Strider Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 Today is Lou Reed's birthday. He is 70 years old...yes, that's right, SEVENTY!!! He's older than Jimmy Page, and the jokesters will say he's always looked 70. If you are into any of the arts at all, be it literature, painting, music, whatever, there are certain figures that usually are the ones that open the gates to you, that led you down roads that form your basic esthetic and aesthetic choices. For me, it was reading Bram Stoker's "Dracula" as a boy that began my love of books, Van Gogh and the Impressionists that got me into art, and Alfred Hitchcock and the early Universal Monster movies of the 1930s that released my inner cinema-geek. As for music, the Beatles were the first to catch my ear. But the two most lasting loves and influences on my musical tastes and journeys both pierced my consciousness in 1969. One of course was Led Zeppelin. The other was the Velvet Underground. Buying Led Zeppelin I and the Velvet Underground album shortly after my birthday in 1969 was to impact me in ways I had yet imagined or could even fathom at that age. To this day, Led Zeppelin and the Velvet Underground remain my most beloved and cherished bands of all time. The only difference is that I saw Led Zeppelin in concert. Sadly, I was denied that privilege with the Velvet Underground. I was able to see Lou Reed solo, though...and John Cale, too. But never the VU. With Moe's and Sterling's passing, I never will. So happy birthday Lou Reed. Thanks for all the great noise! The most boss version of "Sister Ray" I've heard yet. Boston Tea Party 1969. The album that started it all... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Px47ke-JEqE&feature=youtube_gdata_player Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redrum Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 I used to have that banana album back in the 60's. Now take a walk on the wild side, Lou. :^) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strider Posted March 3, 2012 Author Share Posted March 3, 2012 One of the more underrated albums of the 70s: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqhNH026Wjo&feature=youtube_gdata_player Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Robert Anthony II Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 I saw Lou Reed in concert awhile back in Boston at the Orpheum. He was kind of being a "New York asshole" and got booed for "dissing" Boston during his on stage banter. He also declined to do "Walk on The Wild Side". As far as I recall he was pretty good overall, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strider Posted March 3, 2012 Author Share Posted March 3, 2012 I'd rather a frontman be honest and be themselves, even if that means being a jerk, than pander and spew the same tired old bullshit of "_____ is the greatest rock n roll town in the world!" and. "_____ has the hottest babes!" Obviously, given the history of Velvet Underground, Lou isn't always the nicest person around...he can be a bit of an asshole. It's another case of having to separate the art from the artist. Something I am good at...as I've had lots of practice(e.e. cummings, Wagner, Roman Polanski, Woody Allen, William Burroughs, Patricia Highsmith, Frank Sinatra...). Ahhhh, but what art! It was Lou and the VU who showed me there was beauty in chaos and noise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazedcat Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 (edited) Happy Birthday Lou, I hope you live forever. Edited March 3, 2012 by dazedcat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anjin-san Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jahfin Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 To this day, Led Zeppelin and the Velvet Underground remain my most beloved and cherished bands of all time. The only difference is that I saw Led Zeppelin in concert. Sadly, I was denied that privilege with the Velvet Underground. I was able to see Lou Reed solo, though...and John Cale, too. But never the VU. With Moe's and Sterling's passing, I never will. Unless I missed something I'm pretty sure Moe Tucker is still alive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTM Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 (edited) Love the intro. Love the whole album. Pity that it wasn't a double album. Never understood why Lou Reed live was a separate album when it was recorded at the same NYC Academy concert. Edited March 3, 2012 by johnthomasmoby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTM Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 ^ I thought that too. In fact, I preferred Lou Reed Live to R&RA. Another great one was Take No Prisoners, from around 78 I think, which had loads of entertaining raps from Lou between & during the songs. Doubled as a comedy album, in fact. He was uncharacteristically talkative that night, must've been speeding his tits off... Oh yes TNP in wonderful binaural stereo, somebody stole my copy..well by borrowing it and never returning it. Just played Oh Jim and Sad Song from LR Live, just beautiful..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazedcat Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 Take No Prisioners was a great live album. It captured how NYC was in the late 70's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annam Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 Happy birthday lou reed!!!!! Probably now he would add something about IKEA in this monologue ! http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri=%2F%3Fgl%3DIT%26hl%3Dit&hl=it&gl=IT#/watch?v=5lS_hNUhGnk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annam Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri=%2F%3Fgl%3DIT%26hl%3Dit&hl=it&gl=IT#/watch?v=5lS_hNUhGnk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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