Lewis Allan "Lou" Reed (born March 2, 1942) is an American
rockRock music is a genre of popular music that entered the mainstream in the 1960s. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, rhythm and blues, country music and also drew on folk music, jazz and classical music....
musician best known as the guitarist, vocalist and principal songwriter of
The Velvet UndergroundThe Velvet Underground was an American art rock band formed in New York City, New York. First active from 1965 to 1973, their best-known members were Lou Reed and John Cale, who both went on to find success as solo artists...
as well as a successful solo artist whose career has spanned several decades. The Velvet Underground gained little mainstream attention during their career, but became one of the most influential of their era. As the Velvet Underground's main songwriter, Reed wrote about subjects of personal experience that rarely had been examined so openly in rock and roll, including a variety of sexual topics and drug culture. As a guitarist, he was a pioneer of many guitar effects including distortion, high volume
feedbackAudio feedback is a special kind of feedback which occurs when a sound loop exists between an audio input and an audio output...
, and nonstandard tunings.
Reed began a long and eclectic solo career in 1971. He had a hit the following year with "Walk on the Wild Side", although for more than a decade he evaded the mainstream commercial success its chart status offered him. Reed's work as a solo artist has frustrated critics wishing for a return of The Velvet Underground. The most notable example is 1975's infamous double LP of recorded feedback loops,
Metal Machine MusicMetal Machine Music, subtitled *The Amine β Ring, is an album by Lou Reed. It was originally released as a double album by RCA Records in 1975...
, upon which Reed later commented: "No one is supposed to be able to do a thing like that and survive." By the late 1980s, however, he had garnered recognition as an elder statesman of rock.
On April 12, 2008 Lou Reed married longtime companion
Laurie AndersonLaurie Anderson is an American experimental performance artist and musician who plays violin and keyboards and sings in a variety of experimental music and art rock styles. Initially trained as a sculptor, Anderson did her first performance-art piece in the late 1960s...
in a private ceremony in
Boulder, ColoradoBoulder is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of Boulder County, Colorado, in the United States. Boulder is the 11th most populous city in the state of Colorado. The United States Census Bureau estimates that in 2008 the population of the city of Boulder was...
.
Early life
Lou Reed was born into a Jewish family at Beth El Hospital in Brooklyn and grew up in
Freeport, New YorkFreeport is a village in the Town of Hempstead, Nassau County, New York, USA, on the South Shore of Long Island. The population was 43,783 at the 2000 census. A settlement since the 1640s, it was once an oystering community and later a resort popular with the New York City theater community...
. Contrary to some sources, his birth name was Lewis Allan Reed, not Louis Firbanks (that name was a joke started by
Lester BangsLeslie Conway "Lester" Bangs was an American music journalist, author and musician. Most famous for his work at Creem and Rolling Stone magazines, Bangs was and still is regarded as an extremely influential voice in rock criticism.-History:Bangs was born in Escondido, California, USA...
for
CreemCreem , "America's Only Rock 'n' Roll Magazine", was a monthly rock 'n' roll publication first published in March 1969 by Barry Kramer and founding editor Tony Reay. It suspended production in 1989 but received a short-lived renaissance in the early '90s as a glossy tabloid...
magazine). Having learned to play the guitar from the radio, he developed an early interest in rock and roll and
rhythm and bluesRhythm and blues is the name given to a wide-ranging genre of popular music created by African Americans in the late 1940s and early 1950s...
, and during high school played in a number of bands. His first recording was as a member of a doo wop-style group called The Shades.
Reed received
electroconvulsive therapyElectroconvulsive therapy , also known as electroshock, is a well-established, albeit controversial, psychiatric treatment in which seizures are electrically induced in anesthetized patients for therapeutic effect...
in his teen years to "cure" homosexual behavior; he wrote about the experience in his 1974 song, "Kill Your Sons". In an interview, Reed said of the experience:
Reed began attending
Syracuse UniversitySyracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, U.S.A.. It was founded as a university in 1870, but its roots can be traced back to a seminary founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832 which eventually became Genesee College...
, studying journalism, film directing and creative writing before finding his true calling when he began hosting a late-night radio program on
WAERWAER is a radio station in Syracuse, New York. It is located on the campus of Syracuse University, and is an auxiliary service of the school. The station features a jazz music and National Public Radio format, with a news and music staff providing programming around the clock...
called "Excursions On A Wobbly Rail". Named after a song by pianist
Cecil TaylorCecil Percival Taylor is an American pianist and poet. Classically trained, Taylor is generally acknowledged as one of the pioneers of free jazz. His music is characterized by an extremely energetic, physical approach, producing complex improvised sounds, frequently involving tone clusters and...
, the program typically featured doo wop,
rhythm and bluesRhythm and blues is the name given to a wide-ranging genre of popular music created by African Americans in the late 1940s and early 1950s...
and
jazzJazz is a musical art form which originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States from a confluence of African and European music traditions....
, particularly the
free jazzFree jazz is an approach to jazz music that was first developed in the 1950s and 1960s.Though the music produced by free jazz pioneers varied widely, the common feature was a dissatisfaction with the limitations of bebop, hard bop, and modal jazz, which had developed in the 1940s and 1950s...
developed in the mid-1950s. Many of Reed's guitar techniques, such as the guitar-drum roll, were inspired by jazz saxophonists, notably
Ornette ColemanOrnette Coleman is an American saxophonist, violinist, trumpeter and composer. He was one of the major innovators of the free jazz movement of the 1960s....
. Reed graduated from the Syracuse College of Arts and Sciences with a B.A in June 1964.
Noted poet
Delmore SchwartzDelmore Schwartz was an American poet and short story writer from Brooklyn, New York.-Biography:Schwartz was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York...
taught at Syracuse and befriended Reed, who in 1966 dedicated to Schwartz the song "
European Son"European Son" is a song written and performed by the American rock and roll band The Velvet Underground. It appears as the final track on their 1967 first album The Velvet Underground & Nico. It is also the album's longest song at more than seven and a half minutes."European Son" is dedicated by...
", from the Velvet Underground's debut album
The Velvet Underground & Nico. In 1982, Reed recorded "My House" as a tribute to his late mentor: "My
DedalusStephen Dedalus is James Joyce's literary alter ego, as well as the protagonist and antihero of his first, semi-autobiographical novel of artistic existence A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man and an important character in Joyce's monumental Ulysses...
to your
BloomLeopold Bloom is the fictional protagonist and antihero of James Joyce's novel Ulysses, assuming the role of the 'Odysseus' character. Like the Greek hero in The Odyssey, he is absent at the beginning of the story, and does not feature until episode four of the novel...
was such a perfect
witWit is a form of intellectual humour, and a wit is someone skilled in making witty remarks. Forms of wit include the quip and repartee.- Forms of wit :...
." He said later his goals as a writer were "to bring the sensitivities of the novel to rock music" or to write the Great American Novel in a record album.
Staff songwriter at Pickwick Records
In 1963, Reed moved to New York City, and began working as an in-house songwriter for
Pickwick RecordsPickwick Records was an American record label and distributor known for its releases of sound-alike recordings, bargain bin reissues and repackagings under the brands Design, Bravo , Hurrah, Grand Prix, and children's records on the Cricket and Happy Time labels.The label is also known for...
. In 1964, he scored a minor hit with the single "The Ostrich", a
parodicA parody , in contemporary usage, is a work created to mock, comment on, or poke fun at an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
novelty songA novelty song is a comical or nonsensical song, performed principally for its comical effect. Humorous songs, or those containing humorous elements, are not necessarily novelty songs. The term arose in Tin Pan Alley to describe one of the major divisions of popular music. The other two divisions...
of popular "dance songs" such as "
The Twist"The Twist" is a twelve bar blues song that gave birth to the Twistdance craze. The song was written and originally released in 1959 by Hank Ballard and the Midnighters as a B-side but his version was only a moderate 1960 hit, peaking at 28 on the Billboard Hot 100...
