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Back to Dirty Blvd.: Lou Reed's "New York" Gets Deluxe Box Set Treatment in September

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Lou Reed New York

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Lou Reed went back to basics for his fifteenth solo studio album and Sire Records debut, 1989's New York.  In contrast to the prevailing high-gloss, sleek, and electronic sound of the day, Reed opted for a primal sound with two guitars, bass, and drums that recalled his groundbreaking work two decades earlier with The Velvet Underground.  (In fact, the VU's Moe Tucker even played percussion on a couple of tracks.)  On September 25, Rhino will revisit the dark, visceral LP in a sprawling 3-CD/2-LP-1-DVD box set featuring 26 previously unreleased tracks.

Reed's simple musical backings thrust his gritty lyrical musings into the spotlight.  On the back cover of the original LP, he urged listeners to play the album in one sitting from start to finish ("as though it were a book or movie"); in doing so, one would be immersed into the Big Apple and a cast of infamous real-life characters including future Mayor Rudy Giuliani, The Rev. Jesse Jackson, Mike Tyson, controversial talk show host Morton Downey, Jr., diplomat Kurt Waldheim, and even Donald Trump.  Reed's three-chord rocker "Dirty Blvd." - a rumination on the rich vs. the poor in the city - rewarded him with a No. 1 single on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.  In addition to Tucker, singer-songwriter-guitarist-producer Reed was joined by Mike Rathke on guitar (heard on the right channel, while Reed was heard on the left), Rob Wasserman on electric bass, and co-producer Fred Maher on drums.  None other than Bronx native Dion DiMucci joined Reed for the backing vocals on "Dirty Blvd."  Reed and the acclaimed record and mixdown engineer Jeffrey Lesser (Rupert Holmes, Barbra Streisand, Sparks) sang the other backgrounds.

Lou Reed New York Packshot

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The upcoming box set has a remastered version of the album on the first CD.  The second disc has the entirety of New York as performed live in 1989 in various cities including London; Washington, DC; Richmond, Virginia; Copenhagen; Baltimore, Maryland; and Upper Darby (outside Philadelphia), Pennsylvania.  The third disc might prove to be the most fascinating as it rounds up 14 rarities and previously unreleased tracks including rough mixes, work tapes, alternates, the single edit of "Romeo Had Juliette," the non-LP side "The Room," and live versions of The Velvet Underground's "Sweet Jane" and Reed's solo hit "Walk on the Wild Side."  The 2-LP set, pressed on black 180-gram vinyl, premieres the 2020 remaster on four sides, and finally, the DVD has the live concert The New York Album recorded in Montreal previously issued on VHS and Laserdisc plus a 25-minute conversation with the late artist. (To avoid any duplication of tracks, none of CD 2's live performances are on the DVD.)

This expansive set has been produced by Reed's widow (and accomplished artist in her own right) Laurie Anderson, Don Fleming, Bill Inglot, Jason Stern, and the late Reed collaborator Hal Willner.  It's packaged in a 12 x 12" book format, and includes new liner notes by David Fricke as well as essays from Fleming.  Those who pre-order directly from Rhino.com will receive a cassette of the original album.  Audio from the box will also be released on digital and streaming platforms. Look for the return of Lou Reed's New York on September 25.  You'll find the full track listing below as well as pre-order links at Amazon for the standard set and at Rhino.com for the bundle!

Lou Reed, New York [Various Formats] (Sire CD 9 25829-2, 1989 - reissued Sire/Rhino, 2020) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Rhino.com)

CD 1: The Original Album [Remastered]

  1. Romeo Had Juliette (2020 Remaster) [03:10]
  2. Halloween Parade (2020 Remaster) [03:33]
  3. Dirty Blvd. (2020 Remaster) [03:29]
  4. Endless Cycle (2020 Remaster) [04:03]
  5. There Is No Time (2020 Remaster) [03:46]
  6. Last Great American Whale (2020 Remaster) [03:42]
  7. Beginning of a Great Adventure (2020 Remaster) [04:57]
  8. Busload of Faith (2020 Remaster) [04:50]
  9. Sick of You (2020 Remaster) [03:26]
  10. Hold On (2020 Remaster) [03:25]
  11. Good Evening Mr. Waldheim (2020 Remaster) [04:37]
  12. Xmas in February (2020 Remaster) [02:57]
  13. Strawman (2020 Remaster) [05:54]
  14. Dime Store Mystery (2020 Remaster) [05:04]

