Berlin

Bit chaotic but very engaging. 4/5

is it as good as Transformer? not necessarily, but there is still something rather charming about it that means I cannot score this any lower. Lou Reed it seems I have become quite fond of you

I put Lou Reed in the same kind of category as Neil Young - I love the realness of his songs and the music matches, but he isn't a particularly talented singer. In these cases, I'm okay with it.

Just ok

Fucking amazing, one of the most difficult albums I’ve ever listened to, completely different to transformer. So fucking sad, the kids especially was devastating, then it just gets worse with the bed. Sad song is so good as a closer; you’re expecting some sort of release but instead it’s almost ironic and it just reminds you what a piece of shit Jim is, how he doesn’t really care, and the instrumentation is brilliant

If the poem on the cover of this thing trips your trigger (gross) then you're probably gonna love this. If it seems a little overwrought and pretentious to you, then that's just the tip of the iceberg, pal. This is absolutely not eh worst record on this list. Considering the tripe we wade through on a daily basis, this might turn out to be top half in the end. With that said, the draw here isn't the music. Lou Reed is not churning out must hear songs on this one. This is a poetry record that happens to include some lazy, albeit agreeable music here and there. Lou Reed's poetry is fine. It ranges from cringeworthy to thought-provoking, but never really enters the echelon of elite for me, and as I said, the music was nothing. Just like this review. Another Monday on the procession to the grave. Nothing like being the pallbearer for your own eternal funeral. 2.5 HIGHLIGHTS: What if we made JACKETS out of LEATHER??

Meh

It grew on me

He's a weird dude and I'm glad it was short. It's not the worst thing I've ever heard, but it certainly demonstrates the things I don't love about the Velvet Underground

Lou Reed has been another of the high point discoveries for me during this project. I really enjoyed this album. The guitars on the closer were unexpected but very good. The instruments are varied and the vocals kick ass. A few low energy spots but otherwise I would add to my collection for sure.

Not my favorite album. I like Lou Reed’s sounds, but there were a few moments (crying child) where I just couldn’t handle it.

Adding literal crying children to a song was certainly a choice

I truly don't understand the appeal of Lou Reed. He makes bad music. I kind of enjoyed some of the backing tracks which is the only reason this gets a 2.

i'm a little bit surprised this album is in here, i think that it being by lou reed does a lot of favours for it. it is a very pretty album though with lou's number vocals towards the end and the guitars, i do think transformer is better but i do really like this

Tough listen, and do not read about 'The Kids,' but I find this album pretty psychologically fascinating and it's musically pretty unique to me in how lethargic it is even though (especially on side A) it's often attempting to be "rock" music.

Maybe I wasn’t in a good mood but this was a non event in so many ways for me. I’ll average a 3 as I wasn’t invested in listening to it.

Not a good album

I wish I could get over the vocals, but I can't. It made the album unlistenable for me. I was intrigued by the Disonance, tragic tale, and interesting arrangements. But I couldn't stick with it because the vocals.

This might reward more focused listening. Some interesting grooves here & there, but i couldn't full engage.

Loved it!

As a social commentator, he’s top notch. As a singer, he’s overrated. Somehow he’s interesting and boring at the same time! Make it stop!

The concept of this album is rock opera like and tells a depressing and realistic story. I love rock operas like S.F. Sorrow or Tommy for example so this kind of concept definetly resonates with my taste. However the music doesnt necessarily. I cant really point out why maybe its the production or the melodies just arent for me but I do like the instrumentation with many accoustic elements. It just doesnt sound as appealing as other records to me but its a good one with great storytelling. 3,0/5

Yeah it's ok. I have a lot of good faith towards Lou Reed, but I can't quite get into his music.

This is my second Lou Reed album. I didn't love the first one, and I wasn't feeling this for the first half. And then suddenly, something clicked, and I finally feel like I get it now. I actually re-listened to the first half of the album again, and I feel like I just unlocked something new.

Good in the way Nil by Mouth was a good film. Pretty bleak content. First track nice piano and soft vocals but an undertone of it all going wrong. Not keen on music on Lady Day. Then just builds, How do you Think It Feels and Oh Jim (with rock and roll style second half) are good then it all gets starker. Nice for the Welshman from India to get a shoutout though. Could be a 5 but a bit too harrowing for me.

Didn't realise Mr Reed had such range musically and lyrically

Loved this, probably my favorite Rock opera - does make sense, as Transformer is one of my fav sing-along albums and I could see this heading the same way, despite the sad subject matter. Despite the switch to a more opera sound, maintains some of the DNA of Transformer and the VU outtakes album. Could even detect influence on Spacemen 3 in Oh Jim which makes sense - VU drones and Ode to Street Hassle on Perfect Prescription and all that...

Confusing. Might need another listen or two. Felt like a naff conceit album at times but still pretty eclectic and I love the character of Lou’s vocals.

Idk /10

Better than I expected it to be.

Enjoyed

Weird start and it progressively got weirder but overall on a compositional level it's good but it was not for me.

I am always struggling with Reeds voice and vocal performance. But besides that fact this album is a beast. I really did not expect that it will outperform "Transformer", but that is what this rock opera clearly does for me! 4,5

Depressing and a bit crass even. I don't want to listen to songs where someone slits their wrists. I just don't.

Lou Reed is okay, but nothing on this album stood out.

Man, I’ll give it another shot sometime, I either reaaalllyy love Lou Rees or really don’t. Despite the one star, idk where I stand.

Lou Reed and the Bad Seeds

Leave it to Lou Reed to mix this epic sounding music with the bleakest lyrics ever. And yet, I did kind of enjoy this album. Maybe not something I'd play often, but it's a memorable journey, something to listen to once in a great while.

SAAAAD SONGGGGG, SAAAAAD SONGGGG

2.5

Wow, that’s a depressing listen. After 9 gruelling songs detailing the decline and fall of the doomed couple, culminating in the harrowing ordeal of The Kids and the morose introspection of The Bed, the last thing you need to is an album closer called Sad Song

Really enjoyed this one

Kind of weird I got the two Lou Reed albums on the list back to back. I didn’t even think that was possible for how the generator works. I like Lou Reed a lot so I’m not complaining. As much as I like Transformer, I absolutely love Berlin and think it’s his best album. Sad and depressing but somehow still very listenable. One of the all time Feel Bad albums

It's so cold in Alaska

Not as bad as I thought although the theme is grim it’s a story worth telling

I don't get the hype.... The lyrics are not well written, and I found this very boring.

caroline says 2 caught me off guard fr

Beautiful album, a lot of highs in it and 2 or 3 lows

That Lou Reed sound in sub standard variation of Transformer. I had to listen twice to make sure but just not excited by it... A real shame because I LOVE Transformer.

Prachtig mooi en vooral ook verdrietig verhaal. De 4.5 ster wordt naar boven afgerond.

Vind dit beter dan de meeste VU platen persoonlijk. Vette sfeer die Reed hier neerzet, lekker luguber.