" that included lines such as "put your head on the floor and have somebody step on it." His employers had felt the song had hit potential, and arranged for a band to be assembled around Reed to promote the recording. The ad hoc group, called The Primitives, included Welsh musician
John CaleJohn Davies Cale is a Welsh musician, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer who was a founding member of the experimental rock band The Velvet Underground....
, who had recently moved to New York to study music and was playing viola in composer
La Monte YoungLa Monte Thornton Young is an American composer and musician.Young is generally recognized as the first minimalist composer, and one of the four most celebrated leaders of the minimalist school, along with Terry Riley, Steve Reich and Philip Glass, despite having little in common formally with...
's Theater of Eternal Music along with
Tony ConradTony Conrad is an American avant-garde video artist, experimental filmmaker, musician/composer, sound artist, teacher and writer...
. Cale and Conrad were both surprised to find that for "The Ostrich" Reed tuned each string of his guitar to the same note. This technique created a
droneIn music, a drone is a harmonic or monophonic effect or accompaniment where a note or chord is continuously sounded throughout most or all of a piece. The word drone is also used to refer to any part of a musical instrument that is just used to produce such an effect.-A musical effect:A drone...
effect similar to their experimentation in Young's avant garde ensemble. Disappointed with Reed's performance, Cale was nevertheless impressed by Reed's early repertoire (including "
Heroin"Heroin" is a song by The Velvet Underground, released on their 1967 debut album, The Velvet Underground & Nico. Written by Lou Reed in 1964, the song is one of the band's most celebrated compositions, overtly depicting heroin use and abuse...
"), and a partnership began to evolve.
The Velvet Underground
Reed and Cale lived together on the
Lower East SideThe Lower East Side is a neighborhood in the southeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is roughly bounded by Allen Street, E. Houston, Essex Street, Canal Street, Eldridge Street, East Broadway, and Grand Street...
, and, adding Reed's college acquaintances guitarist
Sterling MorrisonHolmes Sterling Morrison, Jr. was one of the founding members of the rock group The Velvet Underground, usually playing electric guitar, occasionally bass guitar, and singing backing vocals.-Biography:...
and drummer
Maureen TuckerMaureen Ann "Moe" Tucker is a musician best known for having been the drummer for the rock group The Velvet Underground.- The Velvet Underground :...
to the group, they formed The Velvet Underground. Though internally unstable (Cale left in 1968; Reed in 1970) and never achieving significant commercial success, the band has a long-standing reputation as one of the most influential underground bands in rock history.
The group caught the attention of notable artist
Andy WarholAndrew Warhola , more commonly known as Andy Warhol, was an American painter, printmaker, and filmmaker who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art...
, who raised their profile immeasurably, if not improving their immediate fortunes. One of Warhol's first contributions to the band's success was securing them a steady spot as the house band at
Max's Kansas CityMax's Kansas City was a nightclub and restaurant at 213 Park Avenue South, between 17th and 18th Streets, in New York City that was a gathering spot for musicians, poets, artists and politicians in the 1960s and 1970s.-Max's I:...
. Warhol's associates inspired many of Reed's songs as he fell into a thriving, multifaceted artistic scene. Reed rarely gives an interview without paying homage to Warhol as a mentor figure. Still, conflict emerged when Warhol had the idea for the group to take on as "chanteuse" the European former model
NicoNico was a German singer-songwriter, fashion model, actress, and Warhol Superstar...
. Reed and the others registered their objection by titling their debut album
The Velvet Underground & Nico. Despite his initial resistance, Reed wrote several songs for Nico to sing, and the two were briefly lovers (as were Nico and Cale later). At the time, this album reached #171 on the charts.
Today, however, it is considered one of the most influential rock albums ever produced, influencing
glam rockGlam rock is a style that developed in the UK in the post-hippie early 1970s that was "performed by singers and musicians wearing outrageous clothes, makeup, hairstyles, and platform-soled boots." The flamboyant costumes, and visual styles of glam performers were a campy, theatrical blend of...
,
punkPunk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed the perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
, post punk,
gothic rockGothic rock is a musical subgenre of Post-Punk and Alternative Rock that formed during the late 1970s. Gothic rock bands grew from the strong ties they had to the English punk rock and emerging post-punk scenes...
,
shoegazingShoegazing is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged from the United Kingdom in the late 1980s. It lasted until the mid 1990s with a critical zenith reached in 1990 and 1991...
and more.
Rolling StoneRolling Stone is a United States-based magazine devoted to music, politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J. Gleason.The magazine was named after the 1948 Muddy Waters song of the same...
has it listed as the 13th-best album of all time.
Brian EnoBrian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno , commonly known as simply Brian Eno , is an English musician, composer, record producer, music theorist and singer, who, as a solo artist, is best known as one of the principal innovators of ambient music.Eno studied at art school, taking...
once famously stated that although few people bought the album, most of those who did were inspired to form their own band.
By the time the band recorded
White Light/White HeatWhite Light/White Heat is the second studio album by the American rock band The Velvet Underground. The record was the group's last with bassist and founding member John Cale.-Recording:...
, Nico had quit and Warhol was fired, both against Cale's wishes. Warhol's replacement as manager,
Steve SesnickStephen Sesnick took over the management of The Velvet Underground following the departure of Andy Warhol after the band's first album. Formerly, he had been the manager and booker of the Boston Tea Party, the major rock venue in Boston at the time, where he discovered and presented most of the...
, convinced Reed to drive Cale out of the band. Morrison and Tucker were discomfited by Reed's tactics but continued with the group. Cale's replacement was
Doug YuleDouglas Alan Yule is an American musician and singer, most notable for being a member of The Velvet Underground from 1968 to 1973.- Early career :Yule began playing with various bands in his native Boston in the 1960s...
, whom Reed would often facetiously introduce as his younger brother. The group now took on a more pop-oriented sound and acted more as a vehicle for Reed to develop his songwriting craft. The group released two more albums with this line up: 1969's
The Velvet UndergroundThe Velvet Underground is the third album by American rock group The Velvet Underground. It was their first record to feature Doug Yule, John Cale's replacement in the band. It was recorded in 1968 at TTG Studios in Hollywood, California. It marks a radical shift in sound and approach. Frontman Lou...
and 1970's
Loaded. The latter included two of the group's most commercially successful songs, "Rock and Roll" and "Sweet Jane". Reed left the Velvet Underground in August 1970; the band disintegrated as core members
Sterling MorrisonHolmes Sterling Morrison, Jr. was one of the founding members of the rock group The Velvet Underground, usually playing electric guitar, occasionally bass guitar, and singing backing vocals.-Biography:...
and
Maureen TuckerMaureen Ann "Moe" Tucker is a musician best known for having been the drummer for the rock group The Velvet Underground.- The Velvet Underground :...
departed in August 1971 and early 1972, respectively. Yule continued until early 1973, and the band released one more studio album,
Squeeze, under the Velvet Underground name.
After the band's move to
Atlantic RecordsAtlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm & blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
'
CotillionCotillion Records was a subsidiary of Atlantic Records. President of Cotillion Records was Henry E. Allen. It was active from the late 1960s through 1985...
label, their new manager pushed Reed to change the subject matter of his songs to lighter topics in hopes of resulting in more accessible and mainstream music. The band's album
Loaded had taken more time to record than the previous three albums together and was written and produced to be "loaded with hits", but had not broken the band through to a wider audience. Reed briefly retired to his parents' home on
Long IslandLong Island is an island located in southeastern New York, United States, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City, and two of which are mainly suburban...
.
1970s
After quitting the Velvet Underground in August 1970, Reed took a job at his father's tax accounting firm as a typist, by his own account earning $40 a week. A year later, however, he signed a recording contract with
RCARCA Corporation, founded as Radio Corporation of America, was an electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. Currently, the RCA trademark is owned by the French conglomerate Thomson SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Thomson...
and recorded his first solo album in London with top session musicians including
Steve HoweStephen James "Steve" Howe is an English guitarist best known for his work with the progressive rock group Yes after replacing Peter Banks in 1970...
and
Rick WakemanRichard Christopher Wakeman is an English keyboard player, composer, and songwriter known as the keyboardist for progressive rock group Yes. Originally a classically trained pianist, he was a pioneer in the use of electronic keyboards and in the use of a rock band in combination with orchestra and...
