


Product Description Finally, Reed returns with a release of daring and joy, 21st century blues and the drive and rock and roll. Reed is a rock n roll classic and remains the essential poet of modern music. .com Ecstasy is a surprisingly brutal and angry record, even for Lou Reed, who virtually introduced those words into the rock & roll lexicon more than 30 years ago. Like the brilliant New York and Magic and Loss, Ecstasy is a sprawling song cycle dealing with one particular subject, in this case marriage and the ensuing death of love. Ecstasy is the sound of relationships unraveling and love going sour. The songs are about infidelity, mistrust, and dishonesty; more importantly, they're about that moment in time when the flush of romance turns rancid. As Reed puts it in "Modern Dance," "It's all downhill after the first kiss." Through a series of varied sketches, Reed poses a question for which he has no answer: At what point does your lover become your tormentor? On the record's best track, "Baton Rouge," Reed asks, "I wonder where love ends and hate starts to blush?" Looking back on the relationship in "Baton Rouge," Reed dreams about what might have been: the two-and-a-half strapping sons, the fat grandsons, the barbecues, and the family dog--all at the expense of self-identity. The taut, muscular guitar work of Reed and Mike Rathke, complemented by the fluid bass playing of longtime collaborator Fernando Saunders, fuel the anger and helplessness of such songs as "Paranoia in the Key of E" and "Prism," in which Reed likens marriage to indentured servitude. On quieter songs, such as "Tatters" and "Turning Time Around," the band completely shifts gears, using strings and sparser arrangements to create beautiful songs about love's bitter aftermath. The centerpiece of Ecstasy, "Possum Day," is a bleak morass of dissolution and despair played out among the crack whores and sex junkies who have long populated Reed's songs. As Reed and Rathke's guitars churn out an incessant wail, the song's wretched protagonist declares in defiance and disbelief, "Don't know why, baby, I'm still here / I'm the only one left standing / Calm as an angel." Perhaps Reed is also referring to his own staying power and relevance in a world of two-minute pop stars and drug casualties. --Paul Ducey
W**I
Velvet Quality
If you know you like latter-day Reed, you ought to buy this. I did, after listening to Magic & Loss about a thousand times, and I find this to be even better as it takes on really tougher emotional territory (can be a bit edgey to listen to), moves through more subtle variations in music and contains one of those true over the side masterpieces that make an album worth buying anyway, Like a Possum. Reed's way too old and the song's way too long to ever become a classic except for people who dig in. The title piece is a brilliant, self-contained and hard-edged piece of Brazilian rock. The rest goes all over the place, but almost all of it (it dips a bit in the middle) gets behind you and pushes, energizes. In the best tradition of Lou Reed, the lyrics and beats both toy with and threaten the banal, the bathetic, and somehow get delivered with just the right energy that informs with the power of the emotionally raw. Where the line is between the raw and bathos probably is more a matter of the listener's quality of attention than anything else, but mine, apparently, is right for this music. If you've been traditionally able to let Reed move you, I'd buy this one RIGHT NOW. I love it, and my marriage doesn't even suck.
S**.
I’d give it a six star rating if i could!!!
A strong, sharp-edged album full of social commentary and tough introspection. In short, a nearly perfect album by one of the best writers in rock and roll history.
A**C
Pretty good Lou
Pretty good Lou. Some of it is really good and some of it - well, might just be there to fill up the album. they all do that and Lou is no exception. But definatrely worth the money if you're a Lou fan.
C**N
Great Guitar, But Some of Lou's Worst Singing Ever!
This is a listenable album because the guitar sounds great, but Lou's singing is REALLY just off-key shouting. I know, I know - that's how Lou SINGS, but I normally LOVE his singing, no matter how off-key! On THIS album, it goes beyond the normal Lou Reed off-key singing, and sounds like a PARODY of Lou Reed...the whole way through! Also, a lot of the songs have like 2 chords in them - very repetitious! Well, one track is superb - the title track, "Ecstacy". The rest, nice guitar, Lou. NOT one of his better albums. I prefer SET THE TWIGHLIGHT REELING, the previous album. There's a WARMTH and variation to Lou's voice on that album. And the guitar is great, as well.
