"Rock 'N' Roll Animal" by LOU REED – February 1974 US and UK Fourth Album (First Live) on RCA Victor Records – Featuring Guitarists Steve Hunter and Dick Wagner, Keyboardist Ray Colcord, Bassist Prakash John with Drummer Pentti Glan (May 2000 UK-EU (March 2000 USA) RCA/BMG/Legacy CD Reissue and Remaster with Two Bonus Tracks – Audio Restoration by Bill Lacey) - A Review by Mark Barry...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rock-N-Roll-Animal-Live/dp/B00004RD54?crid=33H0T0TKS3NIT&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.1FJkx3Gqm1PdhweHjeOnFG2qw9u2XXNa6jY5Obfz2Eo.OIOTB_Gfi2P8bAfcoFSzG3tYoZ45Dx4BL46uu0dOtyM&dib_tag=se&keywords=078636794822&nsdOptOutParam=true&qid=1730419930&sprefix=078636794822%2Caps%2C70&sr=8-1&linkCode=ll1&tag=mabasreofcdbl-21&linkId=e82c48a0781c780d35bc50ebef3ed6cb&language=en_GB&ref_=as_li_ss_tl

RATINGS:

Material *****

Presentation ****

Audio Restoration *****

"…Hey Protest Kids!"

With the worldwide smash of "Walk On The Wild Side" in the solo-career bag (from his cool 1972 second studio LP "Transformer" – the song and album - all Lou Reed meets Mott The Hoople meets David Bowie meets Mick Ronson brilliant) – it seemed that the ex-Velvets main-man was finally on the deserved up-and-up. 

That is until October of 1973 and the release of his third studio album "Berlin". A seriously bleak almost quiveringly quite music/poetry opus about drug addiction, prostitution, abuse and family break up (a mother has her children taken away to the sound of screams and suicidal despair) - both critics and the public hated it – a hugely down-and-grimy Rock Opera that few could take in one sitting (although for me the gorgeous orchestrated "Sad Song" is surely one of his greatest achievements). Time to get your big-boy leather-pants on again and Rawk.

His first live set – the uncompromisingly sinewy "Rock 'N' Roll Animal" did much to return favour amongst the party faithful. Right from the off, 'Animal' is an aural and attitude assault - a tight-brilliantly-in-synch twin-guitar-and-keyboards attacking band unleashed on four Velvet Underground songs and one solo cut from the infamous "Berlin" LP. 

To this day - is there any Live Set anywhere that opens with something as good as "Sweet Jane" – Mitch Ryder and The Detroit Wheels axemen Steve Hunter and Dick Wagner absolutely slaying it before Lou hits the microphone in that undefinable cool of his. It was enough to elicit hero-worship from me for a lifetime. Which brings us to this beautifully restored CD Reissue & Remaster. To the details Protest Kids…

UK and US released March 2000 - "Rock N Roll Animal" by LOU REED on RCA/BMG/Legacy 07863 67948 2 (Barcode 078636794822) is an Expanded Edition CD Reissue with Restored/Remastered Audio and Two Previously Unreleased Songs from the same concert. It plays out as follows (48:12):

1. Intro/Sweet Jane (7:46 minutes) [Side 1]
2. Heroin (13:13 minutes)
3. How Do You Think It Feels (3:41 minutes) *
4. Caroline Says I (4:07 minutes) *
5. White Light/White Heat (5:11 minutes) [Side 2]
6. Lady Day (4:00 minutes)
7. Rock 'N' Roll (10:08 minutes)
Tracks 1 to 2 [Side 1] and Tracks 5 to 7 [Side 2] are his fourth album "Rock 'N' Roll Animal" (first Live set – see Notes) - released February 1974 in the USA on RCA Victor APL1-0472 (same date and catalogue number in the UK). Produced by LOU REED and STEVE KATZ – it peaked at No.45 on the US Billboard LP charts and No. 26 in the UK.