CD 2: New York Live

  1. Romeo Had Juliette (Live at the Warner Theatre, Washington, DC, 3/14/1989) [04:45]
  2. Halloween Parade (Live at Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, Baltimore, MD, 3/16/1989) [04:51]
  3. Dirty Blvd. (Live at Wembley Arena, London, UK, 7/14/1989) [04:20]
  4. Endless Cycle (Live at the Warner Theatre, Washington, DC, 3/14/1989) [04:35]
  5. There Is No Time (Live at The Mosque, Richmond, VA, 8/8/1989) [05:34]
  6. Last Great American Whale (Live at The Mosque, Richmond, VA, 8/8/1989) [05:59]
  7. Beginning of a Great Adventure (Live at Wembley Arena, London, UK, 7/4/1989) [07:35]
  8. Busload of Faith (Live at the Falconer Theatre, Copenhagen, Denmark, 6/9/1989) [05:00]
  9. Sick of You (Live at the Tower Theatre, Upper Darby, PA, 3/17/1989) [05:19]
  10. Hold On (Live at the Mosque, Richmond, VA, 8/8/1989) [03:41]
  11. Good Evening Mr. Waldheim (Live at Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, Baltimore, MD, 3/16/1989) [04:01]
  12. Xmas in February (Live at Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, Baltimore, MD, 3/16/1989) [03:35]
  13. Strawman (Live at Wembley Arena, London, UK, 7/4/1989) [05:21]
  14. Dime Store Mystery (Live at the Mosque, Richmond, VA, 8/8/1989) [06:24]

CD 3: Bonus Tracks

  1. Romeo Had Juliette (7" Version) [03:09]
  2. Dirty Blvd. (Work Tape) [01:53]
  3. Dirty Blvd. (Rough Mix) [03:34]
  4. Endless Cycle (Work Tape) [01:06]
  5. Last Great American Whale (Work Tape) [02:09]
  6. Beginning of a Great Adventure (Rough Mix) [05:01]
  7. Busload of Faith (Acoustic Version) [02:39]
  8. Sick of You (Work Tape) [01:26]
  9. Sick of You (Rough Mix) [03:40]
  10. Hold On (Rough Mix) [02:43]
  11. Strawman (Rough Mix) [05:59]
  12. The Room (Non-Album Track) [03:37]
  13. Sweet Jane (Live Encore at The Mosque, Richmond, VA, 8/8/1989) [05:50]
  14. Walk on the Wild Side (Live Encore at The Mosque, Richmond, VA, 8/8/1989) [03:57]

LP 1: New York [Remastered]

  1. Romeo Had Juliette (2020 Remaster) [03:10]
  2. Halloween Parade (2020 Remaster) [03:33]
  3. Dirty Blvd. (2020 Remaster) [03:29]
  4. Endless Cycle (2020 Remaster) [04:03]
  5. There Is No Time (2020 Remaster) [03:46]
  6. Last Great American Whale (2020 Remaster) [03:42]
  7. Beginning of a Great Adventure (2020 Remaster) [04:57]

LP 2: New York [Remastered]

  1. Busload of Faith (2020 Remaster) [04:50]
  2. Sick of You (2020 Remaster) [03:26]
  3. Hold On (2020 Remaster) [03:25]
  4. Good Evening Mr. Waldheim (2020 Remaster) [04:37]
  5. Xmas in February (2020 Remaster) [02:57]
  6. Strawman (2020 Remaster) [05:54]
  7. Dime Store Mystery (2020 Remaster) [05:04]

