I’m well into the Sounes book on Lou. It’s a great read and well researched. Most of his interviews are either with the people directly involved or, at most, once removed.
As you’d expect any interpretation on events that would paint Lou in a nasty, mean-spirited,selfish, greedy, churlish, vengeful, cruel or heartless light seem most likely to be true.
Anyway, on to Rock n Roll Animal an album that for me still sits high in the pantheon of guitar wig out albums and that much higher thanks to Lou’s mastery of basic but effective rock’n’roll beats married with clever lyrics.
Lou said he hated the album and at other times claims credit for hooking up with guitar gods Hunter and Wagner to showcase his songs. The former typically seems more likely as they were much more proficient and the band were getting all the attention and favourable comment in the reviews.
Dick Wagner did all those arrangements that turned them into “majestic coliseum-size” songs.Hunter and Wagner worked up the intro /guitar duel to Sweet Jane which would break into the classic Sweet Jane riff when drug-addled Lou decided to come onto the stage. The crowd would roar in recognition and that helped to put Lou in a good mood.
So onto the Academy of Music, December 21, 1973 for 2 shows by this band that have already done Europe.They are to play 2 shows but promoter Howard Stern only wants to pay for one. Bernie Gelb insists Lou ain’t playing til Stein coughs up another $6000 fort the second show. This goes on and on while the band are playing the intro to Sweet Jane with Lou told not to go on until Stein agrees. So the intro goes on far longer than normal until Stein relents, Lou gets the nod and that immortal riff starts up.
One other interesting snippet- the audience applause ,that was overdubbed from a John Denver concert!
Here’s a clip from Lou’s next band , the blonde speed ball period, after Alice Cooper nicked Wagner and Hunter . Despite all the protestations he continued with that amped up format of the song .
This clip from his late period recreation of the Berlin album features Hunter and Wagner from RRA.
btw that first reference to Howard Stern should have been Stein.