Coney Island Baby [RCA Victor, 1976]At first it's gratifying to ascertain that he's trying harder, but very soon that old cheapjack ennui begins to poke through. Oddly, though, most of the cheap stuff is near the surface--the songs sound warmer when you listen close. And not even in his most lyrical moments with the Velvets has he let his soft side show as nakedly as it does on the title cut. B+
Live in Italy [RCA, 1984]Unlike 1969 Velvet Underground Live, this isn't a song album, which is no surprise--a guitar album is what I was hoping for. But unlike Rock n Roll Animal it isn't a showoff showcase, either--it's a guitar ensemble album, which is subtler than I was hoping for. Reed and Robert Quine get their moments, but the matter at hand is the interaction of a crack rock and roll band. One of the things that makes Quine a great guitarist is his formal tact, and just as Fernando Saunders's bass defines Reed's recent music on record, the modulated anarchy of Quine's acerbic fills and background commentary defines the live stuff. Even so, I wish they'd arrived at a way for him to cut loose more within the structure, especially since Lou doesn't seem deeply interested in the well-worn classics that dominate the show. The function of crack rock and roll bands, after all, is to set songs. B+
The Moments - Those Sexy Moments - 1974.rar
The Orphanage, 807 Montgomery Street (near Columbus), San Francico, CAThe Orphanage, at 807 Montgomery Street in San Francisco, had opened about 1973. In the 60s, the site had been a topless joint called The Roaring 20s. Roaring 20s featured psychedelic blues bands (like The Charlatans or The Salvation Army Banned), and also a topless girl on a swing. The location, near Columbus and Broadway, was at the nexus of groovy North Beach, sexy topless Broadway and the downtown Financial District. The Orphanage featured original rock, but it was a bit second tier, usually groups on the way up or past their prime. Still, the club had its moments: in 1973, one of the regular bands had been Graham Central Station, featuring former Sly and The Family Stone bassist Larry Graham, and they had gone on to big success. 2ff7e9595c
Comments