Coney Island Baby

Coney Island Baby
Studio album by Lou Reed
Released January 19, 1976
Recorded October 18-28, 1975
Studio Mediasound, New York City
Genre Rock
Length 35:15
Label RCA Records
Producer Lou Reed, Godfrey Diamond
Steve Katz bonus tracks 2, 4-6
Lou Reed chronology
Metal Machine Music
(1975)		 Coney Island Baby
(1976)		 Rock and Roll Heart
(1976)

Coney Island Baby is a 1976 solo studio album by Lou Reed, released in January by RCA Records. The album has been described by Anthony DeCurtis as “perhaps the most romantic album of Reed’s career.” [1] Many of the album's songs were inspired by and dedicated to Reed's girlfriend and muse at the time, a trans woman named Rachel Humphreys.[2] According to Aidan Levy, Coney Island Baby was "as much a love letter to Rachel as it was to the nostalgic Coney Island of the mind."[3] The album's title track directly references Rachel with the line: "I'd like to send this one out to Lou and Rachel, and all the kids at P.S. 192." [4]

The album includes the song "She's My Best Friend", a version of which was originally recorded by Reed's band the Velvet Underground in 1969, and eventually released on the 1985 compilation album VU. The 30th-anniversary re-issue of Coney Island Baby includes bonus tracks featuring Reed's Velvet Underground bandmate Doug Yule.

Track listing

All tracks composed by Lou Reed

Side One

  1. "Crazy Feeling" – 2:56
  2. "Charley's Girl" – 2:36
  3. "She's My Best Friend" – 6:00
  4. "Kicks" – 6:06

Side Two

  1. "A Gift" – 3:47
  2. "Ooohhh Baby" – 3:45
  3. "Nobody's Business" – 3:41
  4. "Coney Island Baby" – 6:36

30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition bonus tracks

  1. "Nowhere at All" – 3:17 recorded November 18 & 21, 1975 at Mediasound Studios, NYC
  2. "Downtown Dirt" – 4:18 recorded January 3 & 4, 1975 at Electric Lady Studios, NYC
  3. "Leave Me Alone" – 5:35 recorded October 19 & 20, 1975 at Mediasound Studios, NYC
  4. "Crazy Feeling" – 2:39 recorded January 3 & 4, 1975 at Electric Lady Studios, NYC
  5. "She's My Best Friend" – 4:08 recorded January 4, 1975 at Electric Lady Studios, NYC
  6. "Coney Island Baby" – 5:41 recorded January 6, 1975 at Electric Lady Studios, NYC

Response

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic [5]
Chicago Tribune[6]
Robert ChristgauB+ [7]
Blender [8]
Pitchfork Media(8.5/10) [9]
Rolling Stone(Positive)[10]

Personnel

  • Lou Reed - vocals, rhythm guitar, piano
  • Bob Kulick - lead and slide guitar
  • Bruce Yaw - acoustic bass, electric bass
  • Michael Suchorsky - drums, percussion
  • Joanne Vent, Michael Wendroff, Godfrey Diamond - background vocals
Musicians on bonus tracks
  • Doug Yule - bass on bonus tracks 2, 4-6, guitar on bonus tracks 4-6
  • Bob Meday - drums on bonus tracks 2, 4-6
  • Michael Fonfara - keyboards on bonus tracks 2, 4-6
Technical
  • Geoffrey Diamond, Lou Reed, Michael Wendroff - mixing
  • José Rodriguez - recording
  • Acy Lehman - art direction
  • Mick Rock - photography

References

  1. ↑ DeCurtis, Anthony. Lou Reed: A Life. New York: Little Brown. p. 180. ISBN 978-0-316-37654-9.
  2. ↑ DeCurtis, Anthony. Lou Reed: A Life. Little Brown. p. 180. ISBN 978-0-316-37654-9.
  3. ↑ Levy, Aidan. Dirty Blvd.: The Life and Music of Lou Reed.Chicago Review Press, 2015
  4. ↑ Lou Reed. "Coney Island Baby." Coney Island Baby, RCA, 1976
  5. ↑ Deming, Mark. Coney Island Baby at AllMusic
  6. ↑ Kot, Greg (January 12, 1992). "Lou Reed's Recordings: 25 Years Of Path-breaking Music". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved July 29, 2013.
  7. ↑ "CG: Lou Reed". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 2013-12-10.
  8. ↑ Archived September 30, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
  9. ↑ "Lou Reed: Coney Island Baby | Album Reviews". Pitchfork. 2006-10-09. Retrieved 2013-12-10.
  10. ↑ Nelson, Paul (1976-03-25). "Lou Reed: Coney Island Baby : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone". web.archive.org. Archived from the original on 2009-04-22. Retrieved 3 September 2011. Check date values in: |year= / |date= mismatch (help)
  • Hinckley, David (5 July 2004). "Court and Spark: Boys and Girls Together Down at Coney Island". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on 11 August 2007. Mentions the Catalano/Alonzo song.
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