DVD

  1. Romeo Had Juliette (Live at Theatre St. Denis, Montreal, Canada, 8/13/1989) [03:38]
  2. Halloween Parade (Live at Theatre St. Denis, Montreal, Canada, 8/13/1989) [04:09]
  3. Dirty Blvd. (Live at Theatre St. Denis, Montreal, Canada, 8/13/1989) [04:05]
  4. Endless Cycle (Live at Theatre St. Denis, Montreal, Canada, 8/13/1989) [05:08]
  5. There Is No Time (Live at Theatre St. Denis, Montreal, Canada, 8/13/1989) [04:54]
  6. Last Great American Whale (Live at Theatre St. Denis, Montreal, Canada, 8/13/1989) [05:14]
  7. Beginning Of A Great Adventure (Live at Theatre St. Denis, Montreal, Canada, 8/13/1989) [07:39]
  8. Busload Of Faith (Live at Theatre St. Denis, Montreal, Canada, 8/13/1989) [03:41]
  9. Sick Of You (Live at Theatre St. Denis, Montreal, Canada, 8/13/1989) [04:31]
  10. Hold On (Live at Theatre St. Denis, Montreal, Canada, 8/13/1989) [04:00]
  11. Good Evening Mr. Waldheim (Live at Theatre St. Denis, Montreal, Canada, 8/13/1989) [03:41]
  12. Xmas In February (Live at Theatre St. Denis, Montreal, Canada, 8/13/1989) [03:19]
  13. Strawman (Live at Theatre St. Denis, Montreal, Canada, 8/13/1989) [05:24]
  14. Dime Store Mystery (Live at Theatre St. Denis, Montreal, Canada, 8/13/1989) [06:36]
  15. A Conversation With Lou Reed [25:34]
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Joe Marchese

JOE MARCHESE (Editor) joined The Second Disc shortly after its launch in early 2010, and has since penned daily news and reviews about classic music of all genres. In 2015, Joe formed the Second Disc Records label. Celebrating the great songwriters, producers and artists who created the sound of American popular song, Second Disc Records, in conjunction with Real Gone Music, has released newly-curated collections produced by Joe from iconic artists such as Johnny Mathis, Bobby Darin, Laura Nyro, Melissa Manchester, Chet Atkins, and many others. He has contributed liner notes to reissues from a diverse array of artists, among them Nat "King" Cole, Paul Williams, Lesley Gore, Dusty Springfield, B.J. Thomas, The 5th Dimension, Burt Bacharach, The Mamas and the Papas, Carpenters, Perry Como, Rod McKuen, Doris Day, Jackie DeShannon, and Andy Williams, and has compiled releases for talents including Robert Goulet and Keith Allison of Paul Revere and the Raiders. Over the past two decades, Joe has also worked in a variety of capacities on and off Broadway as well as at some of the premier theatres in the U.S., including Lincoln Center Theater, George Street Playhouse, Paper Mill Playhouse, Long Wharf Theatre, and the York Theatre Company. He has felt privileged to work on productions alongside artists such as the late Jack Klugman, Eli Wallach, Arthur Laurents, Betty Comden and Adolph Green. In 2009, Joe began contributing theatre and music reviews to the print publication The Sondheim Review, and in 2012, he joined the staff of The Digital Bits as a regular contributor writing about film and television on DVD and Blu-ray. Joe currently resides in the suburbs of New York City.

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Comments

  1. As the only Lou Reed album I've ever enjoyed, I'm really looking forward to this. No use for the vinyl mind, but I can see the argument for keeping costs down by just making one set of packaging.

    Reply

  2. These box set configurations are terrible. Just stop making CD’s or separate them. I love both vinyl and CD but already have a copy on vinyl. If I buy this for the CD’s or DVD I have a vinyl I don’t need and discs left over housed in silly thin cardboard sleeves. I would have purchased a nicely packaged CD/DVD set but now I won’t get either. I know I’m a whiner but just thought I would put this out there in hopes it will get back to Rhino and a few other labels that keep doing this. After the Ramones reissue campaign I’m really starting to dread even seeing Rhino reissue anything anymore, a long fall as they used to be my favorite of them all.

    Reply

    • I agree with you, Reed. Over at SuperDeluxeEdition, Paul Sinclair says the reason labels "combine vinyl and CD into one big package is because they make more money. It really is that simple."

      But that doesn't explain - to me, anyway - why we haven't seen other reissues of classic albums also sold as strictly LP and CD combinations. Two examples come to mind - The Band and Gregg Allman's Laid Back. Both were reissued recently and fans could buy the LPs and CDs separately.

