Rated Pg [Import]

rated pg [import]

Track Listings

1. Give Me A Sign

2. I Can Only Wait

3. Made In Heaven

4. Save Jerusalem

5. Save The Last Dance For Me

6. If You Can´T Be The Woman

7. Captured

8. Where Do I Belong

9. I Never Stopped Loving You

10. One Love

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
After the Sad Demise of the Baker Gurvitz Army in the Late 70's, Paul Gurvitz Went on to Appear as Bassist, Vocalist and Producer on Four of his Brother Adrian's Solo Releases Between 1978 and 1982. In 1985 Gurvitz was Signed to Chrysalis Music and Travelled to the Us to Pursue a Career as a Songwriter. It Didn't Take Long to Succeed with a Hit; Ironically it was with a British Band. The Family Quintet Five Star, who Had their First Big Hit in the UK with "All Fall Down", Followed by the Top Ten Hits "Let Me Be the One" and "Find the Time". The Latter was Written by Gurvitz, who also Wrote Another Two Chart Topping Singles for the Band.

Rated Pg,Paul Gurvitz,Revisited,Heavy Metal,Rock

Rated Pg [Import]

The Phantom of the Opera (Original 1986 London Cast)

Average customer rating:

A disappointment after the film soundtrack.
Phantom of the Opera
Awesome! must get for Phantom or opera fans....
The Phantom Of The Opera (1986 Original London Cast)
The Perfect Phantom

The Phantom of the Opera (Original 1986 London Cast)
Charles Hart
Manufacturer: Decca Broadway
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Les Miserables (1987 Original Broadway Cast)
Cats (1982 Original Broadway Cast)
The Phantom of the Opera (The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
The Phantom of the Opera (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Rent (1996 Original Broadway Cast)

ASIN: B00004YTY2
Release Date: 2001-02-06

Tracks:

Prologue
Overture
Act One, Scene I: Think Of Me
Act One, Scene 2: Angel Of Music
Act One, Scene 3: Little Lotte.../The Mirror (Angel Of Music)
Act One, Scene 4: The Phantom Of The Opera
Act One, Scene 5: The Music Of The Night
Act One, Scene 6: I Remember.../Stranger Than You Dreamt It...
Act One, Scene 7: Magical Lasso...
Act One, Scene 8: Notes.../Prima Donna
Act One, Scene 9: Poor Fool, He Makes Me Laugh
Act One, Scene 10: Why Have You Brought Me Here.../Raoul, I've Been There
Act One, Scene 10: All I Ask Of You
Act One, Scene 10: All I Ask Of You (Reprise)

Tracks:

Entr'acte
Act Two, Scene 1: Masquerade/Why So Silent...
Act Two, Scene 3: Notes.../Twisted Every Way...
Act Two, Scene 5: Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again
Act Two, Scene 5: Wandering Child.../Bravo, Monsieur
Act Two, Scene 7: The Point Of No Return
Act Two, Scene 8: Down Once More.../Track Down This Murderer

Amazon.com essential recording

What's left to be said about Andrew Lloyd Webber's adaptation of The Phantom of the Opera a decade after its premiere? That it's maddeningly ubiquitous? A stitch-up of various themes shoplifted from the Italian operatic repertoire? A critic-proof crowd pleaser that's probably being staged somewhere in the world as you read this? A megahit that will likely outlive Titanic in the pop-culture pantheon, Phantom has largely redefined--for better or worse--the manner in which modern musicals are conceived, staged, and marketed. Its influence has reached far beyond the traditional confines of London and Broadway. A favorite example: an abridged version that was the centerpiece of Los Angeles's longest-running transvestite revue, replete with 14-inch chandeliers and a man-playing-a-woman-playing-a-man in the title role. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

A disappointment after the film soundtrack........2007-06-11

I apologize in advance if this review is too cynical and overly-critical for some tastes, but I am mostly disappointed with the London Cast recording. I'll start with my biggest irritations and work my way down, then say some good things about this particular version of "Phantom".
Sarah Brightman overpronounces to the point of absurdity with her hebrew "heard" and "operar" in "Why Have You Brought Us Here." In "Down Once More" I only know what she's saying because I already knew the words from Emmy Rossum in the film. Brightman sounds no more elegant than Carlotta, whose voice I actually prefer because, ironically, it's more pure and understandable. However, Brightman is a fabulous opera singer with wonderful vibrato and a very impressive range... but Rossum is still the preferable choice.
Michael Crawford... man or woman? He may be a high-flying tenor, but sometimes that just goes too far, making him sound whiny and weak. Another major note: he cannot act! He may be more operatic than Gerard Butler in his singing, but he is a horrendous actor. "Down Once More" was turned from the heart-wrenching ultra-powerful piece I know into a disappointment thanks to Crawford's terrible "acting." Also, "Music of the Night" is a disaster when he sings it. Not only does his bad acting tear it down substantially, but he tries to sing bass notes. Tries and fails, mind you. He ends up making the piece a strangled, overpronounced, over-legato mess. He is a wonderful opera tenor, with truly inspiring vibrato, but his sometimes whiny voice and horrible job with the role of the Phantom make him somewhat lesser than Gerard Butler.
As for Raoul, either one is just as skilled as the other. One is more youthful and soft, while the other is more masculine and bass. I think they are equally skilled in all categories.
Every piece in this soundtrack I prefer the film version of, although sometimes there are parts of songs which I feel differently about. The only full song I prefer from this over the film soundtrack is none other than "The Phantom of the Opera." The film version has too many drawn out instrumental bits, which can get tedious. Also, it is missing my favorite verse. The "Phantom" from this soundtrack has vastly better vocal performances from both singers, since Gerard is very strained and this song is all about singing, not really acting.
The only song I like more in this version is "Phantom of the Opera." All others are, for the most part, a disappointment. Just a plain disappointment.

Phantom of the Opera.......2007-05-21

I love love love this soundtrack!!! I have seen on broadway in NY when I was younger and fell in love with it. Now I own every version of it. But this is by far the best cast.

Awesome! must get for Phantom or opera fans...........2007-05-17

I saw this performance in London and this is just like being there, awesome quality, amazing vocals......when I listen, I can feel the red velvet seats in the theater and taste the gin and tonic from the intermission......far superior performances than the recent movie.....I had to throw it away after hearing the real deal.....You will be happy with this one.....

