Berlin: Live At St. Ann’s Warehouse

iTunes Review

As his career has aged, Lou Reed has posited himself as a rock n’ roll man of letters. In 2006, he revived his controversial 1973 concept album Berlin, with a performance at St. Ann’s Warehouse in Brooklyn supported by an impressive cast including guitarist Steve Hunter, bassist Fernando Saunders, vocalist Antony, cellist Jane Scarpantoni, and the Brooklyn Youth Chorus. It was produced by the album’s original producer Bob Ezrin and Hal Willner and filmed by Julian Schnabel. Reed had never performed the album in its entirety before, and 33 years later it becomes a cathartic revelation for all concerned. Reed has never had a dynamic voice and over the years it has grown even more limited, but he's responded by demanding that his bands emphasize a strong dynamic that’s in full effect here. (“The Kids” remains one of rock’s most horrifying tales). For the encore, Reed serves up two welcomed Velvet Underground classics (“Candy Says” as a duet with Antony and “Sweet Jane”) and a brutal tale in “Rock Minuet” that’s as explicit as any of his work.