Released April 1972 Genre Rock Label RCA | Studio Morgan Studios, London Length 38:38 | |
Recorded December 1971 - January 1972 | ||
Lou Reed is the debut solo album by musician Lou Reed, released in 1972 by RCA Records two years after he left The Velvet Underground. The album comprises eight new recordings of then-unreleased Velvet Underground songs, plus two new songs, "Going Down" and "Berlin" (the latter was re-recorded by Reed as the title track for his 1973 album Berlin). Reed was backed by London session musicians, two of whom, Rick Wakeman and Steve Howe, were from the progressive rock band Yes. Wakeman recalled that during the session at Morgan Studios, "the lights had to be out so nobody could see."
Contents
With increasing interest in the Velvet Underground, Reed's debut album was highly anticipated, but the result was a commercial and relative critical disappointment, peaking at only number 189 on the Billboard 200.
Track listing
All tracks written by Lou Reed except where noted.
- "I Can't Stand It" – 2:37
- "Going Down" – 2:57
- "Walk and Talk It" – 3:40
- "Lisa Says" – 5:34
- "Berlin" – 5:16
- "I Love You" – 2:21
- "Wild Child" – 4:41
- "Love Makes You Feel" – 3:13
- "Ride into the Sun" (Reed, John Cale, Sterling Morrison, Maureen Tucker) – 3:16
- "Ocean" – 5:06
Cross-reference
Below is a cross-reference of Lou Reed tracks previously played and/or recorded with The Velvet Underground.