Actually like this period of Lou Reed. 4 Boolean: True

Nothing really grabbed me on this ine

High variance style

Several comments note the polarizing effect of this LP. True - for me it's a miss, but I've never been a real Reed fan; I see him alongside Young and Dylan in the 'can't sing coupled with mediocre musicality' ... but brilliant song writing? Maybe there's the merit. I can't give it a 5, but it does not deserve a 1 or a 2, since it achieves what it sets out to do, IMO.

That crying child was cut off at exactly the right second. Really felt this one. Love a concept album, especially a tragic one.

Just not too keen really

I'm really mad....at myself for not having heard this before. Awesome!

Excellent album - really moody, clever lyrics, mournful and enigmatic. Really strong 4 - almost a 5

Sprawling and inconsistent. I've historically struggled with Lou Reed as he seems like a bit of a cunt and his voice isnt great, but as usual there are occasional flashes of melody that shine through. It does seem very depressing though and i'd prefer if ambition was aimed at spreading joy rather than trying to make the most depressing music ever.

Meh

Well I just loved this. I added “Lady Day” to my playlist.

Mid

Most definitely Lou Reed!

Nope!!

I didn't hate it but it was really close. Especially The Kids and The Bed songs ... Those did not make me feel good. If I could give half stars, I would

I don't know what to think of this one. I enjoyed the instrumentals. The lyrics had some weird themes to them, and I think if I listened to it in a dedicated way I'd be sad, but in an ok way.

Depressing as hell! Did not enjoy at all but cannot say it wasn't a successful attempt if the intention was to grind down the listener. 2 stars.

I think there is probably a bit more here I am not seeing. But it's dark and a little bleak and hard to see. According to Gemini a single candle in a cave only lights 3-5 feet. This album has the candle, but only lights enough area in the darkness to make it a 2 for me.

Not the biggest fan of Reed's half-spoken, half-sung lyrics. The music is certainly different and many times pretty good. Another album I'm glad I heard, but don't really like.

I used to love this record. I'm glad I'm not that person anymore, but it still is an amazing record.

Interesting story concept for an album. Enjoyed it nonetheless, great songwriting, lyrics and arrangements. Not sure if I will revisit it but it's a good record. 4/5

I watched the concert film of this album from 2007 a year ago so I already knew the songs but never listened to the actual album. It was a little controversial, but it is very well made and the lyrical themes are interesting enough to relisten. A pretty middle of the road album but nothing that special.

A little too slow for me. 2.5/5

Well that was depressing.

can't handle this today...boring

It's not that i find these songs boring. They're not. Its not that i find them uninteresting. They're not. Its that i find the vocal melodies boring and uninteresting.

норм.

I just didn’t like this as much as I thought I would.

i just can't figure out the lou reed appeal. super lame

Alright.

Len Houmous and Lou Reed - great friends but they’ll never work together. Too much sexual tension. 3.5 3/10 Men of Good Fortune

Just didn't really have a lot of the Lou Reed-ness that VU and his other solo project has. 6/10

Great album end to end that makes me want to listen to more Lou Reed

love de piano in eerste track maar t album is gwn mid

kijk dit is goed maar idk hoe vaak ik denk o ik ga berlin van lou reed luisteren

Lou Reed's got some good songs, some great lines. This is all pretty good, but not great. Concept is very cool though

I didn't realize that this was a rock opera until like the last song, which leads me to believe that it's not a very good rock opera. It sounds like glam pop to me and that's genuinely my least favorite genre. The saving grace was the last song and if more of the album sounded like that I woulda liked it more.

Nicht schlecht, ein paar gute Songs, etwa der Sad Song.

Every artist who tries to make something moody but without sounding like they are trying too hard should listen to this. There is just something about it that makes it feel like it is drenched in emotion. I love it, but I have to give it a relisten to give more.

Okay.

I was about to give it a 3 which is my “meh. It’s okay” rating - until the crying baby and dog shit flute. It was forgettable; until it was memorable for the wrong reasons. I just personally found this kinda pretentious without any rewarding qualities that I find in VU.

Man, something about a low-fi happy birthday just sucks your soul out. Lou knew how to hit the depressing notes of life in a way that few could. Beautiful.

took me a few listens. there was plenty that intrigued me the first time around, but there's so much happening here, and I needed some time with it to digest it. worth it. he covers so much ground on this album, it's expertly-played by the band, and the production choices never play it safe. from song-to-song, sometimes even within songs, they're veering from barroom busker to meditative yearning to pastoral elegance to art/glam rock to hard rock to soul horn arrangements to close-mic'd acoustic solo nuggets to experimental sound collage to field recordings and so much more. so much to gleefully absorb. still plenty of that rhythmic goodness that was one of the best parts of Velvet Underground. it's wild that he released this within 4 months of Rock N Roll Animal (which isn't on this list but is essential listening -- throw that on and prepare to rock). his voice remains singular throughout, and at times embraces a deeper register than appears on earlier recordings w/ Velvet Underground. there's also less distance between Lou as a singer/performer and the audience. he feels more emotionally attached to the stories he's telling. I'm not one to pay that close attention to the stories being told -- I'm just happy when they don't distract from the overall song or command all attention. I was very happy with this one.

Man, a lot of these are pretty sparse and forgettable, like demo tape shadows of songs that may or may not deserve a fuller treatment. I ended up liking the last few songs, starting with “The Kids.” The crying babies are oddly affecting and I thought pulled off really well. “Sad Song” is a great, epic closer to another album.

boring but lowkey i tuned in when there were kids crying? And okay the plot of the album is interesting i guess. also didnt realize that this guy was in the velvet underground so interesting i suppose 3/5

Doesn’t have the highs of transformer but more consistent

What a beautiful bummer.

Tragische materie maar niet echt op een genuanceerd manier ofzo. enige positieve wat ik ervan kan zeggen is dat t niet saai is, niet de hele tijd in ieder geval, de huilende en schreeuwende baby was zeker gewaagd. 2 voor originaliteit

Best: Lady Day; Caroline Says; Oh Jim; Men of Good Fortune; The Kids; Sad Song; Caroline Says II Worst: Berlin

I've just never really been impressed with Lou Reed. There's nothing I could say about this album to contribute to the conversation further. Mostly I just want to pile on that adding in the sounds of children crying and screaming brings this whole experience down.

Terrible rhymes, no melody, wandering rhythms with no energy. After 519 albums, this is easily in the bottom three. I am so tired of singers that can't sing.

10 songs Just doesn't do it for me, Lou's voice and his style of speak-singing especially aren't my favorite. I can see what it's trying to do, and I'm sure there are people out there that really enjoy this album, but to me it's just a bit of a slow drag.

Good

Good, not great.

It always feels like Lou Reed so perfectly captured the voice of a very specific 1970s/80s NYC experience -- and then he spent the rest of his life chasing the expectations of that voice.

I'm just gonna say it: I generally don't like listening to Lou Reed. I'm always trying to give him credit and see his greatness, but it just never happens. Like, it's fine but I'm never like super-horny or anything. He has some good songs, but they're few and far between, with the rest being generally mediocre. This album's the same. It's fine, but I find myself trying to like it and I don't get there. Honestly it doesn't sound unlike a lot of other stuff out at the time. It's like 70s New York romance music, which again is fine, but it's not like ground-breaking or innovative or subversive or anything like that. I like the music on The Bed. Sad Song is good. The rest is whateverrrrrr.