, members of the
progressive rockProgressive rock is a form of rock music that evolved in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility."...
group
YesYes are an English progressive rock band that was formed in London in 1968. Their music is marked by sharp dynamic contrasts, extended song lengths, abstract lyrics, and a general showcasing of instrumental prowess. Yes blends symphonic and other 'classical' structures with their own brand of...
. The album, simply titled
Lou ReedLou Reed is Lou Reed's 1972 debut solo album, released two years after he left The Velvet Underground. The album comprises eight new recordings of then-unreleased Velvet Underground songs, plus two new songs, "Going Down" and "Berlin" .With increasing interest in the Velvet Underground, Reed's...
, contained smoothly produced, re-recorded versions of unreleased Velvet Underground songs, some of which were originally recorded by the Velvets for
Loaded but shelved (see the
Peel Slowly and SeePeel Slowly and See is a five-disc box set of material by The Velvet Underground. It was released in September 1995 by Polydor.-Compilation:...
box set). This first solo album was overlooked by most pop music critics (although
Stephen HoldenStephen Holden is an American writer, music critic, film critic, and poet.Holden earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Yale University in 1963...
in
Rolling StoneRolling Stone is a United States-based magazine devoted to music, politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J. Gleason.The magazine was named after the 1948 Muddy Waters song of the same...
called it "almost perfect") and it did not sell in significant numbers.
In 1972 Reed released the glam rock record
TransformerTransformer is Lou Reed's breakthrough second solo album, released in December 1972. Unlike its predecessor Lou Reed, eight songs of which were leftovers from his Velvet Underground days, this album contains mainly new material...
.
David BowieDavid Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. Active in five decades of popular music and frequently reinventing his music and image, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
and
Mick RonsonMichael "Mick" Ronson was an English guitarist, composer, multi-instrumentalist, arranger and producer. He is most well known for his work with David Bowie from 1970 to 1973, Bowie's glam rock period, including being part of The Spiders from Mars band.He also had a solo career, the most notable...
co-produced the album and introduced Reed to a wider popular audience (specifically in the UK). The hit single "Walk on the Wild Side" was both a salute and swipe at the misfits, hustlers, and transvestites in Andy Warhol's
FactoryThe Factory was Andy Warhol's original New York City studio from 1962 to 1968, although his later studios were known as The Factory as well. The Factory was located on the fifth floor at 231 East 47th Street, in Midtown Manhattan. The rent was "only about one hundred dollars a year"...
. The song's cleverly transgressive lyrics evaded radio censorship. Though musically somewhat atypical for Reed, it eventually became his signature song. The song came about as a result of his commission to compose a soundtrack to a theatrical adaptation of
Nelson AlgrenNelson Algren was an American writer.-Early life:Born Nelson Ahlgren Abraham in Detroit, Michigan. At the age of three he moved with his parents to Chicago, Illinois where they lived in a working-class, immigrant neighborhood on the South Side...
's novel of the same name, though the play failed to materialize. Ronson's arrangements brought out new aspects of Reed's songs; "
Perfect Day"Perfect Day" is a song written by Lou Reed in 1972. Its fame was given a boost in the 1990s when it was featured in the 1996 film Trainspotting, and after its release as a charity single in 1997....
", for example, features delicate strings and soaring dynamics. It was rediscovered in the 1990s and allowed Reed to drop "Walk on the Wild Side" from his concerts.
Though
Transformer would prove to be Reed's commercial and critical pinnacle, there was no small amount of resentment in Reed devoted to the shadow the record cast over the rest of his career. A public argument between Bowie and Reed ended their working relationship for several years, though the subject of the argument is not known. The two reconciled some years later, and Reed performed with Bowie at the latter's 50th birthday concert at
Madison Square GardenMadison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, has been the name of four arenas in New York City. It is also the name of the entity which owns the arena and several of the professional sports franchises which play there. There have been four incarnations of...
in 1997. The two would not formally collaborate again until 2003's
The Raven. Reed followed
Transformer with the darker
BerlinBerlin is a 1973 album by Lou Reed, his third solo album and the follow-up to Transformer. In 2003, the album was ranked number 344 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.-Background and production:...
, which tells the story of two junkies in love in
the titular cityBerlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. With a population of 3.4 million within its city limits, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city and the eighth most populous urban area in the European Union...
. The songs variously concern domestic abuse ("Caroline Says I", "Caroline Says II"), drug addiction ("How Do You Think It Feels"),
adulteryAdultery is referred to as extramarital sex, philandery, or infidelity, but does not include fornication. The term "adultery" for many people carries a moral or religious association, while the term "extramarital sex" is morally or judgmentally neutral....
and
prostitutionProstitution is the act or practice of engaging in sex acts for hire. In most cultures, prostitution is viewed by many as a deviant profession, either illegal or socially discouraged...
("The Kids"), and suicide ("The Bed").
As he had done with
Berlin after
Transformer, in 1975 Reed responded to his glam rock success with a commercial failure, a double album of electronically generated audio feedback,
Metal Machine MusicMetal Machine Music, subtitled *The Amine β Ring, is an album by Lou Reed. It was originally released as a double album by RCA Records in 1975...
. Critics interpreted it as a gesture of contempt, an attempt to break his contract with RCA or to alienate his less sophisticated fans. But Reed claimed that the album was a genuine artistic effort, even suggesting that quotations of
classical musicClassical music is the mainstream music produced in, or rooted in the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 9th century to present times...
could be found buried in the feedback. Lester Bangs declared it "genius", though also as psychologically disturbing. The album was reportedly returned to stores by the thousands after a few weeks. Though later admitting that the liner notes' list of instruments is fictitious and intended as
parodyA parody , in contemporary usage, is a work created to mock, comment on, or poke fun at an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
, Reed maintains that
MMM was and is a serious album. He has since stated though that at the time he had taken it seriously, he was also "very stoned". In the 2000s it was adapted for orchestral performance by the German ensemble Zeitkratzer.
By contrast, 1975's
Coney Island BabyConey Island Baby is an album by Lou Reed, released in 1976. It is also the title of a song on that album. The name presumably refers to the Excellents' 1962 doo wop song of the same name, and/or a 1924 Les Appleton barbershop music song of the same name...
was mainly a warm and mellow album, though for its characters Reed still drew on the underworld of city life. At this time his lover was a
transgenderTransgender is a general term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies to diverge from the normative gender roles....
woman, Rachel, mentioned in the dedication of "Coney Island Baby" and appearing in the photos on the cover of Reed's 1977 "best of" album,
Walk on the Wild Side: The Best of Lou ReedWalk on the Wild Side: The Best of Lou Reed is the first greatest hits compilation by Lou Reed, formerly of The Velvet Underground. It was issued by RCA records after the termination of Reed's first contract with them ended in 1976...
. While
Rock and Roll Heart, his 1976 debut for his new record label
AristaArista Records is an American record label. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operates under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...
, fell short of expectations,
Street HassleStreet Hassle is a 1978 album by Lou Reed. The studio tracks were recorded in New York City, while the live recordings were made in Munich, West Germany...
(1978) was a return to form in the midst of the
punkPunk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed the perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
scene he had helped to inspire. But ironically Reed was dismissive of punk and ...'disclaimed any identity with punk '"Its... [r]idiculous I'm too literate to be into punk rock...The whole
CBGBCBGB was a music club at 315 Bowery at Bleecker Street in the borough of Manhattan in New York City.Founded by Hilly Kristal in 1973, it was originally intended to feature its namesake musical styles, but became a forum for American punk and New Wave bands like Ramones, Misfits, Television, the...
's, new
Max'sMax's Kansas City was a nightclub and restaurant at 213 Park Avenue South, between 17th and 18th Streets, in New York City that was a gathering spot for musicians, poets, artists and politicians in the 1960s and 1970s.-Max's I:...
thing that everyone's into and what's going on in
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
— you don't seriously think I'm responsible for what's mostly rubbish?"'
