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Flat tire on Salvation Mountain

Friday, December 13, 2013

Vicious



i saw Amazon peddling some big Lou Reed Velvet compilation today. Everybody's darling, if I may borrow a phrase. In death Lou is cashing in like he never could when he was alive. The major headphone endorsement deal at the very end of the line seems perhaps a bit strange and oddly timed. Why cash in at the end, like Laurie Anderson needs the bread? I guess in death his punk, anarchic message is finally safe for the masses. Lousy guitar player, but gutty enough to pull the whole thing off.

I love Lou, wore out Transformer, loved him when he was alive too, damnit. You can check the tapes.

1 comment:

Daisy Deadhead said...

Did you ever listen to "The Gift" in its entirety? It was the unloved stepchild of even the Velvet fans, which should tell you something... and now everyone talks about it as an innovative work of art (which it was). That kinda pisses me off, since I was called "sick" for playing it at parties, more times than I can count! (great finale)

Oh well! Vindication at last. I played it here at the bottom -- http://daisysdeadair.blogspot.com/2013/10/lou-reed-1942-2013.html

"Waldo Jeffers had reached his limit. It was now mid-August..." And yeah, I can also do dramatic readings along with the record. Luckily I don't drink anymore so I don't usually do that. But for Lou's passing, I made a rare exception! :)