portrait of this blog's author - by Stephen Blackman 2008

Wednesday, November 03, 2021

Lou Reed, John Cale & Nico :: Le Bataclan, Paris 1972 Revisited - Aquarium Drunkard


           Not entirely sure why Aquarium Drunkard have posted an update of a reunion gig of the Velvet's Lou Reed, Nico and John Cale except maybe that this is really much better quality than the video suggests and previous versions were incredibly muddy to poor . . . . . . . . originally posted in April 2019 maybe this boot version they reference and link to is the better version I already have but if you don't have it and are a fan then you are really going to want this one

Lou Reed, Nico, John Cale - Live at The Bataclan Paris 1972 - Aquarium Drunkard



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Aquarium notes say:

“This is a song about copping drugs in New York…”

Taste the whip. Captured in January 1972, a year and half following Lou Reed’s hard exit from the Velvet Underground, we find ourselves at Le Bataclan theatre, Paris, France. The occasion marked a semi-impromptu reunion of the former VU bandmates. For a night, anyway. Recorded via the club’s soundboard, and broadcasted on the French television program, Pop2, the fourteen track setlist finds the trio pulling from their individual solo catalogs, as well as vintage VU chestnuts (“The Black Angel’s Death Song”, “Femme Fatale”, “All Tomorrow’s Parties”, etc.). Their first time taking the stage together in five years, the energy/tension coming off the 1000 capacity room is near palpable. And the performances, inspired, are made all the better for it. As is Reed’s banter.

Widely bootlegged for decades prior to an official release in 2004, the proper issue tacks on a pair of tracks culled from the performance’s rehearsals. Per video footage, several versions of the French television special pop up with irregularity online from time to time. . .

“I’m Waiting for the Man” (Reed) “Berlin” (Reed) “The Black Angel’s Death Song” (Reed, Cale) “Wild Child” (Reed) “Heroin” (Reed) “Ghost Story” (Cale) “The Biggest, Loudest, Hairiest Group of All” (Cale) “Empty Bottles” (Cale) “Femme Fatale” (Reed) “No One Is There” (Nico) “Frozen Warnings” (Nico) “Janitor of Lunacy” (Nico) “I’ll Be Your Mirror” (Reed) 12. All Tomorrow’s Parties” (encore) (Reed) “Pale Blue Eyes” (rehearsal) (Reed) “Candy Says” (rehearsal) (Reed)


Note: I haven't even bothered to post the YouTube video as it is now such poor quality by comparison that I will leave you to seek that out on AD and encourage you to the Velvets ROIOs site to get the better downloadable version



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