‘Thought’: Prime Reed, as Far as It Goes

“Between Thought and Expression,” RCA’s three-disc retrospective on Lou Reed’s solo career, is excellent as far as it goes--but it only goes up to his 1986 studio recordings.

The problem with the cut-off date is that Reed remains one of rock’s most creative figures, so the box set is going to be obsolete in a few years.

Reed’s last two albums were among his best: “New York,” a sobering, sometimes disconsolate discourse on the country’s spirit and will, was one of the half-dozen most acclaimed albums of 1989, and his new “Magic and Loss,” a poignant and personal reflection on the death of two friends, is sure to stand as one of the most absorbing albums of this year.

So anyone who follows Reed’s work enough to want to buy the box set is going to feel something missing from any retrospective that excludes key selections from the two works--as well as future collections.

(His earlier, landmark recordings with the Velvet Underground, the group that introduced an unflinching social realism to rock, is also missing, but that may be excusable on the grounds that this is a look at Reed’s solo career.)

Even Reed, who was involved in selecting the material for the new box set and in remastering the tapes, alludes to the cut-off point in the booklet that comes with the package. “This should stand, for now, as a definitive post-Velvet Underground collection,” he writes.

The issue of “for now,” however, poses an interesting dilemma for the record industry and the consumer. It’s one thing to invest in a box set saluting great artists whose careers are over--like the late Robert Johnson and Hank Williams.

But what about veteran artists, like Reed or Neil Young, whose work continues to command attention and respect?

As a retrospective, “Between Thought and Expression” is about all you can ask for. Rob Bowman’s essay on Reed is especially informative, and everyone involved did a commendable job of selecting material from an extensive body of work that contains both remarkable highs and discouraging lows.

The box set includes three songs from 1972’s “Transformer” album--including the classic “Walk on the Wild Side” and “Satellite of Love,” which U2 has been performing on its “Zoo TV” tour--and six numbers from 1973’s stark but brilliant “Berlin” album.

Besides some previously unreleased material, the album also includes highlights from such other celebrated Reed albums as 1978’s “Street Hassle” and 1982’s “The Blue Mask.”

Bob Ezrin, who produced the “Berlin” album, hails Reed as the most underrated contemporary poet in America. In the booklet, he adds, “(Reed) has developed a new form of expression. It’s got natural rhythm to it, it’s got pulse, it has a style about it.”

“Between Thought and Expression” allows you to survey that pulse, style and rhythm--as far as it goes.