Lou Reed: “Charley’s Girl” (1976)

This Charley’s girl is no angel.

Kronomyth 8.1: Narc on the wild side.

This is one of the better songs from what was not one of Lou Reed’s better albums. Sure, it seemed like manna from heaven after Metal Machine Music, but Coney Island Baby continued to make the case that Lou’s best days were behind him. Charley’s Girl is essentially a rewrite of “Walk on the Wild Side,” now telling the story of a girl who ratted out the band’s drug use. A little decadent, sure, but not nearly the rogue’s gallery of the original. Better is the B side, Nowhere at All, which was inexplicably left off the album. I say “inexplicably” because this song totally kicks ass, and seems to me exactly the sort of thing that was missing on this and his last “serious” album, Sally Can’t Dance. Reminds me of Iggy Pop, actually.

Original 7-inch single version

A1. Charley’s Girl (Lou Reed) (2:38)
B1. Nowhere at All (Lou Reed) (3:12)

The Plastic

Released on 7-inch single in February 1976 in the US, Germany, Italy and Spain (RCA, PB-10573) and the UK (RCA, RCA 2666) with regional picture sleeve. Also released as promotional 7-inch single in 1976 in the US (RCA, JB-10573) feat. A only.