| Berlin (album) |
Article Index for Berlin |
Website Links For Berlin |
Information AboutBerlin (album) |
''Berlin'' is a 1973 album by Lou Reed , his third solo album and the follow-up to the widely accessible and upbeat glam rock classic ''Transformer'' . What was surprising about this release was that it is in direct contrast to its predecessor: ''Berlin'' is a very bleak and sad album. On the other side of the coin, it is also ranked among the best of the concept albums the 1970s had to offer, a tragic, loose musical tale about a doomed couple amid themes of drug use and Depression . Response was not good upon its release, as fans and critics were expecting another upbeat glam outing. As time has gone by, a growing number of Reed's fans have come to believe this album to be among his best as a solo artist. Musically, ''Berlin'' differs greatly from the bulk of Reed's work, due to the use of heavy orchestral arrangements, horns, and top session musicians. Instrumentally, Reed himself only contributes acoustic guitar. "The Kids" tells of a "miserable rotten slut" having her children taken from her by the authorities, and contains a particularly upsetting mid-section featuring the sounds of children shouting for their mother. This segment is so harrowing that a legend has arisen telling how producer Bob Ezrin went home one night and told his children that their mother had (in different versions) either left them or died, and recorded their response. Later, Ezrin dispelled this myth, stating that he had just asked them to cry for the recorder, and that his younger child got carried away with the game. In actuality, Joshua Ezrin, Ezrin's youngest son, was locked out of the recording studio by his mother Arlene Sarner, and while he was pleading to be let back inside, his cries were recorded and put on the album. The Waterboys take their name from a line in this song. Another myth arising from the record is that, upon completion of the record, Ezrin was hospitalized with a nervous breakdown. Instead, Ezrin later revealed, he had become addicted to Heroin and required detoxification. "Sad Song" references Mary I Of Scotland in its initial verses:
The song's chorus features an orchestral theme similar to one that later appeared in Pink Floyd 's " Comfortably Numb ", which Ezrin co-produced. As with Reed's previous two studio albums, ''Berlin'' re-drafts several songs that had been written and recorded previously. The title track first appeared on Reed's Solo Debut Album , only here it is lyrically simplified, the key changed, and re-arranged for piano. "Oh, Jim" makes use of the Velvet Underground outtake, "Oh, Gin". "Caroline Says (II)" is a rewrite of " Stephanie Says " from '' VU ''. The Velvets had also recorded a rather sedate demo of "Sad Song", which had much milder lyrics in its original form. LIVE PERFORMANCE Reed and Ezrin planned a stage adaptation of the album upon its initial release but shelved the plans due to mixed reviews and poor sales. In 2007 Reed fulfilled his original hopes by touring the album with a 30 piece band and 12 choristers. http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,,2096257,00.htm The album was digitally re-mastered and re-released on compact disc to commemorate the event. TRACK LISTING Side one #"Berlin" – 3:23 #"Lady Day" – 3:40 #"Men of Good Fortune" – 4:37 #"Caroline Says (I)" – 3:57 #"How Do You Think It Feels" – 3:42 #"Oh, Jim" – 5:13 Side two #"Caroline Says (II)" – 4:10 #"The Kids" – 7:55 #"The Bed" – 5:51 #"Sad Song" – 6:55 PERSONNEL
|
|
|