The BellsThe Bells is the ninth album by Lou Reed released through Arista Records in 1979. It is recorded in binaural sound. "City Lights" is a tribute to Charlie Chaplin. "Disco Mystic" is indeed played in a disco style, and the lyrics consist of those two words repeated...
(1979) featured jazzJazz is a musical art form which originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States from a confluence of African and European music traditions....
great Don CherryDon Cherry was an innovative African-American jazz trumpeter whose career began with a long association with saxophonist Ornette Coleman, and who would go on to live and work with a wide variety of musicians in many parts of the world.-Biography:Cherry was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and...
, and was followed the following year by Growing Up in PublicGrowing Up in Public is the tenth album by rock and roll artist Lou Reed, released in 1980.- Track listing :All songs written by Lou Reed & Michael Fonfara#"How Do You Speak To An Angel?" – 4:08#"My Old Man" – 3:15#"Keep Away" – 3:31...
with guitarist Chuck HammerChuck Hammer is an American guitarist and Emmy nominated digital film composer, known for seminal guitar-synth with Lou Reed, David Bowie, and Guitarchitecture....
. Around this period he also appeared as a sleazy record producerIn the music industry, a record producer has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes...
in Paul SimonPaul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter. He entered the public consciousness in 1965 as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, along with longtime artistic partner Art Garfunkel. Simon solely wrote most of duo's songs, including such memorable songs as "The Sound of Silence", "The Boxer",...
's film One Trick Pony
. Reed also played several unannounced one-off concerts in tiny downtown ManhattanManhattan is one of the five boroughs of New York City, located primarily on Manhattan Island at the mouth of the Hudson River.New York County, which has the same boundaries as the Borough of Manhattan , is the most densely populated county in the United States, with a 2008 population of 1,634,795...
clubs with the likes of Cale, Patti SmithPatricia Lee "Patti" Smith is an American singer–songwriter, poet and visual artist who was a highly influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album Horses. Called the "Godmother of Punk", she integrated the beat poetry performance style with three-chord rock...
, and David ByrneDavid Byrne is a Scottish-American musician and artist best known as a founding member and principal songwriter of the new wave band Talking Heads, which was active between 1974 and 1991. Since then, Byrne has released his own solo projects on record, and worked in a variety of media, including...
during the period, but full reconciliation between Cale and Reed was implausible. Cale later wrote the song "Woman" about Reed on his album BlackAcetateblackAcetate is a 2005 album by John Cale, his second album for EMI."Perfect" was released as a single in the UK two weeks after the album, and was subsequently included in The Sunday Times' list of the top 20 pop songs of the year....
.
1980s
In 1980, Reed married British designer Sylvia Morales. They were divorced more than a decade later. While together, Morales inspired some of Reed's best known love songs, particularly "Think it Over" from 1980's Growing Up in PublicGrowing Up in Public is the tenth album by rock and roll artist Lou Reed, released in 1980.- Track listing :All songs written by Lou Reed & Michael Fonfara#"How Do You Speak To An Angel?" – 4:08#"My Old Man" – 3:15#"Keep Away" – 3:31...
and "Heavenly Arms" from 1982's The Blue MaskThe Blue Mask is the eleventh studio album by singer-songwriter Lou Reed. It was the first album released after Reed left Arista and returned to RCA. It returns to the stripped-down sound of his previous group, the Velvet Underground, with only guitars, bass and drums...
. After Legendary HeartsLegendary Hearts is a 1983 album by rock and roll musician Lou Reed. It was dedicated to Reed's wife, Sylvia.-Side one:#"Legendary Hearts" - 3:23#"Don't Talk to Me About Work" - 2:07#"Make Up Mind" - 2:48#"Martial Law" - 3:53#"The Last Shot" - 3:22...
(1983) and New SensationsNew Sensations is a 1984 album by Lou Reed.When this album was released, critics and listeners alike took note of a change in the songs as being more upbeat and fun than much of Reed's prior work...
(1984) fared adequately on the charts, Reed was sufficiently rehabilitated as a public figure to become spokesman for
Hondais a Japanese multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles. Honda is the world's largest manufacturer of motorcycles as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume. Honda surpassed Nissan in 2001 to become...
scooters.
On September 22, 1985, Reed performed at the first Farm Aid concert in Champaign, Illinois, USA. He performed "Doin' The Things That We Want To", "I Love You, Suzanne", and "New Sensations" from "New Sensations", and "Walk on The Wild Side".
In 1986, he joined the
Amnesty InternationalAmnesty International is an international secular non-governmental organisation which defines its mission as "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated." Founded in London in 1961, AI...
A Conspiracy of Hope TourA Conspiracy of Hope was a short tour of six benefit concerts on behalf of Amnesty International that took place in the United States during June 1986...
and was outspoken about New York's political issues and personalities on the 1989 album
New YorkNew York is a 1989 album by Lou Reed. It was received very warmly as a return to the style of The Velvet Underground, the group which Reed founded in the 1960s and whose legacy had grown in stature during the 1980s as it was carried on by any number of alternative rock acts...
, commenting on crimeCrime is the breach of one or more rules or laws for which some governing authority, via mechanisms such as police power, may ultimately prescribe a conviction...
, AIDSAcquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus ....
, Jesse JacksonJesse Louis Jackson, Sr. is an American civil rights activist and Baptist minister. He was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988 and served as shadow senator for the District of Columbia from 1991 to 1997. He was the founder of both entities that merged to form...
, Kurt WaldheimKurt Josef Waldheim was an Austrian diplomat and politician. Waldheim was Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1972 to 1981, and President of Austria from 1986 to 1992...
, and Pope John Paul IIPope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła served as Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death almost 27 years later. His was the second-longest pontificate; only Pope Pius IX served longer...
.
Following Warhol's death after routine surgery in 1987, Reed again collaborated with John CaleJohn Davies Cale is a Welsh musician, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer who was a founding member of the experimental rock band The Velvet Underground....
on 1990's Songs for DrellaSongs for Drella is a concept album by Lou Reed and John Cale, both formerly of The Velvet Underground.On January 9, 1989 Cale and Reed performed a selection of Songs for Drella at The Church of St. Anne's in Brooklyn. The first full version was played on November 29-30, and December 2-3 at the...
(Drella - Warhol's nickname - is a blend of the words "
DraculaDracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker, featuring as its primary antagonist the vampire Count Dracula.Dracula has been attributed to many literary genres including vampire literature, horror fiction, the gothic novel and invasion literature. Structurally it is an epistolary novel,...
" and "
CinderellaCinderella is a well-known classic folk tale embodying a myth-element of unjust oppression/triumphant reward. Thousands of variants are known throughout the world. The title character is a young woman living in unfortunate circumstances which suddenly change to remarkable fortune...
"). The album marked an end to a 22-year estrangement. The album took the shape of a Warhol biography; on the album, Reed sings of his love for his late friend, but also criticizes both the doctors who were unable to save Warhol's life and Warhol's would-be assassin,
Valerie SolanasValerie Jean Solanas was an American radical feminist writer, best known for her attempted murder of Andy Warhol in 1968. She wrote the SCUM Manifesto which encouraged male gendercide and the creation of an all-female society.-Early life:Solanas was born in Ventnor City, New Jersey to Louis...
.
1990s
In 1990, following a 20-year hiatus, the Velvet Underground reformed for a Cartier benefit in
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
. Reed released his sixteenth solo record,
Magic and LossMagic and Loss is a concept album by Lou Reed, released in 1992. It was his sixteenth album. It was informed by the illnesses and deaths of two close friends; songwriter Doc Pomus, who gave Reed his start in the music business, and Rotten Rita...
in 1992, an album about mortality, inspired by the death of two close friends from cancerCancer is a class of diseases in which a group of cells display uncontrolled growth , invasion , and sometimes metastasis...
