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

  • tinny, metallic acoustic guitar + vox
  • bass joins with a nice woody sounding run – doubled? verbed?
  • drums, slide guitar
  • strange out of key flute in ‘solo’ + kids calling for their mother
  • final verse all drops outs, just dry acoustic (titally unlike the original acst gtr sound) and vox (a lot closer)

KEY IDEAS to plunder

  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

07 ‘Caroline Says II’ – Berlin (1973) – Lou Reed

  • acoustic guitar, cymbal swells, subtle drums and bass
  • vox with verb
  • piano joins, drums break into beat in chorus
  • strings enter at the end of the chorus
  • strings a big part of next verse
  • chimes in middle 8

KEY IDEAS to plunder

  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

06 ‘Oh, Jim’ – Berlin (1973) – Lou Reed

  • rolling toms beat
  • horns
  • vox lyric; his pov
  • section 1 ends: drums and bass with elct gtr solo and 2 horn section phrases all fade out
  • section 2 crossfade in: acoustic guitar fast strum (2 string)
  • vox joins with heavy delay/verb (lyric; her pov)
  • fade out with repeat ‘when you’re lookin through the eyes of hate, oh oh oh’

KEY IDEAS to plunder

  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

05 ‘How Do You Think It Feels’ – Berlin (1973) – Lou Reed

  • no silence between preceding track
  • bass and piano harmonising in sync
  • drum fills drop in and out
  • beat kicks in with elec gtr slide, vox joins
  • horns in choruses and lead break
  • song fades out – cross fades with drums of next track

KEY IDEAS to plunder

  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

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
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