L**R
Five Stars
If you were a fan of Lou Reed you would want this badly.
J**.
Five Stars
Great price.
R**M
DRONEY WHINEY NONSENSE
THAT OTHER GUY IS RIGHT IF U WANT TO EXPLORE LOU REED DONT START HERE-- EVER MAKE UP WORDS INSTANTANEOUSLY TO SONGS OR INSTRUMENTALS EVEN THO THEY SOUND STUPID AND JUST MADE UP--THATS THIS LOU REED-- HE SAYS IN ONE LYRIC HIS WIFE IS DUMB AS HIS THUMB --OK-- HE DRONES ON ABOUT ALL THE CRAP THATS BUMMED HIM OUT----THE DRONING GUITAR THE GROWLING DIRTY DOG OF A SOUND IS OK BY ME -- I CAN DIG THAT BUT THE RETARDED LYRICS AND HIS IDIOTIC VOICE --GEEZ LOU EEEEEEEEEZ !THIS THING HAS ITS MOMENTS I GUESS -- BUT I THINK HE WAS HAPPIER ON DRUGS ~~~
W**W
I bought this album for one song
I'd heard the words to "Rock Minuet" performed on an Elvis Costello "Spectacle" show, where Lou Reed was one of the guests.
A**R
Yes, I like it!
Yes, I like it!
S**1
Five Stars
Many thanks
G**A
l'ingresso di Reed nel nuovo millennio
Credo fermamente che pochi personaggi abbiano attraversato 50 anni di storia musicale con la stessa costanza e qualità artistica di Lou Reed. Dai 60 al nuovo millennio, in ogni decennio di attività il nostro ha sfornato capolavori o quasi capolavori. Ora non voglio dire che "Ecstasy" sia un capolavoro, questo no; ma che sia un lavoro di caratura eccezionale decisamente superiore alla media beh su questo non credo ci siano dubbi. Del resto Reed è l'uomo che ha "camminato lungo i confini dell'inferno leccandosi le labbra"....l'ha fatto negli anni 60 e 70 e ha continuato a farlo anche dopo. Con maggior lucidità, con maggior sobrietà e controllo di se stesso, con maggior consapevolezza dei propri mezzi (non che sia mai stato uno umile Reed) e con la stessa determinazione. Ascolti un album come "Ecstasy" e te ne rendi subito conto. L'album con cui Reed inaugura il nuovo millennio, uscito appunto nel 2000. Non si risparmia Reed, 14 brani e circa 80 minuti di musica; ha tanto da dire il nostro. Tra questi brani spiccano "Like a possum" stupefacente viaggio acido di oltre 14 minuti; la potenza deflagrante di "Big sky" che fa a pugni con i suoni essenziali della title track, e poi l'essenza di Reed stesso racchiusa in quel capolavoro di brano che è Paranoia key" che già dal titolo ci fa capire in che incubo siamo capitati.E poi i testi, assolutamente da tradurre. Un Reed che guarda al suo passato senza risparmiarsi critiche ma anche senza troppi rimpianti.E' forse azzardato dire che Reed è stato uno dei più grandi?
D**R
His last great album
Lou Reed put out more recordings after this, but Ecstasy is his last truly great one. It’s a concept album in the sense that all the songs relate to aspects of marriage, or a long term relationship, with typical Reed twists. And volume. Possum Day is an intensely spiritual rock release, or a pisstake and a lark, it’s up to you.
P**2
la qualité est la!
je viens juste d’écouter le premier des deux vinyles et je suis au anges Lou a encore fait mouche sur ce double vinyle!il n'y a rien a redire c'est du grand Lou Reed!en plus la qualité du vinyle est excellente!10/10
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