Crazy album! Sleeping around to child services to suicide wasn't what I was expecting. Didn't care for it vocally or musically.

Berlin Lou Reed 1973 Genres: Rock Styles: Psychedelic Rock, Art Rock, Singer Songwriter 1. Berlin (★⯨☆☆☆) - Contexto: Jim recuerda con nostalgia el inicio de su relación con Caroline en un Berlín idealizado. El amor parece auténtico, pero desde el principio se percibe que el recuerdo está teñido por una tragedia ya consumada. 2. Lady Day (★★★☆☆) - Contexto: Caroline comienza a hundirse en el alcohol y las drogas. La referencia a Billie Holiday ("Lady Day") sirve como símbolo de una vida marcada por la adicción y el sufrimiento. 3. Men of Good Fortune (★★⯨☆☆) - Contexto: Reed reflexiona sobre la desigualdad entre quienes nacen con privilegios y quienes deben luchar por sobrevivir. Ayuda a pintar el ambiente social y emocional que rodea a los protagonistas. 4. Caroline Says I (★★★⯨☆) - Contexto: Jim describe a Caroline como una mujer fría, distante y difícil de comprender. Es la primera versión de la historia, narrada desde su perspectiva. 5. How Do You Think It Feels (★★★☆☆) - Contexto: La heroína ya domina la vida de la pareja. La canción explora tanto el efecto de la droga como el vacío emocional que lleva a consumirla. 6. Oh, Jim (★★★☆☆) - Contexto: Jim y Caroline protagonizan una violenta pelea llena de insultos, resentimiento y reconciliaciones pasajeras. La relación entra en un punto de ruptura. 7. Caroline Says II (★★⯨☆☆) - Contexto: Ahora es Caroline quien habla. Revela el abuso físico y psicológico que sufre, mostrando que la realidad era mucho más compleja de lo que Jim había contado. 8. The Kids (★★★☆☆) - Contexto: Las autoridades le quitan la custodia de sus hijos a Caroline debido a su adicción. Los llantos de los niños convierten esta canción en el momento más devastador del álbum. 9. The Bed (★★⯨☆☆) - Contexto: Caroline se suicida. Jim contempla la cama donde murió y reflexiona con una frialdad que transmite culpa, vacío y resignación. 10. Sad Song (★★★☆☆) - Contexto: El epílogo de la historia. No hay redención ni consuelo: Jim sigue adelante cargando con el peso de todo lo ocurrido mientras la música cierra el álbum con un tono solemne y trágico. -TOTAL = ★★⯨☆☆ (2,75) -Debería ser un tres, estoy dudando un poco, pero no me gustó lo suficiente en el fondo...

Difícil de escuchar por momentos.

To say I'm blown away is a massive understatement. It's incredible in its own right. But the influences on later music are non stop. I can't believe I wasn't aware. I'm hearing Pink Floyd, Modest Mouse, Bowie (of course), and on and on.

Une très belle masterclass de rock comme je l'ai rarement entendu.

Folks say it's depressing, but it's just a love story with junkies and sad children and death. Yeah, come to think of it, kinda depressing.

Respectfully, a tough listen. Just very bleak. The imagery is powerful, it's just not pleasant imagery and not sugar coated. Good songwriting. Not my favorite Lou.

Mellow and pleasant, despite the subject matter

High-drama glam rock drenched in grime and touched by strangeness. Some great horn work, percussion, and hooks in here. Also some deeply dark subject matter dressed up in art rock and pop arrangements. (The nearly two minutes of children crying at the end of “The Kids” was brutal. I have to respect it as a storytelling choice, I guess, but damn.) With such heavy material I don’t know if I’ll be revisiting a lot, but I did walk away feeling pretty impressed. And a little upset.

I'm sure that Lou Reed thinks that he shits gold, but all I hear is a weak attempt at a rock opera. It's way too literal and has no attempts at subtlety or deeper themes. The Bed and Sad Song are probably the best two tracks, but I can't get over the stupid and obvious lyrics. I mean, seriously, if he changed the name of the closer and had a phrase repeating that was better thought out it would have been a banger. All together though just a display of his subpar talents compared to his many, many contemporaries. 1.5/5 -> 2/5

I find this album to be all the bad part of Velvet Underground. It’s like the irritating part of cool. There are parts that are somewhat enjoyable, but overall I am just very annoyed by it. I keep wishing I were listening to something else. 1/5

A concept album where the concept is shit music.

Despite my best efforts to not be impressed by Lou Reed or captivated by his schtick I have to bow to his clever themes and wordplay. He is pretty chill and I dig his stuff. I will never play it of my own accord but I will always listen to a minimum of four tracks on an album if proffered. He is very good at the thing that he does.

Not the biggest fan off his solo stuff. Good pen tho. Love the underground velvet lots!!!

Maybe on another day, but too sad and slow. I do love a Concept Album though.

I admit my bias towards anything Lou Reed-related whenever his projects come up on here. Yet, at times, he can almost grab me. But then it keeps going and I'm reminded why I do not like him. It's a combination of his voice, the disaffected tone he takes, and the overindulgence (which really started to ruin my mood by the time we get to The Kids.) It's mostly well-produced and arranged and I like the drumming on Lady Day. Outro on Sad Song is also good. You can keep 3/4ths of this.

Not sure if I like Lou Reed, he has a couple of songs I like but neither are on this album

This one was all over the place, and I'm not sure what I am supposed to get from it.

Every time this album does something interesting, it pulls back and immediately reinjects something unpleasant to jar you out of it. Given that this is a concept album about heroin use, that could make sense. But that doesn't make it good.

First listen; 3.5; Difficult album to listen to, both because of the lyrics and at times what feels line songs that drag on too long. Having said that, after giving it a couple listens, the lyrics make for interesting storytelling. It's a very dark album, but doesn't stray into complete parody, which makes it even more powerful. This isn't an album I would come back to for a good time to listen to, but I think is certainly worth listening to and appropriate to have on this list. Favorite Track: Men of Good Fortune

This is not top shelf Lou Reed, imo but still quite good.

Idk how I feel about his voice and I’ve always struggled with that. Good but not great for me.

Leagues better than transformer, but still found it slightly unremarkable

Oh boy. I mean, it's Lou Reed, he's gonna do what he does. I'll pass on this one. The kids crying out for mom was an especially unnecessary touch.

I think Lou Reed is one of the most over-rated artists, especially with Velvet Underground, but this is a good album. Dark themes and the prog fan in me loves a concept album!!

It’s a concept album, so it tells a story about a couple through the entire album. Maybe it’s just because I’m loving “you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love,” and that’s a concept album too, but I quite like that it has a story. The individual songs are also pretty fun or sad on their own, though they’ve used some unnecessary like baby crying sounds that I didn’t love, so that knocks it a touch.

Hyi

Did not like this at all.

