Defend the Indefensible: Lou Reed's "Mistrial"

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After recording his three best solo albums in a row (Blue Mask, Legendary Hearts, New Sensations), Lou releases "Mistrial," which was roundly dismissed. Undeservedly?

I listened to my battered used copy yesterday and enjoyed it for what it was: a potboiler, an entertaining, inconsequential album. Then again, I prefer Lou's throwaways to his Major Artistic Statements (I can't stand "Berlin" and "Magic & Loss," like only a quarter of "New York). At its worst the album sounds like a home for rejected car commercial theme music ("No Money Down"). But "Tell It To Your Heart" is oen of his best ballads, and he plays some great snakey guitar on the title song and "Spit It Out."

Opinions?

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 22:02 (twenty years ago)

"Mistrial," with the accent on the first syllable, would make a good name for an elf chick in a Tor fantasy trilogy.

― the star regent, Wednesday, 20 April 2005 22:11 (twenty years ago)

The Original Wrapper is so God awful it's not even funny. And what's even stranger is that Lou, judging from his on stage comments the other week at Crobar, actually DOES think he is the original rapper.

Video Violence is also terrible.

Tell It to Your Heart is nice indeed, and done much better live.

― shookout (shookout), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 22:26 (twenty years ago)

Hey! "The Original Wrapper" is so godawful it IS funny!

I have that double live album he released last year, with a GREAT version of "Tell It To Your Heart".

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 22:29 (twenty years ago)

I never really had too much of a problem with "Mistrial," it was just another dopey, disposable rock album with asinine tossed-off lyrics, one that sounded just about right in summer 1986.

To me, "Tell It To Your Heart" ("Satellite Of Love" part 2, really) was definitely the highlight, and there weren't as many cringe-worthy moments as with his other, erm, contract-fulfilling efforts. Okay, so he couldn't keep up with the beat on "The Original Wrapper".

"Rock And Roll Heart." Now that would be a DTI.

― kay-dub, Wednesday, 20 April 2005 22:39 (twenty years ago)

definitely a low point for uncle lou, in a career with several low points (and i love the guy!), though i get some enjoyment out of tell it to your heart. if someone like, say, eric clapton had recorded that one at the time it woulda been HUGE. but mostly this record (and to a lesser extent new sensations) depress me due to the fact that Lou could've been making records with Robert Quine. After kicking off the 80s with the mostly great Blue Mask, he devolved into this MOR pap. but i guess New York was around the corner, and I still (pretty much) love that record, flaws and all.

― tylerw, Wednesday, 20 April 2005 23:34 (twenty years ago)

"Stick in the Mud"
(lyrics/music: Bill Callahan)

There's nothin' I'd rather see
Than for you to fail
There's nothin' I'd rather see
Than for you to fail
And where is the beauty
That I once had?
Where is the beauty
That I had once?

I feel like I'm becoming a stick in the mud
I feel like I'm becoming a Lou Reed Mistrial stick in the mud

There's nothin' I'd rather see
Than for you to fail
And where is the beauty
That I once had?
Where is the beauty
I had just once?
I hate songs with questions in them
I feel like I'm becoming a stick in the mud
I feel like I'm becoming a Lou Reed Mistrial in the mud

― gygax! (gygax!), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 23:56 (twenty years ago)

When I first bought it I thought I could at least expect some of Fernando Saunders sweet sweet fretless bass, but there it's really toned down compared to the previous three albums, which is surprising considering he co-produced it.

― Patrick South (Patrick South), Thursday, 21 April 2005 04:26 (twenty years ago)

you really love mid-80s pop music, alfred!

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Thursday, 21 April 2005 04:29 (twenty years ago)

It's not as good as "Berlin".

― A Viking of Some Note (Andrew Thames), Thursday, 21 April 2005 04:58 (twenty years ago)

I'll take Mistrial over Mr Mister, Eisbar!

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Thursday, 21 April 2005 12:16 (twenty years ago)

i just used "tell it to your heart" on my ilx crush mix -- somehow the dopey lyrics make the song even more poignant.

― my friend flicka (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 21 April 2005 12:20 (twenty years ago)

fourteen years pass...

haha I just picked this up cheap today because I'd forgotten what it sounded like. this is actually the first Lou Reed album I remember being conscious of, there must have been a fair amount of promotional push for it at the time, ads in rolling stone etc. It's alright aside from Wrapper which I just had to skip.

― akm, Saturday, 2 November 2019 18:59 (six years ago)

“Video Violence” seems like the perfect song for Kurt Vile to cover

― Western® with Bacon Flavor, Saturday, 2 November 2019 19:35 (six years ago)

― akm, Saturday, November 2, 2019 2

it did get MTV and college rock play, a fact which seems forgotten. It wouldn't happened without (a) New Sensations (b) the release of VU.

― TikTok to the (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, 2 November 2019 19:36 (six years ago)

“No Money Down,” “Original Wrapper,” and a live version of “Video Violence” were all in regular rotation on MTV at the time. Evidently, said rotation did nothing for sales. When Dweezil Zappa was a vj on MTV, after showing this clip he said, “That was the worst guitar solo ever.”

https://youtu.be/es867j0W_rM

― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Saturday, 2 November 2019 19:45 (six years ago)

Totally fabulous. Lou Reed genius. my greetings from San Juan, Argentina

― Michael Oliver of Penge Wins £5 (Tom D.), Saturday, 2 November 2019 19:48 (six years ago)

I've never heard even a note of this album till now, Video Violence = TVC15 surely?

― Michael Oliver of Penge Wins £5 (Tom D.), Saturday, 2 November 2019 19:51 (six years ago)

video violence is a good song.

― akm, Sunday, 3 November 2019 17:28 (six years ago)

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