Best Lou Reed Studio Album

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Take a walk on the wild side with unca Lou.

Poll Results

Option	Votes
Metal Machine Music	13
Berlin	9
Street Hassle	9
Coney Island Baby	8
Transformer	7
The Blue Mask	4
Magic and Loss	2
None of them, melt down everything after the VU	2
Growing Up in Public	2
Lou Reed	1
Rock 'n' Roll Heart	1
New Sensations	1
New York	1
The Raven	0
Ecstasy	0
Set the Twilight Reeling	0
Sally Can't Dance	0
Songs For Drella	0
Mistrial	0
Legendary Hearts	0
The Bells	0

― JN$OT, Friday, 20 April 2007 17:38 (nineteen years ago)

I voted for The Blue Mask. Maybe not the best, but a sentimental favorite.

― JN$OT, Friday, 20 April 2007 17:40 (nineteen years ago)

MMM is the only possibility.

― Matt #2, Friday, 20 April 2007 17:44 (nineteen years ago)

anybody who doesn't vote for Coney Island Baby will get beat up by me unless they vote for Sally Can't Dance in which case they will get hugs and kisses

― Hans Rott, Friday, 20 April 2007 17:45 (nineteen years ago)

NO SYNTHESIZERS
NO ARP
NO INSTRUMENTS?
NO PANNING
NO PHASING
NO

― Myonga Vön Bontee, Friday, 20 April 2007 17:51 (nineteen years ago)

Street Hassle.

― dan selzer, Friday, 20 April 2007 19:00 (nineteen years ago)

word

― sexyDancer, Friday, 20 April 2007 19:01 (nineteen years ago)

Boring choice but "Transformer" has some of the same elements that made the last two Velvets albums rather decent indeed.

― Geir Hongro, Friday, 20 April 2007 19:08 (nineteen years ago)

true, but Street Hassle has all that, plus the elements that made the first two records what they were.

― sexyDancer, Friday, 20 April 2007 19:11 (nineteen years ago)

Berlin, no question

― stephen, Friday, 20 April 2007 19:14 (nineteen years ago)

Kneel before The Blue Mask and bask in its glory.

― kornrulez6969, Friday, 20 April 2007 19:42 (nineteen years ago)

anybody who doesn't vote for Coney Island Baby will get beat up by me

Do your worst, Hans - MMM fans are impervious to pain!

― Myonga Vön Bontee, Friday, 20 April 2007 19:50 (nineteen years ago)

Coney Island Baby, seriously

― christoff, Friday, 20 April 2007 20:27 (nineteen years ago)

I wish there was a "None and VU sucked too"choice.

― Bill Magill, Friday, 20 April 2007 20:37 (nineteen years ago)

better poll would best lou reed look
heroin lou
mullet lou
creepy moustache lou
gender-bender lou
etc

― gershy, Friday, 20 April 2007 20:40 (nineteen years ago)

Joe Piscopo Lou

― dan selzer, Friday, 20 April 2007 20:51 (nineteen years ago)

creepy moustache lou is massively underrated

― Hans Rott, Friday, 20 April 2007 20:52 (nineteen years ago)

pirate shirts & ten foot jewfro

― sexyDancer, Friday, 20 April 2007 20:59 (nineteen years ago)

louella
http://images.starpulse.com/Photos/Previews/Lou-Reed-sb05.jpg

― m coleman, Friday, 20 April 2007 20:59 (nineteen years ago)

iron cross shaved in platinum blond hair lou wins

― m coleman, Friday, 20 April 2007 21:03 (nineteen years ago)

black leather bathrobe lou
http://images.starpulse.com/AMGPhotos/pic200/drp100/p160/p16004iaw17.jpg

― m coleman, Friday, 20 April 2007 21:04 (nineteen years ago)

auditioning for Grease Lou

http://images.starpulse.com/Photos/Previews/Lou-Reed-rp03.jpg

― m coleman, Friday, 20 April 2007 21:06 (nineteen years ago)

"true, but Street Hassle has all that, plus the elements that made the first two records what they were."

and I Wanna Be Black!

