Lou Reed - Mistrial (1986) [HDtracks Remastered 2015]

Lou Reed's 1986 album "Mistrial" tends to be considered a dud in his discography. Although that's being harsh, it's understandable in the sense that "Mistrial" does often sound tossed off, plus some of the lyrics are really weak--it seems Lou was either going through a bit of writer's block, and/ or feeling a little lazy. It's unfortunate because Reed's in excellent form vocally here, and the best stuff suggests that with some more craft & fine-tuning, this could have been a really kickass record. As it is, there are a bunch of really cool tracks--there's the stomping rocker title track; the catchy, drum-machine driven, somewhat Chuck Berry-esque uptempo tune "No Money Down"; the toe-tapping, looping funk-rocker "Video Violence" with its hilarious wordless hook; the punchy, edgy rocker "Spit It Out" with great, crunchy guitar chords from Reed (though his ultra-primitive & hesistant lead work leaves quite a bit to be desired); and the irresistibly funky & energetic rap-flavored tune "The Original Wrapper" which is a bit lyrically rote, but amusing. On the down side, "Don't Hurt A Woman" is a sluggish, tedious ballad; the repetitive "Outside" is kind of bland; "I Remember You" is an incredibly listless piece of filler with lyrics that are slight beyond all belief; & "Tell It To Your Heart" is, surprisingly for Reed, a pretty sappy ballad that's additionally marred by the annoying background vocals. Obviously "Mistrial" is no masterpiece, but still, it is pretty good, and I can't see any serious Reed fanatic finding this album to be THAT big of a disappointment, & if you see it cheap, it's worth getting.