Many a Lou Reed purist will look at his mid-80's span of albums ... notably New Sensations and Mistrial .... and basically wince. Fair enough. It certainly wasn't his most creatively fertile era (although I'll certainly take both over Lulu any day of the week). It wouldn't be until 1989's New York album that Reed would gain back his fabled edge.
That all said, I still have a soft spot for the mid-80's Lou, however slick. I've posted the video for the frankly ludicrous "Original Wrapper" here a number times, not so much for the tune itself (which is dire), but more for the fact that it captures the TriBeCa of the 1980's perfectly. Similarly, this video for Lou's big 1984 single, "I Love You Suzanne," captures some stylish depictions of the NYC of the era (witness the image of lone Lou in a Staple Street phone booth as the video begins). I can't name the bar the couple is repeatedly seen entering and exiting (as Lou plays the role of the stuffy boyfriend). Can you?
It's not quite as great a video as "Original Wrapper," although it's a damn sight better than the cringe-inducing "My Red Joystick" (also filmed somewhere in Manhattan) or the freakishly gruesome "No Money Down."
In any case, in the wake of Reed's untimely death late last year, a whole crop of high quality Lou Reed vids have been posted on YouTube. Go check'em out.
Enjoy this trip back through time. And don't settle for walkin'.
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