BERLIN
Decades after its ignominious debut, Lou Reed's Berlin will finally be performed on stage in its entirety. We are lucky ticket holders for Friday night's performance, which is shaping up to be an extravaganza of epic proportions.There is an amazing amount of hype surrounding this event, and one need look no further than the involvement of Bob Ezrin (the original album's producer) and lead guitarist Steve Hunter (he of "Intro to 'Sweet Jane'" fame!) to confirm it is deserved.
Diehard fans will recall that Reed flirted with the idea of presenting this notoriously despair-inducing song cycle on stage way back in 1979! I personally witnessed a couple of shows at the now-defunct Bottom Line wherein most of the album was played in spectacular fashion by Reed and his backup ensemble, the Everyman Band. Marty Fogel (on horns) and Chuck Hammer (Roland guitar synthesizer) credibly reproduced the album's intricate orchestrations.
The idea of finally hearing Berlin rendered with a real orchestra, choir and original guitarist Hunter is awe-inspiring, to say the least. I must somehow resist the urge to scalp my tickets, which could easily fetch a couple of hundred bucks apiece, according to some preliminary Craigslist investigation.
The New York Times weighs in on this historic moment in Reed's enigmatic career.
posted by Steve Caratzas at 5:16 PM
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2 Comments:
absolutely on target-
interesting to note that you also remembered the 1979-80 versions at the Bottom Line
with Chuck Hammer on guitar. I was also there and remeber it well. There are a couple of versions of from that amazing era on YouTube
absolutely on target-
interesting to note that you also remembered the 1979-80 versions at the Bottom Line
with Chuck Hammer on guitar. I was also there and remember it well. There are a couple of versions of from that amazing era on YouTube. Check out the concerts from Fierenze Italy July 1980. Same band as at the Bottom Line shows.
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