Shit, that is so effing cool that Lou was a big fan of Danger Bird. I love that epic and think that it is much better than 'Cortez the Killer'. Zuma is an awesome album as is Coney Island Baby. For a story, I was hanging out with my best friend from childhood and I happened to bring Zuma and Transformer with me for us to sit and listen to. We ended up having a few drinks and maybe a green cigarette, to reference the great Kevin Ayers on his classic 'Stranger in Blue Suede Shoes'. It was an amazing time listening to those two CDs over and over while catching up on what had gone on in the few years since we'd last seen each other. That was in 2007 and I still remember that night 17 years later on this early October day in 2024. Joel
I am totally with you, Danger Birds smokes Cortez. I was thrilled when I read about Reed's comments about the song in Jimmy McDonough's legendary book Shakey. I found the full quote later. It's always such a cool thing when bands or artists you like, like each other. Also, great story!! Thanks again!
Such a brilliant and impassioned examination of a truly great album. This video's length is completely justified by your detailed critique, and some of the connections you made are stellar. I read an interview with Godfrey Diamond many years ago wherein he discussed some very interesting technical aspects of producing Coney Island Baby. He mentioned that they began the seesions with Charley's Girl and that Lou didn't have an amp. So he placed a microphone up against the strings of Lou's electric guitar and recorded one track in that manner. Also, Lou suggested an upright bass for the song and that idea was realized. I wish I could find that article because it was a real look inside the creation of tthis amazing disc.
Thank you very much! It is greatly appreciated. I will try to find that article as well, and if I can, I will post the link in the description for the next video. I want to say I heard about the mic placement on the guitar (that's vaguely ringing a bell), but I had never heard about the stand up bass, which makes a ton of sense. Anyway, thank you again for watching commenting!!
Around 15 or 20 years ago it was half-legal in Germany (or Europe?) to put your record collection on the internet for other people to check it out. I downloaded some Blues and Doo Wop records. I was very surprised that there was a song called „Coney Island Baby“ before Lou’s. It is great and very emotianal. I heard „The Glory of Love“ as a teenager around 1973 from Big Bill Broonzy and thought it was one of his own songs. I am sure you know that the best known version is from the Doo Wop group The Five Keys.
One of your most passionate and vibrant reviews: capturing the passion and vibrancy of Coney Island Baby. I feel like I undervalued the album when I reviewed it, so I'm glad you picked up my slack. It's definitely Reed's most purely melodic statement after the third Velvet Underground album (and I agree they share DNA). I don't think I even mentioned Bob Kulick's beautiful guitar playing throughout (you're often better at name-checking the musicians than I am). Easily the best unofficial KISS guitarist. He played on the Paul Stanley '78 solo album and did amazing work on that as well (though not on the level as Coney Island Baby, it's also interestingly enough "a roots album"). Anyway, great video as always, I will listen to the playlist your shared and I'm looking forward to part three...!!!
Thank you Edwin! When you did your outstanding Lou Reed videos, you mentioned that you were still pretty new to Coney Island Baby, so given that I thought you had done a great job and especially with placing it in the larger arc of his work between 1972-1982. The Bob Kulick connection was always an interesting one, especially since when I was 11 or 12, I absolutely LOVED Bruce’s playing (it was the highlight of otherwise uninspiring stuff like Hot In The Shade). I hope you enjoy the playlist, that speech Reed gave where he was namechecking his favorite Doo Wop was really cool. He even performed with Dion at this time as an unofficial Belmont (along with Paul Simon and I think Ruben Blades, and Reed has the moves DOWN COLD. It’s really cool to watch. Anyway, I am excited to do Part 3!!
Great review. A performance in its own right. Thought I’d mention that Rolling Stone magazine actually gave it a very good review that i clipped and kept in the album jacket for years. Can’t access it now but from Wiki: “Reviewing for Rolling Stone in 1976, Paul Nelson wrote, ‘For the eight superb songs on Coney Island Baby, Reed assembled the best band he has performed with since the Velvet Underground.’” Too bad they let some idiot re-review the album for their book.
Thank you so much! Also, thank you for your excellent comment in the last video. As you can see, it really helped tie together some of the points I was trying to make. Yeah, it’s interesting to see the cynical contemporary reviews against the people who really understood the album. In general, I feel like Paul Nelson (from what I remember of his writing) was really good. And yeah, the 1992 Rolling Stone Album Guide is pretty infamous (at least for me haha) for its resoundingly odd summaries of some truly great albums. The most notorious being JD Considine who wrote some really appalling laugh-out-loud nonsense. Anyway, thank you for watching and leaving a comment, it is greatly appreciated!!
I only found your channel yesterday so I haven't gotten a chance to look at your other videos but are you into Kevin Ayers at all? He got his start as the lead vocalist and guitarist (actually bass but played like a guitar) in the first incarnation of Soft Machine. He was only on their first album and then went on to a fine solo career. His first album 'The Joy of a Toy' is a great British post-psychedelic classic. You might know him if you have the legendary 'June 1, 1974' album that features Ayers, Brian Eno, John Cale, and Nico. The album cover is somewhat notorious for the look John is giving Kevin (Kevin had slept with John's wife the night before and John wrote the great classic 'Guts' about how he felt). Check him out because there is such a great story there. Joel
First of all thank you for watching and commenting!! So other than the live album with Nico, Eno, and Cale, I am wholly unfamiliar with Kevin Ayers, so I greatly appreciate the suggestion. I have only heard Soft Machine stuff that he isn't on, so I will check out the first album and The Joy Of A Toy. It's one of those names I've been aware of, but have just never jumped into, so thanks again!
