Rock N Roll Animal (Bonus Track Version) [Live]

Recorded live at New York’s Academy of Music in December 1973, Rock and Roll Animal captured Lou Reed and his band delivering an incendiary set that drew on his years with The Velvet Underground for material. The album helped Reed bounce back from the commercial failure of his previous release, Berlin, and became a staple of FM rock stations for years to come. One listen to these tracks reveals why: the performances crackle with excitement, driven by Reed’s intense vocals and the brilliant twin-guitar attack of Dick Wagner and Steve Hunter. “Sweet Jane” (introduced by a soaring instrumental piece by Hunter), “White Light/White Heat,” and “Rock and Roll” are served with an aggressive edge that ascends into grandeur. Especially potent is a towering rendition of “Heroin” that’s both scary and thrilling to experience. Reed radiates a maniacal edge throughout, bringing out the sense of illicit danger that runs through his tunes. A boldly successful bid for mainstream success by one of pop music’s great innovators, Rock and Roll Animal has lost none of its ferocious impact with time.