Lou Reed has had more than his share of ‘best of’ collection. What makes this one stand out is the superiority of the remastering and the selection of songs. Sequencing of the songs isn’t bad either. Not surprising when you find that Lou Reed had his hand in the entire project from beginning to end. Not only does his involvement lend credibility to the release but also helps to insure that it was done with an ear to perfection.

Lou Reed is to rock music what Woody Guthrie is to Americana, that is to say essential. The one is representative of the other. Lou’s impact on rock music is far reaching and has flavoured the sounds of many bands even in this era and musical climate. Think Strokes.

One of the special things about NYC Man: The Collection is the selection of songs. The fact that they sound better than they ever had before is a bonus. Most collections of Lou Reed zero in on the songs that stood out. What they have failed in was to capture the heart and soul of Reed’s long and extraordinary career. Lou became many things throughout the years with his album releases coinciding with where he was at philosophically and musically. Where Lou was “at” is very important to understanding each album of material that he’s recorded.

From his days with The Velvet Underground to his last release, Ectasy, there is an undercurrent of darkness that pervades his writing. This collection does not shy away from that legacy but celebrates it in a big way. Much of the emphasis on this collection is placed on the quality of the sound. And the sound is phenomenal in everyway. But Reed’s material is visceral and feral in everyway. While Reed’s early stuff dealt with the underbelly of the beast, the off track lives of humanity, his later material explored thought and expression, to borrow a phrase.

Reed’s extremism gave way to things that concern all of us; death (Magic and Loss), loyalty (Songs For Drella), anxieties (Raven), and love. This set collects all of these representative pieces and incorporates them into a brilliant 2CD retrospective.

You have the expected standards in Walk on the Wild Side, Sweet Jane, Rock and Roll, Heroin (live and previously unrleased in the US), Dirty Blvd, and others. But you also get songs that are often overlooked such as Berlin, Vicious, Kill Your Sons (live and previously unreleased in the US), Magic and Loss – The Summation, and Sally Can’t Dance. I would have preferred the original cuts of the live offerings but only because they are in themselves very powerful songs. I believe that Heroin would have shown incredible beauty by the remastering that was afforded these other songs. The rest are important for the collection.

NYC Man: The Collection has a nice 20-page booklet that details every song with personal notes by Lou himself. Additionally, there are rare photos of some singles covers along with photos of Lou Reed.

All in all, NYC Man is a compelling set not only for its remastering quality but also for its selection of songs. If you want a concise collection without going box (Between Thought and Expression), you cannot get a better compilation. RCA/BMG Heritage has done a fine job by giving Lou control of the reins.

For Lou Reed fans, NYC Man is the mainline hit.

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Lou Reed
NYC Man: The Collection

Released: June 03, 2003
Origination Year: 2003
Time: N/A
Tracks: 33
Produced by: Lou Reed
Engineered by: N/A
Mixed by:N/A
Mastered by: N/A
Style: Compilation
Format: CD
Enhancement: Remastering
Label: RCA/BMG Heritage Records
Website:
www.loureed.com

Who Am I? (Tripitena's Song)
Sweet Jane
Rock and Roll
I'm Waiting For the Man
White Light/White Heat
Street Hassle
Berlin
Caroline Says II
The Kids
Walk On The Wild Side
Kill Your Sons
Vicious
The Blue Mask
I'll Be Your Mirror
Magic and Loss
Ecstasy

I Wanna Be Black
Temporary Thing
Shooting Star
Legendary Hearts
Heroin
Coney Island Baby
The Bells
Perfect Day
Sally Can't Dance
Satellite of Love
NYC Man
Dirty Blvd
Rock Minuet
Pale Blue Eyes