Street Hassle

Last updated
Street Hassle
Lou Reed - Street Hassle front cover.jpg
Studio album by
Lou Reed
ReleasedFebruary 1978
RecordedMarch – October, 1977
Venuelive in Munich, Wiesbaden, Ludwigshafen, Germany
Studio Record Plant studios, New York City
Genre
Length36:15
Label Arista
Producer
  • Lou Reed
  • Richard Robinson
Lou Reed chronology
Walk on the Wild Side: The Best of Lou Reed
(1977)		Street Hassle
(1978)		 Live: Take No Prisoners
(1978)
Lou Reed studio album chronology
Rock and Roll Heart
(1976)		Street Hassle
(1978)		 The Bells
(1979)

Street Hassle is the eighth solo studio album by American rock musician Lou Reed, released in February 1978 by Arista Records. Richard Robinson and Reed produced the album. It is the first commercially released pop album to employ binaural recording technology. [3] Street Hassle combines live concert tapes (with overdubs) and studio recordings.

Contents

Production

All of the songs on Street Hassle were written by Reed, including "Real Good Time Together", a track that dates back to his days as a member of the Velvet Underground. Recording of a live album began in Munich and Ludwigshafen, West Germany. Unlike most live albums, the audience is completely muted from the mix during the concert recordings. Upon returning to the United States in August 1977, Arista Records told Reed releasing a live album was not an option, which began the NYC studio phase of the album. Then, producer Richard Robinson left the project after a fight in the studio. Determined to carry on, Reed moved the proceedings to Record Plant studios, accompanied by his recording engineer, Rod O’Brien. [4]

Encouragement to focus and expand on the title song, "Street Hassle", came from Arista President Clive Davis, resulting in a three-part suite 11 minutes in length. The only song to be wholly written and recorded in the studio, culminating in a lyric by Reed, "Tramps like us, we were born to pay". After his engineer advised him that line belonged to somebody else, they both went downstairs, where Bruce Springsteen was working on his fourth studio album, which would be titled Darkness on the Edge of Town . Not only did Springsteen allow his "Born to Run" phrase to be used, he personally sang the line at Reed's request. By all accounts, the part was completed in one or two takes, to the mutual satisfaction of both. [5] [4] Springsteen was not credited for his performance in the liner notes of Street Hassle due to a policy set by his record label, Columbia Records. [6]

Binaural recording

Dummy head being used for binaural recording, similar to the setup used for Street Hassle Dummyhead.jpg
Dummy head being used for binaural recording, similar to the setup used for Street Hassle

The recording of Street Hassle was notable in that Reed and his co-producer chose to employ an experimental microphone placement technique called binaural recording. [3] In binaural recording, two microphones are placed in the studio in an attempt to mimic the stereo sound of actually being in the room with the performers and instruments. In the case of the recording sessions and concerts that composed Street Hassle, engineers used a mannequin head with a microphone implanted in each ear. Binaural recordings are generally only effective when the user listens to the album through headphones, and do not generally translate correctly through stereo speakers.

Reed's particular binaural recording system was developed by Manfred Schunke of the German company Delta Acoustics; Schunke is credited as an engineer on Street Hassle. Reed would continue to use the binaural recording style on two more releases: the 1978 live album Live: Take No Prisoners and the 1979 studio album The Bells .

Songs and composition

As was common on early Reed solo studio albums, Street Hassle contained a song originally written during Reed's days in the Velvet Underground—in this case, "Real Good Time Together," which had been previously released in 1974 on 1969: The Velvet Underground Live . "Dirt" is allegedly about his ex-manager, Steve Katz.

AllMusic editor Mark Deming has written that "the title cut, a three-movement poetic tone poem about life on the New York streets, is one of the most audacious and deeply moving moments of Reed's solo career." [2] Biographer Anthony DeCurtis describes the album as being largely motivated by and representative of the end of Reed's three-year relationship with Rachel Humphreys, a trans woman who is believed to have died of AIDS in 1990 and been buried in a Potter's Field on Hart Island in the Bronx. [7] DeCurtis summarizes the title track as "something of a requiem for Reed and Rachel's relationship." [8] In a 1979 article for Rolling Stone , Mikal Gilmore refers to Humphreys as the "raison d'être" for the album as a whole. [9]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [2]
Chicago Tribune Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [10]
Christgau's Record Guide B+ [11]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [12]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [13]
Spin Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [14]
Spin Alternative Record Guide 7/10 [15]
The Village Voice B [16]

