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''New York'' is the fifteenth solo album by Lou Reed, released early in 1989.〔(The New York Times )〕 A universal critical success, it is widely considered one of his best solo albums. While the defunct Velvet Underground were at the peak of their popularity at the time, Reed's solo career had hit several lows during the 1980s, at least since his ''Blue Mask''. However the widespread popularity of ''New York'' reignited his career to the extent that he could revive the Velvet Underground for an aborted world tour. The album is highly regarded for the strength and force of its lyrical content, but at the time drew criticism for its perceived pedestrian, "truck driver," musicianship. Reed countered that he required simple music so that it would not distract from his frank lyrics. The single "Dirty Blvd." was a #1 hit on the newly created Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart for four weeks. Velvet Underground drummer Maureen Tucker played on two tracks. ''New York'' contains CD Graphics that can be viewed on compatible CD players, such as karaoke machines or the Sega Saturn. == Background and lyrics == Reed's straightforward rock and roll sound on this album was unusual for the time and along with other releases such as Graham Parker's ''The Mona Lisa's Sister'' presaged a back-to-basics turn in mainstream rock music. On the other hand, the lyrics through the 14 songs are profuse and carefully woven, making ''New York'' Reed's most overtly conceptual album since the early 1970s. His polemical liner notes direct the listener to hear the 57-minute album in one sitting, "as though it were a book or a movie." The lyrics vent anger at many public figures in the news at the time. Reed mentions by name the Virgin Mary, the NRA, Rudy Giuliani, "the President", the "Statue of Bigotry", Buddha, Mike Tyson, Bernard Goetz, Mr. Waldheim, "the Pontiff", Jesse Jackson, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Swaggart, and Morton Downey. Reed also drew inspiration from some of his friends and fellow artists. For instance, in the song "Last Great American Whale," Reed quotes John Mellencamp, referring to him as "my painter friend Donald." Upon hearing the album, Mellencamp himself said, "Yeah, it sounds like it was produced by an eighth-grader, but I like it."〔http://www.csindy.com/coloradosprings/james-mcmurtry-on-lou-reed-gun-control-and-why-leonard-cohen-must-die/Content?oid=2625029〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「New York (album)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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