List Price: $24.95You Pay Only: $18.99 You Save: $5.96 (24%)Prices subject to change.
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Binding: DVD
EAN: 0796019815253
Format: Color, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Label: Miriam Collection
Manufacturer: Miriam Collection
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Miriam Collection
Region Code: 1
Release Date: September 30, 2008
Running Time: 81 minutes
Sales Rank: 6201
Studio: Miriam Collection
Theatrical Release Date: September 16, 2008
Related Items:
Editorial Review:
Product Description:
Lou Reed co-founder of The Velvet Underground and the man behind such iconic rock songs as Sweet Jane and Walk on the Wild Side stars in one of the most satisfying concert films (Lee Marshall, Screen International) in decades. Oscar-nominated director Julian Schnabel (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly) captures this historic moment in time, as Reed performed his legendary 1973 album, Berlin, live for the first time. Rocking horns, soulful guitar and the angelic voices of the Brooklyn Youth Chorus bring Reed s devastatingly honest lyrics to full life in this exceptionally strong performance (John DeFore, Hollywood Reporter).
Amazon.com:
How do you adapt a record once described as 'the most depressing album of all time' into a multi-media stage performance? Rather well, when it comes to Lou Reed’s Berlin. The former Velvet Underground mainstay was already established as a solo artist, buoyed by the hit 'Walk on the Wild Side,' when he released the Berlin recording in 1973. That it was not a commercial success, to say the least, is unsurprising, given its relentlessly grim lyric content and music that, while often very appealing, is hardly the stuff that Top Ten dreams are made of. Still, it made sense when Reed revived the work some 35 years later for a single world tour and concert DVD. Working with film director Julian Schnabel (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly), Reed brings a quiet power to his weary tale of hopeless junkies Caroline and Jim, whose lives, already bound for the gutter when the performance begins, completely bottom out little over an hour later (the 81-minute DVD includes a few encores, notably the Velvet Underground classic 'Sweet Jane'). The songs, played by a standard rock band but with subtle touches of horns, strings, and choir (Antony Hegarty of Antony and the Johnsons adds vocals as well), are for the most part strikingly prosaic; Reed has never been much of a singer, and his words are anything but flowery, closer to prose than verse (many lines, like 'All of her friends call her Alaska when she takes speed,' are more spoken than sung). Schnabel does a superb job matching the downbeat mood, relying primarily on the use of low, filtered lighting and film (in which Caroline is portrayed by Emmanuelle Seigner). Not for everyone, certainly, but Berlin is a work to be admired. --Sam Graham
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Good music, but...
I hate to disagree with all the 5 star reviews. Berlin is probably Lou Reed's last great album. These musicians are top-notch and the music they create at this performance is extremely impressive. However, Lou's vocals are not up to the music. It seems absurd to say Lou Reed has lost his voice. He lost any vocal range after VU's Loaded album, but remained through the '70's, like Dylan, as one of the greatest rock "attitude" singers.
On this performance, he speaks many of the singing phrases and his vocal rhythm is so off that he barks out lyrics late or too early. I realize the guy is in his mid-sixties and in Keith Richard's years, is closer to 100, but still... The other problem is Julian Schnabel or his daughter's pretentious films, apparently illustrating the story. The woman in the film looks like some drugged-out contemporary model in SoHo, not a 1970's woman in Berlin. I prefer the '93 VU reunion or the Lou 1982 New York show DVD's, but musically and guitar-wise this is strong and will definitely make you want to get the Berlin CD out.
Rating:  - Incredible Performance by Reed and His Band
I've always had a sort of take it or leve it attitude towards Lou Reed's music. I could appreciate it but would not go out of my way to listen or find it. Much of that attitude has changed since I've seen Julian Schnabel's Berlin. I have now joined the initiated and feel that the music when properly presented is terrific.
