Growing Up in Public (Lou Reed album)

Last updated
Growing Up in Public
Lrgrowingupinpublic.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedApril 1980
RecordedJanuary 1980
Studio AIR Studios (Montserrat)
Genre Rock
Length36:39
Label Arista
Producer
Lou Reed chronology
The Bells
(1979)
Growing Up in Public
(1980)
Rock and Roll Diary: 1967–1980
(1980)
Lou Reed studio album chronology
The Bells
(1979)
Growing Up in Public
(1980)
The Blue Mask
(1982)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Chicago Tribune Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [2]
Robert Christgau B [3]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [4]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [5]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [6]
Spin Alternative Record Guide 6/10 [7]

Growing Up in Public is the tenth solo studio album by American rock musician Lou Reed, released in April 1980 by Arista Records. [8]

Contents

Growing Up in Public peaked at No. 158 on the Billboard 200 . [9] One single was released from the album, "The Power of Positive Drinking", which failed to chart.

Production

Michael Fonfara and Reed produced the album. [10] It was written and recorded over a period of six weeks in sessions that took place at George Martin's AIR Studios in Montserrat.

Critical reception

Rolling Stone called the album "a polished package of bombastic rock & roll — indeed, probably Reed’s best commercial shot since his 1974 Top Ten anomaly, Sally Can’t Dance ." [10] Trouser Press wrote that Reed uses "driving rock and delicate melodicism to back thoughtful lyrics and impassioned singing." [11]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Lou Reed and Michael Fonfara.

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."How Do You Speak to an Angel"4:08
2."My Old Man"3:15
3."Keep Away"3:31
4."Growing Up in Public"3:00
5."Standing on Ceremony"3:32
Side two
No.TitleLength
6."So Alone"4:05
7."Love Is Here to Stay"3:10
8."The Power of Positive Drinking"2:13
9."Smiles"2:44
10."Think It Over"3:25
11."Teach the Gifted Children"3:20
Total length:36:39

Personnel

Adapted from the Growing Up in Public liner notes. [12]

Musicians

Production and artwork

Chart performance

ChartPeak
Position
US Billboard 200 158

See also

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References

  1. Deming, Mark. Growing Up in Public at AllMusic
  2. Kot, Greg (January 12, 1992). "Lou Reed's Recordings: 25 Years Of Path-breaking Music". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved July 29, 2013.
  3. "Robert Christgau: CG: Lou Reed". www.robertchristgau.com.
  4. Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 6. MUZE. p. 825.
  5. MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 931.
  6. The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 582.
  7. Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. 1995. p. 326.
  8. "Lou Reed | Biography & History". AllMusic.
  9. "Lou Reed". Billboard.
  10. 1 2 Gilmore, Mikal (July 10, 1980). "Growing Up In Public". Rolling Stone .
  11. "Lou Reed". Trouser Press. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  12. Growing Up in Public (CD booklet). Lou Reed. Arista Records. 1980.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)