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Lou Reed
Ecstasy
Reprise
Given the history and loyal fan base of Lou Reed, one could liken his existence, musically speaking, to that of a big alligator who sleeps, eats and does what he wants. And while some are repulsed and dread him, others find a rare beauty and are drawn to his expression. In case some of you haven’t noticed, for the past 10 years Lou Reed has been on a roll. With words and music, Reed’s art has sought to broaden and bring maturity to a genre that prides itself being a set in cement, to the stagnation of youth culture - Rock and Roll. Recorded to perfection, Ecstasy is a deep, muscular, guitar-driven journey into darkness and romance. ‘Rock Minuets’, a song that falls somewhere between ‘Walk on the Wild Side’ and ‘Streethassel’, is by far the most sinister. Through fuzzed guitar and menacing bass lines, lyrics like “Paralyzed by hatred and a piss ugly soul”, sung in Reed’s unique personal delivery, are both passive and unnerving. ‘Tatters’ is one of several ballads found here, and a highlight, beautifully sad – “Some people wait for sleep to take them away” - this song picks up at the end with a soulful Willie Mitchell (Al Green) style horn section. Laurie Anderson adds a melodic lilt to many songs, particularly ‘Baton Rouge’, a song filled with wonderful what-if-I-had-married-the-one-that-got-away imagery that finds Reed pondering himself with an outdoor grill that lifts into space; the title track is centered around Latin-tinged bass lines. Ecstasy is one of the finest collections of songs of Lou Reed’s solo career. And it will be overlooked by poodles who would rather make him out to be a caricature. And why? Because “I don’t like his voice”, or “He’s too old”, or “He says nasty things”, or “I don’t like faggot junkies” Well, boo fucking hoo. I think it’s time we started throwing these poodles to the big alligator.
Michael Slosberg
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