Berlin

I wanted to like this… but I did not. I listened several times and just when I’d find something to like, something else would come along and ruin it. The crying baby about did me in. But I can’t say it’s wholly unlistenable, so I’ll give it 2/5.

Yawn inducing

A more understated and "literary" brand of rock opera. Pretty disappointing considering how much I loved Transformer; a little too dour and serious, and honestly kind of same-y. Best song: Sad Song

Not my cup of tea but, there is something refreshing about listening to a piano in Berlin! Caroline Says II would probably be the only song I'd listen to again

I enjoyed listening to it but not sure I'd listen to it again.

what do you get when you take a rock album and strip it of any vocal inflection, instrumentally cohesive tracks, and basic enthusiasm? 40 something minutes of mindless crooning. im not mad, just disappointed. listening to blue oyster cult after so i can remember what good soft rock sounds like again.

Sigh. I had high hopes, I like Lou Reed, I think. I thought. Currently bored though. I enjoyed Berlin, and Caroline Says II.

Interesting idea as a concept album but quite a dreary and depressing listen. Won't be listening again

Pretty shitty.

Eh, a bit of a miss...

I like Lou Reed, but I don't like Lou Reed albums. There I said it.

Great music. Typical Reed poor voice.

pretty kewl? but also boring and depressing he doesn't really sing, he just talks oh wait it kinda gets worse 😕

Ummm, no. I like a good concept album and I like Reed, but nothing here caught my attention. Meh. Dull. I didn't even pick up a character. I can understand why it was totally panned, but not why it has since gained favor.

Didn’t really do much for me

I couldn't get into it. I read it was a story of a drug addicted couple, and that made sense. It just wasn't for me.

better than the other lou reed album but... 2

Best Song: Oh Jim. I liked the driving rhythm on this one. Worst Song: The Kids. It was definitely a choice to close this song out with the sounds of children crying. Good thing they also blow out the microphone. Overall: I find that I like the idea of Lou Reed more than I like the reality of him. I'm a big fan of other of these artists who can write but can't sing, but something about Reed's droning vocals make it harder for me to appreciate the writing.

Lou Reed really can’t sing

Sad lyrics dominated by Lou’s spoken word like singing. Not a big fan of this

Some real standouts amid a lot of dullness

hoo boy that was a depressing one

Could not finish it. Too depressing and the talk singing kindred of grated on my nerves.

It’s objectively untrue to call Lou Reid’s voice “good,” but I love it. That being said, I don’t love this album. I’m always wary of concept albums - while they can be brilliant, more often than not the conspicuous theme means that they are predictable and obvious, losing a lot of the subtly of good song writing. Berlin is that for me. There is no curiosity about the subject for the next song, because it’s already completely laid out. The “rock opera” idea in general is not my favourite. However, its interesting to listen to Berlin and think how much American Idiot owes to its existence.

Self indulgent. A few interesting ideas for songs in there but needed someone to sort it out. A few good bass lines in there.

Lou Reed finally feels old :(

weird "story album". 1.6/5

Not sure I really like this

They all sound the same

Ugly Bob says II stars

I’m not a big Lou Reed fan. But this album is okay.

It was alright. Nothing to write home about.

Echt niet mijn ding - begrijp ook de praise van die mens niet echt - persoonlijk

Meh. It was okay. Maybe it's an album that grows on you with each listen.

Vet du hva, jeg føler jeg burde elske Lou Reed, men dette funka bare ikke helt for meg🤷‍♂️

Lou's music really just does nothing to grab me. Sorry guy. Favorite track: Oh Jim

It was very... NYC. I didn't care for the vocals.

Loads of people love Lou Reed, and I can understand why, but unfortunately I just find it dreary.

Initially I thought the music was alright, even though I wasn't a fan of his singing, but the final few songs dragged on and it was quite tiring to finish the album. Stand-out: Men of Good Fortune

Putting a crying baby in your album is cruel, who wants to hear that?

This one opened weird. Got sad.

I think if this album leaned more into psychedelia then it would have stuck out more. It was pretty slow and heavy on the guitar strumming, which for me couldn't sustain my attention the entire record. The lyrical content was intriguingly dark and it shone through with a soft and laid back voice. 'Sad Song' felt very modern though and I think that if a more recent artist was heavily inspired or sampled this, I would like that more. 3.5/10

This kind of thing always just feels like they are daring me to not like it so they can go somewhere and rag on me for "just not getting it, man". Whatever. Rag away.

