Lust for Life [CD]

Got this for my wife, who is a bigger Lana del Rey fan than I, but I also think this is a great album; many tracks (with a lot of cohesion between them) yet no feeling of a need to skip any of them. Nice to listen all the way through...

Ive loved Lana for years her style is unlike any other artists that Ive listened to throughout my life. 13 Beaches has got to be my favorite Lana Del Rey song in her entire career. I get tears in my eyes almost every single time... truly hits my heart strings. Thanks Lana, and dont stop doing what youre doing.

I absolutely adore Lana and this album gets too much hate and I think it needs a little more love. The packaging for the record is absolutely beautiful and high quality.

If you havent heard Lana Del Rey on vinyl, its a must. Takes you back in time somehow and theyre not old songs.

A few pops on one song but overall really good

Her debut proper, the mesmerising Born to die, heralded a pop renaissance, receiving a plethora of accolades. Undoubtedly, and much deservedly so, it now ranks among the top defining records of this decade, being the most profound pop revelation since Lady Gagas storming The fame, back in 2009. Following that all-conquering record, the highly addictive Paradise EP intrigued even more the hardcore fans of this unexpected pop saviour. Deeper, darker and dirtier than its predecessor, it made a perfect companion to Lana Del Reys debut, showing her artistic intentions, and enhancing the publics fascination with her enigmatic persona. With Ultraviolence, a diverse, stripped-down psychedelic pop-rock slow-burner of an album, LDR proved that she is an adamant artist, moving further away from the baroque hip-pop of Born to die, and the eclectic indie/goth pop of Paradise. This is where she started to transform into the niche artist that she is. 2015s Honeymoon, her most refined set to date, was so utterly self-indulgent, to the point that one would say that she was sabotaging herself, in an attempt to prove that she is neither interested nor willing to rehush any of those past records brilliance. Though enjoyable, its songs were missing the instant appeal and sophisticated simplicity which drenched all those fantastic pop songs that captured the crowds and created a worldwide fascination back in 2012-2013. Which only makes the release of this 4th set even more interesting, as on Lust for life the damned diva, desolate princess, innocent lolita, insatiable b*tch, presents her most optimistic set of songs, managing to save herself from becoming a martyr to to her own carefully-constructed persona. Although she made a killing with the tortured, heartbroken style on previous albums, Lust for life breaks away from contemplating troubled love affairs. Reflecting the troubled times we are in, and addressing the state of the nation that Lana seems to be so fixated with, as it can be witnessed on the wonderful triptych of Coachella - Woodstock in my mind, God Bless America - And all the beautiful women in it, and When the world was at war we kept dancing. Who would have thought that the day would come for a Lana album without her trademark romanticising of toxic relationships... The closest she gets to that is on Heroin, where the double entendre of the word alludes to the drug and to fame as a metaphor. First single Love was indicative of that radical move in her narrative, where she mused on how love is driving forward the young generation, maintaining a sense of wonder and empowerment in the face of adversity cause its enough to be young and in love. Gone are the Hollywood iconography and spurned love stories, this is a new and different artistic chapter for her. On Change, a simple voice/piano number (the last track for this new set, recorded hours before the mastered record was turned into the label), she sings: Change is a powerful thing, people are powerful beings. The uptempo Get free is Lanas modern manifesto (sic) where she is attempting to change her negative mindset : Im doing it for all of us ...And all my birds of paradise / Who never got to fly at night, she says. Beautiful people beautiful problems, featuring the enigmatic Stevie Nicks is a highlight, just like the Beatles-referencing Tomorrow never came that features vocals by Sean Lennon. The standout collaboration on the record is her euphoric duet with The Weeknd; so addictive, so liberating, pure pop perfection. Because, ultimately, what LDR does is pop music. As much as she is trying to distance herself from it, there will always be pop elements embodied in her work. With her gentle and sustained vocal approach, the gloomy sensuality, hazy atmosphere and usual melancholy, this expansive 16-track, 72-minute set is a joy to listen, leaving a feeling of pleasure and content, very much like the joyful precision on Lanas face on the albums cover artwork (where the theme of cars/trucks continues). Lana is too soulful and idiosyncratic an individual, resonant and artistically authentic an artist. She is doing the exact opposite of what is expected of her by those who liked her music in the first place, which ironically is exactly what made her relevant to the music scene, while simultaneously separating her from it. Although back in 2012 I got to become obsessed with her songs and persona, I can now appreciate her work more objectively. Lust for life is really great but cannot compare with her first couple of records which were excellent. Born to die will live on forever; Paradise was heavenly; Ultraviolence was ultra-cool; Honeymoon was lethargically pleasant. Lust for life marks a new chapter in her music. I urge everyone to listen to this and be surprised. I have promised to love her till the end of time, and with this new album where she tightens up her craft and roots her new approach in escapism, I may love her even more. We may be born to die, indeed, but at least let us put on a smile.

I fear that Lana is running out of ideas. She has always presented herself as a storytelling type of musician, but lately those stories have been uninspiring starting with Honeymoon. I criticized Honeymoon because I felt it was too one-dimensional. Thats not really the problem with Lust For Life. She has created a bit of a more up-beat chill tune that is a bit refreshing. Unfortunately other problems come into play. Half the songs on this album sound rough and unpolished. Tracks like Cherry, Summer Bummer, and God Bless America sound like they belong in an experimental EP rather than the final product of an album - kind of interesting sounds but so not ready for prime time. Then theres the flagship song of the album, Lust For Life. Im going to nominate it as a candidate for Worst Lyrics of 2017. Droning take off all your clothes ad nauseum does not make a good song, whether you collaborated with The Weekend or not. I DID like White Mustang and kind of liked Heroin, but thats pretty much it. TLDR - Album feels unfinished and too rough for release. I feel like Lanas creativity peaked with her Paradise EP, and now its become stale, like shes burned out or something. I hope she can take a break and come back with something better, because I LOVE her voice!

LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS IS AMAZING

UV and Honeymoon are my favorite, but Lana still did excellent work on this album, its different but still Lana, she is still finding herself in this new place that she is in, its more outward focused then her other albums, which is understandable, but I love her previous albums more. Still a work of art as always by our queen mother Lana Del Rey.

Crazy good if your into the style!