Lou Reed - New Sensations
Apr 6, 2020
50
No, Lou! When everyone praised Legendary Hearts and said they loved it, they didn't mean they wanted you to go full new wave. NEVER go full new wave!

Unfortunately, just like most other admirable classic rock artist, the '80s got to Mr. Reed, compelling him to make an unwanted new wave album. Honestly, you'd have a hard time finding someone who thinks that this is Lou at his best, but you'd also have just as hard a time trying to find someone saying that this is Lou at his worst. This album is more disappointing than anything. After a pretty disappointing couple of albums, The Blue Mask and Legendary Hearts came around and proved that Reed still had it in him to make good, fun, well-written, creative music, but the success of the latter album seemed to have gone to his head, resulting in this record. And honestly, New Sensations isn't that bad. This is far from Lou Reed at his worst, and it certainly isn't a painful listen in the slightest. If anyone tells you that this was a truly awful album, they'd likely be lying, because this album does have its fair share of good tracks. It's just that it shows a complete lack of creativity of Reed. The guy who was always so far ahead of everyone else, always experimenting, always changing up his sound unexpectedly, made an album that you probably couldn't differentiate from the rest of the new wave bands of the '80s. If there's anything truly good about this album, it's that the guitars are pretty damn good for the most part, but that's unfortunately it. I wouldn't exactly call any of the songs well-written from a lyrical standpoint, or even that interesting to begin with. They're just simple '80s pop rock/new wave stuff. This is honestly just the point where Reed sold out yet again, going full mainstream for the sake of going full mainstream, and it resulted in one of his most boring yet inoffensive albums in his career.

Favourite Tracks: The Great Defender (Down At The Arcade); Turn To Me; New Sensations; High In The City; I Love You, Suzanne

Least Favourite Tracks: What Becomes A Legend Most; Fly Into The Sun; My Red Joystick

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