones, dialed up the Blue Mask, ate seven Energy Bars and played the Title Track three times before riding to victory in the Thanksgiving Cyclecross Challenge (technically, he was, however, disqualified after knocking over one of the course's obstacles). Lou's art is an inspiration to us all.

Res Ipsa.

In short - this is Lou Reed's greatest album.

'Transformer', 'Berlin' and 'Street Hassle' may get the most press, but 'The Blue Mask' is the real deal.

Yes, that's a steep claim; but after listening to Lou's output over the years, 'The Blue Mask' holds up like none other. It's an absolutely beautiful, moving and soulful album. Lou is at his most mature, honest and vulnerable. He's also brutal, as this album contains two of Lou's most devastating songs - "Waves of Fear" and "The Blue Mask". And man, what a doozy that title track is - we're talking psychopathic, desperate and intensely powerful! (Like a lost GG Allen tune that GG could never competently express.)

I've owned different versions of The Blue Mask, and the 2006 BMG Japan Mini LP remaster is the best (although pricey). The expanded sound quality finally do justice to the intricate, almost avant-garde guitar play between Lou and Robert Quine. Their harsh, angular riffs rock like the greatest Sonic Youth material.

Beleive the hype - The Blue Mask is the definition of a consistent, rewarding album. A true comeback album. One of the greats.

This is Lou's most powerful, personal, and consistent solo album. It also marks the beginning of what I like to think of as a trilogy. Sadly, the other two albums, Legendary Hearts and New Sensations, are both out of print in America. RCA, are you listening?

The Blue Mask is undoubtedly one of Lou Reed's finest albums and one of his most raw, angry, and personal song collections. I love all of Lou's music, and soon after The Blue Mask, his songs began to evolve into more allegorical tales with broader intonation and composition. The Blue Mask is the last Lou Reed album with a large collection of the hard edged, riff driven rock songs. This is combined with incredibly personal lyrics that are confessional, shocking, and provocative.

The title cut is a sonic triumph focused on sadomasochistic themes, "Take the blue mask down from my face and stick me in the eye. I get a thrill from punishment, I've always been that way." Other highly personal compositions also work well both musically and lyrically. Underneath the Bottle is a song documenting the trials and consequences of alcholol abuse (Lou sings, "I've got bruises on my legs from I can't remember when..."). Waves of Fear is another hard riffing song that captures paranoid stress and confusion. It evokes a midnight breakdown after ingesting too much and too many things. The sinister "The Gun" brings us into the mind of a gun toting criminal: "The man has a gun and he knows how to use it. 6mm Browning, let's see what he can do." The song goes on to tell us just what the man is up to.

Now if all these sound morbid and challenging, well, they are. But the Blue Mask is much more. These songs are juxtaposed with compositions that express incredible passion and empathy. My favorite of these is "The Day John Kennedy Died," which showcases Lou as a highly reflective and socially engaged songwriter.

The Blue Mask is certainly a challenging and thought provoking album that is not easily forgotten once heard. If you want to go beyond the popular Lou Reed songs and his most recent more accessible work, this album is for you. Be prepared and enjoy!

Dodgy repeat cover. Solid first side. Women is one of my favourites, but Reed's alleged handiness with his fists make it potentially queesy, though. Second side weaker. Reed tends to recycle songs endlessly and Satellite of love turns up as Heavenly Arms with a ghastly and embarrassing chorus. JFK song is naff. What was the Heroine all about? Fun but obscure. Maybe even preposterous.

I always loved the instumentation / playing on the vinyl version of the Blue Mask. It redeemed the sometimes cloying sentimentality in the lyrics and vocals mentioned by other reviewers. Yet recently I purchased a CD copy, to recapture the pristine sound disappearing from the aging vinyl. Strangely, Lou's vocals actually sound more robust, less edgy while the lovely guitar sounds don't have their glistening seductiveness anymore. Guess I'll still be listening to the vinyl for a while.
.....Well some way down the track I have bought a new CD player, upgraded my old NAD to a new 541 and wow! what a revelation. Stuff here I could not even hear before. I was so misguided as to having thought there was not much difference between digital sources. I'll be more careful in future!

Reed truly cleaned up his act, writing about marriage and love alongside pain and fear. The album has a certain precision to it, and along with Legendary Hearts make up some of Reed's most compelling work.

It's a shame this is only availiable as an import--it's no 'Transformer' or anything, but's its surely one of his most durable albums. That is if you can get past the vaguely nauseating odes to happy-home life with his wife and Delmore Schwartz's ghost--'The Gun', for instance is one of Lou's most chilling personas.