Berlin is the third studio album by Velvet Underground legend Lou Reed (1942–2013).
Reed’s previous album, Transformer (1972), made with David Bowie, is a little gem of glam rock and, with its many hit songs, a very accessible album. The chillingly dark Berlin is something else entirely.
Berlin is a dark rock opera that tells the tragic story of Jim and Caroline (both fictional characters) and their relationship and struggles with drugs, domestic violence, prostitution and suicide. A truly cheerful subject matter, then. And Reed, together with his producer Bob Ezrin, certainly doesn’t try to lighten the mood at all. Berlin is undoubtedly one of the darkest albums ever made.
Ezrin’s influence on Berlin is enormous. He brought together a talented group of musicians, including his trusted guitarists Steve Hunter and Dick Wagner, as well as legendary musicians such as keyboardist Steve Winwood, drummer Aynsley Dunbar, bassists Jack Bruce and Tony Levin, and Randy and Michael Brecker on horns. Ezrin’s influence is even greater in the arrangements, where he typically uses a lot of sound effects and semi-orchestral instrumentation. The sound of the album varies from intimate to grandiose. Roger Waters must have listened closely to Berlin, as The Wall (also produced by Ezrin) contains many obvious influences from this album.
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A chilling example of Ezrin’s effective use of sound effects can be heard in the song ‘The Kids,’ in which Caroline’s children are taken away from her after she messes up with drugs. In the song, you can hear the truly heartbreaking cries of a small child calling for its mother in the background. According to urban legend, Ezrin told his own small child that the child’s mother had died. He locked the child in a closet and recorded the sound of a small mustard machine. Apparently, the story isn’t true, but on the other hand, Ezrin was said to have used a lot of cocaine at the time, so maybe it is… In any case, the effect is really disturbing.
As much as Ezrin’s production and arrangements add extra punch to the album, the focus remains on Lou Reed’s fine songs and his half-sung, half-spoken baritone voice. It’s easy to imagine that the songs would work perfectly well sung alone with simple acoustic guitar accompaniment. There are moments on the album, however, when Ezrin’s arrangements seem a little too complex. For example, ‘Caroline Says I’ would probably have worked better with a simpler arrangement.
A big part of Berlin’s charm is, of course, its raw and unrestrained lyrics. They’re not super subtle, but there’s something cool about how they hit you right between the eyes. With its relentless tragedy, Berlin reminds me of Darren Aronofsky’s equally merciless film Requiem For A Dream. In both works, everything that can go wrong for the main characters does go wrong. Of course, this is largely due to their own decisions. Neither work offers its audience a comforting happy ending. Jim does seem to try to make amends in the final song of Berlin, ‘Sad Song’, congratulating himself on the fact that even though he drove Caroline to suicide, he is actually a good guy because someone else would have broken both of Caroline’s arms, not just one like he did…
When it was released, Berlin received a cold reception from critics, a downright damning reception. Music critics were clearly not yet ready for Reed’s nihilism. Nor was the record-buying public, as Berlin sold nowhere near as well as its predecessor, Transformer. Over the decades, the album’s reputation has grown enormously, and today it is recognised as an art rock classic. And rightly so; in my opinion, Berlin is the best album Lou Reed ever made. Yep, even including the Velvet Underground albums.
Best track: ”Lady Day”, ”Men Of Good Fortune”, ”Caroline Says I”, ”Caroline Says II”, ”The Kids”
Author: JANNE YLIRUUSI
Tracks:
Side A
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 B
7. ”Caroline Says II” 4:10
8. ”The Kids” 7:55
9. ”The Bed” 5:51
10. ”Sad Song” 6:55
Musicians:
Michael Brecker: tenor saxophone Randy Brecker: trumpet Jack Bruce: bass guitar Aynsley Dunbar: drums Bob Ezrin: piano and mellotron Steve Hunter: electric guitar Tony Levin: bass guitar Allan Macmillan: piano Gene Martynec: acoustic guitar, synthesizer, bass guitar, vocal arrangements Jon Pierson: bass trumpet Lou Reed: vocals, acoustic guitar Dick Wagner: backing vocals, electric guitar Blue Weaver: piano B.J. Wilson: drums Steve Winwood: organ, harmonica
Choir: Bob Ezrin, Dennis Ferrante, Steve Hyden, Elizabeth March, Lou Reed, Dick Wagner.
Producer: Bob Ezrin
Label: RCA
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