Customer Reviews

Lou Reed: Spanish Fly - Live in Spain

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

 

 

Please Note that this is an awesome live DVD. Lou Reed was never about selling out or having loads of extra this and that so it is not to be expected. What is to be expected is fine Rock N Roll. But, when Lou is associated with Rock N Roll he is also associated with Rap, Poetry, Electronic, and Glam Rock. Lou rocks out hard and exotic. The Celloist tortures her Cello during "Venus in Furs" and Lou sings it in an uncanny way. "Romeo Had Juliet" rambles into the 10+ minute territory and Lou turns it on and lets out the rock star that he is. My only complaint is Master Ren and Antony are not on board to hoard the spotlight. But, after 2 minutes into the concert their otherworldly precenses' are not missed and we can embrace Lou and his band prancing through classic songs with fresh twists. If you are a fan of modern Lou or glam rock Lou this DVD will entrance you.

This is a spirited seventy-two-minute performance by Lou and his band(guitarist Mike Rathke, bassist/backing vocalist Fernando Saunders, drummer Tony "Thunder" Smith, and cellist Jane Scarpantoni) from last year. It's not loaded down with overdubs to "correct" the rough spots(as opposed to live albums and DVDs from bands like the Stones); a live performance is what it is, and should not be tweaked after the fact. Lou is in fine form--his guitar sound is, as always, immaculate--and so is the band. High points: "Modern Dance", "Why Do You Talk", "Venus in Furs", "Jesus", "Romeo Had Juliette", "The Blue Mask", and "Perfect Day".

I've been a Lou Reed fan since his days with the Velvet Underground and as far as live dvd or vhs concerts that I have seen, this is very, very weak. It in no way compares to the sublime "New York" vhs or the "Magic and Loss" vhs. (I don't know why these haven't been released on dvd.) I found Reed's leads to be weak and would have been better had Mike Rathke had played them. There was no other worldly feeling to this movie. It seemed to be a major effort for Reed just to do the concert. A bad night? Probably. The producers could have found a better night. I give it a three just for the strong effort and the energy that most of the rest of the band showed, particularly Rathke and the drummer.

When he's good, he's great. When he's not, he's awful. I remember Lou Reed concerts that made me wish I was somewhere else, far, far away. But the word on this dvd is... goosebumps.
The man is relaxed, focused, on excellent form and clearly enjoying himself. There are moments when he even seems KIND (after a very inspired Satellite of Love, he blows the crowd a double-handed kiss!). If you think Animal Serenade is a teriffic live cd (and you would be absolutely right in thinking that), you should waste no time ordering this live dvd. The line-up is the same and possibly in even better shape, with bassist Fernando Saunders stealing the show, both visually and musically.
Highlights? Jane Scarpantoni's compelling solo in Venus in Furs; the crowd going nuts during Romeo Had Juliet; Ecstasy getting its best rendition ever; and Perfect Day, I'm not ashamed saying it, moved me to tears.

I have run through a virtual litany of who was who in the folk world of the 1960s, a fair amount about the cutting edge rockers of that time, and certainly plenty about those who formed the edges of those music experiences. What I have not done, grievously not done, is to mention the work of the "edge city", gravelly-voiced (now, anyway) singer/songwriter, Lou Reed, either as solo performer, or with the Velvet Underground, that created much good rock music back in the days. For those who are looking for points of reference since then I noticed that Reed did an excellent cover of Bob Dylan's "Foot Of Pride" at Dylan's 30th anniversary celebration; did a very nice job on the Harry Smith tribute DVD in the late 1990s, and blew everybody away in Wim Wenders segment of the Martin Scorsese`s PBS 2003 blues series (where he even smiled, doing, I think, a Blind Willie Johnson song). I will, in any case, atone here.

This DVD features Lou and a great back-up band, including an old-fashioned real bassist, playing a lot of his material from the Underground days and as a soloist in a live concert in Spain. Now let's face it, after all these years the voice has lost some of its timber and is a little harsh (a la Dylan) but the guitar riffs are still there. And see, old Lou makes up for the weaker voice by rearranging those old classics like "Venus In Furs", "Sweet Jane", "The Blue Mask", "Perfect Day", and ,of course, "Walk On The Wide Side." Good advise, for young and old. Doo do doo do doo do do doo.

This DVD is a must have for any Lou Reed fan. Wish I could have been in Spain to be there live. This will have to do & it does it well.

actually i bought the cd for my husband who is a huge fan of lou. i have tried to like him myself but have never really cared for him. he is a great artist, very talented but his music is not what i prefer to listen to. i listen to many types of music like yandi, bob dylan, leonard cohen, tina turner, faith hill, well maybe you can understand why lou is just a little over my head. lou is like an aquired taste. that said i have however listened to and my husband owns everything lou has ever done, so i am very familar with his music and i can honestly say that this is one of the best things he has ever done. while it may not be to my taste if you are a lou reed fan you will love it. so i guess i can finally say i like lou a little.