Walk On The Wild Side: The Best of Lou Reed
	previously released material
	Released on April 1977
	US CHART POSITION #156
	Find it at GEMM
BG2 03753 cover [high resolution scan]

L ou Reed the reluctant glam queen, the burned-out Factory survivor, the vicious rocker. It’s all there in the early years. Walk on the Wild Side captures some of it, sure. But you’ll find the reel Reed starring on Transformer, Berlin, Rock ‘n’ Roll Animal. Epic albums all of them, that bespeak his star quality better than “New York Telephone Conversation” or “How Do You Think It Feels” in isolation. The man only had the one hit anyway, and the decision to walk on the safe side with sundry singles left over is a bland copout. If you haven’t heard “Perfect Day” or “Caroline Says II,” then you haven’t heard the best of Lou Reed by far. The Bowiefied “Satellite of Love” is a fine choice, of course, and you couldn’t do this without Walk, but the rest of The Best is something of a bust. The decision to include the nonalbum B side, “Nowhere At All,” is a ballsy move, but it’s barely enough to counter the castrated live version of “Sweet Jane.” They digitally remastered the whole thing in 1988, years before the industry got the remastering thing right by adding bonus cuts. In an earlier review, I called this “eclectic and delicious,” likely because I was starved for adjectives and good music. As a sampler goes, this follows. Lou Reed isn’t meant to be sampled and tasted but swallowed whole as either honeyed mead or bitter wine from blackest fruit in an act of faith befitting the fact that both libations are at the root blood Reed.

TRACK LISTING

1. SATELLITE OF LOVE    3:40
2. WILD CHILD    4:39
3. I LOVE YOU    2:16
4. HOW DO YOU THINK IT FEELS    3:07
5. NEW YORK TELEPHONE CONVERSATION    1:31
6. WALK ON THE WILD SIDE    4:12
7. SWEET JANE (LIVE)    3:32
8. WHITE LIGHT/WHITE HEAT (LIVE)    5:15
9. SALLY CAN'T DANCE    2:53
10. NOWHERE AT ALL    3:10
11. CONEY ISLAND BABY    6:35
    
    All songs written by Lou Reed. Tracks 1,5,6 arranged by Lou Reed, David Bowie, Mick Ronson; Track 4 arranged by Bob Ezrin and Allan Macmillen

CREDITS

LOU REED -- compiler
Bruce Somerfeld -- compiler
Mick Rock -- cover design, photos of Lou and Rachel
Julie Harris and Steve Ridgeway -- art direction
Don Wardell -- digital series coordinator
Susan Ruskin -- digital producer

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