  I'm sticking my toe back into the dark, frigid waters of music criticism. I've been asked by urlLink Scene Magazine to start reviewing albums, my first is the new Lou Reed live album. The only part that sucks is that I was hoping that I wouldn't have to pan the first album I reviewed.
However... Lou Reed Animal Serenade (Reprise) After almost forty years, Lou Reed still can't decide if he wants to be a rock star or an art star. His music has always relied on his status as an "artist"; his art leans heavily on his cred as a musician. The downside of this conflict is well-documented in this two-hour live concert, recorded at LA's Wiltern Theater last June. Though Reed hobbles through some lesser-known material from his early career, most material draws heavily from Reed�s less accessible work (including the John Cale collaboration Songs For Drella and 2003�s The Raven ). Accompanied by long-time collaborator bassist Fernando Saunders, along with a cellist, second guitarist, and back-up vocalist, the album's stripped down arrangements come off as lethargic and uninspired. The between-song banter shows a slightly bitter Reed trying to prop up his own legacy by reminding the crowd of how good he and his band are and the significance of the music they�re performing.
Animal Serenade offers little more than proof that Reed is now in the twilight of his career. The ferocity, danger, and prowess are gone. Listening leaves you to wonder if this beast has grown long in the tooth, or is simply toothless. �Eric Nuzum 