― circa1916, Friday, 20 April 2007 21:09 (nineteen years ago)

but yeah, i vote for Street Hassle as well

― circa1916, Friday, 20 April 2007 21:10 (nineteen years ago)

MMM fans are impervious to pain!

--That kind of goes without saying.

― jposnan, Friday, 20 April 2007 21:37 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.paperdragonstudios.com/dennis/images/g1/lreed.jpg

― gershy, Friday, 20 April 2007 21:54 (nineteen years ago)

true, but Street Hassle has all that, plus the elements that made the first two records what they were.

You mean, the elements that made the debut terribly patchy and "White Light/White Light" downright unlistenable?

― Geir Hongro, Friday, 20 April 2007 22:39 (nineteen years ago)

those exact elements, yes

― sexyDancer, Friday, 20 April 2007 22:41 (nineteen years ago)

oh yeah. the weird production. the female back-up vocals. bruce springsteen, proto Spacemen 3. Street Hassle has slowly taken over my life over the past few months.

― dan selzer, Saturday, 21 April 2007 04:21 (nineteen years ago)

There needs to be more discussion on Lou's gold lame track suit picture.

When was that taken? It looks like circa-Raven Lou. Was he with Laurie Anderson at the time? Is she on the record about it?

― kornrulez6969, Saturday, 21 April 2007 05:01 (nineteen years ago)

I thought "Geir" would dig an album that had "White" in the title, twice.

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 21 April 2007 11:44 (nineteen years ago)

I'm almost tempted to vote for "Growing Up in Public", it's the funniest! And intentionally funny for a change...

― Tom D., Saturday, 21 April 2007 12:14 (nineteen years ago)

Obv I voted for MMM but the absence of Take No Prisoners = No Crebidility

― Noodle Vague, Saturday, 21 April 2007 12:17 (nineteen years ago)

So start a best Lou Reed Live Album poll. There's sure as shit enough of them to choose from.

― JN$OT, Saturday, 21 April 2007 13:03 (nineteen years ago)

bump

― JN$OT, Thursday, 26 April 2007 08:18 (nineteen years ago)

The Blue Mask or New Sensations.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Thursday, 26 April 2007 12:58 (nineteen years ago)

Berlin.

There's a great youtube of Lou doing Berlin (the song) with John Cale on piano, sometime in the early seventies.

― underpants of the gods, Thursday, 26 April 2007 13:08 (nineteen years ago)

From "Live at Bataclan"

― Tom D., Thursday, 26 April 2007 13:10 (nineteen years ago)

That's it.

― underpants of the gods, Thursday, 26 April 2007 13:11 (nineteen years ago)

MMM wins?

― JN$OT, Monday, 30 April 2007 08:15 (nineteen years ago)

there'll be crying in the streets of oslo/trondheim/bergen/wherever-he-lives tonite

― 600, Monday, 30 April 2007 08:56 (nineteen years ago)

Moral: A 'purposefully bad contract filler' album will always float above your good stuff like a turd in a bog that has a bad flush

― Mark G, Monday, 30 April 2007 09:39 (nineteen years ago)

Is this the most ILMish poll yet?

― Tom D., Monday, 30 April 2007 12:24 (nineteen years ago)

not a landslide but 26% of the vote is pretty respectable for mmm.

man I hope lou posts to this thread.

― Edward III, Monday, 30 April 2007 13:36 (nineteen years ago)

four years pass...

Ridiculous poll. No love for The Bells?? But 13 votes for Metal Machine Music?? See, this is why people make fun of hipsters.

― If Assholes Could Fly This Place Would Be An Airport, Saturday, 12 November 2011 02:53 (fourteen years ago)

Zero votes for Legendary Hearts?! This is why Lou hates YOU GUYS.

― lumber up, limbaugh down (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, 12 November 2011 02:54 (fourteen years ago)

one year passes...

Kind of silly results here. I had never heard Growing Up in Public before until recently. Turns out thats another great one.