NOTES: Tracks 3 and 4 (*) are Previously Unreleased – recorded on the same night the live album was taped, 21 December 1973 at Howard Stein's Academy of Music in New York. Neither song appear on "Lou Reed Live" (released March 1975) that also featured music entirely from the same show. The studio versions of each song originally appeared on his infamous October 1973 LP "Berlin". Four of the five songs on "Rock 'N' Roll Animal" are from his days with The Velvet Underground with only "Lady Day" from "Berlin" being from his then three-album-strong solo career. His biggest hit "Walk On The Wild Side" from 1972's "Transformer" is notable by its absence – but Reed wanted the live album to be Classic Rock and Rock and Roll. After Reed released his fourth studio album "Sally Can't Dance" - four of his band members – Guitarists Steve Hunter and Dick Wagner along with Bassist Prakash John and Drummer Pentti Glan would form the basis of the Alice Cooper Band as featured on his February 1975 album "Welcome To My Nightmare". 

Nice to see the CD get a picture disc (his face from the front gatefold cover) and the 8-page inlay with new liner notes from JONATHAN HILL goes into the genesis of the album - it's release - and post-album follow ups - including "Sally Can't Dance" in the same year (1974) and the "Lou Reed Live" set from 1975 that returned entirely to unused material from that night at the Academy of Music in NYC, 21 Dec 1973. There is the inner gatefold shot and the 'Heroin' lyrics that appeared up in the left corner but sadly no shots from the gig. Hill is honest about Lou's spiky responses to criticism - his belligerence almost - and smartly that Reed believed in the redemptive nature of 'Rock 'n' Roll'. It's good enough for an RCA-BMG-Legacy issue, let's put it that way.

But the big news is two unused Bonus Tracks from the same gig - live variants of two 'Berlin' cuts - "How Do You Think It Feels" and "Caroline Says 1" - and fab new Audio Restoration from BILL LACEY and MICHAEL (Mike) HARTRY which pumps up huge power without amping everything to a hissy mess. When the 13-plus minute "Heroin" goes into those almost silent slow bits and then both guitarists lose it thrashing solos towards the end - both are remarkable for their clarity and 'live' power. It's a truly wicked job done on an album that holds a special place in any LR fan's heart.

Side 1 opens without any real indication that you're live and dangerous - "Sweet Jane" from the Velvet Underground's fifth and final studio album "Loaded" in 1970 comes at you almost like a mission statement. The twin guitars of Steve Hunter and Dick Wagner are thrilling and so tight that it isn't until Reed turns up at the microphone do you realize that's its a 'gig'. The power of the riffage is as good as The Who and then to follow that with the stop-start magnificence of "Heroin" - originally on the groundbreaking 1967 debut album "The Velvet Underground And Nico". 

I had to play the two new inclusions - "How Do You Think It Feels" and "Caroline Says 1" - a couple of times to like them and I can so hear why they would have interrupted the flow of an album called "Rock 'N' Roll" and were left off. But for real fans - anything new from the difficult "Berlin" period is manna from the Gods. Their third LP "White Light/White Heat" gets a muscle-car rendition from the band and Lord help us all - even Lou seems to be enjoying himself. Reed then romps home with "Lady Day" from "Berlin" and another from 1970's "Loaded" LP - the title of the album - "Rock 'n' Roll" - a great tune.

Reed would go on of course to the ludicrous f-you of "Metal Machine Music" - a notorious double-live of feedback and unlistenable shit that RCA deleted within three months of release due to the outrage and returns of irate punters. It also hammered any kind of commercial clout Reed might have had with the hick Country Music label - but you suspect our hero New Yorker probably wanted it that way. 

But there are no such thoughts when it comes to 1974's "Rock 'N' Roll Animal" now sounding most ballsy and snot-nosed than ever. Naught sad about this...buy...

"Dragon Fly" by JEFFERSON STARSHIP – October 1974 US LP and December 1974 UK LP on Grunt Records – featuring Grace Slick Paul Kantner, David Freiberg, Craig Chaquico, Papa John Creach, Pete Sears, John Barbata, with guest Marty Balin on "Caroline" (January 1997 US BMG Entertainment/RCA CD Reissue – Mike Hartry and Bill Lacey Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"...Ride The Tiger..."

