New Sensations

• Artist: Lou Reed
• Rating:
• Release Date: 1984
• Total Time: 42:24
• Type: Lyrics are included with the album
• Genre: Rock

Review

Lou Reed never struck anyone as one of the happiest guys in rock & roll, so some fans were taken aback when his 1984 album New Sensations kicked off with "I Love You, Suzanne," a catchy up-tempo rocker that sounded a lot like a pop tune. After reaffirming his status as one of rock's greatest poets with The Blue Mask and Legendary Hearts, what was Reed doing here? Lou was having a great time, and his pleasure was infectious -- New Sensations is a set of straight-ahead rock & roll that ranks with the most purely enjoyable albums of Lou's career. Reed opted not to work with guitarist Robert Quine this time out, instead overdubbing rhythm lines over his own leads, and if the guitars don't cut quite as deep, they're still wiry and in the pocket throughout, and the rhythm section of Fernando Saunders and Fred Maher rocks hard with a tough, sinewy groove. And while much of New Sensations finds Reed in a surprisingly optimistic mood, this isn't "Don't Worry, Be Happy" by any stretch of the imagination. On "Endlessly Jealous," "My Friend George," and "Fly Into the Sun," Reed makes it clear that happiness can be a hard-won commodity, and when Reed embraces life's pleasures on "Turn to Me" and "New Sensations," he does so with a fierce joy that's realistic, unblinking, and deeply felt, like a man whose signed on for the full ride and is going to enjoy the good times while they last. Like Coney Island Baby, New Sensations showed that Reed had a lot more warmth and humanity than he was given credit for, and made clear that he could "write happy" when he felt like, with all the impact of his "serious" material. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
I Love You, Suzanne	Lou Reed	Lou Reed	(3:16)
Endlessly Jealous	Lou Reed	Lou Reed	(3:59)
My Red Joystick	Lou Reed	Lou Reed	(3:35)
Turn to Me	Lou Reed	Lou Reed	(4:24)
New Sensations	Lou Reed	Lou Reed	(5:47)
Doin' the Things That We Want To	Lou Reed	Lou Reed	(3:56)
What Becomes a Legend Most	Lou Reed	Lou Reed	(3:39)
Fly into the Sun	Lou Reed	Lou Reed	(3:08)
My Friend George	Lou Reed	Lou Reed	(3:58)
High in the City	Lou Reed	Lou Reed	(3:28)
Down at the Arcade	Lou Reed	Lou Reed	(3:40)

Credits

John Jansen (Engineer), Michael Hill (Liner Notes), Tom "Bones" Malone (Horn), Peter Wood (Accordion), Lou Reed (Guitar), Robert Quine (Guitar), Connie Harvey (Vocals (Background)), Fernando Saunders (Bass), Frank Ursoleo (Reissue Supervisor), Peter Wood (Piano), Peter Wood (Synthesizer), Dan Nash (Assistant Engineer), John Jansen (Producer), Liz Lauman (Hand Coloring), Fernando Saunders (String Bass), Fernando Saunders (Vocals (Background)), Lou Reed (Keyboards), Lou Reed (Guitar (Rhythm)), Lou Reed (Vocals), Lou Reed (Lead), Chris Eselgroth (Reissue Design), Lakshminarayana Shankar (Violin (Electric)), Lakshminarayana Shankar (Violin), Roger Moutenot (Assistant Engineer), Rory Dodd (Vocals), Eric Troyer (Vocals), Michael Brecker (Saxophone), Peter Wood (Keyboards), Fernando Saunders (Guitar), Rory Dodd (Vocals (Background)), Tom "Bones" Malone (Horn Arrangements), Jocelyn Brown (Vocals (Background)), Tom "Bones" Malone (Arranger), Lou Reed (Producer), Vic Anesini (Mastering), Waring Abbott (Photography), Randy Brecker (Trumpet), Randy Brecker (Horn), Fernando Saunders (Bass (Electric)), Jon Faddis (Horn), Connie Harvey (Vocals), Michael Brecker (Horn), Eric Troyer (Vocals (Background)), Fred Maher (Drums), Fernando Saunders (Vocals), Jocelyn Brown (Vocals), Waring Abbott (Art Direction), Fernando Saunders (Guitar (Rhythm)), Greg Calbi (Mastering), Liz Lauman (Coloring), Doane Perry (Drums), Dan Nash (Mixing)

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