I thought this would be a live album with a name like Berlin, but it's a rock opera. I never really delved into Lou Reed's music before this, I only know the hits from his work with Velvet Underground. It's not bad or particularly great and it doesn't really speak to me through the lens of 2023. I liked Tommy more. A little glammy, a little rocky, a bit introspective. The Kids has some crying children in it.. and I have one at home, that wasn't really fun. Do people who don't have kids not know how aggravated that can make someone? Best Track: Men of Good Fortune. (Jack Bruce's bass line that is driving it sounds pretty fun)

Little bit too depri for my taste

boring monotone with concepts which were fresh at the time and are not any longer.

I like Lou Reed, but this album didn't quite do it for me.

Some decent parts, but overall a hard album to listen to. Didn’t seem to have great production value or much vocal talent.

I know Lou is an OG, but I really don't know why this album is on here. I could hear some of his signature guitar in some songs, especially sad song, but none of these songs connected.

Not my style. Some of the softer, later songs on the album appeals to me but many others dont click with me

This is a weird one. And not in a good way. Just bizarre.

I just so want to like this but it brings nothing new to the table. Good old fashioned rock n' roll really. Comparing what others were doing at this time he should have done better. B-

bad length men of good message

Not abjectly terrible, but I do not like this. I hope there's no more Lou Reed.

Do not love his voice at all. The songs too.

Eh

2.5 stars. This was ok. Singer songwriter early rock. Lyrics are full of heavy themes. Didn't have any big standout tracks.

adding a crying baby to the background of a song is never a strong musical decision

I'm a bit hit or miss with LR albums. This one leaves me cold (not because of the dour lyrics) It's so lacking in inspiration. Thank God it was appended to a single album.

Man, this was a tough listen. I had no connection to this and struggled at times to appreciate. 2/5

Zero good songs, but not annoying to listen to. Two stars.

I like some Lou Reed songs, guess they weren’t here tho

Heard it before?: No Enjoy it?: Yeah, it’s decent Favourite song: Track 3 - Men of Good Fortune

Fairly dry, the mix can be a bit weird making the instruments a lot louder than they should be.

Well, that's just a mess. I'm generally here for Lou but this album is a hot mess. Some folks just shouldn't try their hands at concept albums. Probably most folks, honestly. Lou Reed falls into that group. This whole album feels forced as though the constraints of the concept limited his ability to create something actually enjoyable. What a mess. Shame.

Dog

Was OK until thr last few tracks. Particularly depressing and not quite what I want to listen to tbh

it picks up a bit but just didn't feel it

If ever I was asked the music equivalent to beige it would be this album. I really struggled and lost that struggle at times to pay attention to this, finding out the weather forecast for tomorrow was a much more gripping affair. I won't be returning.

Critics labeled this a disaster when it was released. Sometimes they get it right the first time. Give Lou Reed credit. When he swings for the fences and misses, my word, he misses spectacularly.

Langsom psykedelisk rock, ikke særlig opmuntrende

Echt goed zingen kan ons Lou niet en dat houdt me toch een beetje tegen om hier heel enthousiast van te worden. Voelt een beetje als huismerk Bowie, en met A-merk Bowie heb ik al niet veel. "Men of Good Fortune" vond ik wel aardig, maar het kan niet op tegen z'n grote hits. En dat geldt voor dit hele album eigenlijk. "Sad Song" is wel de perfecte afsluiter. 2 tot 3 sterren afhankelijk van hoe goed de rest van m'n dag verloopt.

Gaandeweg wordt de zingzeggende muziek steeds irritanter en nietszeggender, tot het punt dat er letterlijk een kind gaat jengelen. Even later zitten we in het spookhuis van de Efteling. Weer zo'n zogenaamde legende van de popmuziek die eigenlijk niks klaarmaakt.

This is a really hit or miss album, unfortunately it’s a miss for me

I liked "How Do You Think It Feels". But the rest of the album felt unremarkable.

90% bummer, more interesting than good. 'Sad Song' shows at least it's self aware. Exciting moments, far too much bleak mumbling and kid screaming.

Eh not for me.

My rating got lower the more I listened to it. I settled on 2 stars, because there's worse Lou Reed out there.

I like Lou, I love Transformer! Berlin missed the mark for me and really only Lady Day standing out as a good listen. Album is a 2 for me.

Torn on this one. Listened to it twice, has some high points but a lot of lows. High 2 is my conclusion.