By end of 1973 and well into 1974, the JEFFERSON AIRPLANE of 1966 to 1972 was all but defunct as far as record buyers were concerned. The cleverly packaged "Long John Silver" album of July 1972 and its subsequent 'Silver' tour of August/September 1972 put out as the "Thirty Seconds Over Winterland" Live LP in April 1973 were lukewarmly received with Winterland not charting at all in England. Both had clearly signalled a downward slide in songwriting kudos matched by dwindling sales and original leading lights Marty Balin and Jorma Kaukonen jumped ship.

But the tour had brought on-board 19-year lead axe whizz-kid Craig Chaquico and suddenly the juices started to flow again as they prepared their next album in the summer of 1974 (July to be exact). It was time for a change. Jefferson Airplane (the name) – apparently owned by the original five members of the band – couldn't be used. So Kantner and Slick decided on an old-but-new beginning as JEFFERSON STARSHIP. In fact if you look at the front cover artwork of the original vinyl LP - the album is actually credited on the sleeve to a trio 'Grace Slick JEFFERSON STARSHIP Paul Kantner' and then the name "Dragon Fly" below the fab Peter Lloyd illustration.

Also just to show that all was not wildly different, the back sleeve photo'd all of the new band and also showed that they'd even roped in former bandman Marty Balin as a third vocalist on "Caroline" - something the FM radio stations made a big play about at the time. The seven and half minute Rock-Prog epic was Kantner and Balin's first songwriting co-credit since the "Volunteers" LP five years back – and with the three vocalists on the one song – it felt like the old Plane crew was back in better clothing - causing huge buzz about the album. Starship had also gotten Bob Hunter of Grateful Dead fame to do the lyrics to Side 2's "Come To Life". So a few draws for fans on all fronts.

Released Stateside in October 1974 (December 1974 in the UK) on their own Grunt Records BFL1-0717 (via RCA) - the eight-tracker LP and its fantastic leadoff hit single "Ride The Tiger" (featuring incendiary fretwork from Craig Chaquico) made them stars all over again (it peaked at No. 11 in the US LP charts). Which brings us to a rather odd situation on 'digital'...

The American CD I own is the 28 January 1997 variant on BMG/RCA 66879-2 (Barcode 078636687926) with an 8-page booklet (DAVID COHEN liner notes) - itself reissued with a different catalogue number and lesser artwork by US Sony BMG Music Entertainment in June 2007 on Sony A 710529 (Barcode 886971052923). There has been a Japanese Paper Sleeve reissue in January 2008 subsequently - but naught since. In fact, neither the 2007 US variant nor the 2008 Japanese issue offers a remaster credit of any kind - so I'm 'presuming' each used the 1997 transfer. But from scathing reviews of 2007 issues especially (complaints about its dull sound) - I'm not so sure.

I mention all of this because in July 2020 (and for such a huge album in their catalogue) - it appears that the American CD on RCA 66879-2 from 28 January 1997 is the only actual 'Digital Remaster' of the album available anywhere – transfers carried out by MIKE HARTRY and Audio restoration by BILL LACEY (42:43 minutes total playing time). But it's been deleted years and here in the UK has acquired a rather nasty price tag of fifty quid or more from online sites (same in the USA, over eighty bucks in places). So it appears that until another fuller and fatter variant appears in Deluxe Edition form – this old 1997 American sucker is what you got. To the music...

