Animal Serenade Explained

Animal Serenade
Type:Live album
Artist:Lou Reed
Cover:Animal Serenade (Lou Reed album - cover art).jpg
Released:March 23, 2004
Recorded:June 24, 2003
Genre:Rock
Label:Sire/Reprise
Producer:Lou Reed and Fernando Saunders
Prev Title:The Raven
Prev Year:2003
Next Title:Le Bataclan '72
Next Year:2004

Animal Serenade is a live album by American rock musician Lou Reed, recorded in Los Angeles at the Wiltern Theatre in 2003 after The Raven. The show features a drummer-less band (including Mike Rathke on guitar/synth, bassist, vocalist Fernando Saunders, and the cello of Jane Scarpantoni). In addition, Anohni, of Antony and the Johnsons fame, contributes background vocals throughout and sings the lead on "Set the Twilight Reeling" and "Candy Says".

Fernando Saunders plays bass and other instruments. He did background vocals on most songs and sang lead vocals on "Tell It to Your Heart" and "Reviens Cherie", scat on "Sunday Morning".

Three songs were performed during the concert that did not appear on the album: "Sweet Jane", "The Last Shot" and "Perfect Day" (sung in duet with Antony)."Sweet Jane" is available by digital download.

Track listing

All tracks composed by Lou Reed; except where indicated

Disc one

  1. "Advice" 2:07
  2. "Smalltown" (Reed, John Cale) 6:04
  3. "Tell It to Your Heart" 6:03
  4. "Men of Good Fortune" 4:27
  5. "How Do You Think It Feels" 8:09
  6. "Vanishing Act" 5:31
  7. "Ecstasy" 7:09
  8. "The Day John Kennedy Died" 4:04
  9. "Street Hassle" 6:59
  10. "The Bed" 5:15
  11. "Reviens Cherie" (Fernando Saunders) 7:12
  12. "Venus in Furs" 10:02

Disc two

  1. "Dirty Blvd." 6:54
  2. "Sunday Morning" (Reed, John Cale) 5:04
  3. "All Tomorrow's Parties" 6:18
  4. "Call on Me" 2:45
  5. "The Raven" 9:33
  6. "Set the Twilight Reeling" 9:08
  7. "Candy Says" 6:04
  8. "Heroin" 9:11

Personnel