Lou Reed – Coney Island Baby Live in Jersey

Lou Reed was wise to chronicle a concert by his early-’80s band, featuring lead guitarist Robert Quine and bassist Fernando Saunders. Reed had used them on his trilogy of strong albums — The Blue Mask, Legendary Hearts, and New Sensations — released between 1982 and 1984. This 52-minute video, shot at the Capitol Theater in Passaic, NJ, in 1984, is a straightforward, no-frills live show. Reed, in black T-shirt and black leather pants, stands on-stage before a cityscape background and makes his way through a set that features both a selection of Velvet Underground songs, and his sole hit single, “Walk on the Wild Side,” plus highlights from his three recent albums, notably such songs as “I Love You Suzanne.” As such, the video makes a good Lou Reed career sampler.