It’s giving Jesus Christ Superstar, Little Shop of Horrors, Rocky Horror Picture Show. The inner theater kid in me didn’t find this half bad. Unfortunately we can’t let that kid win.

While I actually truly enjoy some of the instrumentals and song structuring, I think that Lou Reed's particular brand of talk-singing is plain horrible. Some of his songwriting and influence throughout his career was admirable, but I really don't like him as a singer and performer. This was the first time I listened to one of his albums in full and it only cemented my opinions of him.

The album has some nice piano and drums parts. The album's story and themes are somewhat interesting and forward for its time. But Reed's style is not appealing to me. To me, he is just a mediocre Bowie.

Dark concept album. At times great music, occasionally moments of real emotional connection, but also lots of moments of annoyance or disconnection for me . I keep thinking I must be missing something.

So, my mate Dave and I have this game we play called "World's Worst Dinner Party", where you have to nominate the six absolute worst guests you can think of (living or dead), who would be the most unpleasant people to spend time with. The only rule of "World's Worst Dinner Party" is the Lou Reed Perpetual Chair. It is presumed that any list of worst possible dinner party guests must always include Lou Reed. Arrogant, angry, impatient, bleak and humourless. I am massive fan of the Velvet Underground and (some of) his solo material. His "high IQ, low technique rock and roll" (to quote his NY Times obit) is the template for much of the music I love. Great musician, but awful human being (may he rest in peace). I know of the cult of this album. It has a dedicated fanbase who have long championed this album, despite its poor initial reviews. I have tried a couple of times over the past 30 years to get into this album, but this is just way too bleak. Apparently, producer Bob Ezrin told Lou that he thought his songs always had great story beginnings, but the stories never had endings. So Lou took his previously recorded song 'Berlin' and extended it out to a sort-of rock opera that tells the story of Jim and Caroline, drug addicts who descend into violence and destitution until their children are taken away and Caroline commits suicide. Well. hell, that is probably the predictable and inevitable endpoint of a Lou Reed story, but it is hard to listen to. Ezrin's operatic production style (honed on Alice Cooper records, and eventually reaching its peak in The Wall) amps up the drama to frankly unbearable levels. The crying children at the end of "The Kids" is much too much for me to take (not helped by the possibly apocryphal story of how it was achieved: https://blog.wfmu.org/freeform/2006/09/unusual_recordi.html ). I appreciate the art of this album, but I never want to listen to it again.

Well that was a bit of a downer. Favorite: Berlin

Expected more from a Reed solo project given his work as part of the Underground. The narrative components are fine, but the surrounding instrumentals are just... there? The melodies aren't compelling and none of the instrumental choices grab the listener's attention, which is disappointing given the distinctly unique tracks Lou would orchestrate with VU.

Just like the last Lou Reed album I got, it just isn't working for me outside of velvet underground. His voice is just so boring compared to the great production and dark lyrics on most of the songs.

Berlin- introduction to characters… don't know how l feel about concept albums Lady day- wasn't compelling to me Men of good fortune - quite a cynical take Caroline says I- despite rhyming vial with vile, I still quite like this song👍 How do you think it feels - the come here mama refrains are quite off putting but the instrumental is a bop Oh Jim - this is an interesting song, a dialogue in two parts👍 Caroline says Ii - Caroline is not having a good time👍 The kids- not the children crying lool i can't take this seriously The bed - Jesus Christ this is grim Sad song - and everybody lived unhappily ever after... This album was just not for me 2/5

This is awful.

Average

not very memorable 1.5

"How Do You Think It Feels" was my favorite, but "Berlin" was good as well. Lou Reed, like Springsteen, is hit-or-miss with me. I recognize the great songwriting, but the delivery doesn't always hit the mark for me. Regardless of my personal opinions on him, I think that most people who say they like Lou Reed do so because they think it makes them appear "deep". Just a thought...

Felt like I got bored very often. Not awful.

Did not enjoy or even find beautiful, really. I still stand by my opinion/rule that no song should ever have a child crying in it.

Here's my Rod theory. It's always easier to forgive the later lapses of an act you got to know when they were great, than work backwards from an act you first had to hear on the radio when they were awful and put that aside when considering their earlier and clearly superior work. And so it is here. While I can appreciate this is a good album, I can never disassociate that voice from the crimes of the late 70s and 80s. Do You Think I'm Sexy, Baby Jane, Young Turks and so on. So sorry Rod for the music it's three stars, for the vocals it can only ever be one.