I like this album. 3.5

3.5★/5 06.21.2026

second drone-ass Lou Reed album I've gotten and why? He just sort of talks over some music. He has no range at all, everything he "sings" sounds like it's made for the same key, and they just add music later. it's just not interesting at all.

Tough album to rate. The A side didn't capture my attention at all but was otherwise fine, but the B side broke through on a very deep and emotional level for me. Will have to revisit this one in the future, since this doesn't feel like the kind of album you can have a full opinion on after just one listen. Top tracks: The Kids, The Bed, Sad Song

Just not for me, put me to sleep, and did not enjoy his voice. The baby crying in "the kids" can f*** right off.

Not Lou Reed's best, but a good album.

Meh.... No me gustó mucho

not my thang

Not the worst but i didnt like ti

very boring

Lou Reed couldn’t carry a tune if you gave him a brand new backpack. Seriously, he makes Bob Dylan sound like Adele. His slam poetry vocal style instantly murders anything he does for me. There were some interesting elements musically on some songs, but nothing near the quality needed to overcome Reed’s shortcomings as a vocalist. 2/5

It's a great concept album, tragic story done with some beautiful rock tunes. Feels like this is better as a whole than the individual parts. Couple of great individual tracks but goes better when I listen to the whole thing. On the first listen I liked it but didn't think it had much replay ability. The more I listen to it the better it has become, there are jazz, orchestra and some VU all through out. Lou's vocal style fits the story telling of the album well.

I’m a bit torn with this one.. the dry, stripped tracks that sound like Bob Dylan typically don’t rate well for me, but then there are amazing piano arrangements and intrigue hidden behind bare accompaniments that bring me back around. All in all, I think I need to go down the middle 3/5, the addition of the whining kids and crying babies didn’t help

Some nice ones but not great.

Had to listen to it more than once to really get it. This is Lou Reed the folk artist capturing part of the zeitgeist of the times and making a statement about society... art to reflect, not necessarily art to enjoy.

Enjoyed "Sad Song", but thought the rest of the album was pretty forgettable.

w sumie spoko takie depresyjne troche

Bueno

First, I love Lou Reeds music and many of his albums are so special - so I give him more benefit. His Dylan esque voice and literal lyricism is not for everyone- but what he is able to do here. To tell a story, one that he is meant to tell and in a way so uniquely him while also some experimentation. Is pretty special- and yet it’s not cohesive and feels a little…out of frame. This one will need more time and repeat listens- to high cause I’m biased or right? Idk yet.

Lou Reed CAN'T sing but makes up for it by being a good songwriter. Surrounding himself with great musicans to create this rock opera about addiction & abusive relationships. My only real complaint is that the end is somewhat predictable. Sad Song is a bit on the nose though. Impressive masterpiece.5

Liked it more than I thought I would. I don't know why I thought I didn't like Lou Reed. His voice is so rich.

i did not like

No. 407/1001 Berlin 3/5 Lady Day 3/5 Men of Good Fortune 3/5 Caroline Says I 3/5 How Do You Think It Feels 3/5 Oh Jim 3/5 Caroline Says II 4/5 The Kids 3/5 (2x) The Bed 3/5 Sad Song 3/5 (2x) Average: 3,08 Alright, but nothing that really excited me.

I thought the last couple of tracks on here were the strongest, and were in definite solid four territory. The start wasn't quite as good, although maybe repeated listening would push me up. And I don't really need to hear crying babies in my music, as a rule. But overall a solidly high three, with potential for higher.

not bad... maybe he could do better if he went to new york instead?

Really enjoyed this. Unique, bold, daring for its time. Also quite bleak and depressing content-wise but better than crap like Yellow from Coldplay that we take for good today. This is art. Pushing boundaries and being unapologetic. I could really hear Bono adopting some of the vocal patterns from The Bed and other songs. Struggling whether it's a 4 or 5, and on a 100-pt scale I would peg this at about an 88 for me, which is 4.4. or 4.

A strong improvement on Transformer.

this is awesome and it's clear why people hated it

I hadn’t listened to much Lou Reed, before, just VU&N, and I knew enough about his solo career to expect something really weird. However, there weren’t as many experimental elements as I expected, but I did not expect how depressing the record is. I was largely indifferent to the album at first, but I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I’ve since fallen in love with this album. The star studded backing band is great, we’ve got Steve Winwood, Aynsley Dunbar, Jack Bruce, Tony Levin, and many others. Bob Ezrin’s arrangements for the London Philharmonic do not mesh well with the hard rock, but I actually think that creates such a unique sound. I also think that even though the story told in the record is much simpler than most other rock operas, I think that works in its favor. It’s a story about substance abuse, spousal abuse, love turning to contempt to sadism, and suicide. Something I don’t think I’ve seen many mention but I thought of while analyzing the lyrics is that maybe Jim’s ploy to destroy Caroline was based on feelings of inadequacy from not being able to “cause empires to fall” as mentioned in “Men of Good Fortune”. “Sad Song” is extremely moving, even as a song where a scheming widower brushes off the suicide of his wife that he caused. 5/5

I mean it’s a perfectly serviceable album. Not exciting but not horrendous. Just kind of passed me by. That said the last three tracks did irritate me. There’s a reason why a compilation is enough for some artists (and why Berlin is the only track on that from this album).

Christ.

I listened to this, slightly distracted, on the walk to work, and only realised it was a concept album afterwards, so ended up having another run through where I could concentrate a bit more. I really loved a lot of these tracks due to the orchestral backing and musical theatre sound, particularly Lady Day. Men of Good Fortune's stabbing piano is great and I really loved the brass and guitar combo on How Do You Think It Feels and Hey Jim. On the negative side, I feel I have to object to rhyming vial and vile in Caroline Says I ("Just like poison in a vial, Hey, she was often very vile") - that doesn't feel like he was trying! Also, I know we're telling a tale here, but no song has ever been improved by the addition of a crying child - I hated Kids that. I am not the biggest fan of Lou Reed's voice, but honestly I really liked a big chunk of this album despite it. I think this is a 3.5 kinda album for me, but as it does tail off towards the end a bit, I'm dropping to: 3/5

Lou Reed er bare altid godt at lytte til. Bliver altid overrasket over hvor dygtig han er på random plader, og jeg synes ikke denne er en undtagelse. Han har de vilde tekster, og faktisk ret stabil i sine musikalske hooks. Han forstår at skabe en vildt tilfredsstillende lyd, hvor guitar lige glider ind i et fedt riff, hvor det passer allerbedst. Det er ikke en 5'er, men det han gør virker bare så godt, at det er endnu en 4'er.

"... approached Berlin as their opportunity to make The Most Depressing Album of All Time, and they hardly missed a trick." Spændende! Wauv, klaveret på åbningsnummeret er jo immaculate. Virkelig ambitiøst og en fuldstændig fantastisk lyd på hele albummet. Han var og vil nok altid være en kunstner, jeg aldrig rigtig helt kommer til at forstå. Jeg er vild med så meget, han har lavet, men det er som om, jeg aldrig rigtig kan tage ham 100% seriøst. Ved ikke helt hvorfor, fordi dette er jo endnu en straight banger plade. Det bliver jo endnu mere uretfærdigt, når man hører slutnummeret. Vanvittigt 4.2

Heel chill

Vaikka en ole kaikista suurin Lou Reedin fani, täytyy todeta että Berlin on melko hieno teos. Dramaattinen rock-ooppera kuvaa kahden rakastavaisen syöksykierrettä, eikä loppu ole onnellinen. Parempi kuin Transformer.

