Lou Reed has always dabbled in contrasts, so it comes as no surprise that the follow-up to his darkly serious concept album BERLIN was a commercially oriented, good-time rock & roll fest. ROCK N' ROLL ANIMAL is a live set that finds Reed stretching out on some of his best-loved Velvet Underground tunes with the help of his crack touring band at the time. Though the songs are somewhat given to stylistic excess, the overall sound is streamlined, accessible, and visceral. The twin guitar attack of Dick Wagner and Steve Hunter help transform Velvet classics like "White Light White Heat", "Sweet Jane", and "Rock 'N' Roll" into pomp/glam-rock [is pomp the word meant here? not pop?] showpieces, complete with extended arrangements, elaborate instrumental sections, and of course, plenty of long guitar solos. Those who cling to the image of Reed as punk godfather might be mystified by his transformation here into Rock God. But the heart of rock & roll beats in the chest of all of Reed's chameleon-like personalities, and ROCK 'N' ROLL ANIMAL amplifies the sound of that heart to great effect.
