REED, LOU

Arguably the finest album of Reed's solo career, New York hails back to the days of the Velvets with its no-nonsense approach and unflinchingly sardonic lyrics. The difference is that there's a lifetime of learning in the songs here, and Reed had learned how to focus his incisive wit, sharpening his lyrical knife to a fine point with attacks on the NYPD, Jesse Jackson, right wing extremists and a host of others. An attractive development on NEW YORK is the way Reed deftly intermingles plain-spoken socio-political observations with inspired poetic flights, as on the street fable "Romeo Had Juliette." Reed proves to be an adept social critic on "Endless Cycle," which examines the cyclical nature of physical abuse with unerring precision, and the unlikely radio hit "Dirty Blvd.," where Reed takes a look at the disparity between haves and have-nots in his storied home town. On "Dimestore Mystery," a precursor to Songs For Drella, he uses Andy Warhols death as a vehicle for musing on the human and the divine, and the mortality that separates the two. Mo Tucker's guest appearance on this track furthers the VU comparisons. After the Velvet Underground albums, New York is the essential Lou Reed work to own.

Estimated despatch 5-10 days after ordering.