1. Ride The Tiger (Paul Kantner/Grace Slick/Byong Yu song) [Side 1]

2. That's For Sure (Craig Chaquico/Jerry Gallup song)

3. Be Young You (Grace Slick song)

4. Caroline (Marty Balin/Paul Kantner song)

5. Devils Den (Grace Slick/Papa John Creach song) [Side 2]

6. Come To Life (David Freiberg, Stephen Schuster and Bob Hunter song)

3. All Fly Away (Tom Pacheco song)

4. Hyperdrive (Grace Slick and Pete Sears song)

The album opens on a winner - lyrics about men in the orient singing to the sky - Zen archer philosophy nonsense and a great chugging riff that propels the 5:09 minutes of "Ride The Tiger" along with aplomb. But as it progresses it’s the racing up and down the fretboard guitar playing of Craig Chaquico that amazes. I can vividly remember Bob Harris on England's "Old Grey Whistle Test" debuting the track and pointing this out - even now it still seems Santana-like brilliant. After the full-on Seventies Rawk of Tiger, the pretty piano entry passage of "That's For Sure" comes as a welcome breeze - '...you came into this life and you have a right to exist...' being the central theme. What the Remaster brings out is the fab interplay between the vocals, guitars and Creach's subtle violin fills. While the LP's opener is an obvious and genuinely exciting moment, "That's For Sure" is the song that made me feel the band was 'back' - brilliant arrangements and delivery. Recorded in 8 July 1974, Grace Slick wails about the tongues of men - some made of wood and silence - some chasing gold while children starve in her typically loaded diatribe "Be Young You". There then comes the epic "Caroline" - seven and half minutes of the old guard singing about making love, changes people are going through. It helps that "Caroline" has great musical ideas going on throughout (brilliantly musical guitar interludes) - and love-song lyrics that feel thought out rather just functional.

Side 2 opens with Grace alive and spitting - waxing satirical about the American Dream and pawns and people scared to talk back on "Devils Den". It's a sexy piano-Rock little number with near-perfect contributions from the violin bow of Papa John Creach as it boogies along. Cohen is right in his liner notes to point out similarities between "Come To Life" and the bass riff in The Four Tops "I Can't Help Myself" - the song's almost upbeat Pop-Funk feeling like the Starship is going to go Disco at any moment (or at least their variant of Rock-Soul). Five and half minutes of “All Fly Away" fades in slowly on lovely piano notes and a shimmering violin - moonlight above the Rio Grand - drifting into dreams - climb through time tomorrow - nice Remaster too. "Dragon Fly" ends on the epic near eight-minutes of "Hyperdrive" - Grace Slick impassioning lyrics about walls, traps and circles that go nowhere – about finding a place where you can go to be free. It's also probably the album's most Prog tune.

Jefferson Starship would trump "Dragon Fly" with "Red Octopus" the following year - a US No. 1 LP in July 1975. But until someone gets a grip on the 'Grunt Years' as a Box Set or Deluxe Editions of the individual albums - this deleted but cool 1997 CD reissue/remaster of "Dragon Fly" from 1974 will have to be your (pricey) port of call for their tiger-ride...

"Berlin" by LOU REED [feat Steve Winwood, Jack Bruce and Steve Hunter] (1998 RCA Records/BMG CD Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"...Beautifully Sad..."

Few albums polarise people (and fans) more than the terminally bleak yet brutally truthful "Berlin". It took me years to like it - and even now in 2016 - there are parts of Side 1 I can't bear to listen to.

But when I play "The Kids", "The Bed" and especially "Sad Song" from Side 2 all in a row - I also think it may be one of 'the' great unsung-masterpieces of the Seventies.

Some thought at the time that "Berlin" was uniformly cold and distant as all around Lou Reed seemed to be descending into a self-afflicted drug-addiction Hell. The infamous Rolling Stone review called it 'offensive' and wished it didn't exist somehow - while another more positive reappraisal likened its more grandiose moments to the inventiveness of "Sgt. Peppers". It also seemed like the Louster was trying to tear down the Glam Rock image and popularity of his huge "Transformer" album from 1972 with the monster "Walk On The Wild Side" hit single thrilling everybody (including David Bowie fans).