The Phantom Of The Opera (1986 Original London Cast).......2007-05-10

I never received the CD's but the seller was super at trying to trace down what happened to it. I would recommend the seller to any one. Very Honest person.

The Perfect Phantom.......2007-04-20

Andrew Lloyd Webber has outdone himself (and that was pretty hard to do considering his past great works). He chose a great story by Gaston Leroux to adapt into a broadway musical. It doesn't hurt that he has two of the greatest broadway singers as his stars. Michael Crawford was (and still is) the greatest Phantom. His clear, soft voice is exactly what the role calls for. Plus it doesn't hurt he has great lung capacity (listen to the end of "The Music of the Night"). Crawford is a master at portraying all of the Phantom's emotions, contrasting between love, anger, and sadness. Sarah Brightman plays Christine better than anyone. Her high-pitched voice and clear diction have never been matched. The great cast is rounded out by: Steve Barton as Raoul, while not a great singer, he is very emotional; John Savident and David Firth as Monsieurs' Firmin and Andre are a great comedic pair. The cast is the best I've heard, in one of the greatest musicals.

Highlights From The Phantom Of The Opera: The Original London Cast Recording (1986 London Cast)

Average customer rating:

Music of the Night????????
Great short version!
A long time favorite
The Best Recording of this Show Available
Great CD

Highlights From The Phantom Of The Opera: The Original London Cast Recording (1986 London Cast)

Manufacturer: Decca Broadway
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Les Miserables (Highlights from the 1987 Original Broadway Cast)
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The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection

ASIN: B000001FLQ
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Overture
Think Of Me
Angel Of Music
The Mirror (Angel Of Music)
The Phantom Of The Opera
The Music Of The Night
Prima Donna
All I Ask Of You/Reprise
Entr'acte
Masquerade
Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again
The Point Of No Return
Down Once More.../Track Down This Murderer

Amazon.com

Highlight versions of cast recordings are by definition a compromise, and this reduction of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera is no exception. Weighing in at 59 minutes, it's over 40 minutes shorter than the two-disc version, excising many musical scenes that convey the flow and impact of the show (which include, admittedly, a lot of patter and screaming). On the other hand, all the hits are here--"Think of Me," "Angel of Music," the title tune, "The Music of the Night," "All I Ask of You," "Masquerade," and "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again"--and Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman are still on hand to make their distinctive contributions to the original London cast. So if you're looking for a convenient, inexpensive single disc that will let you enjoy Lloyd Webber's scrumptious melodies without having to immerse yourself in the action, this just might be for you. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

Music of the Night????????.......2007-02-28

I really liked the idea of a highlights cd; however, The Music of the Night is not the same one that is on the original two-disc cd. The words aren't even the same. If you enjoy Music of the Night, skip this cd. Otherwise, this cd would be 5 stars.

Great short version!.......2006-12-06

If you only want to hear the songs from this musical, this one is for you. But if you want the full version, get the 4-disc version. I listen to this version in my car when I'm on the road, but I listen to the 4-disc version at home. Both versions are worth the purchase.

A long time favorite.......2006-08-26

This is one of my most treasured CDs. The voices of the cast are incredible! "Think of Me" and "All I Ask of You" are 2 of my favorites. If you enjoy the story behind Phantom, yu will like this soundtrack.

The Best Recording of this Show Available.......2006-04-21

I think that this is the best PHANTOM soundtrack out there:

1)It has the original Broadway cast, the best.
2)It cuts out the more risqu? parts of the show (believe me, there are some), making it "appropriate for the whole family."
3)The entire CD is on one disc, so you can go through the show w/o switching discs.
4)The only song that the movie soundtrack has on it that this doesn't is "Learn to Be Lonely," which appears in the credits, and isn't really a great song anyways.

Great CD.......2006-03-14

I bought this CD as a birthday gift for my boyfriend. We had misplaced the one that we had and needed a new one. This is one of our favorite cd's. Such beautiful music.

Rogue's Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs, and Chanteys

Average customer rating:

Fun--but not great
aaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrghhhhhhhhhhhhh!
Disappointment would be an understatement
Zzz...
another set of hopes are smashed

Rogue's Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs, and Chanteys
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Anti
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Library of Congress Collection: American Sea Shanties and Songs
Shanties & Songs of the Sea

ASIN: B000GGSMD0
Release Date: 2006-08-22

Tracks:

Cape Cod Girls - Baby Gramps
Mingulay Boat Song - Richard Thompson
My Son John - John C. Reilly
Fire Down Below - Nick Cave
Turkish Revelry - Loudon Wainwright III
Bully In The Alley - The Old Prunes
The Cruel Ship's Captain - Bryan Ferry
Dead Horse - Robin Holcomb
Spansih Ladies - Bill Frisell
High Barbary - Joseph Arthur
Haul Away Joe - Mark Anthony Thompson
Dan Dan - David Thomas
Blood Red Roses - Sting
Sally Brown - Teddy Thompson
Lowlands Away - Rufus Wainwright & Kate McGarrigle
Baltimore Whores - Gavin Friday
Rolling Sea - Eliza McCarthy
Haul On The Bowline - Bob Neuwirth
Dying Sailor to His Shipmates - Bono
Bonnie Portmore - Lucinda Williams
The Mermaid - Martin Carthy & the UK Group
Shenandoah - Richard Greene & Jack Shit
The Cry Of Man - Mary Margaret O'Hara

Tracks:

Boney - Jack Shit
Good Ship Venus - Loudon Wainwright III
Long Time Ago -White Magic
Pinery Boy - Nick Cave
Lowlands Low - Bryan Ferry w/Antony
One Spring Morning - Akron/Family
Hog Eye Man - Martin Carthy & Family
The Fiddler/A Drop Of Nelson's Blood - Ricky Jay & Richard Greene
Caroline and Her Young Sailor Bold - Andrea Corr
Fathom The Bowl - John C. Reilly
Drunken Sailor - Dave Thomas
Farewell Nancy - Ed Harcourt
Hanging Johnny - Stan Ridgway
Old Man of The Sea - Baby Gramps
Greenland Whale Fisheries - Van Dyke Parks
Shallow Brown - Sting
The Grey Funnel Line - Jolie Holland
A Drop of Nelson's Blood - Jarvis Cocker
Leave Her Johnny - Lou Reed
Little Boy Billy - Ralph Steadman