Street Hassle was met with mostly positive reviews, such as from Rolling Stone 's Tom Carson, who called the album "brilliant" and "a confession of failure that becomes a stunning, incandescent triumph—the best solo album Lou Reed has ever done." [17] Robert Christgau of The Village Voice , however, gave the album a lukewarm reception, observing that "despite the strength of much of the material," he found the album's "production muddled, its cynicism uninteresting, [and] its self-reference self-serving." [16] Tim Lott of the Record Mirror said, "Lou Reed has been a musical corpse for years now. Street Hassle is a creative nadir." [18]

In a retrospective review for AllMusic, Mark Deming noted that while "time has magnified its flaws," Street Hassle was "still among the most powerful and compelling albums [Reed] released during the 1970s, and too personal and affecting to ignore." [2]

Track listing

All tracks written by Lou Reed.

Side one

  1. "Gimmie Some Good Times" – 3:15
  2. "Dirt" – 4:43
  3. "Street Hassle" – 10:53
A. "Waltzing Matilda" – 3:20
B. "Street Hassle" – 3:31
C. "Slipaway" – 4:02

Side two

  2. "I Wanna Be Black" – 2:55
  3. "Real Good Time Together" – 3:21
  4. "Shooting Star" – 3:11
  5. "Leave Me Alone" – 4:44
  6. "Wait" – 3:13

Personnel

Adapted from the Street Hassle liner notes. [19]

Musicians

Production

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1978)Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) [20] 24
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [21] 9
US Billboard 200 [22] 89

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>The Velvet Underground</i> (album) 1969 studio album by the Velvet Underground

The Velvet Underground is the third studio album by the American rock band the Velvet Underground. Released in March 1969 by MGM Records, it was their first record with multi-instrumentalist Doug Yule, who replaced previous member John Cale. Recorded in 1968 at TTG Studios in Los Angeles, California, the album's sound—consisting largely of ballads and straightforward rock songs—marked a notable shift in style from the band's previous recordings. Lead vocalist Lou Reed intentionally did this as a result of their abrasive previous studio album White Light/White Heat (1968). Reed wanted other band members to sing on the album; Yule contributed lead vocals to the opening track “Candy Says” and the closing track "After Hours" is sung by drummer Maureen Tucker.

<i>Peel Slowly and See</i> 1995 box set by the Velvet Underground

Peel Slowly and See is a five-disc box set of material by the Velvet Underground. It was released in September 1995 by Polydor.

<i>The Raven</i> (Lou Reed album) 2003 studio album by Lou Reed

The Raven is the nineteenth solo studio album by American rock musician Lou Reed, released on January 28, 2003 by Sire Records. It is a concept album, recounting the short stories and poems of Edgar Allan Poe through word and song, and was based on his 2000 opera co-written with Robert Wilson, POEtry.

<i>Lou Reed</i> (album) 1972 studio album by Lou Reed

Lou Reed is the debut solo studio album by American rock musician Lou Reed, released in May 1972 by RCA Records, two years after he left the Velvet Underground. It was produced by Richard Robinson and Reed and features London session musicians as Reed's backing band, two of whom, Rick Wakeman and Steve Howe, were from the British progressive rock band Yes. Wakeman recalled that during the recording sessions, "the lights had to be out so nobody could see." The album was recorded at Morgan Studios in London, between December 1971 and January 1972.

<i>Berlin</i> (Lou Reed album) 1973 studio album by Lou Reed

Berlin is the third solo studio album by American rock musician Lou Reed, released in October 1973 by RCA Records. A concept album, Berlin tells the story of a couple's struggle with drug addiction and abuse. Initially, critical reception was mixed but appraisals of the album have warmed over the years: in 1973 Rolling Stone declared the album "a disaster", but by 2012 the album was ranked No. 344 on its list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

<i>VU</i> (album) 1985 compilation album by the Velvet Underground

VU is a 1985 album by the American musical group the Velvet Underground, a compilation album of outtakes recorded 1968–69. It was released in February 1985 by Verve Records.