But "Berlin" was very different. Not a concept LP – not quirky happy-wappy crossover Pop either - just uber-realistic – aimless lives ending in casually bleak ways. It was probably just too much and too realistic for its 1973 audience - what with Cocaine and Heroin destroying everything around them and rendering certain areas of many US cities no-go zones (the same applied to cities in Europe too). "Berlin" only reached No. 98 in the US Pop & Rock LP charts - but faired much better in Blighty managing an impressive No. 7. Either way - I'd argue that the album's best moments are 'beautifully sad' and truly amazing. Lou Reed's "Berlin" sounds like no other record of the period. Which brings us to this exceptionally well remastered CD of it. Here are the doom 'n' gloom details...

UK released March 1998 (reissued in May 2003) – "Berlin" by LOU REED on RCA 07863 67489 2 (Barcode 078636748924) is a straightforward CD Remaster of the 10-track 1973 VINYL LP and plays out as follows (49:34 minutes):

1. Berlin

2. Lady Day

3. Men Of Good Fortune

4. Caroline Says I

5. How Do You Think It Feels

6. Oh Jim [Side 2]

7. Caroline Says II

8. The Kids

9. The Bed

10. Sad Song

Tracks 1 to 10 are his 3rd Solo album "Berlin" – released October 1973 in the USA on RCA Records APL1-0207 and in the UK on RCA Victor RS 1002. Produced by BOB EZRIN – it peaked at No. 98 in the US LP charts and No. 7 in the UK.

The CD Reissue supervised by PAUL WILLIAMS - the famously elaborate 'booklet' that accompanied original vinyl copies has been reproduced in the elaborate 12-leaf foldout inlay. You get those heavy-hitting lyrics, album and reissue credits and a critique of the record and its cultural impact by MICHAEL HILL. In his overview he claims (and rightly to) that the album reveals the 'real' Lou Reed - an invested yet aloof outsider commenting on a lifestyle and people he knew all too well. But the big news is the Audio Restoration done by BILL LACEY and MIKE HARTRY that is gorgeous. You can really hear Jack Bruce's Bass contributions on "Caroline Says I" and Steve Hunter's guitar on "How Do You Think It Feels" as well as Michael and Randy Brecker on the Horns.

As if a precursor to the doom-to-come - "Berlin" opens with a grotesque 'Happy Birthday To You' racket from some drunken bar that slowly segues into a lone piano and Lou whispering in echoed vocals about a five-foot ten-inches-tall lady in Berlin. He sings of 'paradise' but it feels like he's channelling the saddest Tom Waits observation. RCA USA tried "Lady Day" as the B-side to "How Do You Think It Feels" on 45 in October 1973 (RCA 0172) - bit no one noticed either side. Steve Winwood (of Traffic and Blind Faith) guests to on Organ and Harmonium to great effect ably helped by Procol Harum's B.J. Wilson on Drums. But that caustic number is as nothing to the poisonous "Men Of Good Fortune" - a song that plays of 'men of good fortune' against 'men of poor beginnings' with neither coming off particularly well. The first of the "Caroline Says" songs hits you next where she 'can't help but be mean' and wants our Lou to be more ‘manly’. The Side ends on "How Do You Think It Feels" - a straightforward question about the effects of speed pills. But my fave is the threesome of songs that end the record - "The Kids", "The Bed" and the amazing "Sad Song".

A junkie-mum is having her children taken away from her in "The Kids" where Lou probably did his 'best guy in the world' ratings no favours with lines like "...in the alleys and bars she couldn't be beat...the miserable rotten slut couldn't turn anyone away..." If that sounds cold and brutal – it is – but the soft acoustic strumming that accompanies the seven and half minutes of the song make it feel crushingly sad and real and truthful and somehow not nearly as mean and detached as it sounds. The same softly approach comes with "The Bed" – a song about a woman who took her life in the bed where the singer’s children were conceived (nice). It ends on the truly beautiful and fully orchestrated "Sad Song" - a full on seven-minute masterpiece that amazes me even now.

I suppose only a curmudgeon like Lou Reed could have made "Berlin" - poised to take the world by its 'wild side' - but instead he depresses the crap out of all and sundry. Will we ever see the like of his opinionated genius ever again...