Search - Lou Reed :: Ecstasy

Ecstasy
Lou Reed
Ecstasy
Genres: Alternative Rock, Folk, Pop, Rock, Classic Rock, Metal
 
  •  Track Listings (14) - Disc #1

Ecstasy is a surprisingly brutal and angry record, even for Lou Reed, who virtually introduced those words into the rock & roll lexicon more than 30 years ago. Like the brilliant New York and Magic and Loss, Ecstasy is...  more »

     
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CD Details

All Artists: Lou Reed
Title: Ecstasy
Members Wishing: 3
Total Copies: 0
Label: Warner Bros UK
Original Release Date: 1/1/2000
Re-Release Date: 4/4/2000
Album Type: Import
Genres: Alternative Rock, Folk, Pop, Rock, Classic Rock, Metal
Styles: Hardcore & Punk, Singer-Songwriters, Album-Oriented Rock (AOR)
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPCs: 093624742524, 936247425248, 766486414020, 093624742524, 009362474252

Synopsis

Amazon.com
Ecstasy is a surprisingly brutal and angry record, even for Lou Reed, who virtually introduced those words into the rock & roll lexicon more than 30 years ago. Like the brilliant New York and Magic and Loss, Ecstasy is a sprawling song cycle dealing with one particular subject, in this case marriage and the ensuing death of love. Ecstasy is the sound of relationships unraveling and love going sour. The songs are about infidelity, mistrust, and dishonesty; more importantly, they're about that moment in time when the flush of romance turns rancid. As Reed puts it in "Modern Dance," "It's all downhill after the first kiss." Through a series of varied sketches, Reed poses a question for which he has no answer: At what point does your lover become your tormentor? On the record's best track, "Baton Rouge," Reed asks, "I wonder where love ends and hate starts to blush?" Looking back on the relationship in "Baton Rouge," Reed dreams about what might have been: the two-and-a-half strapping sons, the fat grandsons, the barbecues, and the family dog--all at the expense of self-identity. The taut, muscular guitar work of Reed and Mike Rathke, complemented by the fluid bass playing of longtime collaborator Fernando Saunders, fuel the anger and helplessness of such songs as "Paranoia in the Key of E" and "Prism," in which Reed likens marriage to indentured servitude. On quieter songs, such as "Tatters" and "Turning Time Around," the band completely shifts gears, using strings and sparser arrangements to create beautiful songs about love's bitter aftermath. The centerpiece of Ecstasy, "Possum Day," is a bleak morass of dissolution and despair played out among the crack whores and sex junkies who have long populated Reed's songs. As Reed and Rathke's guitars churn out an incessant wail, the song's wretched protagonist declares in defiance and disbelief, "Don't know why, baby, I'm still here / I'm the only one left standing / Calm as an angel." Perhaps Reed is also referring to his own staying power and relevance in a world of two-minute pop stars and drug casualties. --Paul Ducey

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CD Reviews

THEY CALL IT ECSTASY
Linda C. Nakhleh | Minneapolis, MN | 09/28/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)

"'Ecstasy' is hands-down one of Lou Reed's greatest achievements, and that's saying something. All I can do is tell you what I like and why I like it, but the beauty of this album (and most great albums) is that each listener will have different favorites based on their likes and dislikes. But rest assured, there is SOMETHING for everyone here.

I love the groovy opener 'Paranoia Key Of E.' The lyrics are EXTREMELY strong throughout, that pretty much goes for every song. At times I've quite liked "Mystic Child" and "Mad" is now one of my current favorites. "Ecstasy" is one of Lou's most stunning ballads. "Modern Dance," to me, is the first masterpiece of the album. The simple rhyme schemes belie an emotional complexity that goes much deeper than your average rock record.

"Tatters" is a tempered change of pace. "Future Farmers Of America" is another favorite of mine, a hard rocker with strange but profound lyrics.

The albums centerpiece though, for me, is "White Prism." The song is perfect from top to bottom and neatly sums up the main theme of the album: the loss of the love and the complexities of human relationship. It also features one of Lou's most heartfelt vocal performances. Hear it. Feel it. Let it wash over you.

I also love "Rock Minuet," which features some of Reed's seediest lyrics ever. "Baton Rouge" is an acoustic ballad that builds to a surprising climax. "Like A Possum" is an 18-minute free-form track that calls to mind some of the Velvets more far-out sonic experiments. Plenty of feedback and distortion to go around.

"Big Sky" is a great closing song, it ends the record on a strangely hopeful note. Many people find Reed's music depressing but when I hear "Ecstasy" I hear life and vigor, the work of a man whose elemental response to heartbreak is a life-affirming blast of rock and roll.

In short, any Lou fan will find a lot to be "ecstatic" about on "Ecstasy.""