Filmed over five nights at St. Ann's Warehouse in New York, Reed performs in its entirety his failed 1973 concept album Berlin. Berlin presents a 10 song cycle that attempts to tell the story of a couple living in 1970's Berlin before the wall came down. Caroline is a speed freak party girl who spirals out of control and eventually loses her children and commits suicide by slashing her wrists. Jim is left to pick up the pieces and try to figure out her motivation if any.
When released in 1973 the album came across as a gloomy concept work that did not have the commercial success that Reed felt it should. He shunned the material and did not perform it live for 33 years. The december 2006 concers which mke up the film presents the music as it should be heard. Reed's delivery is raw and emotional. The band led by guitarist Steve Hunter is spot on and there has been added the Brooklyn Youth Choir and a horn section to the mix.
The concert plays against a backdrop of films of Caroline's life shot by Schnabel's daughter Lola that add to the mood in a fuzzy out of focus sort of way. This is not happy material and it is not presented as such. It is ... Read More
Rating:  - How To Improve A Masterpiece
Saw the DVD last night. Very short review: 5 stars out of 5. I can't think of ANY other rocker in their mid 60's interpreting their early material from 1973 with this sort of INTEGRITY, power, musicianship, musicality & emotion.
This is MILES beyond anything the Stones, Who, Led Zeppelin, Cream, Deep Purple, Aerosmith, etc have done in the last 20 years.
The only artists I know who come CLOSE to making their early 70's material relevant like this in new performance are Bruce Cockburn & Bowie's 90's work with Reeves Gabrels, neither of whom pulled it off like Reed does here.
Doesn't hurt to have a CRACK band anchored by Steve Hunter & Rob Wasserman (the entire band is tremendous).
What both makes it so special & oddly also at the same time might be my only criticism is this is NOT a greatest hits show. The only song on Berlin that qualifies for ME as a "greatest hit" is Lady Day (though the feel of the song has nothing in common with Billie Holiday stylistically, this song catches her essence better then any book I've ever read!). Berlin has several other strong songs (Sad Songs, Caroline Says, Men Of Good Fortune; there are NO bad songs on it), but again; it's not a hits show. We do get Sweet Jane as an Encore.
There's just something about seeing Reed feel these songs about being a 31 year old love lorn junkie as much at 64 as he did at 31 that melts me.
Highly recommended.
Rating: - Pure Poetry.
This is one of the top 3 best Music films I've ever seen. The performance is so masterfully shot and performed (I like it more than the original album). Anyone who is a true fan of music will be blown away.
Rating: - WARHOLS DREAM HAS COME TRUE....BERLIN LIVE!!!
After Lou's career was saved by Bowie IN 1972 with Lou's LP "Transformer", Lou went against expectation, creating his version of conceptual ARTROCK. BERLIN discribes the lives of two lovers, Jim and Caroline, her a singer, speed addict and mother, he a "waterboy". Berlin's reception in 1973 was cool, tho since that time, it has been critically reevaluated, and is now seen as his best, or second best solo LP. I love the heavy orchestration that has seldom been used before or since with Lou's work, and love the intensity of the relationship's tragedy at Berlin's core. Andy Warhol also loved the LP, and when it came out, he tried to get ahold of Lou, in order to mount a "cabaret" version of the LP. Sadly, Andy never connected with Lou, until Lou had morphed into his "ROCK AND ROLL ANIMAL" phase, shooting heroin, bleaching hair, etc. It took Lou only 35 years, to mount his cabaret version of BERLIN, but it was worth the wait. Lou's recent work has been sort of hit and miss, and I didnt expect this DVD to sound like the original album. Nevertheless, ALL the orchestration is intact from the album, and played note for note. Not only that, BERLIN adapts perfectly to the visual medium. Behind Lou, is a projection machine shows us, like the photographs in the BERLIN LP, a cinematic view of the lyrical storyline. Everything combines to bring forth an amazing show, that had me singing along for most of the album. Highlights, like "Caroline Says I", "Men of Good Fortune" and "Oh Jim" brought me goosebumps. ... Read More
Browse for similar items by category:
|