      I don't know the numbers, but would like to know the calculus that makes it possible for some labels to sell different media separately. Either those labels are willing to take a haircut to please the fans/customers, or there really is a way to make enough money using this approach.

      Meanwhile, I know no one is forcing me to buy anything and I won't. Presumably, Rhino has calculated there are enough people willing to shell out extra for both media than folks like me who hold on to their wallets.

      Reply

      • Paul's statement is a bit of an oversimplification. Each project has its own budget that is determined by a variety of factors (artist's popularity; album's popularity; the demand; the availability of past editions; the availability in other formats; the royalties due the artists, publishers, and personnel; just to name a few). As you mention, Ed, some projects are indeed released as individual components. These are decisions not taken lightly by labels, artists, artists' managers, estates, and so on. There may well be money to be had by taking the piecemeal approach for one project; it may not be so simple for another. (Look at Steven Van Zandt's recent rollout: first a vinyl-only albums box set with bonus CDs; then individual albums on CD with bonus DVDs not in the box; then a set with all of the CD and DVD content - after many fans had already purchased the vinyl box for the bonus CDs or the standalone reissues for the DVDs. I don't think Little Steven was intentionally gouging fans, but a fan would be forgiven for feeling that was the case.)

        This varies label to label, too. Rhino clearly does well with these combined packages. We've seen them for Ramones, Replacements, Fleetwood Mac, etc. While you make the decision to not support such projects, many enthusiastically do (as you also astutely point out in your final paragraph). Trust me that no label is intentionally losing money in an attempt to pay fan service. These packages only exist because they can bring in money in a time when physical media is - like it or not, and we categorically do NOT - dwindling sales-wise. Note, too, that Rhino has sometimes made the bonus content available in slimmer physical packages later, after the box set has presumably broken even and/or turned a profit.

        Another issue faced by the labels is the limited audio capacity for each side of vinyl. For Rhino to have released a separate "New York" CD set and vinyl set, with the identical audio on each, the vinyl set would take many LPs. Lou Reed has always been a niche artist; I wouldn't be surprised at all if it was determined that Lou's fan base would not support a truly expensive vinyl-only set. Is the vinyl adding to the cost of this collection? Probably. Is it adding as much as some fans might think? Probably not. Lou Reed (or The Replacements or Ramones) is not The Beatles or Paul McCartney or Prince, "top tier" artists who clearly can support individual configurations.

        I don't have any specific knowledge as to these projects' budgets, but I do know from personal experience about profit and loss on catalog music. No label is setting out to alienate fans by releasing a title in a specific package; these multi-format sets wouldn't exist if they weren't doing well saleswise.

        Sorry for the long-winded response, but I know this is an issue that comes up often during box set season, and I hope I can clear some things up or at least make them easier to understand.

        Reply

        • Thanks for the thoughtful reply, Joe.

          I fully understand the business decisions and Rhino has obviously found this combination-only approach works for its bottom line. But I suppose we'll never see the actual numbers used to support these decisions. And that's what intrigues me.

          The problem, as you say, lies with the configuration decisions. Yes, the number of LPs that would be needed to include the same material that is placed on 2 or more CD's in an expanded deluxe edition would likely make a vinyl-only package quite expensive.

          I can't help but imagine, though, that a combination-only package would be more expensive for the consumer than separate packaging, at least for separate CD editions (just look at the cost of the Lou Reed package). Am I wrong? I'd like to see the numbers.

          In any event, I realize I'm not going to change the world (unless I find the capital to buy Rhino). But unless labels do make separate editions available later on, I'll pass and, it seems, so will others. That's life. There are more important things. But I post these comments so labels will know that some consumers do object.

          Reply

  4. My first Lou Reed album, got it when I was 18 and couldn't stop playing it. Still one of the best releases of the '80s. Nice to see it get the deluxe treatment.

    Reply

  5. I'll buy it. I love vinyl and CD. CD can be more convenient to play at times though the vinyl may sound better, will be curious to compare. The CDs will last for more plays than the vinyl.

    Reply

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