Berlin
Studio album by Lou Reed
Released	1973
Genre	Rock
Length	49:26
Label	RCA
Producer	Bob Ezrin
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link Robert Christgau (C) link Rolling Stone link
Lou Reed chronology
Transformer (1972) Berlin (1973) Rock N Roll Animal (1974)

Berlin is a 1973 album by Lou Reed, his third solo album and the follow-up to the widely accessible and upbeat glam rock classic Transformer. What was surprising about this release was that it is in direct contrast to its predecessor: Berlin is a very bleak and sad album. In 2003, the album was ranked number 344 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. Image File history File links Berlinloureed. ... A studio album is a collection of previously unreleased, studio-recorded tracks by a recording artist. ... Lewis Reed[1] (born March 2, 1942) is an American rock singer-songwriter and guitarist. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Rock is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars, and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles, however saxophones have been omitted from newer subgenres of rock music since the 90s. ... In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... RCA, formerly an acronym for the Radio Corporation of America, is now a trademark owned by Thomson SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Thomson. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The All Music Guide (AMG) is a metadata database about music, owned by All Media Guide. ... Image File history File links 3. ... Robert Christgau (born April 18, 1942), is an American essayist, music journalist, and the self-declared Dean of American Rock Critics.[1] In print, his name is sometimes abbreviated as Xgau. ... This article is about the magazine. ... Lewis Reed[1] (born March 2, 1942) is an American rock singer-songwriter and guitarist. ... Transformer is Lou Reeds breakthrough second solo album, released in December 1972. ... Rock n Roll Animal is a live album by Lou Reed, released in 1974. ... Lewis Reed[1] (born March 2, 1942) is an American rock singer-songwriter and guitarist. ... Transformer is Lou Reeds breakthrough second solo album, released in December 1972. ... This article is about the magazine. ... The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time is the cover story of a special issue of Rolling Stone magazine published in November 2003. ...

On the other side of the coin, it is also ranked among the best of the concept albums the 1970s had to offer, a tragic, loose musical tale about a doomed couple amid themes of drug use and depression. Response was not good upon its release, as fans and critics were expecting another upbeat glam outing. As time has gone by, a growing number of Reed's fans have come to believe this album to be among his best as a solo artist. Clinical depression (also called major depressive disorder, or unipolar depression when compared to bipolar disorder) is a state of intense sadness, melancholia or despair that has advanced to the point of being disruptive to an individuals social functioning and/or activities of daily living. ...

Musically, Berlin differs greatly from the bulk of Reed's work, due to the use of heavy orchestral arrangements, horns, and top session musicians. Instrumentally, Reed himself only contributes acoustic guitar.

"The Kids" tells of a "miserable rotten slut" having her children taken from her by the authorities, and contains a particularly upsetting mid-section featuring the sounds of children shouting for their mother. This segment is so harrowing that a legend has arisen telling how producer Bob Ezrin went home one night and told his children that their mother had (in different versions) either left them or died, and recorded their response. Later, Ezrin dispelled this myth, stating that he had just asked them to cry for the recorder, and that his younger child got carried away with the game. In actuality, Joshua Ezrin, Ezrin's youngest son, was outside the screen door of their house for a few minutes, and while he was pleading to be let back inside, his cries were recorded and put on the album. The Waterboys take their name from a line in this song. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Waterboys are a band formed in 1983 by Mike Scott. ...

"Sad Song" references Mary I of Scotland in its initial verses: Mary I (popularly known as Mary, Queen of Scots: French: ); (December 8, 1542 – February 8, 1587) was Queen of Scots (the monarch of the Kingdom of Scotland) from December 14, 1542, to July 24, 1567. ...

Staring at my picture book
She looks like Mary, Queen of Scots
She seemed very regal to me
Just goes to show how wrong you can be

The song's chorus features an orchestral theme similar to one that later appeared in Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb", which Ezrin co-produced. Pink Floyd are an English rock band that initially earned recognition for their psychedelic rock music, and, as they evolved, for their avant-garde progressive rock music. ... The Wall Disc Two track listing Bring the Boys Back Home (5) Comfortably Numb (6) The Show Must Go On (7) Comfortably Numb is a song by the British progressive rock band Pink Floyd, which was released on the 1979 double album The Wall. ...

