Lou Reed - "Berlin" Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, 2008/1973 (RCA)

Lou Reed's "Berlin" has some of his greatest songs, but as a narrative concept album, it's weak.  Side one is perfect, but the other side's pace is slow, almost an after-thought than anything else.   The beauty of Lou Reed is that he was very much of an artist who wanted to do something new on the next record.  The previous album "Transformer" is a masterpiece, and I think the last of his work that had traces of his years in The Velvet Underground.  "Berlin" is very much 1973 Lou, and what's interesting is that at the time of this recording of the album, he never been to Berlin.  So it's an artist's projection of a city and culture that he only got through second-hand channels. 

Berlin has always been a mythological metropolis to me. I went there in the 1980s when the wall was still up.  I liked the city, but I was disappointed that Sally Bowles wasn't around nor Bertolt Brecht. In other words, I totally had a "Berlin" in my head that no longer exists.   And on top of that, Berlin reminded me in parts, of Los Angeles, my hometown.   So when "Berlin" came out, I totally saw this project as a documentary or something Lou had experienced first-hand.  Then again, the role of the artist is always to do illusionary magic, and the album is very much an illusion as well in parts, a magnificent pop album.  

Besides the iconic Lou Reed vocals and lyrics, the album features the aggressive bass playing of Jack Bruce.  "Berlin" is one of my favorite 'bass' albums.   It's always thrilling to hear Bruce's work, and I think on this album he did a magnificent job.   Like Jah Wobble or Mick Karn, Bruce was a very strong bassist, who was equally unique in his playing or sound.   The other great thing about the album is the overall production by Bob Ezrin.   Overproduced and making the music sound like a huge production with full orchestra, powerful drumming (Procol Harum's B.J. Wilson and Aynsley Dunbar), plus the twin guitars of Steve Hunter and Dick Wagner, this was a group of musicians who played huge on the aural soundtrack.   In a certain style, "Berlin" has an operatic quality of being bigger than life, and that's a plus for this album. 

In theory, it would have been great if the album was just an EP of the first six songs.   Side two is just over emotional and almost a bad taste Christmas card.  Still, it's an important Lou Reed album, in the context with the rest of his recordings. 

Procol Harum - "Shine On Brightly" Vinyl, LP, Album, 1968 (A&M)

Procol Harum couldn't do no wrong in my brain and ears.  It's the odd mixture of Gary Brooker's rhythm n' blues vocals singing the baroque type of classical orientated pop.  It's obvious that the band is schooled in classic black American music, but their sound is a twisted version of a mod like psychedelia yet grounded in great musicianship.   One can argue that perhaps they have a prog leanings, but they are more rooted in the arrangement of Bach-like melodies or the way that composer adds layers of melody on top of one another.  On a later album, they worked with Christiane Legrand who was a member of the Swingle Singers.  Not an odd choice of an artist to work with, because like the Swingle Singers who had a jazz background approaching the classics is very similar to Procol Harum, who have a strong R n' B foundation being sucked into something that is very Bach-like in fashion and sound. 

"Shine On Brightly" is Procol Harum's second album, and it's different from their first masterpiece album.  For one, the arrangements are more playful, and there is a certain aspect of joy in these set of songs.  Side two is a very piece called "In Held Twas I" that is similar to the second side of The Beatles "Abbey Road" album, in that it's a suite of miniature pop songs.  Not that far off from The Who's "A Quick One..."  

I always felt the secret weapon in Procol Harum was their drummer B.J. Wilson.  He's perfect for the majestic sound of the band, and there is such a powerful percussion presence on their albums, for instance like this one.   It makes perfect sense that he worked with Lou Reed on "Berlin" which I feel was very much influenced by Procol Harum's approach to dramatic orchestration.  The dynamic tension between Brooker's piano and Morgan Fisher's organ is another aspect of this musical relationship.   Brooker plays power cord piano, and the organ answers his call, in some fashion, its a conversation between these two, with Robin Trower's guitar and Wilson's drumming as sort of being the guys in between the discussion.   Everyone from The Bad Seeds to The Band I think was influenced by this band, not only due to the piano/organ relationship, but also the dramatic quality of telling a tale.  Keif Reid is their lyricist and his surrealistic or impressionistic lyrics adds another element to the package.  Brooker sings his words not with intense passion, but almost in a detached manner, which makes its own intensity between voice and the word.  "Shine On Brightly" is a great collection of songs, and I think it's criminally overlooked in our contemporary times.