<i>Live at Maxs Kansas City</i> 1972 live album by the Velvet Underground

Live at Max's Kansas City is a live album by the Velvet Underground recorded at the famous nightclub and restaurant at 213 Park Avenue South in New York City. It was originally released on May 30, 1972, by Cotillion, a subsidiary label of Atlantic Records.

<i>Sally Cant Dance</i> 1974 studio album by Lou Reed

Sally Can't Dance is the fourth solo studio album by American rock musician Lou Reed, released in September 1974 by RCA Records. Steve Katz and Reed produced the album. It remains Reed's highest-charting album in the United States, having peaked at #10 during a 14-week stay on the Billboard 200 album chart in October 1974. It is also the first solo Lou Reed album not to feature any songs originally recorded by Reed's earlier band, the Velvet Underground, as well as the first of Reed's solo studio albums to be recorded in the United States. The album art was designed by noted Fillmore and Broadway poster artist David Edward Byrd and was one of the few album covers he ever designed.

<i>Growing Up in Public</i> (Lou Reed album) 1980 studio album by Lou Reed

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

<i>New Sensations</i> 1984 studio album by Lou Reed

New Sensations is the thirteenth solo studio album by American rock musician Lou Reed, released in April 1984 by RCA Records. John Jansen and Reed produced the album. New Sensations peaked at No. 56 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and at No. 92 on the UK Albums Chart. This marked the first time that Reed charted within the US Top 100 since his eighth solo studio album Street Hassle (1978), and the first time that Reed had charted in the UK since his sixth solo studio album Coney Island Baby (1976). Three singles were released from the album: "I Love You, Suzanne", "My Red Joystick" and "High in the City", with "I Love You, Suzanne" being the only single to chart, peaking at No. 78 on the UK Singles Chart. The music video for "I Love You, Suzanne" did, however, receive light rotation on MTV.

<i>The Blue Mask</i> 1982 studio album by Lou Reed

The Blue Mask is the eleventh solo studio album by American rock musician Lou Reed, released in February 1982, by RCA Records. Reed had returned to the label after having left Arista Records. The album was released around Reed's 40th birthday, and covers topics of marriage and settling down, alongside themes of violence, paranoia, and alcoholism.

<i>Set the Twilight Reeling</i> 1996 studio album by Lou Reed

Set the Twilight Reeling is the seventeenth studio album by American rock musician Lou Reed, released on February 20, 1996, by Warner Bros. Records.

<i>Mistrial</i> (album) 1986 studio album by Lou Reed

Mistrial is the fourteenth solo studio album by American rock musician Lou Reed, released in April 1986 by RCA Records two years after his previous studio album, New Sensations (1984). Fernando Saunders and Reed produced the album.

<i>The Bells</i> (Lou Reed album) 1979 studio album by Lou Reed

The Bells is the ninth solo studio album by American rock musician Lou Reed, released in May 1979 by Arista Records. It was recorded in binaural sound at Delta Studios in Wilster, West Germany. Production was handled by Reed with Michael Fonfara serving as executive producer. Three out of nine songs on the album are the product of a short-lived writing partnership between Reed and Nils Lofgren. More of the team's work appeared on Nils' solo studio album Nils, released the same year. Lofgren released his version of "Stupid Man" as "Driftin' Man" on Break Away Angel (2001). Lofgren resurrected five songs he wrote with Reed in the late 70s on Blue with Lou (2019).

<i>Rock and Roll Heart</i> 1976 studio album by Lou Reed

Rock and Roll Heart is the seventh solo studio album by American musician Lou Reed, released in November 1976. It was his first album for Arista Records after record mogul Clive Davis reportedly rescued him from bankruptcy. "A Sheltered Life" dates back to 1967, when the Velvet Underground recorded a demo of it. The Velvet Underground also performed "Follow the Leader", and a live recording of it was released on The Quine Tapes (2001).

<i>Live: Take No Prisoners</i> 1978 live album by Lou Reed

Live: Take No Prisoners is a 1978 live album by American musician Lou Reed, recorded during May 1978 at The Bottom Line in New York.

<i>Animal Serenade</i> 2004 live album by Lou Reed

Animal Serenade is a live album by American rock musician Lou Reed, recorded in Los Angeles at the Wiltern Theatre in 2003 after The Raven. The show features a drummer-less band. In addition, Anohni, of Antony and the Johnsons fame, contributes background vocals throughout and sings the lead on "Set the Twilight Reeling" and "Candy Says".