Eugh this really didn't appeal to me. I found some of them just irritating and so many songs about troubled women being sex workers, drug addicts, suicidal. Just a drag for me... sorry Lou

Not an ideal morning listen. Ok. Had its moments; but I won't be listening again in a hurry.

misery memoir, the album!

Such a sad album. Sounds like Spiritualized 30 years later

2.3 - decent but won’t be returning soon.

Some good riffs but overall very silly

Not his best work I must admit...

Always loved The Velvet Underground, but never listened to Lou Reed's solo albums. Enjoying the horns. Love the transition from How Do You Think It Feels to Oh Jim. Fucking hell this album is gut wrenching. Ending the album with The Kids, The Bed and Sad Song really fucked me up. Overall I appreciate the musical significance of Lou's music, however I wouldn't add any of these songs to my playlists.

I've heard this a few times and never got into it, which is a shame as I like Lou Reed. Downbeat and doesn't really hold my attention

fairly boring

Didn’t really enjoy it

Thoroughly underwhelmed

Extremely unmemorable; I did listen to it, but I could not tell you anything about it.

Instrumentally pretty cool, but the vocals were grating after a couple songs

Just really can't get into it. Doesn't feel like an album that I need to listen to again.

Ay, qué feo.

Beetje saai, Lou.

Beetje zouteloos.

Lou Reed n'est pas l'artiste le plus facile d'approche. Je sais que les textes ont une très grande importance dans cet album et ça a dérangé beaucoup après le succès de Transformer, mais ce n'est pas la première chose que j'écoute, surtout dans une autre langue que le français. Il faudra que je réécoute pour ça. Côté musical, on est quand même dans du stock accessible si on compare à ce qu'il a fait par le passé. Les arrangements sont bien et quand même élaborés. Ce n'est pas un album de gros hits, mais c'est intéressant à écouter pour savoir ce que c'est.

Not great, he's done better.

On initial listen I was immediately comparing it to Transformer, which on a second listen is unfair - as you can tell Lou Reed wanted to do something different, a concept album, the tragedy tale of a couple's misadventures. Did I enjoy it? Some good songs on there, but overall, not really.

I like the fact that it's a concept album, but that is literally the only thing I like about this. I like Lou Reed's work with the velvet underground but I can't seem to get into his solo stuff.

He’s weird

Nah, not for me

Got bored. These songs aren't for me.

Kind of a low-fi Velvet Underground record, and not really my style.

Minimalist album, very underplayed. That said, I like the band. A niche album, not for me.

Awfully boring

I like the VU and everything but Lou Reed's solo work mostly leaves me cold. This is no different.

Kinda melancholy. Didn't love or hate. Just was. Prolly wouldn't listen again.

It's a pretty dark album we get from Lou Reed here. With what is essentially a concept album, with the telling of a couple's struggle with drug addiction and abuse. Best: Caroline Says I Worst: The Bed

While don’t necessarily dislike much of this album, there s also very little of it that caught my attention. You probably really need to be in the right frame of mind to listen to this and maybe I wasn’t - but overall I found it dull, tedious and I’m very unlikely to revisit

Dull and forgettable. A few nice moments but overall disappointed.

Tylsä

Mitäänsanomaton, soi taustalla läpi kuitenkin häiritsemättä.

There is better Lou

I guess this is a rock opera? It sounds like bad, on the nose poetry over simple guitar. I like the other Lou Reed I've heard but this is kind of tedious.

Just how I felt when listening to transformer, I’m just not a Lou Reed guy. I get it, I see why he’s important but it just doesn’t work for me. Should I give this album a higher score because I at least understand it’s cultural significance? Probably. Am I going to? Nah.

Eh

Very dark

Bit miserable

i never realised lou reed got affected by the terrible 70s amdram music bug that afflicted the best part of the decade. this will not be getting listened to again.

Got bored and just listened to velvet underground instead. Nothing special

Ahhh it's not great, is it? 🧑‍🦽

A very depressing listen.

songs felt repetitive and whiney

I listened to it twice to try and understand the hype. It just didn't do anything for me.

Live albums aren’t often great, this is no exception

Berlin?... More like Bore-lin.

