The Long Journey From Berlin To Berlin

By JAKOB LAMBERTSEN

23.06.07 - 03:00hrs Rock history: 34 years ago Lou Reed named an album after the divided German metropolis. On Tuesday he played all the songs from the album in the now-united capital. Heineken Music Hall, Amsterdam: LOU REED'S BERLIN Amsterdam

»Hey honey, it was paradise.« The 65-year old Lou Reed smiles relaxed, he looks to be comfortable with memories of the young lovers by the Berlin Wall some 35 years ago. The line is included in the song ”Berlin”, which opens the concert in the huge Heineken Music Hall, just as it opens the album ”Berlin” from 1973. The song describes a feeling of happiness, and today he expresses the feeling emphatically. But on the original album there was doubt, even confusion in his voice.

35 years is a long time, and much has happened in Berlin since 1972-73. Then, Lou Reed chose to name his song and his album after the city as a symbol of division – of divorce. He had in reality never been to Berlin, when he wrote the song.

Jim and Caroline

He was at the peak of his career. In 1972 he had released the ”Transformer” album with classic titles like ”Walk On The Wild Side”, ”Perfect Day” and ”Satellite Of Love”. He had, it is true to say, achieved superstar status and believed that he could walk on water – that he could do anything and achieve even more success. He would do it wilder, more violently, more beautiful and darker.

”Berlin” was a song cycle about the couple Jim and Caroline, who are caught up in drugs and prostitution. Their relationship becomes increasingly unhappy and ends in tragedy. It is not entirely without parallel with Lou Reeds own life that year. The songs were scored with orchestration with super musicians like Jack Bruce on bass, Stevie Winwood on organ, the Brecker brothers on various instruments and with the young Bob Ezrin as producer.

The Spirit of the Music

It is not the usual radio entertainment summer concert this June evening in Amsterdam, and though the slow, deep sorrow of ”Caroline Says” is close to dominating the evening, the whining guitars and other instruments were played so hard and almost chaotically together, that the ”speed” won out and the evident disharmony added meaning.

The sound is generally a little more raw that on the record, and Lou Reed’s vocal presence has more power, is fuller and has more warmth. But there was a moment during ”Lady Day” – where this otherwise so hard-skinned artist seemed was moved to be standing and presenting his musical hearth’s treasure; to feel the audience’s recognition so clearly.

The audience was composed of 55-60-year olds, and their eyes stood on stalks, as many knew the album inside out. There were no extra performances or long improvisations or any other unnecessary sound. Certainly not any interpretation. The spirit of the original music was followed here.

Bitterness and Raw Rock

Artistically and especially commercially, ”Berlin” was a fiasco in 1973. Influential critics felt cheated that the former Velvet Underground-member had made a pompous concept album, and it did not sell well. It was not long however before it became a cult hit and had within the course of the year won wide recognition as one of his best works – if not his best.

Lou Reed was bitter over the overwhelmingly negative reception and soon went in the direction of more raw and basic rock. He generally played none of the songs from ”Berlin” live. But last year he relented, following requests that he perform the songs from the album in sequence. There were concerts in December in New York and in January in Sydney.

Now, at last, he is in Europe, and naturally there is a lot of interest in that ”Berlin” will on Tuesday be performed in Berlin.

A New Berlin Wall

Lou Reed’s and producer Bob Ezrin’s idea for a major multimedia presentation was to a considerable extent brought to reality. A special backdrop was built - a ”Berlin Wall”, which with a large, live video projection, comprised an installation. It was almost too good.

It is difficult to choose: Should one look at the musicians or at the film behind them. The most telling feature of the installation is an old-fashioned sofa, that hangs awkwardly from the ceiling Jims and Caroline’s only furniture? There are pictures, but they are not ugly, dark or desperate. They capture the weaker tones and strengthen the richest tones that are in the music.

One point that springs to mind: How does one recreate those voices of crying children that were heard on the original recording of ”The Kids”? Can the New London Children's Choir manage it? No, they can’t it seems. It’s the easy solution. The young English choir singers in long, light-blue shirts stood there during the whole, so the living, ‘childish’ dimension in spite of all was apparent on the stage.

But they did sing at the end of the saddest song, ”The Bed”, where Caroline has cut here wrists. While the choir on the original recording of this song managed to make everything stand still and hang in the air, it was in this live version beautiful, and more enjoyable, which is not entirely in accord with the text. We hear in Lou Reed’s voice however something that sounds like a lump in the throat.

One can only speculate how the live performance would have been if it had been realised in 1973. Probably a fuller, more depressing experience.

All three encores numbers are from the years before ”Berlin”. We hear – and are reminded of the lasting qualities of - ”Sweet Jane”, ”Satellite Of Love” and ”Walk On The Wild Side”. They are presented heavier and more unevenly than the ”Berlin” songs, and it doesn’t help that bassist Fernando Saunders and the youth choir sing some of the words that we are used to hearing from Lou Reed’s own mouth. Those who have been to concerts with Lou Reed over the years will have heard these songs played better.

jakob.lambertsen@jp.dk