With a powerful opening trio of tunes, Growing Up in Public proves Reed has the uncanny ability to speak in both poetic language and street verse. His wild side was giving way to an unusually domesticated singer/songwriter (it wouldn't last) who was revisiting the terrors of childhood, adolescence, and adulthood with an unblinking eye. "How Do You Speak To an Angel," powered by coproducer Michael Fonfara's keyboards and Ellard "Moose" Boles' bass, starts as an innocent dance before it gets tripped up in Reed's self-conscious doubts ("What do you with your pragmatic passions, with your classically neurotic smiles?" he asks). "My Old Man" delves into a stunted childhood. "Keep Away" hilariously recounts the ways Reed will change for the love of his life. "The Power of Positive Drinking" further rationalizes his difficult behavior, while "Smiles" delivers the insight "My mother said to me, 'Never ever, let anyone see that you're happy.'" Whether Reed is faking out his audience with misleading clues or baring his soul, Growing Up in Public comes close to explaining the man's entire career.