New Sensations [Import]

Lou Reed | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Number of Discs: 30
• Format: Import
• Label: RCA
• ASIN: B00000E68U
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #312,834 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. I Love You, Suzanne

2. Endlessly Jealous

3. My Red Joystick

4. Turn to Me

5. New Sensations

6. Doin' the Things That We Want To

7. What Becomes a Legend Most

8. Fly into the Sun

9. My Friend George

10. High in the City

11. Down at the Arcade

Editorial Reviews

Kicked off with I Love You, Suzanne, as close as Lou Reed ever came to a straight pop song, New Sensations is the most uniquely positive album in Reed s canon. Also featuring the title track and My Friend George, New Sensations introduced Reed to a new, younger audience through MTV and major college radio airplay. However, longtime fans took heart in the fact that Lou s legendary sarcasm was still very much intact. Out of print in the U.S. for well over a decade, New Sensations will be reissued by Iconoclassic Records digitally remastered from the original master tapes, with new liner notes and expanded packaging. A Robert Christgau. 4 stars Rolling Stone --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lou Has Himself Some Fun, February 15, 2005

By 

Timothy P. Young (Rawlins, WY, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: New Sensations (Audio CD)

"New Sensations" isn't Lou Reed's best record, nor is it his most daring or musically accomplished. However, it may well be the most consistently enjoyable album in his catalog.

From his live-staple opener "I Love You, Suzanne" to the mildly goofy "Down at the Arcade," this is the closest thing Lou's ever made to a party record.

Musically, it's a mix of his usual biting guitar, bass, drums sound, augmented by horns and keyboards. It's pretty smooth, though, so those expecting New York, The Blue Mask, or others like that should step back. The funny thing here is that while Fred Maher is credited as drumming, the drums are almost metronomic...I thought I was listening to a machine. Then I reminded myself that this came out in 1984, when sounding like a machine was a compliment.

Of course, it's not all lighthearted fun. "Endlessly Jealous" is a letter from an obsessive lover, "My Friend George" illustrates a memory of a violent, near-sociopathic friend, and the title track could serve as a lighter autobiographical companion to "The Day John Kennedy Died." I like this record a lot.

"If your father is freebasing

And your mother's turning tricks

That's still no reason you should have a fit

Remember I'm the one who loves you

And you can always give me a call...

Turn to me, turn to me, turn to me."

--"Turn to Me" (what else?)

That about says it all.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars New Sensations, November 11, 2007

By 

W. Nalle (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: New Sensations (Audio CD)

On a roll after The Blue Mask and Legendary Hearts, Lou Reed didn't disappoint with New Sensations. The album's full of well-written songs backed up by some solid playing. Listening to it now, the album's got a slicker 80's feel than some of his others, and the 80's "big drum sound" can be distracting, especially on an otherwise terrific song like "What Becomes A Legend Most." Lou Reed provides the lead and most of the rhythm guitars himself, which is ok but I missed having another guitarist (like Robert Quine) to bounce the leads off of.

But like I said, there are some great songs here, including the luminescent "New Sensations," the quirky and funny "High In The City," and the poignant rocker "My Friend George." Lou Reed's always been a superb storyteller and the songs here are further proof of that.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good times in the city, July 23, 2007

By 

Pieter "Toypom" (Johannesburg) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: New Sensations (Audio CD)

Wow, what a great album. From the rocking opener I Love You Suzanne this is one song after another of Lou at his melodic best, with horns, keyboards and backing singers used to great effect.

As a celebration of life, it does occasionally hint at the dark side (like violence in Endlessly Jealous, My Friend George and loneliness in What Becomes A Legend Most) but the overall impression is one of finding magic in everyday experiences.

My favourite tracks are Doing The Things That We Want To with its glorious girl chorus and the almost ethereal, breezy High In The City ("Don't wanna talk politics today/Feelin' pretty witty/Getting' high off of the city ..." and that just about sums up the mood of the album.