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Best Lou Reed album?

Arkless Electronics

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Should be an open and shut thread really as there are obviously only 2 contenders (unless you include VU).

New York it is.... followed by Transformer. Berlin an honourable mention.

Now who's going to say Metal Machine Music? :D Or the Metallica one!:eek:
 
For me 'Magic and Loss'. Saw him with a small band in Manchester playing it. Superb and still brings a tear to my eye.
 
Transformer for me
Metal Machine Music is unlistenable, never got past the first few seconds
 
New York is brilliant, one of my favourite records. I can't say I think it's his best as I haven't heard all of them. (I realise that on an internet forum I shouldn't let that worry me and just state it as incontrovertible fact, but there you are.)

Metal Machine Music is good, particularly part 3. I often wonder how many people who slag it off have actually listened to it all the way through more than once. It's actually a mini tour-de-force of guitar feedback loops and samples.

As for the others mentioned, I like Berlin, don't like Transformer. Magic and Loss is one of those I haven't heard (if memory serves.) Is that the one with Like a Possum on it? I've never felt the need to search out the Metallica one.

PS Songs For Drella is brilliant too, if that is allowed.
 
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The ones I have are Transformer, Berlin, Metal Machine Music, New York and Magic & Loss. I suspect that is all I want. I rate them all somewhat below the core Velvet Underground output, but I like them all so they remain in my collection. So, best Lou Reed album? Maybe Velvet Underground Live 69. That or Velvet Underground & Nico.

PS Agree with Marchbanks that MMM is good, actually very influential and ahead of its time, e.g. think Sunn O))), Merzbow etc.
 
Arkless Electronics said:
Should be an open and shut thread really as there are obviously only 2 contenders (unless you include VU).

New York it is.... followed by Transformer. Berlin an honourable mention.

Now who's going to say Metal Machine Music? :D Or the Metallica one!:eek:
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I' m Jez on this I would choose New York followed by Transformer as well.
 
I really like "Loaded" by VU too. Picked up a re-release about 20 years ago on cd that had a load of left out tracks and out-takes and that did it for me.
 
There are a lot of them that I think are good albums, but the one I love is New York.
 
I think Transformer is definitely the most iconic of his career, but not his clear-cut best... I can't really decide between the following: Transformer, Berlin, The Blue Mask, New York, Magic and Loss and Ecstasy. Whatever my mood on any given day I could choose any of those. I do have a soft spot for Ecstasy as I only saw him live for that album's tour plus it was around the time I fell in love with my now wife.
 
s1h1 said:
Ecstasy, I think. I'll have to play it loud tomorrow just to check.
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I have not heard that one, but I enjoy its predecessor "Set The Twilight Reeling", especially the overtly political material. What's it like? Is it the "avuncular" Lou, or the "difficult" Lou?
 
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