― kornrulez6969, Saturday, 9 November 2013 05:22 (twelve years ago)

feel like an asshole because my vote would have been for transformer. berlin would be close on its heels though.

― tɹi.ʃɪp (Treeship), Saturday, 9 November 2013 05:52 (twelve years ago)

Baffled at the poor showing of The Blue Mask here. Always figured that was considered one of a handful of absolutely essential Lou records.

Still woulda voted MMM, but just barely above Berlin.

― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Saturday, 9 November 2013 18:54 (twelve years ago)

Zero votes for /Legendary Hearts/?! This is why Lou hates YOU GUYS.

If I voted, it was probably for Street Hassle but would have definitely voted for Legendary Hearts if I had thought about it being shut out.

― The Killer Inside Meme (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 9 November 2013 19:13 (twelve years ago)

Baffled at the poor showing of The Blue Mask here. Always figured that was considered one of a handful of absolutely essential Lou records.

The best thing about the last two weeks: learning to what degree this album is loved. Cuz in the nineties and 2000s it felt like consensus stepped back as if in embarrassment from its acclaim for The Blue Mask, instead going for Transformer or CIB.

― the objections to Drake from non-REAL HIPHOP people (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, 9 November 2013 19:27 (twelve years ago)

this is a really nice interview

but he also says that he recently remastered ALL his studio albums...was that known?

http://dangerousminds.net/comments/lou_reeds_final_interview_my_life_is_music

― lorde willin' (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Tuesday, 12 November 2013 01:22 (twelve years ago)

Blue Mask will always be the best Lou record

― kornrulez6969, Tuesday, 12 November 2013 01:30 (twelve years ago)

MMM? For fucksakes.
The Bells should've got recognition on the strength of 'Families' alone...

― Sanford, Tuesday, 12 November 2013 15:26 (twelve years ago)

I own two LR albums, MMM and "Take No Prisoners"

Seeing as how TNP wasn't on this list...

― Mark G, Tuesday, 12 November 2013 16:25 (twelve years ago)

in that interview Lou says "my father never gave me shit" v convincingly.

― eclectic husbandry (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 12 November 2013 16:28 (twelve years ago)

eight years pass...

Did "The Power of the Heart" ever make it on to a proper Lou Reed album? IIRC, a studio recording made it on to a charity compilation by Cartier in 2008, but otherwise, it looks like it's just live performances.

― birdistheword, Thursday, 17 March 2022 14:55 (four years ago)

I guess I'd have been the only vote, sincerely, for Sally Can't Dance. Over the decades that I've been listening to it, it strikes me as his funniest yet most balanced solo statement. It helps that it's eight songs and 32 minutes. There's a lightness about it that isn't there in Berlin, my number 2 choice.

― Halfway there but for you, Tuesday, 22 March 2022 00:44 (four years ago)

I'm pretty into it honestly. Its rep is drugs / contractual obligation / etc afaik but yeah there's a humor to it and a weirdness that has kept me coming back for decades.

― J Edgar Noothgrush (Joan Crawford Loves Chachi), Tuesday, 22 March 2022 01:31 (four years ago)

I like it too, but would also rep for Set the Twilight Reeling as funny-moving.

― So who you gonna call? The martini police (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 22 March 2022 01:33 (four years ago)

I especially like "Adventurer" from that one, but I feel in general Ecstasy was a better record in the same vein.

― Halfway there but for you, Tuesday, 22 March 2022 02:25 (four years ago)

“kill your sons” is dynamite

― brimstead, Tuesday, 22 March 2022 02:28 (four years ago)

He studied medicine and I studied foliage

― Halfway there but for you, Tuesday, 22 March 2022 02:31 (four years ago)

I like it too, but would also rep for Set the Twilight Reeling as funny-moving.

Yeah, it's not a bad album. I love "Egg Cream" even though a lot of fans seem to shit on it. He cut a song on egg cream, so what? It's just fun, but never mind the subject matter, he made a rocking track out of it.

