Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Download not available
Lou Reed has been the subject of so many idiosyncratic, bewildering compilations that the release of yet another idiosyncratic, bewildering compilation can either inspire amusement or frustration. In the case of 2003's double-disc, 31-track NYC Man: The Collection, it's nearly apoplectic frustration because this is yet another thoroughly botched attempt at a thorough overview that doesn't even function as a representative sampler or introduction -- something that is desperately needed in a discography as lengthy and uneven as his. Perhaps part of the problem is indeed that his discography is inconsistent, and thereby any collection that attempts to take it all in will be uneven, but this is especially wobbly, particularly because it tries to cover everything from the Velvet Underground to 2003's The Raven, all with no chronological sense, flipping from decade to decade without sense for either historical or musical logic. Then, there's the song selection itself: It opens up with an unreleased alternate take of "Who Am I" from The Raven, then often substitutes studio cuts with live performances, including a healthy selection from Live in Italy and Perfect Night: Live in London (only one cut from Rock 'n' Roll Animal, strangely enough). It does contain many big songs -- "Walk on the Wild Side," "Satellite of Love," "Dirty Blvd.," "Coney Island Baby," "Perfect Day," "Street Hassle," "Vicious," plus a host of Velvet Underground songs, both in VU and solo versions -- but the songs that surround these tunes are all over the map. Sometimes they're excellent album track selections, but more of the time, they're not as good as songs that have been left behind, which include such cuts as "I Love You Suzanne," "Sad Song," "I Can't Stand It," "New Sensations," "No Money Down," "Romeo Had Juliette," "Egg Cream," "Doin' the Things That We Want To," "Legendary Hearts," and "What's Good," among others. Perhaps these aren't Reed's best -- and, yes, his "best" will always be a subjective matter -- but they are popular, representative songs that would have fit a solo career overview better than much of what is here. Without them, and with the songs that are here, NYC Man is a muddled mess, containing some of Reed's best, but not enough to justify this as the "ultimate" Lou Reed collection. Yet another bungled Lou collection, then.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From 12,49€/month
Lou Reed, Performer - Lou Reed, Composer - Lou Reed, Lyricist - Lou Reed, Producer - Steve Katz, Producer
(P) 1974 BMG Music
Lou Reed, Performer - Lou Reed, Producer - Lou Reed, Composer - Lou Reed, Lyricist - Richard Robinson, Producer
(P) 1978 Arista Records LLC
Lou Reed, Performer - Lou Reed, Composer - Lou Reed, Lyricist - Bob Ezrin, Producer
(P) 1973 BMG Music
Lou Reed, Performer - Lou Reed, Composer - Lou Reed, Lyricist - Bob Ezrin, Producer
(P) 1973 BMG Music
Lou Reed, Performer - Lou Reed, Composer - Lou Reed, Lyricist - Bob Ezrin, Producer
(P) 1973 BMG Music
Lou Reed, Performer - Lou Reed, Arranger - Lou Reed, Composer - Lou Reed, Lyricist - David Bowie, Arranger - David Bowie, Producer - Mick Ronson, Arranger - Mick Ronson, Producer
Originally released 1971. All rights reserved by Epic Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Robert Quine, Guitar - Fred Maher, Drums - Lou Reed, Composer - Lou Reed, Lyricist - Lou Reed, Vocal - Lou Reed, Guitar - Lou Reed, Mastering Engineer - Fernando Saunders, Acoustic Bass
(P) 2003 Sister Ray Enterprises Inc. / SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT (Italy) S.p.A.
Lou Reed, Performer - Lou Reed, Arranger - Lou Reed, Composer - Lou Reed, Lyricist - David Bowie, Arranger - David Bowie, Producer - Mick Ronson, Arranger - Mick Ronson, Producer
(P) 1972 RCA Records a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Lou Reed, Performer - Lou Reed, Composer - Lou Reed, Producer - Lou Reed, Lyricist - Sean Fullan, Producer
(P) 1982 BMG Music
DISC 2
Lou Reed, Performer - Lou Reed, Producer - Lou Reed, Composer - Lou Reed, Lyricist - Richard Robinson, Producer
(P) 1978 Arista Records LLC
Lou Reed, Performer - Lou Reed, Composer - Lou Reed, Lyricist - Lou Reed, Producer
(P) 1976 RCA Records a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Lou Reed, Performer - Lou Reed, Producer - Lou Reed, Composer - Lou Reed, Lyricist - Richard Robinson, Producer
(P) 1978 RCA Records a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Lou Reed, Performer - Lou Reed, Composer - Lou Reed, Lyricist - Lou Reed, Producer
(P) 1983 BMG Music
Robert Quine, Guitar - Fred Maher, Drums - Lou Reed, Composer - Lou Reed, Lyricist - Lou Reed, Guitar - Lou Reed, Vocal - Fernando Saunders, Acoustic Bass
(P) 1984 Sister Ray Enterprises Inc. / SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT (Italy) S.p.A.
