'Caroline Says II'

'Berlin' is a sad and dark album. It feature's Lou Reed's general subject matter--drugs, prostitutes, abuse--but abandons the vitality present in his music. What results sounds like resignation the evolution of 'Caroline Says II' from 'Stephanie Says,' a song originally performed by the Velvet Underground. Instead of a title character full of wide eyed wonder, whose musings are backed by chimes, we get a woman who is beaten by her boyfriend and loses herself to drug addiction. All to theatrically maudlin instrumental tracks. And it's heartbreakingly beautiful.