The Bells
After the harrowing triumph of Street Hassle Lou Reed s The Bells sounded like a bit of a step back; it returned Reed to the more listener-friendly, keyboard-dominated sound of Rock and Roll Heart the lyrics lacked the caustic self-loathing of songs like "Dirt" or "I Wanna Be Black," and it even featured a four-and-a-half-minute funk workout called "Disco Mystic" (hey, this was 1979). But lyrically, The Bells found Reed moving away from the boho decadence of most of his 1970s work and toward a more compassionate perspective on his characters; "Families" and "All Through the Night" display an empathy and emotional depth Reed didn't often allow himself as a solo artist, and "Stupid Man" and "Looking for Love" rocked hard while making the loneliness of their protagonists felt. And the title cut, with Reed experimenting with a guitar synthesizer and free jazz hero Don Cherry inviting the spirit on trumpet, is both a brave exploration of musical space and a lyrically touching sketch of loss and salvation. An album that's worn well over time, The Bells gains depth with each playing and now sounds like one of Reed s finest solo efforts of the 1970s. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
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Credits »
Elliott Federman - Mastering
Gary Gross - Photography
Bill Stafford - Project Coordinator
Howard Fritzson - Art Direction
Howard Fritzson - Design
Mike Hartry - Digital Transfers
Dana Renert - Project Coordinator
Rob Santos - Producer
Donn Davenport - Art Direction
Donn Davenport - Design
David Alan Kogut - Art Direction
Bruce Pollock - Project Coordinator
Ed Osborne - Project Coordinator
Arlessa Barnes - Project Coordinator
Timothy Greenfield-Sanders - Liner Notes
Jeremy Holiday - Production Coordination
Tom Tierney - Production Assistant
Joanne Feltman - Archivist
Glenn Korman - Archivist
Glenn Delgado - Project Coordinator
Felicia Gearhart - Project Coordinator
Laura Gregory - Project Coordinator
Robin Manning - Project Coordinator
Steve Strauss - Production Assistant
Robin Diamond - Project Coordinator
Brooke Nochomson - Project Coordinator
Lou Reed - Mixing
Lou Reed - Horn Arrangements
Lou Reed - Main Performer
Lou Reed - Producer
Fred Marcellino - Hand Tinting
Rene Tinner - Mixing
Manfred Schunke - Mixing
Michael Fonfara - Executive Producer
Marty Fogel - Horn Arrangements
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