. In 1993, the Velvet Underground again reunited and toured throughout EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
, although plans for a North American tour were cancelled following another falling out between Reed and Cale. In 1994, Reed appeared in A Celebration: The Music of Pete Townshend and The WhoA Celebration: The Music of Pete Townshend and The Who, also known as Daltrey Sings Townshend, is a music event and later album documenting a two-night concert at Carnegie Hall in 1994. This event was produced by Roger Daltrey of English rock band The Who in celebration of his fiftieth birthday...
, also known as Daltrey Sings Townshend
. This was a two-night concert at Carnegie HallCarnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
produced by Roger Daltrey Roger Harry Daltrey CBE is an English singer-songwriter and actor, best known as the founder and lead singer of English rock band The Who...
in celebration of his fiftieth birthday. In 1994, a CD and a VHSVideo Home System, better known by its abbreviation VHS, was a video tape recording standard developed during the 1970s. It was released to the public during the latter half of the decade. During the late part of the 1970s and the early 1980s it formed one-half of the VHS vs Betamax war, which it...
video were issued, and in 1998 a DVDDVD, also known as Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc,is an optical disc storage media format, and was founded in 1995. Its main uses are video and data storage...
was released. Reed performed a radically rearranged version of "Now And Then" from PsychoderelictPsychoderelict is a concept album written, produced and engineered by Pete Townshend. Some characters and issues presented in this work were continued in Townshend's later opus The Boy Who Heard Music, first presented on The Who's album Endless Wire and then adapted as a rock...
.
In 1996, the Velvet Underground were inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of FameThe Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shores of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, dedicated to recording the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, and other people who have in some major way influenced the music...
. At the induction ceremony, Reed performed a song entitled "Last Night I Said Goodbye to My Friend" alongside former bandmates John Cale and
Maureen TuckerMaureen Ann "Moe" Tucker is a musician best known for having been the drummer for the rock group The Velvet Underground.- The Velvet Underground :...
, in dedication to Velvet Underground guitarist
Sterling MorrisonHolmes Sterling Morrison, Jr. was one of the founding members of the rock group The Velvet Underground, usually playing electric guitar, occasionally bass guitar, and singing backing vocals.-Biography:...
, who had died the previous August. Reed has since been nominated for the Rock Hall as a solo artist twice, in 2000 and 2001, but has not been inducted.
His 1996 album,
Set the Twilight ReelingSet the Twilight Reeling is a 1996 album by rock and roll singer Lou Reed.Cover art from Stefan Sagmeister. The CD case sold with the album was a dark purple/blue hue, making the cover look simply like a dark blue picture of Reed's face; the bright yellow aspect and the "rays" of the cover image...
, met with a lukewarm reception, but 2000's Ecstasy
drew praise from most critics, including Robert ChristgauRobert Christgau is an American essayist, music journalist, and self-professed "Dean of American Rock Critics". In print, he often abbreviates his name as Xgau....
. In 1996, Reed contributed songs and music to Time Rocker
, an avant-garde theatrical interpretation of H.G. Wells' The Time MachineThe Time Machine is a novella by H. G. Wells, first published in 1895 and later directly adapted into at least two feature films of the same name, as well as two television versions, and a large number of comic book adaptations. It indirectly inspired many more works of fiction in all media...
staged by theater director
Robert WilsonRobert Wilson is an American avant-garde stage director and playwright who has been called "[America]'s — or even the world's — foremost vanguard 'theater artist'". Over the course of his wide-ranging career, he has also worked as a choreographer, performer, painter, sculptor, video...
. The piece premiered in the
Thalia TheaterThe Thalia Theater is one of the three state-owned theatres in Hamburg, Germany. It was founded in 1843 by Charles Maurice Schwartzenberger and named after the muse Thalia...
in
HamburgHamburg is the second-largest city in Germany and the sixth-largest city in the European Union...
, Germany, and was later also shown at The Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York.
In 1998, the PBS T.V. show,
American MastersAmerican Masters is a PBS television show which produces biographies on what it considers are the best artists, actors and writers of the United States. It is produced by WNET in New York City...
aired
Timothy Greenfield-SandersTimothy Greenfield-Sanders is an American portrait photographer known for his strikingly intimate portraits of world leaders and major cultural figures. The majority of his work is shot in large format, 11x14 inch black and white film and 8x10 color film...
' feature documentary "Lou Reed: Rock and Roll Heart". This film, which premiered at the
Sundance Film FestivalThe Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in the state of Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the U.S. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as the Sundance Resort, the festival is the premier...
in the U.S. and at the Berlin Film Festival in Germany went on to screen at over 50 festivals worldwide. In 1999, the film and Lou Reed as its subject, received a
Grammy AwardThe Grammy Awards —or Grammys—are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States for outstanding achievements in the music industry...
for best long form music video.
Since the late 1990s, Reed has been romantically linked to the musician, multi-media and performance artist Laurie Anderson, and the two have collaborated on a number of recordings together. Anderson contributed to "Call On Me" from Reed's project The Raven
, to the tracks "Rouge" and "Rock Minuet" from Reed's Ecstasy
, and to "Hang On To Your Emotions" from Reed's Set the Twilight Reeling
. Reed contributed to "In Our Sleep" from Anderson's Bright RedBright Red is the title of performance artist Laurie Anderson's sixth album, released by Warner Bros. in 1994.The album continued the more pop-oriented direction Anderson launched with Strange Angels. Produced by Brian Eno , Bright Red was actually a two-part album...
and to "One Beautiful Evening" from her Life on a String
. They were married on April 12, 2008.
2000s
In May 2000, Reed performed before Pope John Paul IIPope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła served as Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death almost 27 years later. His was the second-longest pontificate; only Pope Pius IX served longer...
at the Great Jubilee Concert in Rome. In 2000, a new collaboration with Robert WilsonRobert Wilson is an American avant-garde stage director and playwright who has been called "[America]'s — or even the world's — foremost vanguard 'theater artist'". Over the course of his wide-ranging career, he has also worked as a choreographer, performer, painter, sculptor, video...
called Poe-Try
was staged at the Thalia TheaterThe Thalia Theater is one of the three state-owned theatres in Hamburg, Germany. It was founded in 1843 by Charles Maurice Schwartzenberger and named after the muse Thalia...
in GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
. As with the previous collaboration Time Rocker,
Poe-Try was also inspired by the works of a 19th-century writer:
Edgar Allan PoeEdgar Allan Poe was an American writer, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the...
. Reed became interested in Poe after producer and long-time friend
Hal WillnerHal Willner is an American music producer working in recording, films, TV and live events. He is best known for assembling tribute albums and events featuring a wide variety of artists and musical styles .In the 1970s he worked under record producer Joel Dorn...
had suggested him to read some of Poe's text at a Halloween benefit he was curating at St. Ann's Episcopal Church in Brooklyn.
For this new collaboration, Lou Reed reworked and even rewrote some of Poe's text as well as included some new songs based on the theme explored in the texts. In 2001, Reed made a cameo appearance in the
movie adaptationProzac Nation is the name of an independent film starring Christina Ricci based on an autobiography of the same name by Elizabeth Wurtzel. It is based on a true story that describes Wurtzel's experiences with major depression...
of Prozac Nation
.
On October 6, 2001 the New York Times
published a Lou Reed poem called Laurie Sadly Listening
in which he reflects upon the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Incorrect reports of Reed's death were broadcast by numerous US radio stations in 2001, caused by a hoax email (purporting to be from ReutersReuters Group Limited is a UK-based, Canadian-controlled news service and former financial market data provider that provides reports from around the world to newspapers and broadcasters. News reporting once accounted for less than 10% of the company's income. Its main focus was on supplying the...
) which said he had died of a drug overdose. In 2003, he released a 2-CD set, The Raven, based on "Poe-Try". Besides Lou Reed and his band, the album featured a wide range of actors and musicians including singers David Bowie, Laurie Anderson,
KateKate McGarrigle, CM is a Canadian folk music singer-songwriter, who writes and performs as a duo with her sister Anna McGarrigle.-Family:...
and
Anna McGarrigleAnna McGarrigle, CM is a Canadian folk music singer/songwriter who writes and performs as a duo with her sister Kate McGarrigle.-Family:...