Amazon.com

Johnny Depp and director Gore Verbinski hatched the idea for Rogue's Gallery while filming "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest"--that idea being to cast genteel rock superstars like Bono, Lou Reed, Bryan Ferry, Andre Corr, and Sting to reinterpret gritty seafaring standards for an exhaustive 43-track double-disc set produced by Hal Wilner. Throw in a bunch of credible folk stars (Loudon Wainwright III, Richard Thompson), their offspring (Rufus, Teddy) and a string of other curious characters (Jarvis Cocker, Antony) and what results is one of the strangest compilations in recent memory, if not exactly the most historically authentic or, well, digestible. Nick Cave embraces the role just a little too hard on "Fire Down Below," while Ferry can't help but sound like he's singing for the cast of "The Love Boat," but cut through the chaff and there is some real bootie here: Bono's "Dying Sailor to His Shipmates," Jolie Holland's "The Grey Funnel Line" and "Boney" by a mysterious tramp called Jack Sh**, which must be some kind of anagram for Johnny Depp. --Aidin Vaziri

Album Description

While working on the two "Pirates Of The Carribean" films, Johnny Depp and director Gore Verbinski became fascinated with the lore and fable of the pirates and sailors who ran the high seas. Enter legendary producer Hal Wilner, who brings his knack for matching maverick musicians with extraordinary material. Artists on this double disc set include Bono, Sting, Nick Cave, Bryan Ferry, Lou Reed, Richard Thompson, Lucinda Williams, Jarvis Cocker of Pulp, and many more. "Rogue's Gallery" offers a look at the hardships, the horrors, the lusts and lurid depths, and the crystal beauty that led men to the sea in ships for hundreds of years.

Customer Reviews:

Fun--but not great.......2007-07-03

What a concept--a pirate song co-produced by Verbinski and Depp inspired by the "Pirates of the Carribean" series. It should be great and in places, it is. The big question I came away with is--who is Jack Sh**? That one definitely has me guessing.

I won't belabor the song content or the production value. I think the most notable reviews have got that down pat, although I'm not marking down as far as they have because I'm giving points for originality being a fan of Spike Jones and some other truly demented people.

One thing to note: this is not a CD you'd buy if you were looking for something to amuse your kids. Some of the content is very bawdy and Mom and Dad would have some serious 'splaining to do to the little pirates. There's both some language and some situations that are more twisted than a Hangman's knot.

aaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrghhhhhhhhhhhhh!.......2007-06-09

Some of the songs are quite good(mellow)others a little odd. Its what I expected, but not what you would expect.

Disappointment would be an understatement.......2007-06-04

It is not unusual to find sea shanties performed by not the greatest musicians or singers in the world. It is not unusual to find shanties sung by people who have difficulty keeping perfect pitch, or tempo. But at least they understand what the music is about, and sing it with heart and enthusiasm and a love for the genre.

Hal Wilner should stick to whatever genre it is that made him know enough to be approached by labels, because he clearly has no understanding, and less enthusiasm for *this* genre.

If you love lively music from the maritime era, you can only be bitterly disappointed by this collection. Out of 43 tracks, I found 15 that were salvageable. Sort of.

I've already tossed this onto the pile to go to the resale shop. It wasn't worthy the cost of shipping.

Zzz..........2007-04-04

I have to admit that I have no idea what kinds of music the pirates sang aboard their ships. I know it probably wasn't "yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me," but I expected something different than this. I think my expectations have been colored by groups like The Pogues, Flogging Molly, The Tossers, and the Real McKenzies. I have an annual Pirate Party and I was hoping to find some good music here to get people in the mood for a treasure hunt or pirate liar's dice, but instead, the music on this CD is something I'd put on if the party went on too long and I wanted to encourage people to leave. Some of it is actually awful and the rest is too slow and plodding to inject much energy into any situation.

I appreciate what was attempted here (contemporary artists paying homage to sea chanteys in the spirit of our romanticized version of the pirate era) but it just doesn't really work. The effect is similar to what would be achieved if the London Philharmonic Orchestra attempted to play rap "music" with Luciano Pavarotti rhymin' while flashing gang signs.

another set of hopes are smashed.......2007-03-29

the selection of titles attracted me. The quality of the arrangements, the voices, and the music---are all quite bad.

It is VERY sad that these same titles, could not have been produced for quality. They sound like a nightmare.

Average customer rating:

The Andrew Lloyd Weber Collection
Andrew Lloyd Webber
The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection
The Best You'll See from Sarah
The Angel of Music

The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection

Manufacturer: Decca Broadway
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Love Changes Everything: The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection, Vol. 2
Sarah Brightman Classics
Time to Say Goodbye
La Luna
Harem

ASIN: B00000I0XW
Release Date: 1999-06-01

Tracks:

The Phantom Of The Opera: The Phantom Of The Opera
Song & Dance: Unexpected Song
Aspects Of Love: Chanson D'enfance
The Phantom Of The Opera: All I Ask Of You
Evita: Don't Cry For Me Argentina
Evita: Another Suitcase In Another Hall
Aspects Of Love: Love Changes Everything
Friends For Life
Cats: Memory
Cats: Gus: The Theatre Cat
Aspects Of Love: Anything But Lonely
Cats: Macavity: The Mystery Cat
Tell Me On A Sunday/Song & Dance: Tell Me On A Sunday
The Phantom Of The Opera: Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again
Requiem: Pie Jesu
The Phantom Of The Opera: The Music Of The Night

Amazon.com essential recording

Sarah Brightman's career was launched by her success in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera, so it's no surprise to hear the soprano paying homage to the composer on this disc. Really a Brightman best-of, the album includes the Phantom theme (a duet with Michael Crawford), the light-opera fare of "Chanson D'enfance" from Aspects of Love, "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina" from Evita, and numerous other Lloyd Webber classics. Throughout, Brightman's diminutive voice lends a fragility to these musical theater tunes that you'll either love or despise. On Evita's "Another Suitcase, Another Hall" and Cats' "Memory," she literally chirps through the vocal lines. No matter. The growing legion of Brightman fans wouldn't have it any other way. --Jason Verlinde

Album Details

Another Compilation of Stage Favourites - Some Tracks Are Hard to Find Elsewhere.

Customer Reviews:

The Andrew Lloyd Weber Collection.......2007-05-12

Sarah Brightman sings in good form classic songs and does a great job!!

