I have to confess that I have more of an intellectual appreciation for Lou Reed’s career than a passion for it. Too much of his output struck me as being clever for cleverness’ sake alone – how else can you analyze something like Metal Machine Music? – but at his best, he certainly hit his share of home runs.
I had a college friend who was deeply into Reed and hated the obvious commercialism of Rock n Roll Animal (why, I don’t know, because there was definitely a broad wanna-be-a-rock-star streak in Reed), so that’s where I’m going today for my favorite Lou Reed song. Enjoy.
Get The Picture 
Lou Heads don’t like this record because he “sold out” on his minimalism thing. I don’t care. I love it too. He put together a great band for this tour. Transformer and New York are his best post VU work for me though.
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You can analyze MMM as being a big fuck-you to the musical establishment from someone who was far too much of a rebel to ever really be a rock star. And then you can go listen to Transformer and New York, like Jeff says, and everything is really all right.
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I agree with your assessment of Metal Machine Music; it’s a giant middle finger to the industry establishment. But I hope I never have to hear it again. 😉
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Right on.
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Lou’s obituary in Rolling Stone proclaims the Velvet Underground to be “the most influential American rock band of all time.” Now I remember why I quit reading RS twenty years ago.
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Which band is more so? They could actually be right about that, considering VU’s primary role in punk, glam, postpunk, alt/indie rock and all variations therein. Obviously, as far as individual performers go, they are not there with Elvis and any number of bluesmen & r & b performers, but bands? Pretty influential.
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It’s obviously subjective, but The Doors, Grateful Dead, The Beach Boys, R.E.M., and Nirvana were all more influential in my opinion.
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We can debate the Doors, Dead, and Beach Boys, those are good..but REM and Nirvana are the influenced, not the influencers, in this case. You knew that, right? They owe the debt to VU? REM may have covered a VU song or two, or three, way back when.
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Of course REM was much influenced by the VU. That doesn’t exclude them from being more influential than the VU. Is Jack White more influential than the Flat Duo Jets? Most would say yes. Like I said, it’s all subjective.
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Yes, it is. But VU is in part responsible for entire sub-genres that happened after them and didn’t exist before. They’re not solely responsible for those sub-genres, of course, but considering how many directions the influenced came from…You can’t say that about REM or Nirvana; they already were within the genres and helped expand them, not create whole new ones. Shoot, Jack White–don’t get me wrong, I like him–is just a half-step away from the MC5 & Stooges, really. Anyone he influences is probably more likely due to the true originals therein that he’s so much a product of himself.
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“a product himself,” sorry.
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See the Brian Eno quote below.
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Yes. First came upon that quote in sophomore year, 1987. Was looking up VU after Life’s Rich Pageant came out. Love Eno too, Scorpio, thanks!
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REM’s VU cover song that was simply a rip-off, not a cover. 🙂 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGI0v1Ul7eo
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Wonder how many people would be shocked at the condo developments in Costa Rica that has REM money in it?
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VU also partly inspired a revolution in Poland. That’s pretty strong.
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Everything that Lou did was distinctively Lou, yet he somehow managed to reinvent himself every few years. From VU to Transformer to Berlin to Rock ‘n’ Roll Animal to MMM to The Blue Mask to New Sensations to New York to Lulu. Each of these were decidedly different from the other, yet there was no mistaking they were all his. You may not like Lou Reed at all, but chances are you love a band that he heavily influenced.
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I detest Lou Reed. For whatever that’s worth. Heinous voice, flaccid lyrics and an opinion of himself that I always thought was way over-flattering. RIP just the same though.
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“I detest Lou Reed.” That’s okay, he’s not feeling too good himself
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“Only 30,000 people bought the Velvet Underground’s first album…but every one of them started a band.” Brian Eno.
It may be commercial, but if there is a better rock n’roll guitar riff than Steve Hunter’s on “Rock and Roll” somebody please send it to me.
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CCR was pretty influential too,
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I’ll have to abide that sentiment.
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Senator or somebody please enlightend me- on the VU song Oh! Sweet nothin’ is that Lou Reeds vocal? I just can’t tell but I love that song. Pardon the ignorance please..& thanks.
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I think Yule handled the lead vocals on that song.
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Gotcha. Thanks
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Wow this blog could also be a music blog. Lotta savvy folks here.
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We may know more about music than…..ah, never mind.
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We’re UGA. It’s in the blood. 🙂
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Amazing…we all seem to have similar taste in many things. Love Lou…still
have his tunes running through my head often. Thanks Senator!
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