I hope this is about drinking, I think Berlin is the city where I have drunk the most in a short period of time

Lou Reed is one of those guys who just talks in a sing songy voice over some occasionally catchy music. Not terrible, but not entirely my bag.

lou reed çok sevmem ama kötü bir albüm değil

An unholy mess

A very quirky alternative rock album from the early 70s with interesting instrumentals that draw the listener in. My biggest qualm with the album, however, is Lou Reed's style of singing, which is so rhythmically disjointed and melodically faint that it almost resembles spoken word. "The Kids" and "The Bed" are two songs that may have been better off as poems, however "Sad Song" ends the album with a very catchy and memorable, chorus-heavy feeling. Overall, this feels like an early David Bowie album if he had been American with much less energy.

I can appreciate how his sound on this album fit into the NYC landscape at the time. While there's moments of interest, I can't get into his vocal styling, unfortunately.

Lou leading the rude rebellion, but not a lot standing out for me. Must be one of those ‘minimum 7 listens to get into it’ type albums. Ain’t nobody got time for that.

I #respect Velvet Underground and Lou Reed’s contribution to music and the influence of so many of the bands I love. I don’t dislike this but it’s not for me. I’ll keep trying. The dish of a cooky deep voice guy is best served by Iggy Pop for this reviewer

Meh

Forgettable

nah man

I like a few of lou reeds songs but definitely not this album. Just found it kind of boring

I don't think I've heard a full Lou Reed album either. I do not mind the style, but there are way better Lou Reed songs IMO. Nothing really grabbed me here.

Meh

Pra uma premissa tão dramática o album foi calmo demais... Não gosto muito de música falada.

quaalude party

2/5

Not really sure what to say about this one. I had it on the background more than actively listening, Lou Reed is certainly a mood but I couldn’t listen to him all the time

Berlin is a weird song.

don't like this at all. I think it's lame. i'd give a more formal opinion but not really in the mood, i'm sure it's impressive but it kinda sucked in my subjective opinion

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.

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.

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.

Hyi

Did not like this at all.

Meh.... No me gustó mucho

not my thang

Not the worst but i didnt like ti

very boring

i did not like

Christ.

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 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.

At least it’s not Robbie Williams

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.

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.

Not for me

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

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

2/10

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

kling klong

Remarkable that Lou Reed chose to follow up on the likes of “Walk on the Wild Side” and “Satellite of Love” with Berlin, which is a goddamn mess and a massive step backward. It has the feel of a musical, but it’s tuneless, depressing and flat, as if Reed wanted to double down on his tales of the dark side but forgot how to write a hook, a clever turn of phrase or a memorable melody. The audio of the young child crying during the dismal “The Kids” is the fucking coup de grace. Brutal choice.

Bleak orchestral art rock built on slow piano, somber strings, minimal rhythms, and weary, restrained vocals unfolds at an almost glacial pace. Listening feels like sitting in a dim, empty room where time barely moves and every moment lingers too long. The result is emotionally heavy but extremely slow, mostly crossing into boredom.

I can’t believe that the song called sad song is the one where Lou actually puts in some energy into his singing. Total tonal drag that ruins some nice lead guitar.

so fucking ass like hell no bro wtf

Lou Reed sucks

My unpopular music opinion? I’ve always found Lou Reed to be hugely overrated. I do enjoy Transformer, but much of his solo catalogue leaves me bored and wanting it to end. Maybe Berlin might change my mind. It didn’t. This is clearly meant to be a dark, theatrical concept album but I found it relentlessly bleak and, at times, bordering on self-indulgent. The storytelling feels heavy-handed rather than profound, and the atmosphere, while intentionally oppressive, becomes monotonous. There are moments that work. “Caroline Says I” and “Caroline Says II” are easily the strongest tracks here, stripped back, direct, and genuinely affecting. They hint at the sharp songwriting Reed was capable of. Unfortunately, much of the rest of the album drags. The title track “Berlin” did little for me, and “Sad Song” lives up to its name in the least compelling way possible. Favourite tracks: Caroline Says I & II Least favourite tracks: Berlin, Sad Song Album artwork: A cool, striking cover arguably more engaging than parts of the record itself.

Just don't like this style of music. Utterly boring.

weak

This was not good.

I’m not entirely sure what to make of this. I studied a lot of German theatre in college and played a bunch of Brecht/Weill roles in small German theatre companies throughout the late 1990s, so I am not immune to the charms of the format. But again, this hangs on the centrality of Lou selling things and well, no go.

don't like

I meant it in my last Lou Reed review when I said I never want to hear Lou Reed again. Unfortunately I still slogged my way through this 50 minute waste of tape. Nice piano playing. I don’t think I can think of a single other nice thing to say here.