Andrew Lloyd Webber .......2007-02-12

Excellent Broadway music--a true master. Sing along or just listen. First heard her on PBS.

The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection.......2007-01-05

Sarah Brightman has always been a favorite of mine, and this CD is outstanding. The duet with Jose Carreras (Friends for Life) is especially good--worth buying the CD for that song alone.

The Best You'll See from Sarah.......2006-09-09

This CD is - wow! I have so much to say about it and so little time! This album features three pieces from "The Phantom of the Opera" - Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again, The Music of the Night, and The Phantom of the Opera theme. They're all beautiful. The second piece on the album is "Unexpected Song". It has beautiful octaves and orchastrations. Chanson d'Efance is an amazing French piece with vibrato - and then some. I forgot to mention that there is another piece from The Phantom of the Opera - All I Ask of You - except that the song is not sung by the original cast from the musical. The next few pieces are fairly decent, until you get to Memory from Cats. WOW - is it spectacular! Then we get to two other pieces from Cats - Gus: The Theater Cat and Macavity: The Mystery Cat. Gus is a song that just tells about a cat and his history. A man speaks the lines that Gus would say in the actual musical - and it makes the song interesting. Macavity is AWESOME! I know that I said that I didn't prefer this song for Brightman on her album "Surrender". I finally listened to it more carefully, and found that it's really interesting to listen to! My favorite song on the whole entire album - however - has to be "Tell Me on a Sunday". Beautiful lyrics, orchestrations, and overall spectacular voice talent ties the whole song together. Pie Jesu is a fairly nice piece from both Brightman and Paul Miles-Kingston - the 16 year old boy soprano. His voice is pure and straight with minimal vibrato. However, Brightman's voice shows a little bit TOO much vibrato! Overally, it's a good piece from Andrew Lloyd Webber's Requium. THIS CD IS AMAZING! If you love Sarah from the Phantom of the Opera, then this collection of Lloyd Webber's work is just for you.

I also recommend Charlotte Church - (in her earlier career) - including Voice of an Angel and her self-titled album. I also recommend Love Changes Everything - The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection Vol.2 - just another grouping of Webber's classics. I also recommend Andrea Boucelli - he's awesome!

The Angel of Music.......2006-03-13

This is the third copy of this I've purchased. I wear them out listening to them. Awesome, Awesome music. Sarah's range and depth is so powerful!

Average customer rating:

Better than even the Velvets
Up there with the VU records
His most focused, consistent and interesting album
annoying glam bowie production
Not his best album but certainly his most accessible

Transformer
Lou Reed
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00006LLOG
Release Date: 2002-10-22

Tracks:

Vicious
Andy's Chest
Perfect Day
Hangin' 'Round
Walk On The Wild Side
Make Up
Satellite Of Love
Wagon Wheel
New York Telephone Conversation
I'm So Free
Goodnight Ladies
Hangin' 'Round (Acoustic Demo)
Perfect Day (Acoustic Demo)

Amazon.com

This sophomore release by the Velvet Underground cofounder has long been hailed as one of the key touchstones of the punk and alternative eras that followed it. Reinforcing the literary adage to "write what you know," Reed paints an alternately detached/debauched portrait of the drag-and-drugs-infused underground of Warhol's New York, a place, time, and mindset so compelling it has largely overshadowed the rest of the singer-songwriter's mercurial career. That the album would also give Reed an unlikely Top 20 pop hit via the teasing, twisted sexuality of "Walk on the Wild Side" is but one of its deep, rewarding ironies. Indeed, as produced by David Bowie and guitarist and cohort Mick Ronson at the height of their own Ziggy Stardust fame, Reed's songs are cast in a seductive cabaret setting that's more Jacques Brel than Lower East Side. This 30th-anniversary edition features two unreleased acoustic demos ("Hangin' 'Round," "Perfect Day"), a vintage radio spot by announcer and word-jazz cult fave Ken Nordine, and a new illustrated booklet and perceptive essay by Michael Hill. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

Better than even the Velvets.......2007-06-27

Lou Reed really topped his former abilities from the velvet period here. And I know that this is a feat few people have ever accomplished, creating something more worthwile that the Velvet Underground. This album is sarcastic and most important, it's good rock and roll.

Up there with the VU records.......2006-12-07

Okay, I'm a VU nutcase - that must be said. I bought all four of their original studio albums in a three-week span, if you wanted any proof. I also like Reed's solo stuff, and this is a great record. The wonderfully twisted Walk on the Wild Side was Lou's only top 40 hit, and indeed it's quite a song. But don't, as some have, overlook rockers such as Vicious or Hangin' 'Round, Satellite of Love (featuring David Bowie, who produced the record, singing a great backup vocal); the slightly overblown but still good ballad Perfect Day; the bizarre Andy's Chest, which is a lot of fun; or the hilarious New York Telephone Conversation. Wagon Wheel, I'm So Free and Goodnight Ladies are weak, but overall Transformer is an excellent record. Okay, I'll admit that I miss Reed's expiremental edge (it's interesting that David Bowie, the man behind the excellent Station to Station album, didn't tap into that), and as I said before a couple songs are weak. But hey, it's great, and sure better than the overrated Rock 'n' Roll Animal.

His most focused, consistent and interesting album.......2006-11-19

This has always been my favorite Lou Reed album.

I am a big fan however, to be a fan is to also realize that Lou Reed can be pretentious and self indulgent, he's a real hit and miss artist and he goes into phases. These so-called detriments also make him great...he's a true artist that takes chances and does not try to appease the commerciality of his work. This album achieves the perfect balance between experimental, listenable and commercial.

There is an incredible variety of different songs and sounds here;

"Vicious" is a great rave up with the dirtiest, raunchiest, nastiest and most fuzzed out guitar tone that I have ever heard. It's a great song with lyrics that perfectly fit the title of the song.

"Andy's Chest" is a this wonderfully odd, perverted and surrealistic ballad.

The clasic "Walk on the Willd Side" is a tale of what it was like to hang out and observe the characters that come in and out of Andy Warhol's world. The song sounds pretty simply but, for its time, it was innovative in its use of featuring a fretless bass. From a musical perspective, this is a cool song.

"Perfect Day" in my opinion, is the best song on the album. It is gorgeous and conveys a nice sense of optimism.

"Hanging Around" is a conventional rock song.

