Truly one of the all-time greats has left the building today. Lou Reed was an amazing musician. His work with the Velvets gave the world a roadmap on how to create gritty, cool rock and roll. Sometimes noisey, sometimes quiet… always beautiful to hear. I never thought he would make it to the age of 71. I’m sure he didn’t either.
I first met him when I was 9 or 10 years old on the set of One Trick Pony. My dad was the camera operator. Lou was on set playing a douchebag label engineer. Even then I knew who he was because his music was always being played in my home. Nobody could ever find the guy on set when it was time for his scenes because he was always shooting up in the bathrooms! There’s another story of him stealing all the prop-mans liquor and when he was confronted by the crew, Lou told them he knows karate (I think Sylvia taught him a move or two) and would kick their asses. They got their liquor back.
I met him again in 1989 at Brooklyn Academy of Music. They say never meet your heroes and it’s true of my experience with Lou, but hey- how friendly do you think someone is going to be when they are separating from their spouse and you basically walk in on them arguing for a handshake?
Bottom line- he was a gifted guitarist, and wrote some fantastic songs. You will hard pressed to find a better three chord rock tune than Sweet Jane. Love ya Lou. Stay cool.
Dec. 8th
Posted in Commentary, R.I.P. Rock Stars with tags John Lennon on December 8, 2010 by The Buddha RatsWhat a day.
It started at 3:40 am. I just couldn’t sleep. There was the same ol’ crap on the teevee, and nothing new on the www. I stared at the ceiling for awhile, checked in on The Kid, and I finally, finally got back to sleep.
When I woke up I put on the news. It was all about Lennon. Of course… it was The Anniversary, and 30 years is a long time. A lifetime. I was a little kid when he was killed, but it hit home hard. It made me think about where I had been in my short life, and where I was going. And it still makes me sad in a way, even though I never knew the guy, and what I do know about him now that I’m a man and a parent, I don’t really care for.
But what an Artist! The best around. Him and Paul.
I didn’t listen to any music today, and I didn’t talk much either. I did think, quite morbidly, about the fact that if Lennon had lived he would have become (after a long string of terrible 80’s albums) as spent as Paul creatively. He definitely would have divorced her, and would be living well and happy in England making guest appearances on Jools Holland, or an Oasis album. Then there would be The Reunion, whether or not George was alive, because even Zep toured without JPJ.
But in the end, I get pissed off. We were all robbed because he was the one motherf**ker who could put it all out on parade, all out on the line no matter how mis-guided or mis-informed. He meant everything he said, and played. He lived it like he talked it, and there’s no one out there willing to do that these days.
It’s a pity.
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