This was the closest I've come to just straight-up skipping an album that's been generated for us because, really, I think we've endured enough Lou Reed at this point. But we're barely a quarter of the way through this project so to already start skipping albums before even starting them seems to be in poor form. I thought of all the Lou albums we've been made to rate, this one was the least bad. I found it to only be distasteful and uninspired rather than actively terrible. I was waffling between 1 and 2 ⭐️ and actually inclined to round up until the gratuitous extended children crying sounds on "The Kids". No thank you.

tbh I don't really like this but whatever. also holy shit lou reed you cannot sing</3 his voice on How Do You Think It Feels drove me crazy in particular, because the arrangement and guitar was great, but then he'd open his mouth and like bro SHUT UP

Zzz

You've really got to win me over with the instrumentation and singing if you're doing a dour concept album, and Lou Reed is never going to offer those to me.

I don't really like it, it's repetitive and weird, but not in the good way

I actually hated this album so fucking much

Weird

I was between ratings but the baby crying during The Kids sealed the deal.

This felt like circus music

Tried to like this one but ended up finding it very blah. His voice was putting me to sleep.

More like “1001 albums you must hear before you die and one album that will make you want to.”

Like most of Lou Reed's music, there're plenty of mediocre songs, a few terrible songs, and no shortage or lousy singing. It's not his worst work, but it I definitely doesn't excite me. With all of the VU albums on this list and Transformer, this album has a hard time justifying its place here.

I couldn’t even finish this album. It was like Bob Dylan but more monotonous and more depressing. He was edging me the whole time; every time I thought the album was gonna get good, it would never happen. The penultimate song? Fucking weird. I audibly exclaimed “what the fuck?”. It was like the Blue Jean Committee but it wasn’t satire. 😰 Best Songs: Oh Jim Caroline Says II Worst Songs: The Kids The Bed

I can see why this album was considered a mess when it came out. It kind of is. I'm sure it has a lot of meaning, but I can't get past the odd singing voice and lack of emotion. The words might have emotion, but he voice just doesn't.

Not a fan. Too monotonous.

Like a watered down then bland imitation of Frank Zappa’s work.

Okay, unpopular and contrarian opinion I know. I have always felt Lou Reed is hugely over-rated, and this sucks. This is the sound of neck-beard dudes in black turtle neck sweaters drinking super hoppy IPA and eating fried kelp sandwiches and pretending it’s good. Just go away with your rolled-up jeans and clunky boots. You are annoying. But not as annoying as this album. If you like it, great. Don’t play it when I’m over please and thank-you.

I don't often rate anything this low, but I was already struggling to enjoy this album when I was startled by the screams of a baby. I understand this style of music (lyrical) is and was super influential to music, but this album was a slog to get through.

Cool but not that good

Hard to get through. Didn’t finish.

Meh, 1 star

Why is he talking to me with music. nothing crazy musically, artsy but not good like David Bowie. Agree with rolling stones initial declaration of it being a disaster. Skipped many halfway through. Jesus my least favorite song has a part II, like a worse reprise of beating his wife. Don't care if it's about struggling with drug abuse, not my vibe

The meandering carelessness of this 50-minute question mark gave me the sense that Lou Reed really wants the listener to feel something, but lacked the musical prowess and vision to follow through on it. I wonder if the lackadaisical performance was meant to edge the listener into manifesting their own frustration on his behalf. Regardless, he failed spectacularly to produce anything of value with this "effort". If he is playing 4D chess by intentionally withholding any sort of sonic engagement in the face of strong subject matter, he has betrayed the purpose of music in its delivery. On the other hand, if this was intended as an authentic, intentional musical accompaniment for said subject matter, it demonstrates his lack of direction, ambition, and understanding of the intersection of music and lyrics. If there was enough reason on Reed's part to develop this conceived idea into a piece of artistic self-expression, he probably should have chosen literature as his medium here.