Shit, that is so effing cool that Lou was a big fan of Danger Bird. I love that epic and think that it is much better than 'Cortez the Killer'. Zuma is an awesome album as is Coney Island Baby. For a story, I was hanging out with my best friend from childhood and I happened to bring Zuma and Transformer with me for us to sit and listen to. We ended up having a few drinks and maybe a green cigarette, to reference the great Kevin Ayers on his classic 'Stranger in Blue Suede Shoes'. It was an amazing time listening to those two CDs over and over while catching up on what had gone on in the few years since we'd last seen each other. That was in 2007 and I still remember that night 17 years later on this early October day in 2024.
Joel
I am totally with you, Danger Birds smokes Cortez. I was thrilled when I read about Reed's comments about the song in Jimmy McDonough's legendary book Shakey. I found the full quote later. It's always such a cool thing when bands or artists you like, like each other. Also, great story!! Thanks again!
Such a brilliant and impassioned examination of a truly great album. This video's length is completely justified by your detailed critique, and some of the connections you made are stellar. I read an interview with Godfrey Diamond many years ago wherein he discussed some very interesting technical aspects of producing Coney Island Baby. He mentioned that they began the seesions with Charley's Girl and that Lou didn't have an amp. So he placed a microphone up against the strings of Lou's electric guitar and recorded one track in that manner. Also, Lou suggested an upright bass for the song and that idea was realized. I wish I could find that article because it was a real look inside the creation of tthis amazing disc.
Thank you very much! It is greatly appreciated. I will try to find that article as well, and if I can, I will post the link in the description for the next video. I want to say I heard about the mic placement on the guitar (that's vaguely ringing a bell), but I had never heard about the stand up bass, which makes a ton of sense. Anyway, thank you again for watching commenting!!
Around 15 or 20 years ago it was half-legal in Germany (or Europe?) to put your record collection on the internet for other people to check it out. I downloaded some Blues and Doo Wop records. I was very surprised that there was a song called „Coney Island Baby“ before Lou’s. It is great and very emotianal.
I heard „The Glory of Love“ as a teenager around 1973 from Big Bill Broonzy and thought it was one of his own songs. I am sure you know that the best known version is from the Doo Wop group The Five Keys.
Yes, thank you!! And I totally forgot to mention that song, so I appreciate it!
One of your most passionate and vibrant reviews: capturing the passion and vibrancy of Coney Island Baby. I feel like I undervalued the album when I reviewed it, so I'm glad you picked up my slack. It's definitely Reed's most purely melodic statement after the third Velvet Underground album (and I agree they share DNA). I don't think I even mentioned Bob Kulick's beautiful guitar playing throughout (you're often better at name-checking the musicians than I am). Easily the best unofficial KISS guitarist. He played on the Paul Stanley '78 solo album and did amazing work on that as well (though not on the level as Coney Island Baby, it's also interestingly enough "a roots album"). Anyway, great video as always, I will listen to the playlist your shared and I'm looking forward to part three...!!!
Thank you Edwin! When you did your outstanding Lou Reed videos, you mentioned that you were still pretty new to Coney Island Baby, so given that I thought you had done a great job and especially with placing it in the larger arc of his work between 1972-1982. The Bob Kulick connection was always an interesting one, especially since when I was 11 or 12, I absolutely LOVED Bruce’s playing (it was the highlight of otherwise uninspiring stuff like Hot In The Shade). I hope you enjoy the playlist, that speech Reed gave where he was namechecking his favorite Doo Wop was really cool. He even performed with Dion at this time as an unofficial Belmont (along with Paul Simon and I think Ruben Blades, and Reed has the moves DOWN COLD. It’s really cool to watch. Anyway, I am excited to do Part 3!!
Great review. A performance in its own right. Thought I’d mention that Rolling Stone magazine actually gave it a very good review that i clipped and kept in the album jacket for years. Can’t access it now but from Wiki: “Reviewing for Rolling Stone in 1976, Paul Nelson wrote, ‘For the eight superb songs on Coney Island Baby, Reed assembled the best band he has performed with since the Velvet Underground.’” Too bad they let some idiot re-review the album for their book.
Thank you so much! Also, thank you for your excellent comment in the last video. As you can see, it really helped tie together some of the points I was trying to make. Yeah, it’s interesting to see the cynical contemporary reviews against the people who really understood the album. In general, I feel like Paul Nelson (from what I remember of his writing) was really good. And yeah, the 1992 Rolling Stone Album Guide is pretty infamous (at least for me haha) for its resoundingly odd summaries of some truly great albums. The most notorious being JD Considine who wrote some really appalling laugh-out-loud nonsense. Anyway, thank you for watching and leaving a comment, it is greatly appreciated!!
I only found your channel yesterday so I haven't gotten a chance to look at your other videos but are you into Kevin Ayers at all? He got his start as the lead vocalist and guitarist (actually bass but played like a guitar) in the first incarnation of Soft Machine. He was only on their first album and then went on to a fine solo career. His first album 'The Joy of a Toy' is a great British post-psychedelic classic. You might know him if you have the legendary 'June 1, 1974' album that features Ayers, Brian Eno, John Cale, and Nico. The album cover is somewhat notorious for the look John is giving Kevin (Kevin had slept with John's wife the night before and John wrote the great classic 'Guts' about how he felt). Check him out because there is such a great story there.
Joel
First of all thank you for watching and commenting!! So other than the live album with Nico, Eno, and Cale, I am wholly unfamiliar with Kevin Ayers, so I greatly appreciate the suggestion. I have only heard Soft Machine stuff that he isn't on, so I will check out the first album and The Joy Of A Toy. It's one of those names I've been aware of, but have just never jumped into, so thanks again!
Yeah...too much..a very melodic album...
Melodic as all get out. Thank you for watching!!