Heavy, arty, conceptual. Could have been a Velvet Underground album for its themes. In fact, I'd hazard that it would have been a better VU album.

had some 4 tracks, had some 2 tracks, meets in the middle overall

Lou, could you lighten up a little? bleak. I like it loses points for the kids on Kids

I found this a bit of a mixed bag. Definitely got more out of it when I focused 100% on the music vs having it playing while I was doing household chores. It’s definitely a ‘pay attention’ type album as distinct from something I’d have playing in the background for my listening pleasure. 2.5 stars rounded down for the screaming kids.

woof. this was bleak. i can see the cohesive story here, but i'm just not a huge fan of lou reed honestly.

meh. i'm not really a fan of VU or lou reed and some of the songwriting/production choices here are honestly baffling. i listened to this depressing album like three times and it just never got better for me. 2.5/5 favorites: berlin, men of good fortune, how do you think it feels, sad song

"The Bed" really put me to bed, maybe that was intended...

Great album. Not his best but always great lyrics and delivery

I'm not sure we needed 2 Lou Reed albums on this list, and his other one is better. Overall he's just one of those artists that is for other artists.

I completely missed this album on 24 May, so I ended up listening to it on 19 June. I’m afraid I didn’t really miss it that much. Two stars...

The description doesn't lie. This may well be the most depressing album ever recorded. But it's a damned banger. I mean, if you're into long descriptions of the apartment where she committed suicide. Still good, tho.

I’d made the decision that I was going to rate each album after one listen. This is an album that would benefit from a re-listen. There’s layers and folds to this story of people on the fringes. Death, loss, drugs all wrapped in dense little songs. Sometimes stripped back and sometimes like on the close sad song full of bright orchestration that offers slivers of light

Geht so

I love Lou Reed, but this is a weaker album.

Lou Reed has such a unique sound mainly in the way he makes it work. It's almost bland feeling at times but he ties it all together. Cool album, never heard it before. The orchestral additions are welcomed for sure. The Kids caught my attention a lot. Caroline says and Lady Day both elevate Reed's sound a lot. Great listen. I'd like to give it more time.

This is one of those ones that make me question why so many albums on this list sound so bad. The audio quality of this is so dyanmic and deep. I was almost brought to tears by how good Lady Day sounds. Orchestral. This is big music and I wish I found it sooner. Producer Bob Ezrin and Jim Reeves the audio engineer deserve a shout out here.

I love Lou Reed and I hate this album. Cold, depressing and annoying. Can’t think of a circumstance when I would want to throw this on and listen to it.

Es un álbum duro de escuchar, pero es esta capacidad que tiene Reed de narrar cruda y tristemente su realidad (desde lo metafórico) que a su vez te atrapa e incita a querer escuchar aun más. La instrumentalización, por su parte, se complementa perfectamente, sin necesariamente darle un tono sombrío. Quedé fascinada. ↑: Berlin; Lady Day; Men of Good Fortune; Caroline Says I; How Do You Think It Feels; Oh, Jim; Caroline Says II; Sad Song ↓: –

"Somebody else would have broken both of her arms."

If you’ve heard one Lou Reed album you’ve heard them all, right? Okay, I know that’s not true, but isn’t it sort of?

The baby crying mid album was an odd addition

This was okay. I enjoyed reading GPTs take on why it make the list and I can appreciate that. I didn't hate it but I didn't love it either. 3 stars.

favs: men of good fortune, oh jim, sad song not really feeling it. #sorrymrreed

I thought a much better job was done on “Transformer.” 6/10

I don't think I really liked this. His voice is iconic but nothing really came through for me. I had a mild panic in the kids song because I thought my own child (who wasn't at home) was crying

This was a real grower. Initially when I stuck this on, I really didn't enjoy it. But when I got to know it, I really started to love it. So much so that I have now bought the album and 4 of his other ones! Goddamn you list!

What a fully loaded album, wow. Probably would have never gotten to this myself because I thought Transformer would be enough, but I'm glad I listened to it, because the band is excellent and the concept is strong. It's completely ear-catching to the end, it's as beautiful as it is ugly.

Ok Lou Reed

I generally like Reed’s vocal style, but this album is a bit too chaotic and dark for my taste

I can't say this was my favorite 2/5

schwerfällig, besonders der gesang.

Starts off strong but nosedives with “The Kids.” Hurts it, but overall solid album.

what does lou reed have that leonard cohen does not also have? that was tolerable, i guess?

Rating: 4.8/5 Short Review: Bleak, theatrical, and emotionally brutal. Feels less like an album and more like watching lives slowly collapse in dim light. Uncomfortable, messy, and devastatingly human. Favorite Track: “Caroline Says II.” Cold and detached on the surface, which somehow makes it hurt even more.

Werd steeds beter. The kids is een banger

This was great! Lou Reed has a lovely voice, the songs are very emotional and well-made. Guitar and bass work was excellent. Some slightly dated stuff about women in there but it is also tied up in his obviously very complicated relationship with his mother.

At first glance, this is typical Lou Reed. I kind of zoned out on the lyrics, and this could have been any Reed or VU song. After I started to pay attention to to lyrics, I paused and did the wiki overview of the album. This album is probably of some influence to one of my favorite albums, Tallahassee by the Mountain Goats. Comparing the two, I think Tallahassee is still much better (I'd rank it a 5 if the authors of this list had included the Mountain Goats, they really should have). But this album had to pave the road for that one. The lyrical content is very dark, it makes this an album you don't went to visit often. Whether you love or hate this album will depend on your tolerance for that misery, but also your interest in Lou Reed. His standard talk-sing style is in full swing here. But it works with the songs. This album could be a 5 on influence alone. I here little parts of songs that came later all over this record. But based on my enjoyment of this album, I give it a 3. I'll split the diff and call it 4.

Such a bleak and relentlessly unreliable narrator entry into the rock opera. Lou Reed’s no bullshit street poet sensibility backed up by a bombastic theatrical hard rock band is such a unique pairing and perfect for what this piece is. It feels very much like producer and arranger, Bob Ezrin’s trial run for Pink Floyd’s The Wall.

