A Night With Lou Reed

A Night with Lou Reed is an intimate visual record of Reed's legendary 1983 sold-out engagement at The Bottom Line in New York City. Fronting the most musically articulate band he had ever assembled--Reed and Robert Quine on guitar, Fernando Saunders on bass and Fred Maher on drums--Reed performs a treasure trove of his best hits. The energy and interplay on stage is so intense that it grabs the raw nerve of rock 'n' roll urgency. Songs: Sweet Jane, I'm Waiting for the Man, Martial Law, Don't Talk to Me About Work, Women, Waves of Fear, Walk on the Wild Side, Turn Out the Lights, New Age, Kill Your Sons, Satellite of Love, White Light White Heat, Rock and Roll.

This 1983 concert film was shot during Lou Reed's legendary stand at the Bottom Line in New York City. Reed got his start in Greenwich Village, and indeed this show has a strong air of a hero's return. The former Velvet Underground frontman greets the crowd with a tidy-but-tough "Sweet Jane," then smoothly skips through his then-catalogue of pre- and post-solo career records. "I'm Waiting for the Man" takes us back to the well, while "Wild Side," "Don't Talk to Me About Work," "Waves of Fear," and a stunning version of "Kill Your Sons" reflects something of the scope of Reed's development. A blistering "White Light/White Heat" reminds one of the Velvets' magnificent sting, and the show closes out with an epic take on "Rock 'n' Roll." Reed is backed by a spare ensemble, including the outstanding Robert Quine on guitar, Fred Maher on drums, and Fernando Saunders on bass. Clearly and cleanly photographed, this performance is riveting to see and hear. Keep watching after Reed leaves the stage; his post-show comments about some special moments in front of the audience are well worth catching. --Tom Keogh