Second album proposé avec Lou Reed, le premier étant 'Velvet underground' où le groupe éponyme jouait avec Nico (noté 2/5). Pour ce nouvel album je suis d'accord avec les critiques du 'Rolling Stone' de 1973 : un désastre. Il ne génère qu'une 'émotion' : une ennui complet. Je n'aime pas le 'chant' de LR, et il est omniprésent. Il faut attendre les 5eme/6eme morceaux pour avoir des chorus de guitare. Pas désagréable, sauf 'the kids' et les pleurs à la fin que j'ai passé et qui lui font perdre le point durement gagné par les chorus... =>1/5

Lou Reed makes me wish that zero stars was an option

1. berlin - 2 2. lady - 1 3. fortune - 1.5 4. caroline - 1.5 5. feelz - 1 6. jim - 1 7. zayz - 2 8. kidz - 1.5 9. bed - 2 10. zad - 1.5

Very dreary. The song with the crying children was particularly horrible. Not my cup of tea

I never really understood the point of any Lou Reed solo thing. It's nothing special. Really nothing.

Sad Lou reed is sad

Lou Reed: A guy you really want to like but who disappoints you more than impresses. This album was tedious and boring.

Meh. Not my jam.

1/5

This ain't it. Too much of nothing and too little of anything

What the bleep was this. I know Lou Reed, and I like some of his songs, but did this album have any good ones? Just seemed to ramble through randomness, like some of the worst folk/alternative albums of today. I'm not saying artists don't have those, especially ones that experiment, but why was this on the list????

Weak vocals, discordant instrumentals, depressing lyrics - not for me.

# 411 - Can't Listen, don't like it. Sometimes this list feels like things are included just because they were popular at the time, or they're by a big name artist, but does anyone actually still listen to this album?

Always thought Lou Reed was overrated. This album confirmed my thoughts.

Aside from the music and the singing, this is quite nice.

Boo this man

Confused about how bad this is. You’re telling me multiple people voted for this album to be ranked on 1001ATLTBYD?? Bullshit. Impossible. Not to mention that there’s a song about cutting yourself, which is followed by “Sad Song”. Dude I’m trying to have a good time.

I gave this a couple listens to try to understand what was going on. There's a couple moments I like near the start but most of the vocals are essentially spoken word rambling and it takes me right out of it. It's not like the sparse music itself really makes up for it. I just can't.

First album where I saw no justification or reasoning to give it another listen, just dull.

Songs sound too much alike

So dull

Too watery

Not my style

Terrible.

Not my jam... bekke te sim...

Puha.. Det var en hård omgang. Det er et farligt drænende tempo. Især sangen sad song blev trukket alt for langt ud.. Vil gætte på at den i lp udgaven kun fylder én rille, som så skipper indtil man selv slukker lortet...

Do people listen to this for fun?

this ain't it, chief

Pre-listening thoughts: I know Lou Reed from Walk on the Wild Side. I don’t like that song (controversial I know). I didn’t know Lou Reed was part of the Velvet Underground but I’ve also never listened to their stuff so I’m really ill informed on this artist. Post/during listening thoughts: Lou Reed does this sort of talk/sing thing that I don’t really enjoy. It makes it sound like spoken word and I’m not really rocking with spoken word like that. The instrumental tracks are great (ie Sad Song) but man I cannot get over this talk singing. Im convinced people who enjoy this just like to be pretentious. Why are there KIDS CRYING whoever made this record HATES ME. I’ve got nothing more to say 2/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: absolutely! Not Fav tracks: Caroline Says I (I guess), Sad Song if Lou Reed could find the beat Least fav tracks: the rest

Nope

Didn't get this

This shit sucks

Apart from Walk on the Wild Side and Perfect Day, I could never really take to Lou. I think he always tried to be too artistic - too beyond his capabilities Berlin - waste of a track Lady Day - odd, but still half decent Men of Good fortune - crap Caroline - another odd one. Bit over theatric. How do you think it feels - Nah Oh Jim - Oh No Enough... it's 1/5

Absolutely shite

Music to jump out of a window to.

Cannot believe just how bad this is. Almost unlistenable. I have nothing good to say

Love Lou Reed. But this is rubbish.

blerherhwnergcuiosehng NNNNNNNN

Boo

I did not enjoy this album at any level.

I love Lou Reed. I love the Velvet Underground. I have never heard this album before. ….aaaaaand I will never hear it again. This album was, for lack of a better word, cringy. I felt like I was listening to a Jackie Rodgers Jr skit. I expected him to break out with “Meshugana! meshugana! Gerr, gerrr, gerrr” Weirdly, one bright spot “Caroline Says 2”. All of the sudden it sounded like Lou Reed again. Then it went away.

Sounds a lot like Tom Waits in places, but it just didn't have the same impact to me.