I love this album however Transformer is my favourite. Lou Reed September 5, 2003. State Theatre Sydney. Another memorable concert featuring songs like "Sweet Jane," "Smalltown," and "Men of Good Fortune”. In 2003 I was VP strategic marketing Warner Music planning and executing campaigns for Warner’s vast back catalogue like Cold Chisel, Led Zeppelin, Fleetwood Mac, Rod Stewart and the Doors amongst others. Lou Reed who I am a big fan of had a show at the beautiful State Theatre. His Label Manager asked me if I would mind going to the show and meeting him after. He had a reputation of being grumpy and sarcastic. Being a huge fan I immediately agreed. Transformer is one of my all time favourite albums that I played non stop on a roadtrip through France with my friends Jens and Thorsten as highschool students in my sister’s babyblue VW. I took my wonderful friend and artist Jade to the show. Lou had just severed ties with Warner Brothers records but had resigned a worldwide deal with Warner Music Germany where his most recent releases still managed to enter the charts. At the time German music fans were very loyal and many artists in their twighlight of their career were still very popular. His New York album was very successful on Warner Brothers but that is now ages ago. Apparently he once said the only reason Warner Brothers kept him on the roster was that he would attract cool new alternative acts to sign to the label. In 2003 he released a hard to digest album inspired by Edgar Allen Poe called the Raven. The German loved it and signed him. The show at the State Theatre was interesting, Antony and the Johnsons was the support act and he blew us away ! He later would do a couple of songs with Lou. Lou’s show was great however, he hardly played any of his “hits” and even the ones that he did play were unrecognisable . Like a Van Halen style of Viscous. Also Lou had his Tai Chi master on stage performing with his sword. Jade and I made our way backstage and I kept running into people asking if they can meet Lou. Mentally preparing myself to meet Mr. Grumpy we entered his dressing room. He was consummate host and gentleman, shook our hands and made us feel welcome. He repeated my friends name in his New York drawl “jaaayde” which I thought sounded very cool. He offered and made us some tea and we had a chat about his show and the new album The Raven. It suddenly dawned on me that he thought that I was somehow connected to Warner Music Germany which I wasn’t….he asked me about what I thought about the Raven and he asked me to send my regards to the German CEO Bernd Dopp. So overall it was a very pleasant experience. Record company meet and greets can be awkward at best but that was most certainly one of the best ones. Also never trust what other people say about what people say, many times in my career I got on really well with people that were described as being grumpy or difficult.

I was just knocked over by the sheer enjoyability of Transformer like, three days ago, so it’s an appropriate time to get this one. I admire it but I don’t love it. By now I know I dig Lou Reed’s whole deal, and I like that he does the (sort of requisite) concept story album, making it a shabby tragedy. But I think it would be better with a little more musical grandiosity. The songs that do have it (“How Do You Think It Feels,” “Sad Song”) are thrilling. The other arrangements don’t give me enough of a reason to revisit the story.

Excellent album. What an experience

Not for me. Songs are a bit long and repetitive especially towards the end

I preferred this to Transformer, mainly because his vocals are actually listenable on this one. Still boring however, generous 3

Some of it good, some of it a bit dull. 2.5 stars, rounding down to 2.

Algunas canciones son muy depre

At least it’s not Robbie Williams

Never really been much of a Lou Reed fan.

2,4/5

A superb album... amazing song-writing, it is a real concept album, Reed's characterful voice does a lot of heavy lifting too. Not an easy album to listen to (thematically) but if music needs to trigger emotions in beauty, well this one does it. All songs are good really, either because they are stunners on their own (e.g. Caroline Says II), or because they are very functional for the flow of the album (incl. the opening and closing songs).

Great

Är inte jättefan av konceptalbum över lag. Tycker detta var lite svårsmält för o va Reed.

Un bebo dramático jaja me encantó

2.5

Meh. Preferred transformer.

Leuk album, echt uit de jaren 70

Well, the longer it goes on, the worse I feel... Though I liked the first ones !

Such a stark contrast between this and Transformer. One of the bleakest, harrowing and beautiful albums I know. It's never an easy listen, even if the music is great and played with all the feeling that heroin and depression can give. 3⭐️

Wat een geweldig nummer is die "Das Song"

Its Lou Reed doing his thing. He does not seem to be a happy go lucky type of guy and it shows in his music

70’s Rock ⭐️How Do You Think It Feels

The Velvet Underground made some of my favorite albums and songs ever. I’ve only dabbled in Lou Reed solo projects. This is certainly an achievement in rock opera/concept albums, with some phenomenal musical moments. For some reason, I can’t get into his voice as much on this record. And the subject matter is heavy.

Sad

Boring

This album is terribly enchanting: at times beautiful, at times wonderfully raw (also in the acoustic side). But it's great how all converges in layers and layers of sounds and different ideas that merge so well between each other. And it's not for me a spectacular album, a flawless record, but its flaws add to it a very interesting and delicious side, a more human and very warm aspect that I've loved.

Quite intriguing on the first half but quieter and more grim in the second half, which I'm not quite fond of. The first half seems to fill your senses with pleasant music while the second half is quiet enough for you to feel exactly what was being said. Overall, not the worst, though I'd give a 2.8 if I could.

Starting to think Lou Reed wasn’t the problem for Velvet Underground This is another case of being relatively inoffensive, but at the same time thought provoking and emotional music. Between this and Transformer I have to admit that he’s a pretty good musician. The dark and moodier parts mesh really well with the more classical emotion sounds. Not all great though, there’s some songs that absolutely drag a ton. I absolutely despised the part with babies crying in The Kids, way to take one of the most annoying sounds possible and ruin what’s otherwise a pretty solid song. It’s only for a minute or two but I think my tolerance for that tops out at about 10 seconds I definitely like Transformer better, but this is far from bad and I definitely vibe with it at times. Is this what people mean when they say this guy’s an acquired taste? Maybe I will actually have to go back to Velvet Underground to see if I missed anything

I feel like the child wailing in The Kids summed up this album perfectly. Mediocre music with random obnoxious shit to make it worse. His voice is bad and every song is forgettable.

Wow. What can you say about Lou Reed and Berlin? A mish-mosh collection of nasally mostly spoken word poetry played across music that doesn't seem to match the lyrics or the subject matter. Somewhere, there are people that consider this genius-level work. I am not one of them...

I thought I was going to hate this album because it's Lou Reed, but I love the darker tone this album had. I vibed with it, I'm shocked with myself for this fact. The last song did drag on for a little, but that was just my opinion.

When I saw another Lou Reed album yesterday, admittedly I was skeptical. I wasn't a huge fan of Transformer, and Velvet Underground has consistently only gotten 1 or 2 stars from me. That being said, I was pleasantly surprised by this album. It's definitely a darker tone and theme than his previous albums. There is absolutely nothing that evokes any joy, and I suppose that's a part of the appeal. Again, like always, Lou Reed's voice really does nothing for me. To me it just too monotone and feels like he's just speaking melodically. Anyways, the instrumentation on this album is really solid, it's very bare bones, primarily relying on nothing but piano and vocals. Which ultimately makes the album feel more gritter and dark which I personally adore.

