“Sally Can’t Dance” by Lou Reed - album review

features in: Album Chart of 1974Album Chart of the Decade: 1970s

TJR says

Good grief – Lou Reed plays soft-rockers? All trust between us is blown 4ever. But wait a minute – Top 10 in the U.S. pop chart? What do I know? In Lou’s favour, he had little input with the production and was dis-pleased with the treatment of the songs, remarking: “It seems like the less I'm involved with a record, the bigger a hit it becomes. If I weren't on the record at all next time around, it might go to Number One.”Baby Face” and “N.Y. Stars” are the worst offenders – it’s completely weird to hear what sounds like Lou Reed backed by Lynyrd fucking Skynyrd, but hey – it’s Lou Reed, all hope is not entirely lost. Side 2 comes blasting in mightily with “Kill Your Sons”, so bad-ass even the hairy monsters can’t ruin it. The message is clear: say NO to psychotherapy kids! Interestingly, old VU bandmate Doug Yule appears on bass for the album’s closer, “Billy”, a cool little strummer with some agreeable saxophone. Here, we have Lou in good storytelling form, and the semi-acoustic treatment serves the song well. Pity more of the album wasn’t like that.

The Jukebox Rebel
26–Feb–2011

Tracklist
A1 [04:05] 6.0.png Lou Reed - Ride Sally Ride (Lou Reed) Soul
A2 [03:05] 5.1.png Lou Reed - Animal Language (Lou Reed) Cerebral Pop
A3 [05:05] 4.3.png Lou Reed - Baby Face (Lou Reed) Soft Rock / A.O.R.
A4 [04:01] 4.8.png Lou Reed - N. Y. Stars (Lou Reed) Rock
B1 [03:40] 8.7.png Lou Reed - Kill Your Sons (Lou Reed) Alternative Rock
B2 [03:43] 5.1.png Lou Reed - Ennui (Lou Reed) Songwriter
B3 [04:12] 5.8.png Lou Reed - Sally Can’t Dance (Lou Reed) Blues Rock / Soul Rock
B4 [05:10] 6.6.png Lou Reed - Billy (Lou Reed) Songwriter

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