Grandpa Reed has something to say to the troubled teens at Lollapalooza, 2009.
I love Lou, I really do.
Man, it bummed me out when I heard that Lou Reed died. One of my favorite musicians, the man exuded invincibility: "tough, acerbic, authentic, and uncompromising," I said on this blog after I made the trek to see him perform live in Chicago at Lollapalooza 2009.
Like a lot of Lou Reed fans, I got into the man's music after hearing Walk on the Wild Side - quite possibly the best hit song to beat the censor ("But she never lost her head, even when she was giving head..."). His album, Transformer, remains the easiest way to get into Reed's music: catchy tunes, glossy production, and David Bowie on background vocals - what's not to love?
For a lot of people, Lou Reed begins and ends here. It's too bad, because his life's work holds up to closer scrutiny. I know, because I've been spending the past week playing through his entire catalogue - from his work with the Velvet Underground to the end of his more-challenging solo stuff - and all you can really do is look upon his works, ye mighty, and despair.
Like the Who, Lou Reed is best experienced as an album artist; trying to compile the key tunes into a one-volume greatest-hits package inevitably falls short. For instance: do you include the challenging Coney Island Baby or the poppy Charley's Girl (from the same album)? Do you include the almost 11-minute concerto Street Hassle or the happy-go-lucky Real Good Time Together (also from the same album)?
It's quite possible to create a compilation that positions Lou as a pop artist, rock and roller, gender-rights activist, rapper, hipster, comedian, or drug addict. Instead of doing any of these things, I took notes as I played through the albums, which include these 50 highlights and observations (links open in YouTube):
1. Must-have albums
The Velvet Underground and Nico
Transformer
Berlin
New York
Songs for Drella
2. Avoid these albums at all costs
The Raven
Metal Machine Music
Lulu
3. Rock!
Future Farmers of America
4. Can't get it out of my head
How do You Think it Feels
5. Not as depressing an album as they say
Berlin
6. Best Lou singing vocal
Nobody But You
7. Best 80s new wave
No Money Down
8. Best song from a terrible album
Who am I? (from the Raven)
9. Best New York accent
I want to boogie "witchoo."
10. Best stab at having a hit
Satellite of Love
11. Worst stab at having a hit
The Original Wrapper
12. Best Andy Warhol quote on Songs For Drella (Warhol tribute album)
"I hate Lou, I really do..."
13. Argument for anxiety
Waves of Fear
Paranoia in Key of E
14. Worst Father's Day
My Old Man
15. Guest vocal
Bruce Springsteen's spoken-word monologue on Street Hassle
16. Transformation
Stephanie Says by the Velvet Underground becomes Caroline Says by Lou Reed
17. Funniest song about addiction
The Power of Positive Drinking
18. Scariest song about addiction
Herion
19. Least-convincing song about addiction
Egg Cream
20. Sound-alike alert
Adventurer
Warrior King
Future Farmers of America
21. Pixies rewrite
Hookywooky
22. Worst strategic alliances
The Killers
Metallica
23. S and M's greatest hits
Venus in Furs
The Gift
The Blue Mask
24. Walk on the Wild Side's unofficial sequel
Halloween Parade
25. Current-event songs
Good Evening, Mr. Waldheim
The Day John Kennedy Died
I Believe
26. Corporate rock
Work
Don't Talk to me About Work
Future Farmers of America
27. Lou the gamer
My Red Joystick
Down at the Arcade
Video Violence
28. Don't let Steve sing
Steve Buscemi - Broadway Song
29. Early meth reference
Sally Can't Dance
30. Love songs
I Love You
I'll Be Your Mirror
Satellite of Love
31. Shoulda been a single
I'm So Free
32. Short and sweet
New York Telephone Conversation
33. Happy Lou
I Love You, Suzanne
34. Country life is rubbish
Smalltown
35. Formulaic Lou
I Remember You
36. New York landmark
"The Statue of Bigotry" in Dirty Blvd.
37. Man about town
NYC Man
38. Eulogy album
Magic and Loss
39. Religion
Jesus
40. Let Moe Tucker sing
I'm Sticking With You
After Hours
41. Let Nico sing
Femme Fatale
I'll be Your Mirror
All Tomorrow's Parties
42. Let John Cale sing
Style it Takes
43. Velvet rock
What Goes On
White Light/White Heat
Sweet Jane
Rock and Roll
44. Provocative questions
"How do you think it feels to only make love by proxy?"
"What goes on in your mind?"
45. The Velvet Underground had fun?!
Temptation Inside Your Heart
46. Glockenspiel
Sunday Morning
Stephanie Says
47. Coo-coo or askew?
Andy's Chest versus Andy's Chest
48. Music video
No Money Down
49. Live
Jesus with Blind Boys of Alabama
50. What's your favorite Lou tune or album?
Post it in the comments before or on Twitter @kentonlarsen
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