Lou Reed

This barebones live concert performance by New York City songwriting legend Lou Reed reconfirms a couple of things we already know: dude is a cold and aloof performer, and his fans would rather hear songs from his groundbreaking catalogue of yore than endure a bunch of newer material. Apparently, Reed is okay with that, as this set steers clear of anything from his 2003 concept CD The Raven, despite the fact it was released just a year prior to this festival gig. Two tracks from Ecstasy make it onto the set list and actually rank amongst the most inspired moments here. Less inspired are Reed's renditions of Velvet Underground classics "Venus in Furs," "Jesus" and "Sweet Jane," despite the crowd's enthusiastic reaction. Not surprisingly, Reed's band is top notch, which is a good thing, considering the primary role instrumental jamming plays throughout. (Sanctuary/EMI)