Lou Reed
Berlin

THE REVIEW

I tried, several times and at different moments, the last time just yesterday, but I really can't do it.

I don't like "Berlin." And in general, I don't like Lou Reed. I don't even like "Transformer" and the first album by the Velvet Underground, just to give you an idea.

And despite not having appreciated "The Velvet Underground and Nico," I approached "Berlin" as Lou Reed's first solo album with very high expectations, given the many nice words said about it.

Someone might point out that this is the fifth review of this album, but, while the other four unanimously elevate it to a masterpiece, I want to provide an alternative view, which will most likely earn me a nice blast of criticism. So be it.

The atmosphere that permeates "Berlin" is gloomy, telling a story of drugs, depression, and death, which undoubtedly captures the listener's soul. The problem is the way this story is translated into music.

The main problem is Lou Reed himself, with his monotonous, clinical, and borderline unmelodic singing, which I find particularly boring and never manages to move me emotionally, especially considering that the music he creates doesn't really suit my tastes. I could not give a rational explanation for this feeling; I just know that after repeated listening, I never found anything to change my mind. And this detracts from the empathy that should be generated towards the protagonists of the drama being portrayed.

The second major limitation I find is the production by Bob Ezrin. The same Bob Ezrin who produced "The Wall," which I perhaps consider the best Pink Floyd album, but who I think fails here. My criticism is technical, and one might argue that it's not nice to quibble over purely technical aspects (which are the means) when discussing an album so imbued with a dramatic theme (which is the end). But if the means are inadequate, the end is not fully achieved. Essentially, the album sounds bad, and not because the arrangements are intentionally sparse to convey that gloomy atmosphere mentioned above, a choice that in itself isn't subject to criticism, but because it often lacks a fundamental blend between the various components.

Finally, besides sounding bad, the album is also played in a mediocre manner: I won't delve too deeply into the details, which would require too much space, I'll just say that generally, I don't like the drums, bass, and guitar parts either in conception or execution. And it doesn’t matter much that the bass is in the hands of Jack Bruce; in fact, this is perhaps an additional reason for disappointment.

Let the fish throwing begin.