Customer Reviews

Lou Reed - Live at Montreux, 2000

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

 

 

Lest there be any confusion, the performance here is stellar, and the video is well-done. Lou does not "sleep" through this in any way. He looks happy and relaxed and he and the band are fantastic. I saw him on this tour and I will never see a better rock and roll show, I am sure. This video is a worthy record.

Let's get the negative out of the way first: Lou obviously uses a teleprompter. On the newer, wordier material, you can watch his eyes lower and track from left to right as he sings. That said, Lou's band is hot and Lou has developed into a rock guitar player without peer. He doesn't jump around and shake his ass like Mick Jagger or put his foot up on the monitor to show the audience his panties (or lack thereof) like Courtney Love, but nobody smokes a cigarette like Lou.

I agree with the one reviewer that this one surpasses "Spanish Fly" by miles, the production was First Class, sound was perfect, and again his band filled in all the Right spots throughout the show, especially Tony "Thunder" Smith who simply captivated me, and without a doubt, one of the BEST drummers ive heard in years. Along with Mike Rathke, and the one and only Fernando Saunders, Lou was in top notch form. One of the more enjoyable dvds ive bought in a long time. Highly recommend this performance to all.

Lou Reed is the greatest singer in rock because he gives his lyrics such unique phrasings, and because he doesn't over-emote. His voice is coolness personified, and he is in excellent voice here. Like a scat-singer he sings around the melody, and like a spoken word poet he brings a really sharp and surprising sense of timing to his words. No, these versions don't always sound exactly like the ones on the records -- but why should they? They come to life in concert, as they should. Lou also seems to be enjoying himself immensely, which is nice to see. And this line-up -- with Mark Rathke, Fernando Saunders, Tony "Thunder" Smith, and with Lou on lead guitar -- is one of the very best rock bands I've ever heard. Put very simply, they kick major ass. Lou has come back to the vitality and passion of his earliest days in the Velvet Underground, he is a Maestro on very solid ground. I've been to Lou Reed concerts, and I've heard the live recordings and watched the live videos, and for my money, this is the concert of his career.

Montreux is better than Spanish Fly??! Well, the only thing I appreciated was different camera work, not music. Spanish Fly is brilliant in every category - songs, performance, camera work & audience.

I own a lot of music by the great Lou Reed. Have most of the dvd's that he has put out. This one ranks high on my list. Great recording. Concert Flows and I love the selection of songs. It's not the same braindead Lou songs that I'm tired of hearing as well as other Lou fans. Should be owned by every Lou fan out there... Buy It NOW!!!!!!!!!!!

This is typical Lou Reed.Great lyrics,great music & the MAN himself.It is like being on the ragged edge of reality & I love very second of it!Paranoia in the Key of E,Rock Minuet,Small Town & all the rest are delivered in Lou Reed fashion.Hard to believe this dvd is 10 years old already.

One of the other reviewers claims to be one of Lou's biggest fans and yet posts a negative review claiming that Lou delivers a shoddy vocal. Umm, news flash fella, Lou has NEVER delivered a good vocal performance. He's not famous for his vocals. It's all about the music and lyrics. And he absolutely shines on this disk. The setlist rocks. The band rocks. Lou rocks. And Lou does most of the soloing, which ROCKS!! If you are a TRUE Lou Reed fan, you need this DVD!!

I'm sick of Lou Reed dishing out subpar live sets anymore. Any self-respecting fan should feel the same way as he completely decimates another bunch of current classics on this DVD. The music is fine - it's Lou's vocal delivery that completely negates everything. If he even only halfway tried, it would be better than his boring and lousy delivery that he gives here. You stink, Lou. And I'm one of your biggest fans.

(Updated 4/12/06): Note to the guy who thinks I can't be one of Lou's biggest fan's due to Lou's voice alone: If you want to see some great live Lou Reed videos, then "A Night With Lou Reed" and "Coney Island Baby Live In Jersey" are the ones to watch. In those two shows, Lou is giving the songs some kick with his vocals, and staying true to the songs, not once phoning his performances in. On "Live at Montreux" the guy wanders all over the place, and spoils what could have been an otherwise great show. His band, as ever, are tight and on the money, but Lou just can't be bothered anymore to try. It's as if he showed up solely for his paycheck, attempted to run through his songs and then split. Lou used to be a very entertaining live performer. Now he just comes off as lazy beyond recognition. Being a fan doesn't mean automatically giving five stars to everything someone creates. Some people can actually draw the line between what's really good and what's mediocre without being blinded by the fandom itself.