Customer Reviews

New York

5 star:		(49)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

It is usually a stretch to claim that an artist recorded his best album in the twilight of his career. "New York" is a notable exception. Baring the necessity of albums like "Transformer," "Berlin," "The Blue Mask" and "Songs For Drella," these songs have stories to tell and some wonderful noise to make. Reed never cultivated a more satisfying blend of Rock 'N Roll and his patented street poetry as on this album. While follow-ups to "New York" contain flashes of glory, "New York" is triumphant from start to finish. Songs like "Busload of Faith," "Dirty BLVD" and "Strawman" are quite simply some of the most memorable moments of reed's 30-year stint, and poetic quips only found on Reed albums, like "I'll Take New York City in a garbage bag," elevate the songs ten thousand miles above the vapid pop music of today. The words mean something; the music is daring and urgent. At 58, he may not have many "New York's" left in him, but when time comes that Lou Reed leaves for the other side, albums like "New York" will still be shouting from stereos around the world. Do not miss out on this piece of immortality.

Seventeen years after 'Transformer' his most acclaimed work Lou Reed returns to the streets of his hometown to seek inspiration for this, his fifteenth solo album.He states in his liner notes that 'New York' is meant to be listened to in one sitting as if it were a play or film.After listening it is not difficult to see why.From the opening bars of 'Romeo Had Juliet' to the closing seconds of 'Dime Store Mystery' Reed takes the listener on a journey through the sleazy,drug fuelled,hooker laden,crime ridden streets of the Big Apples' less affluent suburbs.
Lou sets the scene for the album on 'Romeo Had Juliet' with the opening line "Caught between the twisted stars,the plotted lines,the faulty map that brought Columbus to New York".The more subdued but no less effective 'Halloween Parade(AIDS)' follows and then leads onto the first single and lyrically,the most vivid song on the album 'Dirty Blvd'.It is the story of Pedro,a young,immigrant kid with nine siblings,living in a squalid squat and beaten regularly by his father but remains optimistic and hopes to escape."He finds a book on magic in a garbage can,looks up at the cracked ceiling and says at the count of three I want to fly...fly away".The subject of child abuse continues on the harrowing,thought provoking 'Endless Cycle' and then the tempo increases with the hard rocking 'There Is No Time'.
'The Last Great American Whale' is a sarcastic yet conscientious swipe at the destruction of the environment and decline of our fellow creatures.Reed also vents his spleen throughout on topics such as pontificating '(Good Evening Mr Waldheim'),politicians('Strawman') and the plight of Vietnam veterans and the homeless as in 'Xmas In February'."Sam's staring at the Vietnam wall,it's been a while now since he's home,his wife and kid have left,he's unemployed,he's a reminder of the war that wasn't won".The lyrics are better than anything Reed has written previously but he also plays the guitar well and surrounds himself with able musicians.Mike Rathke on guitar and the rythym section of Rob Wasserman and Fred Maher are tight and raw which gives the record a garage feel.
Dion Dimucci appears on backing vocals on 'Dirty Blvd' and ex Velvet Underground drummer Maureen Tucker appears on the Andy Warhol dedicated 'Dime Store Mystery'.
'New York' is widely regarded as Lou Reed's masterpiece.On it's release he said "This is as good as I get".Artists often say this,however bad the rest of us find the product.Hindsight is sometimes a wonderful thing and offers repeated reflection but after almost two decades since it's release many would find it difficult to disagree with Lou Reeds statement.

This collection of 14 sketches represents one of the most powerful song cycles of Reed's career. On New York he discusses the wider world rather than personal concerns for a change, and in the decaying but enchanting core of New York City, he found enough to sing about, like crime on "Romeo Had Juliette," the terrible impact of AIDS in "Halloween Parade," the tragedy and psychology of child abuse in the poignant "Endless Cycle," the plight of the homeless on "Xmas in February" and wrong priorities on the powerful rocker "Strawman, " where he actually sings with open throttle unlike most of the other tracks where he employs his talking-style delivery. Older themes are revisited too: "Dime Store Mystery" is a moving elegy to his former patron Andy Warhol. Not all the tracks are memorable though - "American Whale" and "Mr Waldheim" for example, are not up to the greatness of the rest of the album. In addition, due to the lack of any other but the basic rock instruments, the sound is not as varied as on some of his other classic albums. Neither is this Reed's most melodic work. However, the lyrics make up for that - in beautiful lines like "Caught between the twisted stars the plotted lines the faulty map that brought Columbus to New York", the poetry is full of sharp and lean images, driven by Rathke's guitar, Wasserman's bass and Maher's drums. This album is a beacon of literate, intelligent rock and amongst the top 5 of Reed's career.

