WALK ON THE WILD SID

Producers: Lou Reed, David Bowie, Mick Ronson, Richard Robinson, Bob Ezrin, Steve Katz, Godfrey Diamond. Digitally remastered by Rick Rowe (1988, RCA Studios, New York, New York). All songs written by Lou Reed. Between 1966 and 1970, Reed led the Velvet Underground. Reed's departure left a creative vacuum within the group. Two years passed before Lou Reed was released. David Bowie, oversaw Transformer, which captured a prevailing mood of decadence. Reed returned to the dark side with Berlin. It was followed by the sedate Coney Island Baby, Reed's softest, simplest collection to date, the inherent charm of which was diluted on Rock 'N' Roll Heart. Street Hassle displayed a rejuvenated power, resuming the singer's empathy with New York's subcultures. The Bells and Growing Up in Public, failed to scale similar heights, but offered a new-found sense of maturity. The Blue Mask was another purposeful collection and set a pattern for the punchy, concise material found on Legendary Hearts and Mistrial. New York was a splendid return to form and created considerable interest in his back-catalogue. Songs For 'Drella was a haunting epitaph for Andy Warhol on which Reed collaborated with John Cale, and the downbeat mood carried over to the superb Magic And Loss, an album inspired by the death of legendary songwriter Doc Pomus. In 1993 Reed joined together with his legendary colleagues for a high-profile Velvet Underground reunion.