AMG Review of NYC Man: The Ultimate Lou Reed Collection

Stephen Thomas Erlewine
All Music Guide

Lou Reed has been the subject of many compilations, one of them being 2003's double-disc, 31-track NYC Man: The Ultimate Lou Reed Collection, which covers everything from the Velvet Underground to 2003's The Raven. It opens up with an unreleased alternate take of "Who Am I" from The Raven, then often substitutes studio cuts with live performances, including a healthy selection from Live in Italy and Perfect Night: Live in London (only one cut from Rock 'n' Roll Animal, strangely enough). It contains many big songs -- "Walk on the Wild Side," "Satellite of Love," "Dirty Blvd.," "Coney Island Baby," "Perfect Day," "Street Hassle," "Vicious," plus a host of Velvet Underground songs, both in VU and solo versions -- plus some excellent album track selections.