"Make Up" is a weird, ode to gay-ness anmd transvestism. How many songs utilize the tuba as the featured instrument?

"Satellite of Love" is a leftover Velvet Underground tune and is another beautiful melody.

Most Lou Reed albums have flashes of brilliance but there are also unlistenable ones as well. This album, from start to finsh, is great. It has a certain bohemian theme which links all the songs.

A greatest hits compilation is difficult with this artist since his different phases created a very wide variety of songs and sounds. "Transformer" was probably the start of Lou's glam period. He had a lot of confidence in his work and plenty of critical attention was placed upon him.

This is the best introductory Lou Reed work.

annoying glam bowie production .......2006-11-12

the songs are cool, but the bowie sound doesn't mix well with lou reed. ronson's guitars are irritating, with a horrible thin, garbled tone, and bowie's backing vocals are manic and distracting. the only song that really sounds right is the beautifully understated walk on the wild side, which is of course perfect.

Not his best album but certainly his most accessible.......2006-09-25

Lou Reed would release his second solo album, Transformer, in 1972. At the time, he had yet to achieve commercial success as his self-titled debut album had bombed and his four albums with the Velvet Underground, as great as they were, had yet to achieve the critical acclaim they would deserve over time. David Bowie was brought in to produce the album, adding a glam-rock feel to Reed's tougher street smart sound. This, along with a strong set of songs, would give Reed his greatest commercial success with Transformer and also give him his lone Top 20 hit in "Walk on the Wild Side." Although Reed would release better albums than this in the future, Berlin and New York being two of them, neither of them would reach the masses like Transformer.

While Transformer does possess a glam feel in both its lyrics and music, the tracks that deviate from that formula are the ones that work best. The big hit "Walk on the Wildside", one of the most controversial songs to get played on AM radio, shows Reed's tale of decadence complemented by a cool jazz bass line, female doo wop vocals straight out of the 50's, and a great sax solo at its closing. The excellent "Satellite of Love", "New York Telephone Conversation", and "Andy's Chest" continue the `50s tradition with both their vocals and arrangements. Reed also visits his roots with "Vicious", a wicked track that sounds like something from the Loaded album only harder. The beautiful "Perfect Day" and the risqué "Make Up" would also reveal the more grandiose arrangements that would come on his next album, Berlin. The glam rock songs "Hangin' Round", "Wagon Wheel", and "I'm So Free" are all decent but aren't as strong lyrically or musically as the rest of the album. The closing track is a jazzy take of "Goodnight Ladies" that is actually pretty cool. All told, while Transformer isn't Lou Reed's best album, it's still very good and a newcomer to his solo material should start here since this is certainly his most accessible work.

The Music Man (1957 Original Broadway Cast)

Average customer rating:

Music Man
One of This Country's Finest Musicals Beautifully Re-Mastered
We need a new remaster, nonetheless
Accept no substitutes!
Preston and Cook are the best ever

The Music Man (1957 Original Broadway Cast)

Manufacturer: Capitol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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My Fair Lady (1956 Original Broadway Cast)
South Pacific (Original 1949 Broadway Cast)
Camelot (1960 Original Broadway Cast)
West Side Story (1957 Original Broadway Cast)
Guys & Dolls: A Decca Broadway Original Cast Recording (1950 Original Broadway Cast)

ASIN: B00000DQTY
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Overture/Rock Island
Iowa Stubborn
Ya Got Trouble
Piano Lesson
Goodnight My Someone
Seventy Six Trombones
Sincere
The Sadder-But-Wiser Girl For Me
Pick-A-Little/Goodnight Ladies
Marian The Librarian
My White Knight
Wells Fargo Wagon
It's You
Shipoopi
Lida Rose/Will I Ever Tell You
Gary, Indiana
Till There Was You
Finale

Amazon.com

Although Robert Preston and Barbara Cook put in stellar performances, it's the music that's the star of this hugely successful document of the 1958 Broadway smash. Written entirely by Meredith Willson, it drew from memories of his childhood in a small Midwestern town. Preston plays a traveling salesman/con artist, while Cook is the dull spinster "Marian the Librarian," whose love for Preston's character makes her come alive. "Seventy-Six Trombones" has become a marching band standard, while "Ya Got Trouble" (featuring dizzying fast-talk from Preston) and "'Til There Was You" (with a gorgeous vocal from Cook) remain well known even among those who have never seen the show. The latter was also a favorite of the Beatles, who covered it on their first album. --Dawn Eden

Customer Reviews:

Music Man.......2007-02-09

The original cast recording brings back the memory of the live production I saw which will always be superior, in my opinion, to the movie version. However, the movie was one of the better "reproductions" of this genre.

One of This Country's Finest Musicals Beautifully Re-Mastered.......2006-11-23

THE MUSIC MAN opened on Broadway on December 19, 1957 to rave reviews from the critics, adulations from the captivated audiences, and the beginning of a long run. This wondrous musical is an 'opera' of sorts in that the piece is not a series of songs connected by the usual musical comedy spoken dialogue. Meredith Willson wrote the music and lyrics in such a way that there is not an extraneous note or word that doesn't contribute to the totality of the work.

Despite the multiple reincarnations of this brilliant show both on film and recording, none of them compares to this original cast. Imagine Barbara Cook (lithe, and new) as Marian the Librarian: Cook still reigns as one of our finest voices on the stage and cabaret rooms today. Robert Preston is not only rich in personality he also delivers the immensely complex patter songs with deft authority. And the Buffalo Bills add the multiple barbershop quartet numbers with authentic sound and professionalism.

This musical holds all of the joys and imaginations and longings that we all hold so dear in our memories of how things used to be - and it is so terrific to return to that stage of ecstasy again. This is a must own CD. Grady Harp, November 06

We need a new remaster, nonetheless.......2006-10-22

A very interesting photo on the liner booklet's back cover demonstrates the one real flaw in this otherwise classic recording: it shows Robert Preston at the album sessions singing at two mikes, a fat Neumann with a Capitol flag and a skinny one, probably an AKG. This can only mean Capitol recorded this in simultaneous mono and stereo takes. With all that knob twiddling the balance had to go off, a problem not entirely corrected by the reissue engineer Bob Norberg, whose remasterings of Ol' Blue's Capitol mono output have earned scorn from some Sinatraphiles for their slight fake echo and stereo effects. (He remastered just about every album in the Broadway Angel series; the monos all appear to have the echo and stereo.) I guess we should be happy to have this in any form at all given how the other majors turned it down. Capitol was late and indifferent to the cast album trade, and it only had three hits before making its monumental closing botch of "Follies." However the label approached it it's still a great and exciting score perfectly performed. Who could have imagined a hit musical with a barbershop quartet? And if only all women could sing like Barbara Cook! Who says you can have too much of a good thing?

