Lou Reed - Berlin

Transformer and "Walk on the Wild Side" were both major hits in 1972, to the surprise of both Lou Reed and the music industry, and with Reed suddenly a hot commodity, he used his newly won clout to make the most ambitious album of his career, Berlin. Berlin was the musical equivalent of a drug-addled kid set loose in a candy store; the album's songs, which form a loose story line about a doomed romance between two chemically fueled bohemians, were fleshed out with a huge, boomy production (Bob Ezrin at his most grandiose) and arrangements overloaded with guitars, keyboards, horns, strings, and any other kitchen sink that was handy (the session band included Jack Bruce, Steve Winwood, Aynsley Dunbar, and Tony Levin). And while Reed had often been accused of focusing on the dark side of life, he and Ezrin approached Berlin as their opportunity to make The Most Depressing Album of All Time, and they hardly missed a trick. This all seemed a bit much for an artist who made such superb use of the two-guitars/bass/drums lineup with the Velvet Underground, especially since Reed doesn't even play electric guitar on the album; the sheer size of Berlin ultimately overpowers both Reed and his material. But if Berlin is largely a failure of ambition, that sets it apart from the vast majority of Reed's lesser works; Lou's vocals are both precise and impassioned, and though a few of the songs are little more than sketches, the best -- "How Do You Think It Feels," "Oh, Jim," "The Kids," and "Sad Song" -- are powerful, bitter stuff. It's hard not to be impressed by Berlin, given the sheer scope of the project, but while it earns an A for effort, the actual execution merits more of a B-. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide

Name Credits Allan MacMillan Arranger Allan Macmillan Piano Allan MacMillan Keyboards, Piano Aynsley Dunbar Drums B.J. Wilson Drums Bill Lacey Audio Restoration Blue Weaver Keyboards, Piano Bob Ezrin Producer, Drums, Mellotron, Piano, Choir, Chorus, Arranger Dalita Keumurian Project Manager Danny Tuberville Overdubs Dennis Ferrante Choir, Chorus, Vocals, Overdubs Dick Lewzey Overdubs Dick Wagner Choir, Chorus, Vocals (Background), Vocals, Guitar (Electric), Guitar Dinky Dawson Sound Consultant Ed Sprigg Overdubs Elizabeth Marca Choir, Chorus Elizabeth Marsh Vocals Fabio Berruti Artwork, Graphic Design Gene Martynec Guitar (Acoustic), Keyboards, Synthesizer, Bass, Vocal Arrangement, Vocals, Guitar Greg Calbi Overdubs Jack Bruce Bass Jay Messina Overdubs Joe Lopes Overdubs Jon Peirson Bass, Trombone Jon Pierson Trombone, Trombone (Bass) Lou Reed Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar, Keyboards, Choir, Chorus, Vocals Michael Brecker Saxophone, Sax (Tenor) Michael Hill Essay, Liner Notes Mike Hartry Digital Transfers Pat Martin Overdubs Paul Williams Reissue Supervisor, Tape Research Peter Flanagan Audio Engineer, Engineer Randy Brecker Trumpet Robin Black Audio Engineer, Engineer Shelly Yakus Overdubs St.Jivago de Sanges Photography Steve Hunter Guitar (Electric), Guitar Steve Hyden Choir, Chorus, Vocals Steve Winwood Keyboards, Harmonium, Organ Tony Levin Bass