Rock 'n' Roll Animal: Remastered

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Customer reviews

review by: d. gutt date: 2008-05-26 rating:
good, in a funny way.......
a good album, but its very odd hearing songs like 'heroin' and 'white light/white heat' played with all the pomp of a classic queen song..... honestly give it a chance, it is a good record, just nothing like the velvet underground at all.

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review by: ant_in_wales date: 2008-03-10 rating:
For Each Man Kills The Thing He Loves
As a long-term Lou & VU fan I was looking forward to this but having just listened to it I feel sick.
The musicians sound like a bad bar covers band, all dated soft rock postures & tired FX.
Yes yes yes, I'm sure a chorus pedal was very clever in 1979 but enough already. The songs are killed in what looks like a pastiche of bloated corporate 70s rock.
You might think "Thank God punk killed this sort of stuff" but the songs were fine before: short, taut, original and appropriate.
This has to be Lou's nadir before redemption a decade later with NuYork.
Keep clear, keep a clear head and stick to the VU Live in 1969 or the albums.
It is ironic that something more recent than the originals is much more dated, but this would have been dated at time of release. It was dated beofre it was recorded.
Take it out & kill it.
Is this clear enough?
If you like this recording & like the originals you either have a broad musical taste or are clueless.
If you like this album, the ngo on, justify a 12-minute version of heroin. Go on, try it. How, in any way, is this appropriate?
It makes Bowie's Tin Machine aberration look like Nirvana.

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review by: date: 2007-05-28 rating:
Slighty better than Frampton comes alive!!!
The greatest live album ever bar none. Velvet's snobs hate it because of the "rock outs" and the the extended guitar play of Wagner and Hunter. Look I love the Velvets with Nico and all the early stuff but the this is equally sublime. The band is tighter than a shark with lock jaw and Reed's singing is fantastic. No whooping or howling out of place either. Clearly an audience who love the material and add to the occasion. I dare anyone not to marvel at the brilliance of Sweet Jane as Hunter and Wagner do a jazzy intro to be joined half way through by Lou Reed walking on stage to the crunchiest riff of all time and the audience losing the plot. Heroin is stunning and builds to such a crescendo you feel exhausted at the end of it. The best ever version of Rock n Roll is also included for good measure. All in all Reed doing what Reed does best, surprising the audience and moving the goalposts. Who has ever followed this up? Possibly Television which is the best compliment anyone can pay.

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review by: date: 2006-08-12 rating:
Doesn't Represent Lou's Core Values
The main problem i find with 'Rock n Roll Animal' is it really fails to represent Lou Reed as an artist. The overblown arena rock style of the album is a thousand miles away from Lou's core musical values although the band do play incredibly well (if you appreciate that style of music).
I prefer the songs in their original form as they were more subtle in arrangement which gave each song its own distinct sound.
There is really nothing like that on 'Rock n Roll Animal' as each song just seems to be an excuse to indulge in a welter of heavy guitars.
Lou had certainly changed his style again. My problem is though whereas in most instances Lou is the man who instigates his own musical endeavours this time round he tends to be the side show and the highlight is the twin guitars potency.
Lou definitely takes a back seat this time round.


review by: date: 2006-06-28 rating:
A Classic
This would have to be one of the best hard rock and live albums ever, and with two extra tracks and a sensational re-mastering job, it's got even better.

Reed's band, and guitarists Steve Hunter and Dick Wagner in particular, create an almost orchestral sound. For example, Sweet Jane features a marvellous instrumental introduction which builds and builds, then culminates in the riff kicking in just as Lou struts out on stage. Rock n Roll is a great closing track, with some stunning guitar work. Lou's in great voice, too.

The original CD seemed to have been mastered through mud, but the new transfer has depth, `bite' and you can hear everything clearly.

A companion LP, Lou Reed Live, was recorded at the same concerts but has yet to see the light of day on CD. It had a nice version of Vicious, but not much else; a pity that wasn't added to this disc, but you can't have everything.

I wouldn't call this a `good time rock n roll record' - how could any album with 'Heroin' on it be considered a `good time' record? - but it really kicks along and still sounds fresh and exciting.

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