Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Volume 36, Number 23. 23rd September 1973
Paris 1919:
Paris 1919:
Paris 1919 is the best Gracious Rock Album since I don't know when and that's no lie. Nor do I know if its brilliance or plagiarised Procol Harum but that doesn't matter.
Lou Reed knew John Cale in 1966 and that's how he got (sort of) famous with a band called The Velvet Underground. Now they were "the darlings of the New York underground" and they did vicious songs like "heroin" and they had a German chick called Nico. And this Nico was the weirdest you ever heard.
Paris 1919 is far removed from all that. The cover's delicately camp and inside you'll find a lytic sheet that'd have Keith Reid confused, and a record. Like A Salty Dog should have been without the bum tracks or Grand Hotel's sister,
You're having tea with Graham Greene/In a coloured costume of your own choice/And you'll be held in high esteem/If you're seen in between/Stiffly holding umbrellas.....
A spiffing lp. It's also beautiful and zany as half a dozen Lou Reeds in the other direction. Music for tea-drinkers who don't dunk their gingernuts.