such a controversial person with a beautiful voice

Second and final Lou Reed. I don't remember much about Transformer, though I maintain that Perfect Day and Take a Walk on the Wild Side are good songs. Hopefully this album is more of the same, though I'm not expecting much given Lou Reed's standing as an innovative and influential musician. Anyways, here goes. Yeah, not for me. There isn't much going on with this album. The vocals are skittish and jittery, but not in a way which carries any weight. There isn't much harmony between these instruments, either. The brass is especially weak. It isn't paired with any instruments that complement its sound and is muffled by the emptiness which hangs over most of this album's compositions. The guitars are blown-out in usual 60s/70s fashion and convey a dull blues sound. The pianos are competent and usually belong to the better songs of the album, but they never manage to escape the murky, grey sound of this album. The minimal, stripped-back style just doesn't work here and produces as stale, lumbering and lethargic sound. Overall, this was a boring listen. "How Do You Think It Feels" is vaguely familiar to me, though I've no clue where I've heard it. This only moderately sounds like a song my Dad would play in his car, though I think that's my best and only bet. Anyways, it's a competent song. The best on the album, though I'm not particularly enthused by it. I like the vocal melody during the chorus and the brass numbers during the second half are solid, though the blown-out guitars can be a little much at points. Like the rest of the album, there's an emptiness hanging over the music which makes it difficult for me to get into it. Still, it's a tolerable listen. Book time. A pivot in style from Transformer. Reed's "...most brutal work to date." and a "movie for the ears", with the album chronicling the decline of a relationship between two Americans living in Berlin. The album's producer elevated the material, bringing in an "...all-star studio band" to record the material. Shunned by critics and audiences at the time, but predated the gloomy sound that would be popularised by post-punk and gothic rock bands in the 80s. Wikipedia confirms that this album is well-received by critics. "Caroline Says II" has been covered by a few prominent musicians and the album performed decently on the UK charts, but that's about it. I won't go on a puritanical tirade, but I do dislike art which revels in dysfunction and decay like this album. It always seems to come from the same group of people who hold a historic grudge towards White people, are obsessively clannish and communal in their racial ties and are more prone to severe forms of mental illness like schizophrenia in their lifetimes, but we are NOT politisperging here. I don't respect this album, but as far as a list of popular, influential and historically/aesthetically significant albums go, I think this album has leverage. If it truly is Lou Reed's second-best release, then I think its spot is well-earned. I cosign this inclusion.

I liked this more and more after one listen. Interesting album.

First time listening to Lou Reed (apart from Walk on The Wild Side). I'm not a fan of his voice so I didn't gel with the album. It's also very depressing.

Oh to be you, Caroline

Apparently I do not like Lou Reed. To add insult to injury, I have to listen to a song with babies crying. This album was barely bearable.

At first I didn't like it, then I didn't mind it too much. I can appreciate what's going on here.

Not for me

Caroline says this album ain't nearly as intersting as Lou Reed himself. Caroline says she likes a lot of the musicianship and production on BERLIN; if only someone else were singing, instead of talking, through the often simple and monosyllabic lyrics. To the book's contributor's assertions that this is an influential album, Caroline says "That's as may be" but that doesn't mean she should have to listen to it. Caroline says the editor of "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die" must learn to say no. Caroline says Lou Reed's BERLIN has made it into her book, "4,004 Albums You Must Forget Before You Fatally Fall."

Berlin – Lou Reed — Speak‑shouted delivery, songs blend together, story doesn’t land until the end; “Sad Song” is the standout.

Me gustó, sobre todo que es como que cuenta una historia. No lo escucharía devuelta pero me pareció interesante.

Third Lou Reed-connected project in as many weeks. Potentially good to be able to connect an album like this to work he did with the Velvet Underground. Though there is much solo Lou Reed that I like, I found this album to be a little stilted and dry. Not my favorite, but I’m glad that Lou Reed exists.

Un crack Lou. El rockero que no necesitó ser mainstream para ser icónico. El album es oscuro y ganchero en partes iguales. 8/10

I made it all the way through, but it could have just been 1 really long track for all I could tell. Very monotonous and single-paced. Not really my thing at all.

You have to like Lou Reed to get it. You have to REALLY like it. I do but it’s not always great. He will never be perfect or close to it and that’s why some people are best left in the underground.

A bleak, story-driven album that never quite pulls me in. 𝘉𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘪𝘯 aims for something heavy and immersive, but it often feels more distant than affecting. The arrangements are restrained and the pacing is slow, which fits the subject matter, but also makes the album drag at times. I can appreciate the ambition and the atmosphere, yet it rarely becomes truly engaging for me.

some of the lyrics and themes were a bit too bleak for me however I enjoyed the general sound and the melodies a lot

One of the few non-hip hop albums I've had to psyche myself up to listen to. It was perfectly fine, even on a train. Frankly, for such a famously depressing album, I found a fair bit upbeat. Until the second half. I liked Caroline Says I most.

not for me

Hmmm, I am a bit hit and miss with Lou reed, but this one felt like I was being lectures on whatever it was he'd decided was cool. Felt a bit tedious and try hard. It's not like it was awful, but none of it sat well with me and I got a bit bored of his high horse approach. A low 3 for the lyrics a higher 3 for the music.

Das 1 Lied war shcokmässig, Die anderen KLieder sind Melidiös und gut gemacht

I'm between a 4 and a 5 for this. I love Reed's storytelling of this sad tale about a troubled couple. The lush arrangements really add to the rock opera vibe. Closing with a (relatively) jolly track called Sad Song, repeating the title as a refrain, was weirdly quite apt I think it's 4* because it could do with a real banger or two to elevate it. Still, a positive experience

Experimental and interesting. Holds a strong narrative and surprised me in general.

Berlin - 1/5 Lady day - 2/5 Men of good fortune - 4/5 Caroline says I - 3/5 How do you think it feels - 3/5 Oh Jim - 3/5 Caroline says II - 2/5 The kids - 1/5 The bed - 1/5 Sad song - 2/5

