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Rating: Lou Reed arrives in the new millennium after an over-three-decade-long career characterized by highs (many) and lows (due mostly to his personal problems rather than the raw musical aspect) and he can still afford to produce albums of the caliber of 'Ecstasy', extraordinary both musically and lyrically and capable of presenting to the public an artist increasingly mature and aware of his innate ability to transform poetry into music.
Already listening to the first track "Paranoia Key Of E" one understands the importance of this album; the song can, in my opinion, be immediately labeled as a classic of his production as it boasts a solid rhythm section that vaguely recalls some atmospheres of New York; the thunderous sound of "Mystic Child" introduces us to the seemingly secondary composition of "Mad", fundamental for the entire economy of the album.
Listening to the title-track is almost mystical in its progression and in its astonishing minimalist simplicity, showing us an artist seeking solutions quite different from those heard in "Magic and Loss". The next track, "Modern Dance", is a chase of vocal and rhythmic variations in an easily recognizable structure and anticipates a beautiful ballad like "Tatters", enhanced by an electric flourish at the end that reminds us of some solutions of the electric Young.
The pounding sound carpet of "Future Farmers of America" is strong with an excellent vocal performance that doesn't stray too much from some atmospheres of "Blue Mask," while "Turning Time Around" is another magnificent ballad, very reflective; at this point, two other splendid songs arrive: the first, "White Prism", is introduced by a splendid guitar riff and also unfolds through sudden changes of rhythm and vocal interpretation, while the second titled "Rock Minuet" is undoubtedly to be counted among the classics of the American artist as it decidedly represents metropolitan and more than just his poetry.
"Baton Rouge" is a classic acoustic song with an epic ending that acts as a harbinger of the acid jam of "Like a Possum", a not bad solution for an artist now legendary who in his solo career had almost never approached this sound, although perhaps the excessive length could be displeasing to some listeners. The last two songs, the romantic "Rouge" and the very tight and layered "Big Sky" are decidedly antithetical in their composition but are firmly set in an album that relies mainly on sound compactness.
I thus highly recommend the listening of this wonderful album to fans of the genre, as it can undoubtedly be considered as one of the best albums released from 2000 to today (in my opinion, the worst half-decade in the history of rock).
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
04 Ecstasy (04:25)
They call you ecstasy
nothing ever sticks to you
Not velcro, not scotch tape
not my arms dipped in glue
Not if I wrap myself in nylon
a piece of duct tape down my back
Love pierced the arrow with the twelve
and I can't get you back
Ah, ecstasy
ecstasy
Ah, ecstasy
Across the streets an old Ford, they took off its wheels
the engine is gone
In its seat sits a box
with a note that says, Goodbye Charlie, thanks a lot
I see a child through a window with a bib
and I think of us and what we almost did
The Hudson rocketing with light
the ships pass the Statue of Liberty at night
They call it ecstasy, ah
ecstasy
Ecstasy, ah
ecstasy
Some men call me St. Ivory
some call me St. Maurice
I'm smooth as alabaster
with white veins runnin' through my cheeks
A big stud through my eyebrow
a scar on my arm that says, Domain
I put it over the tattoo
that contained your name
They called you ecstasy, ecstasy
ecstasy
They call you ecstasy, ecstasy
ecstasy
The moon passing through a cloud
a body facing up is floating towards a crowd
And I think of a time and what I couldn't do
I couldn't hold you close, I couldn't, I couldn't become you
They call you ecstasy, I can't hold you down
I can't hold you up
I feel like that car that I saw today, no radio
no engine, no hood
I'm going to the cafe, I hope they've got music
and I hope that they can play
But if we have to part
I'll have a new scar right over my heart
I'll call it ecstasy
Oh, ecstasy, ecstasy
ecstasy
Ecstasy, ecstasy
ecstasy
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Other reviews
By Lesto BANG
An Artist like Lou, when realizing that 'certain things cannot be surpassed,' should have the strength to STOP and not repeat himself.
The voice is always a panacea, deep, sensual like a wounded animal that communicates only with its timbre veiled by hoarseness.
By Luca92mo
Lou Reed showed his audience what rock means to him, and I’m truly sorry for those who consider him a has-been.
Three different Lou Reeds this evening: the rocker, the experimentalist, and the poet.
