Animal Serenade
(Reprise)
Lou Reed’s new live album opens with three casually strummed chords from “Sweet Jane” and a message to young bands: “I thought I would explain to you how you make a career out of three chords.”
He’s right. It could be a more interesting version of any modern emo song. Reed then plays all four bars of the riff from “Sweet Jane” and notes that, “as in most things in life, it’s that little hop at the end.” And with that, we’re in Lou Reed’s special world, where there will always be that little hop that changed modern rock forever—the astonishing ’60s and ’70s rock group the Velvet Underground. Although their group work guaranteed Reed a place in musical history, much of his solo work has been hit-or-miss.
With Animal Serenade, Reed makes peace with his legacy, bringing together the best of his solo career with some of his VU classics to make an entirely unique live album, stripped of the production obstructions that kept the listener away from his songs’ raw power.
Even “The Raven,” taken from Reed’s badly- reviewed musical celebration of the Edgar Allan Poe work, which is read in Reed’s burnt-out but occasionally excitable drone, creates a palpable fear of the unknown and finds the undercurrent of sadness to make the rendition close to unforgettable.
There are flaws on the album—some great songs are left out and the back-up band doesn’t match Reed’s genius—but there is an amazing sense of freshness and timelessness to each tune. Even the often-heard VU pieces offer something different at this point in Reed’s life. In every piece, there is something that hits you, something beautiful, right where the memories lie
Pat McGee Band
Save Me
(Warner Bros.)
Pat McGee Band leave their acoustic guitar and earthy, hand-percussion sound and go electric on their second major-label album release, Save Me.
Often found years ago playing solo gigs in front of drunken college kids at Longwood College’s campus in Virginia, Pat McGee is now working on establishing himself among prominent contemporary singer/songwriters. His band formed in early 1996 and has been touring since. From McGee’s 1996 recording From the Wood, it was clear that McGee was an extremely talented young troubadour, blending folk influences from James Taylor and Paul Simon with his own acoustic rock sound and incredible vocal capabilities.
After an original album like From the Wood, Save Me risks sounding overly-produced. Maybe mainstream pop is the sound he’s going for. He is easily as talented as John Mayer, but has received probably less than one-tenth the recognition. But after hearing the album’s first track, I wanted someone to save me from listening to the record label’s popified Pat McGee, no longer the soulful songwriter from Virginia with a knack for writing a love song. Thankfully, the album gets better as McGee’s original sound comes through on “Set Me Free,” which is catchy and creative enough to make you want to press repeat.
Although a lot of effort was put into Pat McGee Band’s latest, and they are struggling for much deserved acclaim, From the Wood, McGee’s self-produced debut, is a much better investment