6/10 This is one of the stranger albums I’ve had the pleasure of listening to recently, in that it somehow sat in a world where I felt there were some really great aspects to it, but there were enough little bits about each track that I wasn’t able to fully connect with it in the way I was desperately trying to. I felt like I really wanted to find an in to the record, but for the most part, there was just a little disconnect there that didn’t fully engage me in a way that I felt it was really close to doing. It also felt a little stilted in flow, and like it was jumping a little too readily from one stylistic position to another without a careful enough transition. I was interested to read that this was a concept double-album that the record company got cold feet about and edited down the length of each track. Perhaps that’s why it doesn’t feel entirely coherent, as the intended flow of the album is absent from the final product. Lou Reed’s voice is one that works really well with some tracks, but in others it can be a little distracting. When everything came together most successfully for me was during the darker tracks, with the one two punch of The Kids and The Bed being a particular highlight. They were grimy, tragic and beautiful in equal measure and Reed’s earthy, everyman vocal worked incredibly well in those moments to make everything feel incredibly real and grounded. The production and instrumental arrangements across the record were actually really good, but I feel like there were not quite enough moments that grabbed hold of me and the aforementioned inconsistency of flow made this an enjoyable ride that fell just short of what I wanted it to be. Berlin - It’s quite an odd start, with a sound collage that doesn’t obviously indicate anything specific, but then it’s a sparse and pretty piano piece. I think Reed’s voice works quite well with this, the close-mic technique giving it a very intimate sound. There’s good dynamic and a cool flow to the playing. It’s pretty, but feels more of an intro than a full-blown song. Lady Day - This is quite sonically interesting, although a tad meandering. Some of the production is really good, and it’s got good punch to it. The lead vocal is decent again, but feels a little less musically connected in a few places, particularly during the verses. The chorus is really good here, though. Quirky, musically dense and slightly avant garde, but with a good sense of direction. I actually really got into this one as it went along. Men Of Good Fortune - This is quite nice too. There’s some cool playing and it ebbs and flows nicely. I’m not entirely in love with Reed’s vocal here, but I also don’t dislike it. There are moments when I feel like it does drag itself on a little too much and loses its centre, but I actually quite like the slightly drifting nature of the instrumentation. Maybe it feels like it should be building into something that it never quite reaches, but it was an enjoyable journey nonetheless. Caroline Says I - In this one, the instrumentation feels a bit more certain of its direction than the vocal is. The verses are a little disjointed, but it gathers things up pretty well into the choruses. As with much of the album so far, there are some really good things in here, but it doesn’t feel entirely like it’s won me over, so I’m left in a bit of a weird hinterland with it. Don’t love it, appreciate quite a bit of it. How Do You Think It Feels - Stylistically, this feels quite different from the other tracks so far, in that there are some quite poppy elements to it, but when you add Lou Reed’s vocal, it makes it feel a bit strange. It just feels a tad disconnected and I’m not sure the tone of the track really completely jives with what we’ve had up to this point. It kind of feels like he’s just nabbed someone else’s master tape and added his own vocal over it. Oh, Jim - Ok, this does run on a bit more coherently from the last track. I really like when he strips things out and does sparse sections that build back into more fully orchestrated sections, but it’s still a slightly odd tonal blend between the composition and musical style and Reed’s vocal and lyrical content. In some ways I quite like it, but it’s also a bit of a challenging juxtaposition. The ending also feels a little disconnected. Caroline Says II - This is one of those where the less refined tuning and delivery of the vocal jars a little more with the sharp and focused melodic nature of the rest of the track. It’s a darkly pretty track, although it’s perhaps a tiny bit rhythmically stilted. It’s a little meandering, but it’s still an engaging listen for the most part. The Kids - Another dark but pretty track. It’s sparse and restrained, but there’s something compelling about it. The bass sounds great and the way the music builds up and recedes again is really nice. I think in this instance, the vocal delivery actually works well to keep you hanging on the song, particularly combined with that slow pulse of the track’s rhythm. The addition of the crying kids makes it even more grim, but it’s a really effective piece of dark art for that. Not one for an every day listen, but it’s really, really good. The Bed - This is dark, grim and pretty again. The style of his vocal lends a sense of mundanity and ordinariness to things thats really affecting, making the song feel incredibly raw and real. The careful choices and subtlety of the instrumentation in the background behind the guitar and vocal are incredibly effectively balanced. As with the previous track, this is great. It’s another one for a specific time and mindset, but it’s superbly constructed, delivered and produced. Sad Song - This has more of the feel of How Do You Think It Feels, in that it’s quite poppy in some respects, but at least there’s more of an edge of weirdness to it. It’s a slightly strange tonal jump from the last couple of tracks and I’m not completely in love with the pop rock guitar soloing. As with much of the album, it’s quite a strange production and while I quite like aspects of it, it doesn’t completely connect with me on enough levels to be entirely convincing. The ending builds up to something really nice though.

🎧I like this a lot

starts very slow, but stay with cuz it gets so good by the end. love lou reed so much man, this man is so goated a songwriting god i love ittt

5/10

I really back and forth on this. The scoring ranging from a 2-4. The whole concept, depth, and sadness of the life of a relationship between the two protagonist was well thought out, however, the songs were not always the strongest. Then came "Sad Song" and it made me want to throat punch Lou myself ending on a horribly sour note. So, a 3 in the middle for fairness.

Solid Lou Reed album with some great tracks, even if some of them have rather depressing lyrics. Highlights: "Lady Day", "How Do You Think It Feels" and "Sad Song"

my thoughts on Lou Reed echo that of Bob Dylan. Good writer, bad execution. Same thing here.

Just write poetry dude. Don’t subject us to annoying music instead. Definitely not one of Lou Reeds best

A concept album about a couple's struggles with abuse and addiction, but it's so boring and dreary I had trouble trying to follow the plot when the urge to hit "skip" was so incredibly strong. Lou Reed really mined his "voice of the streets" thing for as much as he could, but the moments of great music were few and far between. Still, an icon of future street poets who also couldn't sing very well and only half-bothered to try.

Super enjoyable. 3.5/5

estilo cantautor, rock suave, meh en general, 2/5

My type of music but also a little cringe and made me sad

I'm not sure what to say. I didn't enjoy most of the songs, but it is original and haunting at times.

Strike 1: talk-singing Strike 2: the storyline Strike 3: babies crying in the background

One time only. Too experimental for my taste

2 Stars. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but this album is not good, much like the Velvet Revolver album that will eventually come up (although that one is certified as an "OK" album from me). I get that the guy get a lot of loved, but it's unwarranted. Sorry. That's just the way it is.

Hearing Lou go for those high notes in "The Bed" are really quite something. 2.5

Loved this, the last track especially

Highlights: Berlin, Lady Day, Caroline Says I, How Do You Think It Feels, Oh Jim, Caroline Says II, The Bed, Sad Song

I didn't realize this was going to be a concept album going into it! Overall I liked it. I don't want to say it was an enjoyable listen because the subject matter was rough, but the overall effect was solid.

I can't give an album with a heartfelt and unresolved story about the musician's friend's suicide a one, so I guess I have to give it a two. But wow, what a “not-for-me” album this was.

I'm gonna go ahead and say the lyrics are most of the draw here, which is at least part of the reason this album doesn't work well while I'm working. Other than "The Kids" it wasn't objectively bad, but this did nothing for me. Musically it was pretty boring. 1.7

++: Berlin, Caroline Says I, How Do You Think It Feels, Oh, Jim, The Kids, The Bed +: Men of Good Fortune, Caroline Says II, Sad Song +-: Lady Day 8,2/10

210726 22:37 3.5

Sad songs, lots of sad songs

4/10

This one is grim, even by Reed’s standards. Not a top tier release for me.

2/10

I was wondering why I never listened to this album and now I see why. This is one of the most out of left field albums from any artists. Ambitious, and I’ll have to listen to it a few times before I can really form an opinion about it. Just not any time soon.

Day816 - the first thought in my heard was “is this the best album on this this list that ive never heard?” this is totally different from the transformer album. if you are into depressing melancholy songs lou reed has just the thing for you.

I'm was never a Lou Reed fan and an album about drug addition just a turn off.

Me: give me a genre that isn't the 60s This game: *adds 4 years and spits in my face*

Lou Reed's bored lilt might be endearing to some people, but it reminds me of the guys who are trying their best to be aloof and cool. That he was friends with someone as effortlessly cool with David Bowie when he made this album makes that worse. Musically a fun album, but not one that I loved.

the first album after britain entered daylight saving time (moving the time that i receive this one hours earlier) is certainly a delight. really nice and beautiful album although still having chances to improve. danke, 1001 albums generator. 3.5/5

Endearing, in a very sad, but good way Best Song: The Bed Rating: 6.5/10 Stars: 3