New Monday #22
Happy Monday, all
SO... you’ve heard this song a million times, but it’s amazing, so put on your good earbuds or headphones, or listen on your good speakers, or if you’re at your computer and listening on something like iLouds (Dan and I both love our iLouds), put a pillow over your monitor - it tends to clean up imaging - and give this a good listen.
The biggest hit from a very polarizing figure in rock.
Can he sing? Meh... I suppose Lou Reed is the patron saint of singers that really can’t sing, but that didn’t stop him.
The studio was Trident, the producer was David Bowie with Mick Ronson, and the engineer was the amazing Ken Scott. He wrote a nice and detailed memory of the recording session that you can read here. I’ll hit upon a few of the main useful things below.
Herbie Rides Again
The incredibly recognizable opening riff on the bass is courtesy of our hero from last week, Herbie Flowers. It’s amazing how two notes with a slur between them can be so catchy. He was called in to lay down an upright bass part, but ever the businessman, and knowing that he’d get paid more for additional tracking, Herbie suggested an overdub: an electric bass part a 10th up. You hear this part on the chorus and on the vamp out.
Do D’do D’do Do d'Do
'The “colored girls” sing the Do d’do' on the chorus were sung by Thunderthighs, and they weren’t 'colored', they were three white English girls who were session singers in London. And they even had their own hit, Central Park Arrest. It’s.. well, have a listen. A lot of fun and way way out there for a pop tune. And that’s the Thunderthighs in the video! I might have to clean this up audio-wise.
It was written by Lynsey De Paul, who was a major solo artist and singer/songwriter in England in the 70s. Touted as “England’s Carol King,” she wrote for herself and others. Here she seems to have written a song for Saturday Night Fever two years before the BeeGees. I found a playlist of all her singles, if you’re looking for things to inspire. There’s a good chance Herbie Flowers is playing bass on a bunch of these.
Back to 'Walk on the Wild Side', there’s a wonderful, easy effect you can steal. When the Do d’do’s first come in, they sound far away, and as the part continues, the Thinderthighs seem to get closer. Do this: use a pre-fader aux send from a vocal channel, feed it to a reverb unit and crank the reverb’s output up. When the channel fader on the vocals is down, the reverb is dominant, and the vocals sound far away and back there. As you push up the vocal’s fader, they’ll seem to get closer. Of course, use this dramatically.
More Lou Reed
Lou is an acquired taste with a very inconsistent output. He phoned it in at many points in his career, but when he got himself together, and often with a great producer, he made some outstanding music.
Berlin - this was his third solo album and it’s the most depressing record ever recorded. It’s also phenomenally good. I discovered it in college, played it every day for months until one afternoon I noticed my roommate, Carl, crying from it. He loved the album but it made him want to kill himself. Produced by Bob Ezrin, 'Berlin' has a rock band kicking ass alongside an orchestra! Check out Caroline Says I. Doesn’t it sound depressing to you? The Kids features children screaming for their mom and an out-of-tune flute at the end.
Rock n Roll Animal - this is one of the great live albums, not so much for Lou Reed, who seems strung out on most of the tracks, but for the band. Good lord, the band is ABSOLUTELY KILLER. This record will make you want to buy a phase pedal. Also the audience applause was from a John Denver concert. Lou Reed would throw up in his grave if he knew that.
Coney Island Baby - a sleeper of an album, produced by Godfrey Diamond. One doesn’t think of Lou Reed as romantic, but this collection of songs written for his girlfriend of the time, Rachel (who was actually transexual), is lovely and quiet. The two were so close they shared clothes, and that love comes across on the title track, and this wonderful love song She’s My Best Friend.
The Blue Mask - this came out in 1981. It’s Lou Reed live in the studio with guitarist Robert Quine, fretless bassist Fernando Saunders, and a great drummer, Doane Perry. One or two takes per song, then a vocal overdub, and next song please. Great album, great recording, great playing. Title track is killer, but the rest of the album unfolds beautifully. Stunning fretless bass all over, and moods ranging from love to murderous drug withdrawal.
This has been a strange rabbit hole to go down... one visit left from this particular slice of space-time before we’re off to something else.
Thank you for the TON of responses to last week’s New Monday. You all are lovely. Have a great week.
The Guys from Korneff