Lou Reed has contributed a lot to our culture for almost 40 years now, starting with the Velvet Underground and his days with Andy Warhol, his early 70's hits that gave him tons of radio play (Sweet Jane and Walk on the Wild Side), his marriage to Laurie Anderson, his occasional appearances in film, etc. But nowhere else was he able to make a continuous conceptual statement as powerful as he did in 1989's New York. This is not just a good album of music. This disc is poetry, street music, great visualization, social commentary, and nothing short of sheer sonic magic. You listen to this for 10 minutes, you can smell the New York of the late 80's and early 90's. Before Giulliani cleaned it up and turned Times Square into Disney North. It was a lot more dangerous back then, but a heck more interesting too. No one writes better about drugs and the streets than Lou.

I had heard "Walk On the Wild Side" with my father as a child, and although there were lyrics there at the time I didn't fully understand, the song made a significant impact. I saw "New York" in a record (there were still a few) store when it was released and decided to buy it (I was 12). This album touched me then, as it does now. In different ways, to be sure. I have matured and can understand more fully the depth of this music I could only bearly appreciate as a younger boy. Where has this kind of heart-felt, lyric rich, desperate yet hopeful music gone? Very few musicians, or people in general, obtain a mastery of language as Lou Reed has. His ability to convey thought and emotion while both telling a story and making a commentary on the Human Condition is awe inspiring and motivating. When I have lost hope in Humankind I put on Lou Reed. I would give my right arm to make art like this. This is what redeems us all.

It is usually a stretch to claim that an artist recorded his best album in the twilight of his career. "New York" is a notable exception. Baring the necessity of albums like "Transformer," "Berlin," "The Blue Mask" and "Songs for Drella," these songs have stories to tell and some wonderful noise to make. Reed never cultivated a more satisfying blend of Rock 'N Roll and his patented street poetry as on this album. While follow-ups to "New York" contain flashes of glory, "New York" is triumphant from start to finish. Songs like "Busload of Faith," "Dirty BLVD" and "Strawman" are quite simply some of the most memorable moments of reed's 30-year stint, and poetic quips only found on Reed albums, like "I'll Take New York City in a garbage bag," elevate the songs ten thousand miles above the vapid pop music of today. The words mean something; the music is daring and urgent. At 58, he may not have many "New York's" left in him, but when time comes that Lou Reed leaves for the other side, albums like "New York" will still be shouting from stereos around the world. Do not miss out on this piece of immortality.

Lou Reed once said something like (and the expletives have obviously been deleted) "Who is (name of a famous music reviewer) to criticize my work?" I worked my ... off for a year and he gives me a C+ ... " The original quote comes to mind because it is an appropriate response to some of the reviewers posted here.
The naysayers? Well, as Lou's friend Donald might say, "Stick a fork in their a** and turn them over. They're done." These might just be the same reviewers who constantly try to foist the Beach Boys are better than the Beatles theory on those of us who know better. All I can say about that insipid theory is, "Hey, knucklehead, compare the impact each had on the world." Really, that comparison is paramount to comparing the Carpenters to The Who ... but hey, that's an argument for another time and place.
Meanwhile, (and I promise to cease my venting) I would place this album in the rerified company of such outstanding works of musical artistry as: the Kink Chronikles, Forever Changes, Odyssey and Oracle, Sgt. Pepper, and Can't Buy a Thrill. New York, in my opinion, is one of those rare musical treasures that come along all too infrequently. It is an album that you will listen to again and again because it has something to say, and Lou says what he has to say with guts and integrity. Surfs up...? Too many recording are reminders of how vapid and dull the world really is and it's a pity, but those reviewers who castigate Lou Reed for his "social commentary JUST DON'T GET IT. Lou ain't the Beach Boys, and if I were a beliver I would know just who to thank, but I'm not so I'll just thank Lou ... Thanks Lou... As for those of you who are just as tired of the critics and naysayers as I am, we can always follow the advice of Lou's friend Donald...

Paul Merchant

Lou Reed is one of Rock's few real poets and this recording takes a hard but loving look at NYC. "Halloween Parade" speaks of the losses caused by Aids with a wistful voice that allows the listener to share in those lossses and be touched by them. "Dirty Blvd." and "Endless Cycle" cries out for children suffering at the hands of those who should protect them. Homeless vets ("Christmas in February", street romance ("Romeo had Juliette), and the chaos of New York in the 80's ("Hold On") are all parts of Reed's New York mosaic. There are hopeful songs as well ("beginning of a Great Adventure" "Busload of Faith") that gives a glimpse of a better future.
So why not 5 stars? Well Lou has a tendency to get a little preachy. The topical material like "Good Evening, Mr. Waldheim" which blasts Waldheim, The Pope, Farrakhan, Jesse Jackson and the PLO comes across as whine and more than a bit self-involved and "Sick of You" which rants against a number of things is just tedious...I guess I just get "Sick of It." (Sorry)"The Last Great American Whale" attempts to be a new myth but just seems endless. If 4 1/2 stars were an option I'd go that high but I feel in this case I'd rather round down. NEW YORK shows Reed at his best most of the time but the lows drag it down.

this is a great 5 star cd due to one thing and one thing only, the passion and dreary clear landscape that Lou Reed was able to paint with his brush of reality programming that we all call NEW YORK.
the songs take no prisoners and although Lou Reed will mostly sing song talk in most of his songs, only the people who can't enjoy this will miss out on a truely great message heavy anthropological gem that NEW YORK really is.

