Lou Reed: NYC Man - The Collection

Lou Reed's career has been an exercise in conceptual ambition and erratic grasps. He's attempted a variety of styles and musical attacks and then changed his mind. NYC Man features a decent cross-section of hits and key album tracks, solo and with The Velvet Underground, but it's nowhere near complete or coherent. In other words, it's exactly as Reed sees his career. The songs here were chosen, sequenced, and remastered by Reed himself. He may be perverse, but he isn't crazy; it does include "Walk on the Wild Side," "Sweet Jane," "Rock 'n' Roll," and "Dirty Blvd." among the obvious choices. "Street Hassle," "Caroline Says II," and "Coney Island Baby" are further necessary components. Including solo-career live versions of "White Light/White Heat," "I'll Be Your Mirror," "Heroin," and "Kill Your Sons" is a curious decision for an "ultimate" collection. But then again, folks, this is Lou Reed, and getting a straight story out of the man isn't in the cards. He's more interested in finding alternate routes than laying out the road most easily traveled.