Lou Reed sucks

One of the most boring and utterly mind numbing things I have ever listened to. Ptew!

DNF’d

I can appreciate a concept album, but this is just too slow and depressing for me. The music is actually pretty good, but the long drawn out depressing voice cancels out the music. Listen again: no Purchase for my collection: no Favourite Song: none

first half of the album was meh and to quote my notes directly after finishing the second half: "What the hell was this album, it's depressing AF and the songs are not even good."

Terrible.

Ugh won't be listening to this again

I went into this album with high expectations. I always love concept albums, and I expected this one to be no different. But it was just so underwhelming. I didn’t care for most of it. There were always elements that ruined each song for me. For example, The Kids was an alright song for the most part. A bit too long, but it was going well enough until about 5 minutes in, where you can hear a crying baby for about a minute. This is the most uncomfortable I’ve been so far on this 1001 albums journey. Just such an uninteresting album. Maybe if I go back and listen again with the lyrics, I’d have more of an appreciation for it, but my first impressions are that it’s just not a good album. The opening track gave me hope, I did like it quite a bit. But after that, there were really only a couple highlights. The last track had some beautiful music, but I just wasn’t interested in the lyrics or how they were sung. Especially the repeating of “sad song”. I don’t see myself ever returning to this album, and maybe not even returning to Lou Reed in general, unless another of his albums is in this list. 3/10, rounded down to 1 star. Top 1: 1. Berlin

This album does absolutely nothing for me. The vocals seem very dry and boring.

This album gets worse as you listen through it. I managed to make it through, but I wouldn't recommend it.

how do you think it feeeels, working all day at harveys? up all night watching reels, no butter is not, a, veg-etable, ro-bert

I really dislike this, it’s a 1 or a 2. The question is do I hate it or not? Like the smell of petrol, I keep coming back from more. I had it over a weekend so had plenty of opportunity to listen. It’s got all the annoyances of Transformer or Banana but non of the stand out tracks. The music sounds less amateur though with Jack Bruce and Steve Winwood in the squad. I like Lou’s tone, he’s got a soothingly smooth singing voice. But the lyrics and rhyme schemes are just so bad, it’s like my toddler is making it up as he goes. I hate it. But I kind of love to hate it.

Was going to rate two stars by way of it being very unspectacular folk, but then they added crying children. Don't put crying children in your music

Not a fan

I hate every thing about Lou Reed. End of story.

I fking hate everything Lou Reed. Get bent with this drug-addled pompous mumbly dogshit. 1/10 0 stars.

Not for me It's a bit to slow to really kick off

Did not like this one at all.

Not my jam

Life is too short and there's too much good happy music out there to put myself through more than 2 tracks of this shit

Pretty boring l. Don't understand where the charm is

Not great

Maybe years of watching toks damaged my brain but I can't recognize this as music

I like the flutes in the last song this was just a bad album

I just do not care about Lou Reed. Boring album

Not for me

Look, I love Lou Reed, but this felt like over self-indulgence or a lack of editing. Not a fan of most of the record. I’m sure they were very pleased with themselves for making it, but much of it is just… too much. Caroline Says II is good. Kid is really good until the actual kids come in. I don’t want to hear babies crying when I’m listening to music. Nope. I was sad that Sad Song didn’t end 3 minutes earlier.

1/5. Not a very enjoyable album. Boring and uninteresting.

Lou Reed you are literally evil for making me listen to this

09/12/2022 Bruh….just finished listening to this in studio and what the fuck. I will never be listening to this album again. It’s so ridiculously depressing. The Kids is just heartwrenching for no good reason. As fucked up as this sounds, this sounds like the music that would be the soundtrack for a movie for the virgin suicides or one of those extremely bleak and hopeless movies. Saw that Bob Ezrin was connected to this and then it all made sense. (The Wall by Pink Floyd says hello). End of the night update: can’t see why anyone would voluntarily listen to this album. This shit is glorified trauma porn, seriously. Idc if I’m being dramatic, this shit put me in a dark and down mood for the rest of the day. — Got back in from SA this morning. Went straight to school. Studio is going slow today. Feeling really frustrated with my pavilion design, but am praying that I will get it all figured out in the coming days.

This one was garbage. 1/5

Meh

Depressing

Ik kan echt helemaal niets met die gast.

Man I love transformer and Velvet Underground. Ans you know I get it was a concept but it really did sound like someone od ing and throwing up in an alleyway. Absolute Jizz.