It’s Turntable Tuesday…because life is too short not to listen to great music! Turn that TV OFF and listen to some music on your local speaker! Take a break from all that holiday stress and spin some wax! You need to dance a few hours away from all that winter reality! It’s Turntable Tuesday!
If you want to listen to my companion podcast you can listen here or subscribe for free on any of the streaming services you use. My podcast is easily searchable on any streaming service where you get your podcasts by searching “Andrew Talbert.” Look for the World Wide Music Media logo.
Lou Reed. Some call his music “Glam Rock” some call his music “Art Rock.” You can call it whatever you want but he is a unique artist that has an interesting history of hanging out with interesting celebrities and singing about everything from sex, drugs, prostitution, but mostly manufacturing non-stop Rock and Roll music for decades. After he released his “Transformer” album in late 1972 which was produced by David Bowie Lou Reed went from cult status to an international star. Thirteen months later he played the show at Alice Tully Hall and the recordings have finally been cut to vinyl and released last Friday after well over four decades. Alice Tully Hall is a concert hall at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in Upper West Side, Manhattan, New York City. It is named for Alice Tully, a New York performer and philanthropist whose donations assisted in the construction of the hall. The vinyl is pressed in what is described as “burgundy” color although I am not sure I would describe it that way. The RCA Victor label is added to make you feel like you are looking at a 1973 pressing.
Mixed from the original multi-track tapes by Matt Ross-Spang at Shelter Island Sound in New York City, the vinyl sound is very good. In fact as I listen to these tracks I was marveling at the sound from a remote live recording on 1973 era equipment. For those of you listening to my podcast you may recall my conversation with R. Scott Bryan most recently from the Allman Betts Band we talked all about the talents of Matt’s work with everyone from Jason Isbell to John Prine as well as his work on the two albums from the Allman Betts Band. When I see Matt’s name I usually assume the product is above average and this record fits the bill.
There are numerous photos on the nice sleeves included with this package. I prefer the fiber sleeves over paper sleeves which I wish manufacturers would eliminate from contemporary vinyl. The paper sleeves leave small amounts of debris on records that has to be cleaned off the surface prior to playing. I can’t understand why we pay what we do for a vinyl record these days and the album comes out in a cheap paper sleeve that will yellow in the decades to come! It is 2020! At least give us a 3 mil high density polypropylene! This was a nice job on this album package.
This is a very nice album for the Lou Reed fan. Given the limited pressing I would advise you get a copy soon as this album will be popular world-wide. Lou Reed is still popular especially in the United Kingdom so for you all that are reading this and listening to the podcast over there get a copy soon!
That’s all for Turntable Tuesday this week! Stay safe and stay warm. Until next time I’ll see you, down the road.
Rock and Roll by Lou Reed
Jenny said when she was just five years old
There was nothing happening at all
Every time she puts on a radio
There was a nothin’ goin’ down at all, not at all
Then one fine mornin’ she puts on a New York station
You know, she couldn’t believe what she heard at all
She started shakin’ to that fine fine music
You know her life was saved by rock ‘n’ roll
Despite all the amputations
You know you could just go out
And dance to a rock ‘n’ roll station
It was alright (it was alright)
Hey baby, you know it was alright (it was alright)Jenny said
When she was just about five years old
You know why parents gonna be the death of us all
Two TV sets and two Cadillac cars
Well you know, it ain’t gonna help me at all, not just a tiny bit
Then one fine mornin’ she turns on a New York station
She doesn’t believe what she hears at all
Ooh, she started dancin’ to that fine fine music
You know her life is saved by rock ‘n’ roll, yeah rock ‘n’ roll
Despite all the computations
You could just dance
To that rock ‘n’ roll station
And baby it was alright (it was alright)
Hey it was alright (it was alright)
Hey here she comes now!
Jump! jump!
Jenny said when she was just about five years old
Hey, you know, there was nothing happening at all, not at all
Every time I put on the radio
You know there’s nothin’ goin’ down at all, not at all
Then one fine mornin’ she hears a New York station
She just didn’t believe what she heard at all, hey, not at all
She started dancin’ to that fine fine music
You know her life was saved by rock ‘n’ roll, yes rock ‘n’ roll
Despite all the computation
You know you could just dance
To a rock ‘n’ roll station
All right
All right
And it was alright
Well, listen to me now
And it was alright
Come on, man, listen
It was alright
It was alright