New Sensations is the thirteenth solo studio album by American musician Lou Reed, released in April 1984 by RCA Records. John Jansen and Reed produced the album. New Sensations peaked at No. 56 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and at No. 92 on the UK Albums Chart. This marked the first time that Reed charted within the US Top 100 since 1978's Street Hassle, and the first time that Reed had charted in the UK altogether since 1976's Coney Island Baby. Three singles were released from the album: "I Love You, Suzanne", "My Red Joystick" and "High in the City", with "I Love You, Suzanne" being the only single to chart, peaking at No. 78 on the UK Singles Chart. "I Love You, Suzanne" did, however, receive light rotation on MTV.
Robert Quine's involvement
Guitarist Robert Quine, who had played on Reed's previous two albums, The Blue Mask and Legendary Hearts, had had a falling-out with Reed during the recording sessions, so Reed opted to play most of guitar parts on the album himself, with the exceptions being "My Red Joystick" and "My Friend George", which feature Fernando Saunders providing rhythm guitar. Years after the album's release, Fernando Saunders claimed that one of the issues during recording was that Robert Quine had personally composed the "guitar riff" for "I Love You, Suzanne" in the studio while the band was rehearsing. Upon hearing Quine's riff, Reed had written the lyrics to the song, but he had failed to give Quine a co-writing credit for the song in the album credits, thus cutting Quine out of royalties which added further strain to their relationship. Despite their falling out, Quine later joined Reed for the world tour in support of the album.
Critical reception
Upon release, New Sensations received favourable reviews from music critics. Writing for The Village Voice, music journalistRobert Christgau gave the album an A, and stated that "Instead of straining fruitlessly to top himself, Reed has settled into a pattern as satisfying as what he had going with the Velvets, though by definition it isn't as epochal. The music is simple and inevitable, and even the sarcastic songs are good sarcastic songs" In Rolling Stone, Kurt Loder called it "a long-overdue delight that's all the more exciting for being completely unexpected." In a retrospective review for AllMusic, critic Mark Deming wrote of the album, "New Sensations showed that Reed had a lot more warmth and humanity than he was given credit for, and made clear that he could "write happy" when he felt like, with all the impact of his "serious" material."
Track listing
Personnel
Credits are adapted from the New Sensations liner notes.