Lou Reed, Performer - Lou Reed, Composer - Lou Reed, Lyricist - Lou Reed, Producer - Godfrey Diamond, Producer
(P) 1976 RCA Records a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Jim Campbell, Re-Issue Producer - Scott Hull, Misc. Prod. - Rob Bowman, Re-Issue Producer - Fernando Saunders, Bass - Robert Quine, Guitar - Don Wardell, Coordinator - Fred Maher, Drums - Bob Ludwig, Re-Mastering Engineer - Lou Reed, Composer - Lou Reed, Lyricist - Lou Reed, Producer - Lou Reed, Re-Mastering Engineer - Lou Reed, Performer - Lou Reed, Vocal - Lou Reed, Guitar - John Snyder, A&R Assistant
(P) 1983 RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Lou Reed, Performer - Lou Reed, Composer - Lou Reed, Lyricist - Lou Reed, Producer - Marty Fogel, Composer - Marty Fogel, Lyricist
(P) 1979 Arista Records LLC
Lou Reed, Performer - Lou Reed, Composer - Lou Reed, Arranger - Lou Reed, Lyricist - David Bowie, Arranger - David Bowie, Producer - Mick Ronson, Arranger - Mick Ronson, Producer
(P) 1972 RCA Records a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Lou Reed, Performer - Lou Reed, Composer - Lou Reed, Lyricist - Lou Reed, Producer - Steve Katz, Producer
(P) 1974 RCA Records a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Lou Reed, Performer - Lou Reed, Composer - Lou Reed, Lyricist - Lou Reed, Arranger - David Bowie, Arranger - David Bowie, Producer - Mick Ronson, Arranger - Mick Ronson, Producer
(P) 1972 RCA Records a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Albumbeschreibung
Lou Reed has been the subject of so many idiosyncratic, bewildering compilations that the release of yet another idiosyncratic, bewildering compilation can either inspire amusement or frustration. In the case of 2003's double-disc, 31-track NYC Man: The Collection, it's nearly apoplectic frustration because this is yet another thoroughly botched attempt at a thorough overview that doesn't even function as a representative sampler or introduction -- something that is desperately needed in a discography as lengthy and uneven as his. Perhaps part of the problem is indeed that his discography is inconsistent, and thereby any collection that attempts to take it all in will be uneven, but this is especially wobbly, particularly because it tries to cover everything from the Velvet Underground to 2003's The Raven, all with no chronological sense, flipping from decade to decade without sense for either historical or musical logic. Then, there's the song selection itself: It opens up with an unreleased alternate take of "Who Am I" from The Raven, then often substitutes studio cuts with live performances, including a healthy selection from Live in Italy and Perfect Night: Live in London (only one cut from Rock 'n' Roll Animal, strangely enough). It does contain many big songs -- "Walk on the Wild Side," "Satellite of Love," "Dirty Blvd.," "Coney Island Baby," "Perfect Day," "Street Hassle," "Vicious," plus a host of Velvet Underground songs, both in VU and solo versions -- but the songs that surround these tunes are all over the map. Sometimes they're excellent album track selections, but more of the time, they're not as good as songs that have been left behind, which include such cuts as "I Love You Suzanne," "Sad Song," "I Can't Stand It," "New Sensations," "No Money Down," "Romeo Had Juliette," "Egg Cream," "Doin' the Things That We Want To," "Legendary Hearts," and "What's Good," among others. Perhaps these aren't Reed's best -- and, yes, his "best" will always be a subjective matter -- but they are popular, representative songs that would have fit a solo career overview better than much of what is here. Without them, and with the songs that are here, NYC Man is a muddled mess, containing some of Reed's best, but not enough to justify this as the "ultimate" Lou Reed collection. Yet another bungled Lou collection, then.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
About the album
- 2 disc(s) - 31 track(s)
- Total length: 02:36:15
- Main artists: Lou Reed
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Arista - BMG Heritage
- Genre: Pop/Rock Rock
(P) 2003 BMG Entertainment
Improve album information
Why buy on Qobuz...
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalogue with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.