that the it "proves that even his [Reed's] uneven works include a few songs you'll certainly want to have in your collection." Critical reception Robert Christgau thought highly of the album, writing: "If his solo career produced a masterwork on the scale of whatever VU album you prefer, this de facto farewell is it." Rolling Stone, in a four star review claimed the album to be "a complex, musically gorgeous synthesis of the obsessions that powered Reed's failed 1973 Berlin and his great marriage albums of the early Eighties, especially The Blue Mask". In a review from Allmusic Mark Deming concludes in a 3 star review by writing that Lou "once again proves that even his uneven works include a few songs you'll certainly want to have in your collection" before jocularly adding "as long as they're not about possums" referencing the song "Like a Possum" which he describes as being "the album's most spectacular miscalculation." Mark Deming was not alone in his condemnation of "Like a Possum". In a review for Pitchfork, Kristin Sage Rockermann described an "attempt to pair a long poem with off-kilter sound collage, pushes "the possum" into the category of "the unbearable." Patrick Stickles writing for Stereogum describes the song as a "monolithic tower of punishment." "Rock Minuet" was cited by Julian Schnabel as a favourite of Lou Reed and he recited the lyrics while appearing with Reed on the Spectacle Elvis Costello with... show. Robert Christgau placed the album at number 8 on his Pazz & Jop list for that year and the album came at number 63 on the critics poll. Christgau disapproved of the decision writing, "the voters' preference for young repeater Elliott Smith's soupiest album, not to mention old farts the Jayhawks' smiliest, gets me mad", referencing another song from the album: "Mad", a song he praised as the most original on the record. Track listing All tracks by Lou Reed German vinyl release Personnel '''Musicians Lou Reed - vocals, guitar, percussion on "White Prism" Mike Rathke - guitar Fernando Saunders - bass, background vocals Tony "Thunder" Smith - drums, percussion, background vocals Don Alias - percussion on "Ecstasy" Laurie Anderson - electric violin on "White Prism", "Rouge" and "Rock Minuet" Steven Bernstein - trumpet, horn arrangements Doug Wieselman - baritone and tenor saxophone Paul Shapiro - tenor saxophone Jane Scarpantoni - cello Charts References Lou Reed albums 2000 albums Albums