Archive for November, 2011

04 – ‘Caroline Says I’ – Berlin (1973) – Lou Reed

  • woodwind vs drums/bass call and response intro
  • drums, bass, elect gtr, acoustic gtr, lead vox, female backing vox, woodwind

KEY IDEAS to plunder

  1. lyric: (1. location 2. her 3. him) 4. HE SAYS/SHE SAYS (5. drug paranoia)
  2. lyric structure; A1 A2 B C1 C2 A1 A2 B

03 ‘Men of Good Fortune’ – Berlin (1973) – Lou Reed

  • tinkling piano, picking electric guitar + vox
  • drums, bass and elect guitar stabs on the beat enter, delay on vox enters
  • bass runs
  • strange phased guitar on distant far right (sounds like a sitar)
  • delayed vox during chorus repeat and song fade

KEY IDEAS to plunder

  1. lyric: (1. location 2. her) 3. HIM (4. he says/she says)
  2. lyric structure; A B A B A B A B C C C C

02 ‘Lady Day’ – Berlin (1973) – Lou Reed

  • introduces band instrumentation
    drums, bass, piano, organ, lead vocal, acoustic guitar, strings
  • march feel to the beat at times
  • very dramatic
  • some lines of vocal doubled
  • chorus ‘i said no, no, no oh lady day’ repeats as track fades out

KEY IDEAS to plunder

  1. lyric: (1. location) 2. HER (3. him)
  2. lyric structure; A1 A2 B A1 A2 B B B B

01 ‘Berlin ‘ – Berlin (1973) – Lou Reed

  • ‘field’ recording of a bar ie. cuts in abruptly, noisy/distorted, off key singing ‘happy birthday’
  • underneath a well recorded piano tinkles sadly
  • ‘bar’ fades out and moves off to the left
  • piano emerges and the chord progression becomes evident
  • lyrics establishes place, and characters, and emotion (sadness)
  • subtle delay/reverb on vocal

KEY IDEAS to plunder

  1. use of field recording to set place and mood
  2. softly sung/spoken vocals ‘it was paradise’
  3. lyric: 1. LOCATION (2. her)
  4. lyric structure; A B A B

Berlin (1973) – Lou Reed

  • use of field recording to set place and mood
  • softly sung/spoken vocals
  • lyric structures
01 ‘Berlin ‘ – Berlin (1973) – Lou Reed

  1. use of field recording to set place and mood
  2. softly sung/spoken vocals ‘it was paradise’
  3. lyric: 1. LOCATION (2. her)
  4. lyric structure; A B A B
02 ‘Lady Day’ – Berlin (1973) – Lou Reed

  1. lyric: (1. location) 2. HER (3. him)
  2. lyric structure; A1 A2 B A1 A2 B B B B
03 ‘Men of Good Fortune’ – Berlin (1973) – Lou Reed

  1. lyric: (1. location 2. her) 3. HIM (4. he says/she says)
  2. lyric structure; A B A B A B A B C C C C
04 – ‘Caroline Says I’ – Berlin (1973) – Lou Reed

  1. lyric: (1. location 2. her 3. him) 4. HE SAYS/SHE SAYS (5. drug paranoia)
  2. lyric structure; A1 A2 B C1 C2 A1 A2 B
05 ‘How Do You Think It Feels’ – Berlin (1973) – Lou Reed

  1. lyric: (1. location 2. her 3. him 4. he says/she says) 5. DRUG PARANOIA (6. hate)
  2. lyric structure; A B A2 A B A2
06 ‘Oh, Jim’ – Berlin (1973) – Lou Reed

  1. lyric: (1. location 2. her 3. him 4. he says/she says 5. drug paranoia) 6. HATE (7. numb)
  2. lyric structure; A B C A2 A B C D D E D2 E F
07 ‘Caroline Says II’ – Berlin (1973) – Lou Reed

  1. lyric: (1. location 2. her 3. him 4. he says/she says 5. drug paranoia 6. hate) 7. NUMB (8. loss)
  2. lyric structure: A1 A2 B A1 A2 B C B2

08 ‘The Kids’ – Berlin (1973) – Lou Reed

  1. lyric: (1. location 2. her 3. him 4. he says/she says 5. drug paranoia 6. hate 7. numb) 8. LOSS (9. the final act)
  2. lyric structure: A1 A2 B A1 A2 B
    within A; lines 1,2,3 constant, lines 4,5,6 vary
09 ‘The Bed’ – Berlin (1973) – Lou Reed

  1. lyric: (1. location 2. her 3. him 4. he says/she says 5. drug paranoia 6. hate 7. numb 8. loss) 9. THE FINAL ACT (10. after)
  2. lyric structure; A B A B C A B
10 ‘Sad Song’ – Berlin (1973) – Lou Reed

  1. lyric: (1. location 2. her 3. him 4. he says/she says 5. drug paranoia 6. hate 7. numb 8. loss 9. the final act) 10. AFTER
  2. lyric structure; A B C A B C
Return top