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Lou Reed

Cugalabanza

By Cugalabanza
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Cugalabanza All Pro

Cugalabanza

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In all the music discussions that go on around here, I never see mention of Lou Reed. I believe he is deserving of legendary status. I've long been familiar with the Velvet Underground stuff and many of Lou's "best of" solo songs, but recently I've been filling out my vinyl collection with some of his classic early solo albums... Transformer (of course), Berlin, Rock and Roll Heart, Blue Mask Legendary Hearts, Sally Can't Dance, Street Hassle. They hold up very well as albums.

 

That is all, thank you. Lou Reed.

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Wooderson Veteran

Wooderson

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In all the music discussions that go on around here, I never see mention of Lou Reed. I believe he is deserving of legendary status. I've long been familiar with the Velvet Underground stuff and many of Lou's "best of" solo songs, but recently I've been filling out my vinyl collection with some of his classic early solo albums... Transformer (of course), Berlin, Rock and Roll Heart, Blue Mask Legendary Hearts, Sally Can't Dance, Street Hassle. They hold up very well as albums.

 

That is all, thank you. Lou Reed.

 

...and the colored girls go "Doo-doo-doo-doo-doo".

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Buftex Hall of Famer

Buftex

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Yeah, Lou is truly one of the greats, but will always be more appreciated more by musicians and artists, than by fans. I love the Velvet Underground stuff, and a lot of his post Velvets stuff..."Berlin" will always be one, if not the, most melancholy, depressing, but great albums ever. That said, he is also kind an arrogant, pretentious, SOB, which hasn't won him a lot of fans...but when he is good...he is like no other...VU is one of the most influential bands, that few have ever heard...and it is a shame. It is not like their stuff (at least not all of it) is so weird, or out there, that it couldn't have been top 40, even. When VU was in there heydey, the American radio top 40 was about as diverse as it ever has been...too bad "Sunday Morning" isn't a pop radio staple...sweet song...sweet sound..."Heroin", on the other hand, is much less accessible, but, to me, is one of the greatest pieces of music as art that I have ever come across...

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Buftex Hall of Famer

Buftex

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I............don't know just where I'm going.

But I'm goin to try for the kingdom if I can.

 

 

I remember the first time I heard this song...I was 14...it was snowing hard outside, and we knew that school had already been canceled the next morning...I was staying up all night, just listening to music, hanging out, changing the posters on the wall in my bedroom. "Heroin" came on the radio, at about three in the morning...on the old WIZARD radio, Gary Storms' show. I remember being in the middle of hanging a Stones poster, and just being mesmerized by this song. I had no idea who it was, but I just sat down on my bed, and listened to it, with my full attention...amazing song. I have to say, hearing this song, and Leonard Cohen's "Suzanne" changed the way I heard music from that point on. I love a good rock and roll tune as much as anyone (not The Dean!), but it made me realize that things don't have to be loud, to be powerful....

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Buftex Hall of Famer

Buftex

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I'm certainly not the biggest Lou Reed fan in the world, but I have a lot of respect for him. Never sold out. That's a big deal to me.

 

Well, technically, he did allow "Walk On the Wild Side" to be used in a moped commercial, years ago, back in the days when an "artist" letting their music be used in commercials was considered low-brow...now, artists seem to write songs for that very purpose.

 

I did get a kick out of it, a few months ago, when he wouldn't allow Susan Boyle (Scottish pre-fab phenom), who was the "America's Got Talent" (or whatever insipid show it was) to sing his song, "Perfect Day" on the show... of course, I saw that she did record the song for her new Christmas album! :thumbdown:

 

At the time, it was reported that Reed didn't like Boyle, her music, or what she represented (talent contest winners making millions, while true artists struggle to survive)...of course, the lure of her recording it for an album, which, sadly, would likely sell as many, if not more, records than Reed himself has sold in the last 30 years combined, must have been too much to resist...he changed his tune.

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Chef Jim Hall of Famer

Chef Jim

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I remember the first time I heard this song...I was 14...it was snowing hard outside, and we knew that school had already been canceled the next morning...I was staying up all night, just listening to music, hanging out, changing the posters on the wall in my bedroom. "Heroin" came on the radio, at about three in the morning...on the old WIZARD radio, Gary Storms' show. I remember being in the middle of hanging a Stones poster, and just being mesmerized by this song. I had no idea who it was, but I just sat down on my bed, and listened to it, with my full attention...amazing song. I have to say, hearing this song, and Leonard Cohen's "Suzanne" changed the way I heard music from that point on. I love a good rock and roll tune as much as anyone (not The Dean!), but it made me realize that things don't have to be loud, to be powerful....

 

I was about that age when I first heard it. I was already a stoner (pot mostly) and playing in a rock band. I was hooked.

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Sammyboy Practice Squad

Sammyboy

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I was in high school. Doing the usual stuff you did back then...or should I say using the usual stuff. A friend of mine said listen to this....We were driving around and I was amazed. Lou's not my favorite but I always like it when his music comes on. Oh and thanks for that link to youtube.

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Cugalabanza All Pro

Cugalabanza

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Lou is definitely not appreciated by many. I think he's great. Standin on the corner Suitcase in my hand.....My musical taste has always gone toward the more offbeat stuff though.

Sweet Jane has obviously been done to death, but I still love it. The lyrics kill me. I saw Lou Reed at a festival about 5 years ago and it was a pretty mediocre show. But Sweet Jane he really nailed and it gave me the chills. When he gets to "anyone who ever had a heart...wouldn't turn around and break it," it just gets me.

 

In my opinion, Lou has a really impressive body of work. He has some head-scratchers in there (e.g., Metal Machine Music), but also a very long list of great great songs.

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Chef Jim Hall of Famer

Chef Jim

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I dig Lou Reed. I didn't really know much about him at all until Trainspotting came out which used "perfect day" and then I did some research on him and found some other good stuff. If your a big Lou Reed fan you should check out the movie Adventureland

 

Question. If I'm a fan of a musician why the !@#$ would I want to check out a movie???

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BillsPride12 Veteran

BillsPride12

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Question. If I'm a fan of a musician why the !@#$ would I want to check out a movie???

 

In that particular movie Lou Reed is portrayed as an icon to the kids in it(one kid claims he had a guitar session with lou to impress chicks) but more importantly it uses a bunch of his songs in the background. That and its actually a great movie. Very different from the way it was advertised, think alot less like Superbad and alot more like Dazed and Confused.

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