,
The Blind Boys of AlabamaThe Blind Boys of Alabama are a gospel group from Alabama that first formed at the Alabama Institute for the Negro Blind at Talladega, Alabama in 1939. The three main vocalists of the group and their drummer/percussionist are all blind....
and
Antony HegartyAntony Hegarty is an English born singer-songwriter, composer, and visual artist, known best as the lead singer of the band Antony and the Johnsons.- Early Years :...
,
saxophonistThe saxophone is a conical-bored transposing musical instrument considered a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and are played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by Adolphe Sax in 1841...
and long-time idol
Ornette ColemanOrnette Coleman is an American saxophonist, violinist, trumpeter and composer. He was one of the major innovators of the free jazz movement of the 1960s....
, and actors
Elizabeth AshleyElizabeth Ashley is a distinctively husky-voiced American actress who first came to prominence as the ingenue in the Broadway play Take Her, She's Mine, which earned her a Tony Award as Best Featured Actress in a Play....
,
Christopher WalkenChristopher Walken is an American actor of stage and screen. He has appeared in more than 100 movies and television shows, including Annie Hall, The Deer Hunter, Brainstorm, The Dead Zone, A View to a Kill, At Close Range, King of New York, Batman Returns, True Romance, Catch Me If You Can,...
,
Steve BuscemiSteven Vincent "Steve" Buscemi is an American actor, writer and film director.-Early life:Steve Buscemi was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Dorothy, who worked as a hostess at Howard Johnson's, and John Buscemi, a sanitation worker and Korean War veteran. Buscemi's father was Italian...
,
Willem DafoeWilliam "Willem" Dafoe is an American film and stage actor, and a founding member of the experimental theatre company The Wooster Group...
,
Amanda Plummer-Life and career:Plummer was born in New York City, New York, the daughter of actors Tammy Grimes and Christopher Plummer. Plummer attended Middlebury College in Vermont and acting classes at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York...
,
Fisher StevensFisher Stevens is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his portrayals of Chuck Fishman on Early Edition, Eugene "The Plague" Belford in Hackers, and Ben Jabituya/Jahrvi in Short Circuit and Short Circuit 2. His television credits include Frasier, Friends, Law & Order, Key West, and Lost...
and
Kate ValkKate Valk is a founding member of The Wooster Group, a collective of artists who make new work for the theater. Under the direction of Elizabeth LeCompte and with its associates and staff, the Group has created nineteen theater pieces, four dances, three radio plays, five video/film works and...
. The album consisted of songs written by Reed and spoken-word performances of reworked and rewritten texts of
Edgar Allan PoeEdgar Allan Poe was an American writer, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the...
by the actors, set to electronic music composed by Reed. At the same time a CD version of the albums, focusing on the music, was also released.
A few months after the release of The Raven
, a new 2-CD Best Of-set was released, entitled NYC Man (The Ultimate Collection 1967-2003)NYC Man is a 2-CD anthology of Lou Reed's work featuring four songs by The Velvet Underground. All songs of this career spanning collection were chosen, sequenced and remastered by Lou Reed himself.Cover art: painting from Marie Pittroff-Disc 1:...
, which featured an unreleased version of the song "Who am I" and a selection of career spanning tracks that had been selected, remastered and sequenced under Lou's own supervision. In April 2003, Lou Reed embarked on a new world tour supporting both new and released material, with a band including celliste
Jane ScarpantoniJane Scarpantoni is a classically trained cello player who has played on a number of alternative rock albums.She was a member of Hoboken, New Jersey's Tiny Lights in the mid-'80s, then went on to play with other musicians especially those associated with the Hoboken underground rock scene of the...
and singer Antony Hegarty. During some of the concerts for this tour, the band was joined by Master Ren Guangyi, Lou's personal
Tai ChiTai chi chuan is an internal Chinese martial art often practiced for health reasons. Tai chi is typically practiced for a variety of other personal reasons: its hard and soft martial art technique, demonstration competitions, health and longevity. Consequently, a multitude of training forms exist,...
instructor, performing Tai Chi movements to the music on stage. This tour was documented in the 2004 double disc live album
Animal SerenadeAnimal Serenade is a Lou Reed live album recorded in Los Angeles at the Wiltern Theatre in 2003 after The Raven. The show features a drummer-less band . Reed delivers dramatic readings of some of his most compelling work...
, recorded live at The Wiltern in Los AngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the municipality of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123.445 inhabitants...
.
In 2003, Reed released his first book of photographs, Emotions in Action
.
This work actually was made up out of two books, a larger A4-paper sized called "Emotions" and a smaller one called "Actions" which was laid into the hard cover of the former.
After Hours: a Tribute to the Music of Lou Reed
was released by Wampus MultimediaWampus Multimedia is an American media company founded by artist and producer Mark Doyon. Wampus has released modern rock and folk albums internationally from Arms of Kismet, tvfordogs, Cafebar 401, Amateur God, Alice Despard, Casey Abrams, Johnny J. Blair, Neil Luckett, The Crowd Scene, The...
in 2003. In 2004, a Groovefinder remixA remix is an alternative version of a song, different from the original version. This name is also used for any alterations of medias other than a song ....
of his song, "Satellite of Love"Satellite of Love" is one of Lou Reed's best known songs. It was the second single from his 1972 solo album Transformer. At the time it did not achieve any chart success, though it later became a staple of his concerts and compilation albums....
" (called "Satellite of Love '04") was released. It reached #10 in the UK singles chartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record industry. The full chart contains the top 200 singles based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 of this list...
. Also in 2004, Lou Reed contributed vocals and guitar to the track "Fistful of love" on I Am a Bird NowI Am a Bird Now is the critically-acclaimed second album by New York City band Antony and the Johnsons. It was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize on July 19 2005, and subsequently was announced winner on September 6 2005. After winning the prize, the album shot up the UK albums chart from #135...
by Antony and the JohnsonsAntony and the Johnsons is a music group presenting the work of Antony Hegarty and his collaborators.-Career:British experimental musician David Tibet of Current 93 heard a demo and offered to release Antony's music through his Durtro label. The debut album, Antony and the Johnsons, was released...
. In 2005, Reed did a spoken word text on DanishDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe and the senior member of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries; southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and it is bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark borders both the Baltic and the North Sea...
rock band KashmirKashmir is a Danish rock band consisting of Kasper Eistrup ; Mads Tunebjerg ; Asger Techau and Henrik Lindstrand .-History:...
's album No Balance Palace No Balance Palace is the fifth album by the Danish band Kashmir. It was released on October 10 2005. The album features David Bowie on "The Cynic" and Lou Reed on "Black Building", and was produced by Tony Visconti...
.
In 2003, Reed was also a judge for the third annual
Independent Music AwardsThe Independent Music Awards is an international program that honors top-ranked independent artists & releases in more than 50 Album, Song, Music Video and Design categories....
to support independent artists' careers.
In January 2006, a second book of photographs called "Lou Reed's New York" was released. At the
2006 MTV Video Music AwardsThe 2006 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on August 31 2006, honoring the best music videos from July 1, 2005 to June 30, 2006. The show was hosted by Jack Black at Radio City Music Hall in New York City....
, Reed performed "
White Light/White HeatWhite Light/White Heat is the second studio album by the American rock band The Velvet Underground. The record was the group's last with bassist and founding member John Cale.-Recording:...
" with
The RaconteursThe Raconteurs , are a rock band formed in Nashville, Tennessee, featuring four members known for other musical projects: Jack White , Brendan Benson , Jack Lawrence , and Patrick Keeler .-Formation:The band is...
. Later in the night, while co-presenting the award for Best Rock Video with Pink, he exclaimed, apparently unscripted, that "
MTVMTV is a cable television network based in New York City and launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs...
should be playing more rock n' roll."