With the show's fiftieth anniversary coming up (!) now would be a good time for a remaster. (I know, I know, I'm tired of paying repeatedly for the same product too, but this deserves it.) It should include a second disc with the 1959 Capitol documentary LP "And Then I Wrote 'The Music Man'", where Meredith Willson and his wife Rini detail the eight years of trials and rewrites behind the show. Nor would it hurt to have bonuses like Willson's original take on "Till There Was You" (called "Till I Met You," which Fran Warren evidently first sang on "The Big Show") or a few licensed pop balladeers of the day -- and maybe examples like the 70s jingle for the late lamented Oldsmobile ("Oh ho the new Oldsmobile is a -- comin' down the line...."). It must also include Willson's contentious JFK physical fitness tune "Chicken Fat", recorded about the time "The Music Man" was filmed and available only on oddball Web music sites, where Preston yells and grunts himself into an athletic -- passion. (I keep thinking Allan Sherman recorded a full version of his notorious parody "76 Sol Cohens", but I guess he didn't.) The whole thing should end with a live public-radio performance from 1980 or 1981 where Willson led the superb Detroit Concert Band in "76 Trombones" and "The Stars and Stripes Forever" -- an apt and brilliant finish.

No, I have not forgotten the Beatles, but I fear neither have their lawyers.

Accept no substitutes!.......2006-08-22

This the best version of "The Music Man" available, especially if you're looking for the Broadway cast. The performances here are all terrific, the recording and mastering are great, and the liner notes are informative and thorough. "The Music Man" is available in several other versions and forms, including other releases of the same original cast recording, but without the good mastering or liner notes found here. My wife and I, hoping to listen to this great show with our kids, first purchased other versions that were easier to find (e.g., on iTunes) and those were major disappointments. Buy this CD (Broadway Classics from Angel) and accept no substitutes.

Preston and Cook are the best ever.......2006-07-15

Yes, the film is a delight, and Shirley Jones is certainly good as Marian. But the original cast album of this wonderful musical remains the best version ever, mostly thanks to Barbara Cook, whose voice was and remains a miracle of rare device to listen to.

For years I thought I was the only person who was in love with her voice, wearing out vinyl LPs of this musical with replaying. Then, in the early 80s I saw Cook in a one woman show in London, and discovered I was part of a fanatical following! The other reviews here on Amazon confirm the truth: there is only one truly great Marian, Madam Librarian.

Watch the movie, which is a terrific adaptation of the stage show, go to professional and amateur revivals of the musical, but buy this recording of the score for repeated listening. There is nothing better.

Average customer rating:

Children's Favorites a solid purchase
The perfect package
A Wonderful Introduction to the Classics

Children's Favorites

Manufacturer: Vox (Classical)
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

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Classical Music for Children: A Toddler's Introduction to Classical Music
Classics for Kids
Pavarotti's Opera Made Easy-My Favourite Opera For Children
Bernstein Favorites: Children's Classics
World's Very Best Opera for Kids... in English!

ASIN: B00004Y6T3
Release Date: 2000-09-05

Tracks:

March Of The Tin Soldiers - Leon Jessel
Variations On 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star' - Walter Klien
The Nutcracker: Dance Of The Reed Flutes - Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky
The Nutcracker: Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy - Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky
The Sorceror's Apprentice - Paul Dukas
Peter And The Wolf (Extract) - Brandon de Wilde
Invention No. 8 In F Major - Christiane Jaccottet
Invention No. 11 in G Minor - Christiane Jaccottet
Invention No. 13 in A Minor - Christiane Jaccottet
Prelude And Fugue No. 21 In B Flat Major (Book 1) - Christiane Jaccottet
Sonata For 2 Pianos In D Major, K. 448, 1st Mvt. - Rudolf Firkusny
III. Allegretto - Walter Klien
Kinderszenen: Of Strange Lands And People - Walter Klien
Kinderszenen: Curious Story - Walter Klien
Kinderszenen: Entreating Child - Walter Klien
Kinderszenen: Perfect Happiness - Walter Klien
Introduction And Royal March - Marylene Dosse
The Elephant - Marylene Dosse
Kangaroos - Marylene Dosse
The Aquarium - Marylene Dosse
Cuckoo In The Woods - Marylene Dosse
Birds - Marylene Dosse
Fossils - Marylene Dosse
The Swan - Marylene Dosse
Finale - Marylene Dosse

Customer Reviews:

Children's Favorites a solid purchase.......2006-03-09

This CD mostly delivered what was expected of it. The only critique I have is that some of the tempos could have been cleaner, and that it should be cross-referenced by the other composers besides J. S. Bach.

The perfect package.......2005-10-23

This is the most wonderful collection to have on 1 CD. Children from birth on up can benefit from this musical collage.
Songs from the "Nutcracker" are familiar and comfortable for many children. What child wouldn't love "March of the Tin Soldiers?"
Selections from Saint-Saens' "Carnival of the Animals" is a must in my creative movement library. Every child should be exposed to this music. Well,I believe every age should be.

A Wonderful Introduction to the Classics.......2003-03-11

With total playing time clocking in at 78:04 minutes of music, you'll be paying about 6-cents/minute, which is a better bargain than long distance phone calls, and often more rewarding!

This disc is far superior than most other "Classics for Kids"-type recordings I've sampled for a number of reasons:

1) This album was expertly engineered. The production quality on this disc is first-rate from start to finish with crisp, clear sound.

2) The pieces were expertly picked. There is wonderful sonic variety here, spanning hundreds of years of wonderful melodies. There are orchestral pieces, harpsichord pieces, solo piano, and a piano concerto, capped off with Saint-Seans whimsical Carnival of the Animals. What kid (or adult) wouldn't love that?

3) The performances are, without exeption, expert! The pieces were definately screened for quality as well as content. Many are simply a joy to behold. Walter Klein is a particular stand-out, almost giddily prancing through Schumann's pieces. Believe it or not, he sounds even more impressive when backed up by the always inspiring Minnesota Orchestra on Mozart's Piano Concerto #17.