Simply the Best. (personally am amazed at the song HALLOWEEN PARADE, perhaps the best song written about AIDS)

I make no bones about it. For a long time when I listened to Lou Reed, I just never got it. For some reason, I always had Reed pigeon-holded as a one hit wonder artist (i.e. "Walk on the Wild Side") with a cult following. Let's also face it, when it comes to vocals, Reed isn't going to be mistaken as an all-time legendary vocalist. Then something changed - I heard Reed's "Dirty Blvd" from his 1989 album, "New York". This song just got me. I don't know if it was whether it was the guitar work, the sociological lyrics that told the story of a boy named Pedro living in a world of poverty or abuse, or simply Reed's narrative-style vocals. Whatever it was, this song had me hooked and for the first time, I began to reconsider what Reed as an artist. Usually when a song gets me, I immediately seek the album. When I put "New York" in for a listen, I discovered something even more - a conceptual album. I typically love conceptual albums with a theme and in this case, Reed sings about many songs about New York City and the issues that affect the people in New York. I also saw an album that was not your standard "cookie cutter" 1980s pop synth. This is an album that clearly was an innovative album with a variety of music styles and deep lyrics to go along with it.

One thing that I like about this album is that Reed encourages you to listen to the album as a whole. In the liner notes, Reed makes a comment, "It's meant to be listened to in one 58 minute (14 songs) sitting as though it were a book or a movie. Many artists construct albums like this, but I haven't seen an artist recommend this to the listener. I've put a synopsis of each of the songs below to give some recommendations or pointers of things to look for from a musical perspective. Conceptually the picture of society painted by Reed is not a positive one.

"Romeo Had Juliette": While the chorus may indicate this is a song of two lovers living in New York named Romeo and Juliette, this song is loaded with sociological references to New York City. Listen to Reed's references to the crack dealers, a cop getting shot in Harlem, and the polluted Hudson River - he definitely paints a grim picture in the pre-Rudy Giuliani New York City. The guitar work is simply outstanding.

"Halloween Parade": This is one of several songs on this album with a country-western sound. However, once again the references are right back on New York. Lots of references to streets in New York such as Christopher Street, Avenue B, and Avenue D. Under the title it says AIDS, and Reed also references several times "to be here without you". Reed's narrative style vocals are outstanding.

"Dirty Blvd": As mentioned, this song tells the story of a boy named Pedro living in a world of poverty and abuse. Reed uses the narrative style vocals to almost make the story sound three-dimensional. Reed once again makes references to landmarks in New York City such as 39th Street and the Lincoln Tunnel. Look for some great background vocals from Dion Di Mucci toward the end of this track.

"Endless Cycle": Another country-western sounding track. While this song isn't loaded with New York references, Reed hits the themes of alcoholism and drug use on this song. Once again using the narrative vocals makes this story three-dimensional.

"There is No Time": This is the strongest track on the collection. Reed switches gears an opts for a high energy guitar jam with terrific percussion. This song is more political as Reed says this is no time to rest on your laurels. In particular the last line of the song, "This is a time for action, because the future is within reach".

"Last Great American Whale": Reed uses his narrative style to discuss the plights of the environment and of the Native Americans.

"Beginning of a Great Adventure": This is a more personal song as Lou discusses the Great American Dream and in particular dreams of having a family. The references to Lou's name and his wife give this a personal touch. Perhaps the best part is the blues sound to the song.

"Busload of Faith": Another blues sounding song. Reed sings about not being dependent on others. While Reed sings about having faith, he also does criticize religious establishment on this track.

"Sick of You": This song might be the most country-western sounding on the collection. Reed references "Staten Island" as a part of New York, but also references social figures of the time such as Oliver North, Morton Downey, the Ayotollah, and the Trumps. Pretty much the title of the song is how Reed feels about a lot of them.

"Hold On": Very much a New York themed song. The turmoil of Howard Beach in 1986 and Bernard Goetz are all referenced in this song. Mike Tyson, who grew up in New York is referenced here.

"Good Evening Mr Waldheim": This might be the most political song on the album. Reed criticizes the Pope (some might take offense), Kurt Waldheim, and most notably Jesse Jackson (lots of references to his "Common Ground").

"Xmas in February": Reed goes back to the sociological issues and discusses the plight of the Vietnam veterans. Great work as Reed weaves his his narrative style on this song.

"Strawman": Great Anthem-ic Rock sounding song. Filled with lots of socio-political commentary. The hard rock sound is great.

"Dime Store Mystery": This is tribute the Andy Warhol - whom Reed had an association with. However, the analogy to the crucifixion might be too much for many people.

Overall, this is a powerful album. It definitely is one of the better albums from the 1980s and not your cookie-cutter music. Highly recommended.