In October 2006, Lou Reed appeared at Hal Willner's
Leonard CohenLeonard Norman Cohen, CC, GOQ is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often deals with the exploration of religion, isolation, sexuality and complex interpersonal relationships...
tribute show "Came So Far For Beauty" in
DublinDublin is the largest city and capital of Ireland. It is officially known in Irish as Baile Átha Cliath or Áth Cliath ; the English name comes from the Irish Dubh Linn meaning "black pool". It is located near the midpoint of Ireland's east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the...
, beside the cast of Laurie Anderson,
Nick CaveNicholas Edward Cave is an Australian musician, songwriter, author, screenwriter, and occasional film actor.He is best known for his work as a frontman of the critically acclaimed rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, established in 1984, a group known for its eclectic influences and musical styles...
,
AntonyAntony is an English language variant of Anthony. It can refer to:People* Mark Antony, Roman politician and general* Antony Flew, a contemporary British philosopher* Antony Gormley, a contemporary British sculptor...
,
Jarvis CockerJarvis Branson Cocker is an English musician and former frontman for the band Pulp. Through his work with the band, Cocker became a figurehead of the Britpop movement of the mid-1990s.-Biography:...
,
Beth OrtonElizabeth Caroline Orton, commonly known as Beth Orton, , is a BRIT Award–winning English singer-songwriter. Known for her "folktronica" sound, which mixes elements of folk and electronica, she was initially recognised for her collaborations with William Orbit and the Chemical Brothers in the mid...
, and others. According to the reports, he played a
heavy metalHeavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in England and the United States...
version of Cohen's "The Stranger Song". He also performed "One Of Us Cannot Be Wrong" and two duets — "
Joan of Arc"Joan of Arc" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen. It was released as a single in March 1971 from his third album, Songs of Love and Hate...
", with Cohen's former back-up singer Julie Christensen, and "Memories" — in a duet with Anjani Thomas. The tracks are available on
bootlegA bootleg recording is an audio and/or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist, or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
releases.
In December 2006, Lou Reed played a first series of show at
St. Ann's WarehouseSt. Ann's Warehouse is a performing arts institution in Brooklyn, New York.Formerly the Church of St. Ann and the Holy Trinity on Montague Street, in 1980 the site was converted into a venue for classical music. Initially known as Arts at St. Ann's, proceeds from the stage's performances were used...
, Brooklyn, based on his 1973 Berlin
song cycle. Reed was reunited on stage with guitarist Steve HunterSteve "The Deacon" Hunter, born 1948 in Decatur, Illinois, is an American guitarist best known for his collaborations with Lou Reed and Alice Cooper. He first played with Mitch Ryder's Detroit, beginning a long association with record producer Bob Ezrin....
, who played on the original album as well as on Rock 'n' Roll AnimalRock n Roll Animal is a live album by Lou Reed, released in 1974. In its original form, it features five songs from different periods of his creative career, including several songs by the Velvet Underground. The songs are all re-arranged into a powerful glam rock set...
, as well as joined by singers Antony Hegarty and
Sharon JonesSharon Jones is an American soul/funk singer and lead singer of Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings, who are widely considered to be at the forefront of a revivalist movement that aims to recapture the feeling of soul and funk music as it was at its height in the late 1960s to mid 1970s...
, pianist Rupert Christie, a horn and string section and the Brooklyn Youth Chorus. The show was being produced by
Bob EzrinRobert Alan "Bob" Ezrin is a Canadian record producer, known for his work with artists including Alice Cooper, Kiss and Pink Floyd...
, who also produced the original album, and Hal Willner. The stage was designed by painter
Julian SchnabelJulian Schnabel is an American artist and filmmaker. He has been acclaimed at Cannes and has won a Golden Globe, as well as BAFTA, César Award, Golden Palm and two nominations for the Golden Lion and an Academy Award nomination...
and a film about protagonist "Caroline" directed by his daughter, Lola Schnabel, was being projected to the stage. A live recording of these concerts was also published as a film (directed by Schnabel) which was released spring 2008. The show was also played at the Sydney Festival in January 2007 and throughout Europe during June and July 2007. The album version of the concert, entitled
Berlin: Live At St. Ann's WarehouseBerlin: Live At St. Ann's Warehouse is a concert film and live album by Lou Reed released in 2008. The concert film was directed by Julian Schnabel, live at St. Ann's Warehouse in Brooklyn, NY during five nights in December 2006...
, was released in 2008.
In April 2007, he released '
Hudson River Wind MeditationsHudson River Wind Meditations is an album of meditational music by Lou Reed. It is a departure from his regular rock output. It is named for one of New York City's key features, the Hudson River. It is inner music to relax the body, mind and spirit, adjunct to Tai Chi and bodywork...
', his first record of
ambientAmbient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
meditation music. The record was released on the Sounds True record label and contains four tracks that were said to have been composed just for himself as a guidance for
Tai ChiTai chi chuan is an internal Chinese martial art often practiced for health reasons. Tai chi is typically practiced for a variety of other personal reasons: its hard and soft martial art technique, demonstration competitions, health and longevity. Consequently, a multitude of training forms exist,...
exercise and meditation. In May 2007 Reed performed the narration for a screening of
Guy MaddinGuy Maddin, OM is a Canadian screenwriter and director of both features and short films from Winnipeg, Manitoba. His most distinctive quality is his penchant for recreating the look and style of silent or early sound era films which has solidified his popularity and acclaim in alternative film...
's silent film
The Brand Upon the BrainBrand Upon the Brain! is a 2006 silent film directed by Guy Maddin and produced by The Film Company. It premiered on September 8, 2006, at the Toronto International Film Festival with live accompaniment of the score by members of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, several foley artists, and a narrator...
. In June 2007, he performed live at the Traffic Festival 2007 in TurinTurin is a major city as well as a business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River surrounded by the Alpine arch...
, Italy, a five-day free event organized by the town.
In August 2007, Reed went into the studio with The Killers in New York City to record "Tranquilize"Tranquilize" is a song by Las Vegas-based rock band, The Killers featuring Lou Reed. The song was written by Brandon Flowers and it is featured on the compilation album Sawdust.The song was made available for download on iTunes from October 12, 2007...
", a duet with Brandon Flowers for The Killers' b-side/rarities album, called SawdustSawdust is a compilation of re-recorded B-sides, rarities, covers and remixes by the Las Vegas rock band The Killers. The album was released in various markets between November 9 and November 13, 2007, when it was released in the United States...
. During that month, he also recorded guitar for the Lucibel Crater song "Threadbare Funeral", which appears on their full-length CD The Family Album. In October 2007, Lou Reed gave a special performance in the
Recitement song "Passengers". The album combines music with
spoken wordSpoken word is a form of literary art or artistic performance in which lyrics, poetry, or stories are spoken rather than sung. The category of spoken-word that is often done with a musical background is performance poetry...
. The album was composed by Stephen Emmer and produced by
Tony ViscontiAnthony Edward Visconti is an American record producer and sometimes a musician or singer.Since the late 1960s, he has worked with an array of notable performers, including the Moody Blues, as well as T.Rex, Mary Hopkin, Thin Lizzy, Ralph McTell, Sparks, Gentle Giant, Semi Precious Weapons, The...
. Hollandcentraal was inspired by this piece of music and literature, which spawned a concept for a
music video. On October 1, 2008, Reed joined
Richard BaroneRichard Barone is a rock musician born in Tampa, Florida. He also works as a songwriter, arranger, author, director, and producer, and releases albums as a solo artist.-Biography:...
via projected video on a spoken/sung duet of Reed's "I'll Be Your Mirror," with cellist
Jane ScarpantoniJane Scarpantoni is a classically trained cello player who has played on a number of alternative rock albums.She was a member of Hoboken, New Jersey's Tiny Lights in the mid-'80s, then went on to play with other musicians especially those associated with the Hoboken underground rock scene of the...
, in Barone's "FRONTMAN: A Musical Reading" at
Carnegie HallCarnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
.
On April 12, 2008, Lou Reed married Laurie Anderson in a private ceremony in
Boulder, ColoradoBoulder is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of Boulder County, Colorado, in the United States. Boulder is the 11th most populous city in the state of Colorado. The United States Census Bureau estimates that in 2008 the population of the city of Boulder was...