Tracks:

Intro/Sweet Jane
Heroin
How Do You Think It Feels - (previously unreleased)
Caroline Says I - (previously unreleased)
White Light/White Heat
Lady Day
Rock 'N' Roll

Amazon.com

Recorded live in 1973, Rock N Roll Animal is Reed's glam-rock sneer back at his Velvet Underground legacy. Four tracks are VU classics (two about the redemptive power of rock, two about the transformative power of dope) dressed up into slick, flashy twin-guitar noodle-fests, with big riffs and showboating solos and Reed practically phoning in his vocals. It was something of a hit at the time, and it's easy to hear how the simple forcefulness of these songs sounded good on early-1970s radio. But Reed doesn't bother to conceal his contempt for the commercial trappings he's put on his songs--"Heroin," in particular, turns from savage ambivalence into an easy cartoon--and the album's hard to like now. Two previously unissued tracks from 1973's Berlin-"How Do You Think It Feels" and "Caroline Says I"-flesh out this reissue version of the original LP. --Douglas Wolk

Customer Reviews:

This is Rock 'n Roll!.......2007-06-27

Yeah, I know it's Alice Cooper's live band - who do you think Alice learned it from? The intro to "Sweet Jane" is every garage band's dream. I have this on vinyl - I'm digitizing it as I type this - and this is the sound of the dark side of getting high and walking on the wild side - and it's live! One of the best live albums, from a musician who put his soul into it. You want formula? You won't get it here.

Lou Reed's Finest.......2007-06-27

This is music from his earlier releases and I believe this is Lou Reed at his best ever. A collector item to have.

My first Reed album.......2007-05-29

Took the advice of other reviewers to buy this as an intro to Lou Reed. The guitar work on this album is simply amazing. Every track features some excellent loud engaging jams. I was disappointed, however, in the lyrics for the album. Reed seemed to lack energy on most of the tracks (could be partially due to his style) especially in 'Rock and Roll' I felt the studio versions would be much better lyrically, but as far as the overall performance of the band, I thought this CD was superb.

ULTIMATE ROCK TWIST FIX.......2007-04-12

Was actually listening to a little Velvet Underground the other night with some peeps, and we got to talking about them. I personally have always enjoyed some of the stuff they did, but have never considered them to be as great as others make them out to be. The banana peel album is pretty cool, real trippy like.. other albums are iffy (though I will say there are goods on them). And what about Lou Reed in general? eh. Solo stuffs not my favorite.
Rock and Roll Animal though... This disc rocks the face off the whole VU, Lou Reed thing entirely. If these tunes could be heard once and only once, I would make damn sure that these versions were the ones to be heard.
It's not as trippy sounding as the original versions.. the band is very skilled, like a quality jam band would be. Lou Reed sounds like he took more dope than ever tonight, but he uses it to his advantage. He's right on the money. This is what you want to feel when you do Lou Reed. Dark, and twisted up. Raw, dirty guitars. The songs work together in a whole different way than before to take a on new life... its a rock and roll classic, that many have tried to acheive, but no one has matched.
Think Ziggy Stardust? Sorry Bowie, not even close.

I wish there was more...........2007-03-23

Awesome live album. I wish there was another disc worth of music!

Average customer rating:

Mediocre
ESSENTIAL JERRY REED IS DEFINITELY ESSENTIAL!!
Mad about Jerry
SON!-SATIONAL
Surprisingly good--and what a picker!

The Essential Jerry Reed
Jerry Reed
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Guitar Man
C.W. McCall - Greatest Hits
Best of C.W. McCall
Jim Stafford - Greatest Hits
Super Hits

ASIN: B000002WTE
Release Date: 1995-08-01

Tracks:

Guitar Man
Alabama Jubilee
Amos Moses
A Thing Called Love
When You're Hot, You're Hot
Smell The Flowers
Ko-Ko Joe
You Took All The Ramblin' Out Of Me
The Uptown Poker Club
The Claw
Lord, Mr. Ford
A Good Woman's Love
Smokey And The Bandit: East Bound And Down
Let's Sing Our Song
The Crude Oil Blues
I Love You, What Can I Say
The Bird
Smokey And The Bandit: Texas Bound And Flyin'
She Got The Goldmine (I Got The Shaft)
Another Puff

Customer Reviews:

Mediocre.......2007-06-18

This is indeed a pretty fair representation of the work of Jerry Reed. That is unfortunate because it reflects poorly on this gifted entertainer. The songs are "his" but the recording quality is poor. That's a shame.

ESSENTIAL JERRY REED IS DEFINITELY ESSENTIAL!!.......2007-01-18

I have always liked Jerry Reed's voice and songs. But this CD made me realize just how good of an artist he is. I listened to it for one strait month--over & over & over.... That was just when driving. That doesnt count for the all the times at home it was played.

Mad about Jerry.......2006-06-28

This album is a great collection of his best songs. It reflects his earlier music and later when he worked on the sound track for Smoky and the Bandit. His soulful voice and upbeat lyrics are amazing.

SON!-SATIONAL.......2005-10-28

The so called Alabama Wild Man was a triple threat talent in the seventies, playing hotshot session guitar for everyone from Elvis (who covered both his GUITAR MAN and U.S. MALE) on down, scoring charismatic smashes of his own including the swampy ode AMOS MOSES and the catch-phrase classic WHEN YOU'RE HOT YOU'RE HOT, and serving as Burt Reynolds' motion picture makin' cronie in GATOR and SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT. THE ESSENTIAL JERRY REED is exactly what the title suggests: all the witty, gritty good ole boy antics you could ever ask for, and probably more. From the autobiographical GUITAR MAN to the introspective SMELL THE FLOWERS to the sprightly instrumental THE CLAW, Reed adroitly covers all the bases. Still, it's the novelty numbers he's best known for, and he hardly disappoints in that category. LORD, MR. FORD is one of the wittiest "car-tunes" since Chuck Berry wrote NO MONEY DOWN, while SHE GOT THE GOLDMINE (I GOT THE SHAFT) is as much fun as divorce songs get, and ANOTHER PUFF is the SMOKE, SMOKE, SMOKE THAT CIGARETTE of its era. Toss in SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT trucker favorite EAST BOUND AND DOWN, and THE BIRD, about a biped that imitates George Jones and Willie Nelson, and you've got yourself an album that's both funny AND funky. Make no mistake son, this is the BEST "best of" Jerry Reed that your dollar can buy. RATING: FOUR GUITAR PICKS

Surprisingly good--and what a picker!.......2003-06-24

Jerry Reed has good chops on the guitar, a great singing voice, and nice songs to sing. Sure it's "country," but it's more like Willie Nelson country, i.e., it cuts across musical boundaries. He sings with great personality; I like the man. A real good time.