<i>Vintage Violence</i> 1970 studio album by John Cale

Vintage Violence is the debut solo studio album by Welsh musician John Cale, released on 25 March 1970 by Columbia Records. Cale and Lewis Merenstein produced the album.

<i>Honi Soit</i> (album) 1981 studio album by John Cale

Honi Soit is the seventh solo studio album by the Welsh rock musician John Cale, released in March 1981 by A&M Records, and was his first studio album in six years following 1975's Helen of Troy. It was recorded and mixed by Harvey Goldberg at CBS Studios, East 30th Street and Mediasound in New York City with the intention of making a more commercial album with record producer Mike Thorne at the helm, Thorne would soon be known for his work with Soft Cell. "Dead or Alive" was the only single released from the album but it did not chart. However, Honi Soit is Cale's only studio album to date to chart on the US Billboard 200, peaking at No. 154.

"Street Hassle" is a song recorded by American rock musician Lou Reed for his 1978 studio album of the same name. It is 10 minutes and 56 seconds long and divided into three distinct sections: "Waltzing Matilda," "Street Hassle," and "Slipaway." Part one, "Waltzing Matilda," describes a woman picking up and paying a male prostitute. In Part Two, "Street Hassle," a drug dealer speaks at length about the death of a woman in his apartment to her companion. Part Three, "Slipaway," contains a brief, uncredited, spoken word section by Bruce Springsteen referencing his song Born to Run and a dirge sung by Reed about love and death. It was recorded in E major.

References

  1. ↑ https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/lou-reed/street-hassle/
  2. 1 2 3 4 Deming, Mark. "Street Hassle – Lou Reed". AllMusic . Retrieved July 29, 2013.
  3. 1 2 Nusser, Dick (January 14, 1978). "Arista Has 1st Stereo/Binaural Disk". Billboard . Vol. 90, no. 2. pp. 1, 18. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
  4. 1 2 Love, Damien (October 2016). "BABE, I'M ON FIRE: THE MAKING OF LOU REED'S STREET HASSLE". Uncut . Retrieved 23 December 2020– via damienlove.com.
  5. ↑ Basham, Peter (2005). POCKET ESSENTIALS. Harpenden, England: Oldcastle Books. p. 70. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  6. ↑ Luerssen, John (2012). Bruce Springsteen FAQ All Thats Left to Know About the Boss. Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Backbeat Books. p. 168. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
  7. ↑ Kilgannon, Corey (July 3, 2018). "Dead of AIDS and Forgotten in Potter's Field". The New York Times . Retrieved April 12, 2020.
  8. ↑ DeCurtis, Anthony (2017). Lou Reed: A Life. Little, Brown and Company. ISBN   9780316552424.
  9. ↑ Gilmore, Mikal (March 22, 1979). "Lou Reed's Heart of Darkness". Rolling Stone . p. 20.
  10. ↑ Kot, Greg (January 12, 1992). "Lou Reed's Recordings: 25 Years Of Path-Breaking Music". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved November 9, 2020.
  11. ↑ Christgau, Robert (1981). "R". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor and Fields. ISBN   0-89919-026-X . Retrieved March 10, 2019– via robertchristgau.com.
  12. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2011). "Reed, Lou". The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN   978-0-85712-595-8.
  13. ↑ Hull, Tom (2004). "Lou Reed". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp.  684–85. ISBN   0-7432-0169-8.
  14. ↑ Marchese, David (November 2009). "Discography: Lou Reed". Spin . Vol. 24, no. 11. p. 67. Retrieved January 13, 2017.
  15. ↑ Strauss, Neil (1995). "Lou Reed". In Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig (eds.). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. pp. 325–27. ISBN   0-679-75574-8.
  16. 1 2 Christgau, Robert (May 29, 1978). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice . Retrieved July 29, 2013.
  17. ↑ Carson, Tom (April 6, 1978). "Street Hassle". Rolling Stone . Retrieved November 8, 2018.
  18. ↑ Tim Lott (4 March 1978). "Lou Hits the Pits". Record Mirror.
  19. ↑ Street Hassle (CD booklet). Lou Reed. Arista Records. 1978.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  20. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 249. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  21. ↑ "Charts.nz – Lou Reed – Street Hassle". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
  22. ↑ "Lou Reed Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.