.
On August 9, 2009, Lou Reed performed as a subheadlining act at
LollapaloozaLollapalooza is an annual music festival featuring alternative rock, hip hop, and punk rock bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. It has also provided a platform for non-profit and political groups...
in Chicago's Grant Park.
Lou Reed is the voice of Maltazard, the villain in the next
Luc BessonLuc Besson is a French film director, writer and producer. He is the creator of EuropaCorp film company. He has been involved with over 50 films, spanning 26 years, as writer, director, and/or producer, including the Transporter series.-Early life:Besson was born in Paris to parents who were both...
's animation film,
Arthur and the Vengeance of MaltazardArthur and the Revenge of Maltazard is a 2009 a part-animated, part-live action feature film written and directed by Luc Besson, and starring Freddie Highmore and Mia Farrow...
, to be released in the winter 2009.
Humanitarian Causes
In 2009 Lou Reed became an active member of The
Jazz Foundation of AmericaThe Jazz Foundation of America is a non-profit organization based in Manhattan, New York founded in 1989. The JFA’s programs help jazz and blues musicians in need of emergency funds and connect them with performance opportunities in schools and the community...
(JFA). Reed was a featured performer at the JFA's annual benefit A Great Night in Harlem in May 2009 ; A gala concert at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, NYC celebrating The
Jazz Foundation of AmericaThe Jazz Foundation of America is a non-profit organization based in Manhattan, New York founded in 1989. The JFA’s programs help jazz and blues musicians in need of emergency funds and connect them with performance opportunities in schools and the community...
’s 20th Anniversary of saving Jazz and blues… one musician at a time.
With The Velvet Underground
- The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967)
- White Light/White Heat
White Light/White Heat is the second studio album by the American rock band The Velvet Underground. The record was the group's last with bassist and founding member John Cale.-Recording:...
(1968)
- The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground is the third album by American rock group The Velvet Underground. It was their first record to feature Doug Yule, John Cale's replacement in the band. It was recorded in 1968 at TTG Studios in Hollywood, California. It marks a radical shift in sound and approach. Frontman Lou...
(1969)
- Loaded (1970)
- 1969: The Velvet Underground Live
1969: The Velvet Underground Live is a live album by The Velvet Underground. It was originally released as a double album in September 1974 by Mercury Records. The September 1988 CD re-release was issued as two separate single CD volumes, with one extra track per disc...
(1974)
- VU
VU is an outtakes compilation album by The Velvet Underground. It was released in February 1985 by Verve Records.-Composition and collection:...
(1985)
- Another View
Another View is an outtakes compilation album by The Velvet Underground. It was released in 1986 by Verve Records.-Composition and collection:...
(1986)
- Live MCMXCIII
Live MCMXCIII is a live album by The Velvet Underground. It was released simultaneously in single and double CD/Cassette formats on October 26, 1993 by Sire Records. The single CD is an abridged version of the double CD edition: there are no different takes of songs across the two editions...
(1993)
- Peel Slowly and See
Peel Slowly and See is a five-disc box set of material by The Velvet Underground. It was released in September 1995 by Polydor.-Compilation:...
(1995)
- Fully Loaded (1997)
- Bootleg Series Volume 1: The Quine Tapes
Bootleg Series Volume 1: The Quine Tapes is a triple live album by The Velvet Underground. It was released on October 16, 2001 by Polydor, the record label overseeing The Velvet Underground's Universal Music Group back catalogue....
(2001)
As a solo artist
- Lou Reed
Lou Reed is Lou Reed's 1972 debut solo album, released two years after he left The Velvet Underground. The album comprises eight new recordings of then-unreleased Velvet Underground songs, plus two new songs, "Going Down" and "Berlin" .With increasing interest in the Velvet Underground, Reed's...
(1972)
- Transformer
Transformer is Lou Reed's breakthrough second solo album, released in December 1972. Unlike its predecessor Lou Reed, eight songs of which were leftovers from his Velvet Underground days, this album contains mainly new material...
(1972)
- Berlin
Berlin is a 1973 album by Lou Reed, his third solo album and the follow-up to Transformer. In 2003, the album was ranked number 344 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.-Background and production:...
(1973)
- Sally Can't Dance
Sally Can't Dance is a Top 10 album by Lou Reed. Released in 1974, it is Reed's highest-charting album. It is also the first solo Lou Reed album not to feature any songs originally recorded by Reed's earlier band, The Velvet Underground, as well as the first of Reed's solo studio albums to be...
(1974)
- Metal Machine Music
Metal Machine Music, subtitled *The Amine β Ring, is an album by Lou Reed. It was originally released as a double album by RCA Records in 1975...
(1975)
- Coney Island Baby
Coney Island Baby is an album by Lou Reed, released in 1976. It is also the title of a song on that album. The name presumably refers to the Excellents' 1962 doo wop song of the same name, and/or a 1924 Les Appleton barbershop music song of the same name...
(1976)
- Rock and Roll Heart (1976)
- Street Hassle
Street Hassle is a 1978 album by Lou Reed. The studio tracks were recorded in New York City, while the live recordings were made in Munich, West Germany...
(1978) US
- The Bells
The Bells is the ninth album by Lou Reed released through Arista Records in 1979. It is recorded in binaural sound. "City Lights" is a tribute to Charlie Chaplin. "Disco Mystic" is indeed played in a disco style, and the lyrics consist of those two words repeated...
(1979)
- Growing Up in Public
Growing Up in Public is the tenth album by rock and roll artist Lou Reed, released in 1980.- Track listing :All songs written by Lou Reed & Michael Fonfara#"How Do You Speak To An Angel?" – 4:08#"My Old Man" – 3:15#"Keep Away" – 3:31...
(1980)
- The Blue Mask
The Blue Mask is the eleventh studio album by singer-songwriter Lou Reed. It was the first album released after Reed left Arista and returned to RCA. It returns to the stripped-down sound of his previous group, the Velvet Underground, with only guitars, bass and drums...
(1982)
- Legendary Hearts
Legendary Hearts is a 1983 album by rock and roll musician Lou Reed. It was dedicated to Reed's wife, Sylvia.-Side one:#"Legendary Hearts" - 3:23#"Don't Talk to Me About Work" - 2:07#"Make Up Mind" - 2:48#"Martial Law" - 3:53#"The Last Shot" - 3:22...
(1983)
- New Sensations
New Sensations is a 1984 album by Lou Reed.When this album was released, critics and listeners alike took note of a change in the songs as being more upbeat and fun than much of Reed's prior work...
(1984)
- Mistrial
-Side two:#"Spit It Out"#"The Original Wrapper"#"Mama's Got A Lover"#"I Remember You"#"Tell It To Your Heart"-Personnel:*Lou Reed - vocals, lead, power & rhythm guitar*Eddie Martinez - rhythm guitar...
(1986)
- New York
New York is a 1989 album by Lou Reed. It was received very warmly as a return to the style of The Velvet Underground, the group which Reed founded in the 1960s and whose legacy had grown in stature during the 1980s as it was carried on by any number of alternative rock acts...
(1989)
- Magic and Loss
Magic and Loss is a concept album by Lou Reed, released in 1992. It was his sixteenth album. It was informed by the illnesses and deaths of two close friends; songwriter Doc Pomus, who gave Reed his start in the music business, and Rotten Rita...
(1992)
- Set the Twilight Reeling
Set the Twilight Reeling is a 1996 album by rock and roll singer Lou Reed.Cover art from Stefan Sagmeister. The CD case sold with the album was a dark purple/blue hue, making the cover look simply like a dark blue picture of Reed's face; the bright yellow aspect and the "rays" of the cover image...
(1996)
- Ecstasy (2000)
- The Raven (2003)
- Hudson River Wind Meditations
Hudson River Wind Meditations is an album of meditational music by Lou Reed. It is a departure from his regular rock output. It is named for one of New York City's key features, the Hudson River. It is inner music to relax the body, mind and spirit, adjunct to Tai Chi and bodywork...
(2007)
External links