Legendary Hearts [Original recording remastered]

Lou Reed | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 10, 2009)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: ICONOCLASSIC
• ASIN: B002M9FSAO
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #31,583 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Legendary Hearts

2. Don't Talk to Me About Work

3. Make Up Mind

4. Martial Law

5. The Last Shot

6. Turn out the Light

7. Pow Wow

8. Betrayed

9. Bottoming Out

10. Home of the Brave

11. Rooftop Garden

Editorial Reviews

If Legendary Hearts seemed like a disappointment in 1983, that was largely because the year before Lou Reed had released The Blue Mask, one of the finest albums of his career, and Legendary Hearts just wasn't quite as good. But pull it off the shelf today, give it a listen, and Legendary Hearts easily shuts down nearly anything Reed released in the 1970s; if it's a less obvious masterpiece than The Blue Mask, it makes clear that Reed was once again in firm command of his strengths, and making the most of them in the studio. Guitarist Robert Quine and bassist Fernando Saunders were both back on board from The Blue Mask, and they reaffirmed their status as the linchpins of the strongest band of Reed's solo career, and drummer Fred Maher rocked harder (and with fewer frills) than Doane Perry. The bracing cross-talk of Reed's and Quine's guitars had lost nothing in the year separating the two albums, and if Reed didn't seem to be aiming quite as high as a songwriter this time out, most of the tracks were every bit as intelligent and soul-searching as The Blue Mask's lineup; if there were a few moments of comic relief, like "Don't Talk to Me About Work" and "Pow Wow," no one could argue that Reed hadn't earned a few laughs after songs like "Make Up Mind," "The Last Shot," and "Betrayed." On Legendary Hearts, Reed was writing great songs, playing them with enthusiasm and imagination, and singing them with all his heart and soul, and if it wasn't his best album, it was more than good enough to confirm that the brilliance of The Blue Mask was no fluke, and that Reed had reestablished himself as one of the most important artists in American rock. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars One of my favorites of the eighties, October 17, 2000

By 

J. Kruppa "JKruppa" (New Orleans, LA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Legendary Hearts (Audio CD)

Lou Reed may not be everyone's cup of tea, but those who have warmed to his flat, half-spoken singing, terse guitar playing and the poetic insights that have typified his style since the early eighties could do little better than to own a copy of "Legendary Hearts" (1983). This is Lou Reed at his most focused: newly sober and reveling in his ability to write and play about his personal experiences in such a direct, conversational manner that it seems as though he is a very good friend who has come over for an evening and is telling you about what he's been going through lately.

Confessional writing is a tricky thing in that it can be embarassing for the artist if done poorly and can indulge a listener's most voyeuristic tendencies even when done well. It is Reed's sense of humility in many of these songs, though, that saves them from bathos. Some of his best writing is to be found here, specifically the title track, which nails a profound (really, I'm not kidding, it's profound) truth about love and the way we see ourselves, all of which is accomplished in three and a half minutes. Much of the self-reflection found on this album came as the result of therapy and Alcoholics Anonymous; anyone who has ever invested time in either will find something familiar in "Make Up My Mind," "The Last Shot," "Betrayed" and "Bottoming Out," the last of which takes a pass at self-destruction and anger with a clear-eyed poise that few songwriters (or the rest of us, for that matter) can manage.

These are heavy subjects, make no mistake, but the tight ensemble playing (two guitars, drums and Fernando Saunders' singing fretless bass lines) makes the best of these songs move so that you can tap your foot while Reed is passing on his little revelations. (One thinks that Phil Spector would be proud, too: the way the album is mixed, it's almost in mono, which gives the songs quite a punch.) Songwriters who aim for depth within the confines of the rock song take note: "Legendary Hearts" is a model of precision, both well-observed and heartfelt. Put it on and turn it up - it may give you something to think about.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Do not overlook this one!, March 22, 2000

By 

Jorge M. (Portugal) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Legendary Hearts (Audio CD)

You may wonder why you never heard anything about this album. And you may think that by the fact it was made in the 80's there's a huge possibilitie of it being a piece of crap. You know it happened with David Bowie and Iggy Pop... Well the good news is that this album is good and at the same time pretty unknown. What are the odds, huh?

It's Lou Reed at his best. The songs are personal and extremely focused. You can't find the real gems of this album in any compilation so let me tell you what you'll miss if you overlook this album:

. Legendary Hearts - the title track is one of Lou's best lyrics and is extremely well sung. Irresistable tune too!

. Make up my mind - in the same vein as "legendary hearts". Lou in a romantic mood and as always NY on the background.

. The last shot - Lou's hymn for the drunk. Rock and roll and comedy hand in hand. This track rocks!

. Betrayed . Home of the brave . Rooftop garden

These 3 tracks are the emotional centerpiece of this album. If you liked the NY album you'll want to listen to these tracks. Lou storyteller at his best. Please don't let this album gather dust at Amazon's shelves. I promise you that this cd will stay for many weeks on your cd player. Yes it's that addictive!

P.S: i usually don't give 5 stars lightly so don't be fooled by the 4 stars i gave to this cd. When i give 4 stars i'm basically saying that this is an outstanding album. 5 stars would be mind blowing!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Great album, but why is the re-mastering so poor?, January 24, 2010

By 

Italo - See all my reviews

This review is from: Legendary Hearts (Audio CD)

Nothing to add on the quality of the songs, they are great, 5-Star. But since its release there was always the hope that one day a re-master would be created with Robert Quine's guitar as appropriatedly represented as on "Blue Mask". Instead, the "re-master" sounds almost identical to the original master, just generally louder, whith Quine's guitar hardly audible (rumours saying that in 82 Reed tuned it down after recording, since he could not stand Quine's guitar play being so clearly superior to his own...don't know if this is true but the sound is weak indeed). What a contrast to the recent fantastic re-master of "Coney Island Baby", where Reed himself apparently was in charge of the re-mastering. This seems not to be the case with this album, making it a disappointing experience.