Lou Reed (1942 – 2013)
Lou Reed, who brought a gritty, uncompromising, yet remarkably eloquent street approach to the worlds of rock n roll, literature and photography, passed away today. He was 71.
Brooklyn born and Long Island raised, Lou was a student of early 50s rock & R&B and its basic formula: two guitars, bass, drums, two chords, maybe three. But Lou also incorporated the unapologetic straight forward narratives of writers like Raymond Chandler lyrically and vocally. At a time when songs merely alluded to or spoke in code about drug use, ‘Heroin’ and ‘Waiting For The Man’, and the album Berlin took us deep into that world yet managed to neither condemned or celebrate the lifestyle. Lou also provided vivid snapshots into the seedier side of city life on such epic works as Coney Island Baby, Street Hassle, New York and, of course, what is considered by many his best album Transformer. He also had no problem flipping the script, as he did in 1982 with The Blue Mask, which looked at life as a newly married man living in the suburbs.
Starting with 1989’s New York, Lou approached the album format the way an author would a novel. Magic & Loss was an unflinching look at mortality written after the passing of two friends from cancer (one of whom was songwriting legend Doc Pomus). The Raven set to music the short stories and poems of another major influence on Lou, Edgar Allen Poe. Songs For Drella (for which he reunited with Velvet Underground alum John Cale) looked at the life of their mentor and friend Andy Warhol.
Lou was also never afraid to go where the art took him, irrespective of whether or not it would achieve mass appeal success. He followed up the very successful Transformer album, with Berlin, a dark, somber look at two junkies living in Germany. The album bombed when it was released in 1973 but with time, it is now regarded as one of his best works. In 2006, Lou performed the album in its entirety during a series of spectacular shows at St. Ann’s Warehouse in Brooklyn and it became the basis of a 2008 film directed by long time friend and fan, Julian Schnabel. Critics and fans were mystified by Metal Machine Metal, a double album of guitar feedback and noised played at various speeds but it had a profound impact on artists ranging from John Zorn to Sonic Youth. The live album Take No Prisoners does just that. It features as many extended monologues and rants as it does music, which is exactly the way Lou wanted it to be. Hudson River Wind Meditations was meditational music featuring no vocals. Then there was, of course, his controversial collaboration with Metallica on their joint album Lulu.
Lou’s sphere of influence runs from glam (David Bowie, T.Rex), to hard rock (his volcanic live album Rock n Roll Animal is considered a classic of the genre), to hip hop (A Tribe Called Quest sampled ‘Walk On The Wild Side’ on their hip ‘Can I Kick It?’), photography (Lou curated and present several exhibitions throughout the world), and theater (he was a frequent collaborator with playwright Robert Wilson and Lulu was based on a series of plays by early 20th Century German playwright Frank Wedekind). The list of musicians that Lou has worked with through the years on various solo projects is staggering: David Bowie, Robert Quine, Fernando Saunders, Tony ‘Thunder’ Smith, Mike Rathke, Rob Wasserman, Little Jimmy Scott, Dick Wagner, Steve Hunter, Bob Ezrin, the list goes on and on.
Lou was active politically, appearing at the 1987 Amnesty International Conspiracy Of Hope, advocating for better treatment for those afflicted with HIV/AIDS and appearing numerous times at the Free Tibet Concerts at Carnegie Hall.
Lou Reed is survived by his wife Laurie Anderson.
Rest easy Lou…
