(RCA, 1984, LP & CD)
When you think about Lou Reed... well, let’s make that if you think about Lou Reed (1942-2013), you are likely familiar with his most commercially successful solo albums such as Transformer and Rock’n’Roll Animal. Or if you have been around a bit longer, as some of us admittedly have, perhaps his name may call to mind some of his work with his earlier band, Velvet Underground. A singular and influential artist, he had a long career in the music biz, and though he enjoyed great successes, he also experienced major failures. Though the body of his work reflects a wide range of musical styles, it is all immediately identifiable as Lou Reed.
After parting ways with Velvet Underground he went on to release twenty-some solo albums. Surprised by that number? I was. Many folks, save for true Reed fans, probably would be. Most people are unaware of many of the albums of his catalog. At the risk of offending those true fans, I will suggest that there is good reason for that – a number of them deserve to be obscure and perhaps even forgotten. But certainly not all of them. His 1989 album New York was lauded by critics and the public alike as a particularly strong solo outing, and though it does not have as high a profile as the two albums I mentioned previously, it stands out as one of his best. And while it does not have the recognition of any of those three albums, I am going to tell you that New Sensations is a terrific album that should be much better known.
This was Lou’s 13th solo outing, and here he was – dare I say it – at his most commercial. Now, for him this is not a bad thing! It contains some straight-ahead rock’n’roll and even leans into pop more than most of his other work – which is just fine with me. It’s definitely overall lighter in tone than most of his other albums, yet still retains a good dose of the gritty, cynical elements that characterize his best work. Some critics snidely referred to it as “Lou Reed lite,” but most of them appreciated and lauded it. Reed handled most of the lead guitar work very capably, and was supported by a talented crew of side people. Three singles from it were released, however great success was not attained for either the singles or the album.
The opening cut, “I Love You Suzanne,” is probably as close to a pop song as Reed ever released, an upbeat, hand-clapping yet earnest number that grabs your attention, and if you aren’t careful might become an earworm. It was the only one of the three singles released from the album to chart. “Doin’ the Things that We Want To” is an ode to self-indulgence – which was pretty much par for him – but it’s a great song. “Fly Into the Sun” is a reflection on his life’s end, how he envisions it... or perhaps how he would like it to be.
“High In the City” is a more typical Reed song, a paean to his city of New York in which he makes observations about it while being... well... you can guess from the title – also something he was known for. The album’s title cut is a gently rocking but beautiful cut in which Reed sings about riding through the hills of Pennsylvania on his motorcycle, having experiences which are apparently new sensations for him, different from his life in the city.
Not all of the songs on this album are winners ‘tis true, but that’s the case for most artists and albums and most of these are truly excellent. Reed’s muse is in good form, and anyone that can relate at all to Reed’s style, his talking-singing, his creative observations of life and the city, will discover a very fine and enjoyable album.
Nah, I’ll go further than that – this is a great album.
Check it out. Preferably by way of physical media, which I will – as usual – advocate for as being superior to that which you might stream. I had thought that it had not been remastered or reissued or the like, but Discogs has corrected that impression; it lists a 2009 remastered CD from the relatively little-known Iconoclassic Records label, which I have not heard. However, I have a couple other discs from that label, and they seem to know what they’re doing, so I suspect it’s probably pretty good.