― birdistheword, Tuesday, 22 March 2022 03:28 (four years ago)

Set the Twilight Reeling is fantastic, NYC Man one of his best songs

― corrs unplugged, Tuesday, 22 March 2022 08:06 (four years ago)

Riptide from Set The Twilight Reeling is also one of his best songs.

― Valentijn, Tuesday, 22 March 2022 08:23 (four years ago)

The title track, "Hookywooky," "Hang on to Your Emotions," "NYC Man," all killers.

― So who you gonna call? The martini police (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 22 March 2022 09:28 (four years ago)

street hassle yeah

but self titled & the bells oughta got more votes

― unknown or illegal user (doo rag), Tuesday, 22 March 2022 10:27 (four years ago)

five months pass...

doin the things that we want to

― flamenco drop (BradNelson), Wednesday, 31 August 2022 21:13 (three years ago)

Those frank and brutal movies that are so BRILL-IANT

― Halfway there but for you, Wednesday, 31 August 2022 21:14 (three years ago)

Metal Machine Music? Like the album itself, that's next-level trolling.

― immodesty blaise (jimbeaux), Wednesday, 31 August 2022 21:15 (three years ago)

trooo love meet the ragin' bull-HOOLLL

― Malevolent Arugula (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 31 August 2022 21:21 (three years ago)

https://www.discogs.com/release/21534916-Lou-Reed-Im-So-Free-The-1971-RCA-Demos
^^this on my release radar today, even if it's not new and a copyright renewal grab, but wow, lotsa great takes

― corrs unplugged, Friday, 9 September 2022 07:12 (three years ago)

six months pass...

new sensations is def not the best lou reed studio album but this is a nice little outtake

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSBvc8QJXpY

― corrs unplugged, Tuesday, 21 March 2023 07:59 (three years ago)

Love "New Sensations".

― Maggot Bairn (Tom D.), Tuesday, 21 March 2023 08:18 (three years ago)

so does Alfred iirc

― corrs unplugged, Tuesday, 21 March 2023 08:23 (three years ago)

title track is kind of a jam I'll admit

― corrs unplugged, Tuesday, 21 March 2023 08:25 (three years ago)

“high in the city” owns

― brimstead, Tuesday, 21 March 2023 14:16 (three years ago)

hi!

― the very juice and sperm of kindness. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 21 March 2023 14:17 (three years ago)

"Endlessly Jealous," "Turn to Me" (one of my two or three favorite songs about male friendship), "Doing the Things That We Want To," so many jams.

― the very juice and sperm of kindness. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 21 March 2023 14:18 (three years ago)

Meantime, the definitive answer on his songs.

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 21 March 2023 14:18 (three years ago)

Yikes

Highly recommend reading all the articles “by” “Jared Parker” on that site.

― omar little, Tuesday, 21 March 2023 14:26 (three years ago)

I was never a Lou Reed guy but the Jokermen podcast has been slowly indoctrinating me, I was surprised by how many convincing jams are on New Sensations.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lou-reed-new-sensations-with-alex-cameron/id1519299517?i=1000602952205

― change display name (Jordan), Tuesday, 21 March 2023 15:00 (three years ago)

It's funny how "New Sensations" (the song itself) overlaps with a ton of Paul Simon songs as far as being transparent about being a successful middle-aged New York guy, kind of a family man and not a yuppie in the Wall Street sense, but also not living in the demimonde.

― underwater as a compliment (Eazy), Tuesday, 21 March 2023 17:55 (three years ago)

(Also, I just discovered "New Sensations" in 2021 and love driving/walking while listening to it. It really captures the feeling of driving out of town after weeks/months of being a non-driving city-dweller.)

― underwater as a compliment (Eazy), Tuesday, 21 March 2023 17:56 (three years ago)

I've had that big cd box for a while though...

Dug out "Coney Island Baby" and "Street Hassle" to play today. Both are fine, but "Street Hassle" wins.

― Mark G, Wednesday, 22 March 2023 19:05 (three years ago)

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