Lou Reed is the debut solo studio album by American rock musician Lou Reed, released in April 1972 by RCA Records, two years after he left the Velvet Underground. It was produced by Richard Robinson and Reed and features London session musicians as Reed's backing band, two of whom, Rick Wakeman and Steve Howe, were from the British progressive rock band Yes. Wakeman recalled that during the recording sessions, "the lights had to be out so nobody could see."[4] The album was recorded in Morgan Studios, London, between December 1971 and January 1972.
Lou Reed | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | April 1972 | |||
Recorded | December 1971 – January 1972 | |||
Studio | Morgan, Willesden, London | |||
Genre | Rock | |||
Length | 38:38 | |||
Label | RCA | |||
Producer |
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Lou Reed chronology | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Chicago Tribune | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Christgau's Record Guide | B+[3] |
With increasing interest in the Velvet Underground, Reed's debut album was highly anticipated, but was a commercial and critical disappointment, reaching only No. 189 on the Billboard 200. It comprises eight new recordings of then-unreleased Velvet Underground songs, and two new songs, "Going Down" and "Berlin" (the latter was re-recorded by Reed as the title track for his 1973 album Berlin).
All tracks are written by Lou Reed.
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "I Can't Stand It" | 2:34 |
2. | "Going Down" | 2:53 |
3. | "Walk and Talk It" | 3:38 |
4. | "Lisa Says" | 5:29 |
5. | "Berlin" | 5:13 |
Total length: | 19:47 |
No. | Title | Length |
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6. | "I Love You" | 2:16 |
7. | "Wild Child" | 4:39 |
8. | "Love Makes You Feel" | 3:09 |
9. | "Ride into the Sun" (featuring Steve Howe) | 3:13 |
10. | "Ocean" | 5:04 |
Total length: | 18:21 |
Eight tracks from Lou Reed were, at one point, originally performed by The Velvet Underground. These recordings have been released on various compilations and live albums, which have been catalogued below.
Title | Original Velvet Underground release | Notes |
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"I Can't Stand It" | 1969: The Velvet Underground Live, VU | Additional verse on Lou Reed version. |
"Walk and Talk It" | Peel Slowly and See, Loaded (Fully Loaded Edition) | Different lyrics and added musical sections on Lou Reed version. The Velvet Underground version is titled "Walk and Talk". |
"Lisa Says" | 1969, VU | Extended version with different lyrics on Lou Reed version. |
"I Love You" | Peel Slowly and See, Loaded (Fully Loaded Edition) | --- |
"Wild Child" | --- | No Velvet Underground recording has surfaced yet, but the song is known to have been played live in 1970.[5] However, the song was performed by Lou Reed and John Cale at the Bataclan 1972 concert in Paris with Nico, and can be heard on the Velvet Underground bootleg Ultra Rare Tracks Vol. 2, which features Lou Reed playing the song with an acoustic guitar into a tape recorder.
The bridge melody was later reused for the bridge in Lou Reed's song "Hangin' 'Round" on Transformer. |
"Love Makes You Feel" | Loaded (Fully Loaded Edition) | The Velvet Underground version is titled "Love Makes You Feel Ten Foot Tall". |
"Ride into the Sun" | Another View, What Goes On, Loaded (Fully Loaded Edition), Bootleg Series Volume 1: The Quine Tapes | Lou Reed version is similar to the versions found on Loaded (Fully Loaded Edition) and The Quine Tapes. Earlier versions of the song can be found on Another View and What Goes On. |
"Ocean" | 1969, VU, Loaded (Fully Loaded Edition) | The version on Lou Reed is closest to the version found on Loaded (Fully Loaded Edition). |
On the album's tour, which lasted two legs between June 9th[6] and November 2nd 1972,[7][8] Reed was backed by The Tots. The Tots featured no shared personnel with the album and consisted of Vinny Laporta and Eddie Reynolds on guitar, Bobby Resigno on bass, and Scottie Clark on drums. This backing group would also play on the Transformer tour[9] and perform on the American Poet live album.
Date | Venue | Notes |
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First Leg | ||
June 9th 1972 | Millard Fillmore Room, University of Buffalo, NY | |
June 10th 1972 | ||
July 8th 1972 | Festival Hall, London, England | Guest spot with David Bowie |
July 14th 1972 | Scala Cinema, King's Cross, London, England | |
July 22nd 1972 | Wimbledon Town Hall, England | |
July 27th 1972 | Polytechnic, Manchester, England | |
July 28th 1972 | Scala Cinema, King's Cross, London, England | |
July 29th 1972 | Friar's Club, Aylesbury, England | |
July 30th 1972 | The Greyhound, Croydon, England | |
Second Leg | ||
September 27th 1972 | Manchester Polytechnic Union, Manchester, England | |
September 29th 1972 | Edmonton Sundown, London, England | |
September 30th 1972 | Amsterdam, The Netherlands | |
October 6th 1972 | St. Andrew's University, Scotland | |
October 7th 1972 | Glasgow University, Glasgow, Scotland | |
October 13th 1972 | Cambridge University, Cambridge, England | |
October 14th 1972 | Leicester University, Leicester, England | |
October 19th 1972 | University Stadium, Liverpool, England | |
October 20th 1972 | Essex University, Essex, England | |
October 21st 1972 | Imperial College, London, England | |
October 22nd 1972 | HardRock Concert Theatre, Manchester, England | |
October 25th 1972 | Oxford Polytechnic, Oxford, England | |
October 26th 1972 | Alhambra Rock Theatre, Birmingham, England | |
October 27th 1972 | Leeds Polytechnic, Leeds, England | |
October 28th 1972 | Kingston Polytechnic, Kingston, England | |
October 29th 1972 | Southampton Guildhall, Southampton, England | |
October 30th 1972 | Friar's Club, Civic Hall, Dunstable, England | |
November 1st 1972 | Mile End Sundown, London, England | |
November 2nd 1972 | Pheasantry Club, London, England |
Credits are adapted from the Lou Reed liner notes.[10]
Musicians
Production and artwork
{{cite AV media notes}}
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