Average customer rating:

Berlin
(3.5 stars) could've been his best...
Lou's best solo album
One of his best
33 years later........

Berlin
Lou Reed
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Transformer
The Blue Mask
Sally Can't Dance
New York
White Light/White Heat

ASIN: B00000637V
Release Date: 1998-03-24

Tracks:

Berlin
Lady Day
Men Of Good Fortune
Caroline Says I
How Do You Think It Feels
Oh, Jim
Caroline Says II
The Kids
The Bed
Sad Song

Amazon.com

Eternally perverse, Reed responded to having a pop hit with Transformer by making a massive bummer of an album, built around reworked versions of a couple of older songs. Berlin is psychologically grueling and unremittingly dark (scariest moment: "The Kids," which ends with a very long tape of children screaming in terror), but the savage contrasts of its sound have gotten more impressive with time. The big production flourishes hit like a hangover, Reed's voice sounds like he's trying to stave off emotional involvement with his lyrics because it would hurt too much, and the multi-layered textures of "Oh Jim" surge and recede like details of a nightmare. The album takes strength to hear, and rewards it. --Douglas Wolk

Customer Reviews:

Berlin.......2007-05-23

Lou Reed-Berlin *****

When released in 1973 the whole world was expecting something commercialy great, what they got was the complete opposite. Berlin is not commercial in the slightest bit, in fact this concidering the time and situation of release Berlin was commercial suicide. Rolling Stone hailed the album as a disaster. That could not be more right. Berlin is aweful, and depressing, taking the listener on a ditortedly paranoid roller coaster ride through a tunnel of schizophrenia, degradation, pill-induced violence and suicide. And that is Berlins most endearing quality.

Never before or since has anyone been able to make deppresion and self depracating violence sound so cool and appealing. Lou Reed manages to go from his biggest commercial success with this albums predecesor, Transformer and destroy everthing he earned in a matter of about a half in hour on Berlin. For that he derseves applause. Why? Because while all the critics hated this album upon its release much as they did with The Rolling Stones Exile On Main Street, both of these albums are no concidered to be the best by both artists. While this did not earn the critical aclaim or sell very many copies or even remotly earn minimum air play Berlin is with out question the quint-essential post Velvet Underground release from Reed.

Songs like 'How Do You Think It Feels' 'Oh Jim' and 'Caroline Says (1)' seem to playout like happy tragedies. With large German orcastral compositions in the background you almost forget the songs subject matter until the lyrics drag you back to reality. Other tracks like 'The Bed' and 'The Kids' are as blatently sad as anything ever created out of pain. The latter featuring pain shreiking screams from children at the end only adds to the over all effect.

Berlin is a rare album in the Lou Reed catologe because while it is not regarded as a commercial album it may very well be the mans most accesable, even more so then the criminaly overrated Transformer.

(3.5 stars) could've been his best..........2007-04-11

...but I can't give it anymore than four stars in good conscience. Which I think is weird. I mean, Lou Reed was great at reporting from the darker side of life. Ever hear The Velvet Underground and Nico? If no, then it's a dark album, and a just classic, partially because of Reed's lyrics. Berlin is even DARKER, but also weaker. How did this happen? In part it's the producer's fault. Bob Erzin went overboard, dragging in horns, strings, keyboards, backup singers, piles of guitars and whatever else he could find. So instead of the "Phil Spector with as little instruments as possible" situation set up by VU & Nico, we get "Let's one-up Phil Spector in the overproduction department". In other words, this is completely pompous, ruining the effect a more stripped-down arrangement would have, and hurting a few of the otherwise great songs - Lady Day, where Lou gets a great vocal, is a fine example. So is The Bed, for that matter.
Nevertheless, this is Reed's 3rd best solo album, behind Transformer and The Blue Mask. Caroline Says I & II, How Do You Think It Feels, Oh Jim, The Kids and Men of Good Fortune are among Lou's best songs. And he touches on subjects such as suicide, drug abuse, S&M and death with his usual poetic grace. So it's hard - but not impossible - to fault Berlin.
I'd also like to comment on Sad Song. Why is this so revered? I'm sorry, but it's a boring repeat-a-thon far from one of his best with a stupid title to boot. Doesn't do the job for me.

Lou's best solo album.......2007-03-23

Berlin is everything you've heard: unbelievably sick, dark, offensive, ugly, violent, guaranteed to clear a room--a truly reprehensible piece of work. As such, it's the only thing in his solo career that comes close to the level of Velvet Underground and Nico or White Light/White Heat. Basically, if you understand what Lou means when he sings "how do you think it feels, and when do you think it stops?" get a copy. Otherwise, pass by and pick up something lighter (which, to be honest, would be just about anything...).

One of his best.......2006-11-06

this may be Reed's finest album. his vocals are wonderful--delicate, strange and musical. he's still got just enough control and range to actually sing rather than drone. the songs themselves are stunning. "the kids" is probably the best thing he ever did, featuring a malicious, enigmatic narrator (the "waterboy") gloating over an ex-lover losing her daughters to a child welfare agency--twisted and heartbreaking. this deranged, brooding ambivalence pervades the entire album, and is quite hypnotic.
The production, although elaborate, works beautifully for the most part (except for some unfortunate slick guitar solos that marr "sad song"). unlike some of Reed's other '70's albums (such as transformer) the arrangements complement his songs with loving care. there's an unlikely cast of "classic rock" musicians--jack bruce on bass, the brecker brothers on horns, steve winwood on keyboards--but their playing is surprisingly sensitive to Reed's offbeat style.

33 years later...............2005-12-22

I pulled this out tonite for some background music. This is a work of art....It still stands up very well.I bought this in 1973 and somewhat took me time to understand the concept after Tranformer.It was nothing short of a rock opera about living in New York.

Rock Music:

Rock Music

rock music