As with Reed's previous two studio albums, Berlin re-drafts several songs that had been written and recorded previously. The title track first appeared on Reed's solo debut album, only here it is lyrically simplified, the key changed, and re-arranged for piano. "Oh, Jim" makes use of the Velvet Underground outtake, "Oh, Gin". "Caroline Says (II)" is a rewrite of "Stephanie Says" from VU. The Velvets had also recorded a rather sedate demo of "Sad Song", which had much milder lyrics in its original form. "Men of Good Fortune" had also been played by the Velvets as early as 1966; an archival CD featuring live performances of the band playing at Andy Warhol's Factory provides the evidence of the song's age. The CD featuring the early performance of "Men of Good Fortune" is not for sale and can only be heard at the Warhol museum in New York. Track Listing 1. ... The Velvet Underground and Nico (from left to right: John Cale, Nico, Lou Reed, Sterling Morrison, and Maureen Tucker) The Velvet Underground (Affectionately known as The Velvets, or V.U. for short) was an American rock and roll band of the late 1960s. ... Stephanie Says is a song by The Velvet Underground originally recorded in 1968 and released on VU in 1985. ... VU is an outtakes compilation album by The Velvet Underground. ... Andrew Warhola (August 6, 1928 — February 22, 1987), better known as Andy Warhol, was an American artist who became a central figure in the movement known as Pop art. ...

Live performance

Reed and Ezrin planned a stage adaptation of the album upon its initial release but shelved the plans due to mixed reviews and poor sales. In 2007 Reed fulfilled his original hopes by touring the album with a 30 piece band and 12 choristers. ^[1] The album was digitally re-mastered and re-released on compact disc to commemorate the event. Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st Century. ...

Track listing

Side one

1. "Berlin" – 3:23
2. "Lady Day" – 3:40
3. "Men of Good Fortune" – 4:37
4. "Caroline Says (I)" – 3:57
5. "How Do You Think It Feels" – 3:42
6. "Oh, Jim" – 5:13

Side two

1. "Caroline Says (II)" – 4:10
2. "The Kids" – 7:55
3. "The Bed" – 5:51
4. "Sad Song" – 6:55

Personnel

• Michael Brecker – tenor sax
• Randy Brecker – trumpet
• Jack Bruce – bass (except "Lady Day" and "The Kids")
• Aynsley Dunbar – drums (except "Lady Day" and "The Kids")
• Bob Ezrin – piano and mellotron
• Steve Hunter – electric guitar
• Tony Levin – bass on "The Kids"
• Allan Macmillan – piano on "Berlin"
• Gene Martynec – acoustic guitar, synthsizer and vocal arranging on "The Bed," bass on "Lady Day"
• Jon Pierson – bass trombone
• Lou Reed – vocals and acoustic guitar
• Dick Wagner – background vocals and electric guitar
• Blue Weaver – piano on "Men of Good Fortune"
• B.J. Wilson – drums on "Lady Day" and "The Kids"
• Steve Winwood – organ and harmonium
• Bob Ezrin, Dennis Ferrante, Steve Hyden, Elizabeth March, Lou Reed, Dick Wagner – choir
• Bob Ezrin – production, arrangement
• Allan Macmillan – arrangement

Michael Brecker (March 29, 1949 – January 13th, 2007) was a popular US jazz saxophonist and composer. ... Ronald Randy Brecker (b. ... John Symon Asher Jack Bruce (born May 14, 1943) is a Scottish-born musician, composer and singer. ... Prolific English drummer Aynsley Dunbar (born on January 10, 1946, in Liverpool, England) has worked with some of the top names in rock and roll, including John Mayall, Frank Zappa, Jeff Beck, David Bowie, and Sammy Hagar. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Mellotron is an electromechanical polyphonic keyboard musical instrument originally developed and built in Birmingham, England in the early 1960s. ... Tony Levin (born June 6, 1946, Boston, Massachusetts) is an influential American bass player. ... Canadian musician/composer Eugene Martynec (born March 28, 1947 in Germany) first came to prominence as a guitarist in Toronto group Bobby Kris & The Imperials in August 1965. ... Lewis Reed[1] (born March 2, 1942) is an American rock singer-songwriter and guitarist. ... For the classical music composer, see Richard Wagner. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

References