I think that Lou Reed as a solo artist should get more credit. We all know about Velvet Underground and the amazing job they did but it seems like Lou's solo stuff is being overlooked. I think Transformer is one of the best rock albums from the 70s. I think Lou Reed was just as good as David Bowie but not as consistent...he had some great songs but some real crappy one's too.
I just purchased Transformer last week and I can honestly say I enjoy it as much as The Velvet Underground and Loaded. It's kind of difficult to get used to the more polished sound of Transformer after getting hearing the rough, "grainy" sound of The Velvet Underground, but it's definitely good music. There are some really great songs on Transformer, there's no doubt about that. I also plan on checking out Berlin as soon as I can find it.
I don't think he's overlooked at all. Lou Reed gets called 'The Godfather of Punk' and Transformer and Berlin are always regarded as two of the best albums of the 70s.
I've heard the first four Lou Reed albums, including what people say are his two best (Transformer and Berlin), and his worst (Lou Reed and Metal Machine Music - Yes, i actually listened to it!). I agree that Transformer is a great album, as good as The VU and even better than Loaded, but it's not as brilliant as the first two VU albums, though 'Vicious' is one of the best album openers i've ever heard.
My dad went to Syracuse a long long time ago. He said there was a band that used to play his frat parties all the time. He didn't find out until after he graduated that the singer in the band was Lou, another SU grad. He didn't remember the name of the band either. Said it sounded "like a typical college band".
I actually bartended for Lou Reed on Cape Cod during the summer of 96'. I served he and the girl he was with some drinks and lunch. I didn't want to be a homer, but at the end of their lunch I was like, ya know, you look exactly like Lou Reed. His response, Ya people tell me that. He stayed at the resort for the rest of the weekend, he was genuinely pretty cool, very private which I could respect - never seen a man chain smoke like that guy though.
Yes, Transformer isn't as good as The Velvet Underground & Nico or White Light / White Heat, but honestly, not very many albums are, in my opinion. You make a good point, however, it's not like Lou Reed gets the respect that Led Zeppelin does or anything. For example, I've never heard a Lou Reed song on the radio... ever. However, I would say that John Cale's Vintage Violence is as good or better than Transformer.
This mainly has to do with Zeppelin's music as being more accesible to listeners - it doesn't take much thought to understand it and appreciate it. In saying this, I'm not saying that Zeppelin wasn't brilliant, but most listeners find Lou Reed to be more obscure and difficult to understand.
Yes, I understand what you mean and agree. And I was just throwing Zeppelin out there as an example of a band that is not overlooked, really had nothing to do with Reed.
Really? Not even 'Walk on the Wild Side'? That song was huge in 1972, and many of the classic rock stations play it from time to time today. 'Perfect Day' gets airplay sometimes, too, but to a lesser extent than the former. A couple years ago it was used during the Super Bowl, in a commercial for, I believe, the NFL. Lou Reed might not be quite as big on a commercially successful level, as say Led Zeppelin, but most people who know anything at all about music and the history of rock, know who Lou Reed is. The name Lou Reed can definitely be considered a household name. Most of the popular magazines, including Rolling Stone, often rave about Lou Reed, so I wouldn't say that he is overlooked or underappreciated. And it would suck if he was as big as Led Zeppelin anyway, whom I loathe.
Nope, I've never heard one of Reed's songs on the radio here. The classic rock stations seem to focus a lot on 80's rock with some Zeppelin and Stones thrown in. Heh, they hardly even play The Beatles, which I always find surprising. I suppose that "Walk on the Wild Side" used to get tons of play before though, as when I played it for my father, he actually recognized the song. I was stunned that he had heard the song AND liked it! He hates The Velvet Underground with a passion, so him saying he likes Lou Reed confused and excited me.
My dad bought Transformer because of the two hits, 'Perfect Day' and 'Walk on the Wild Side'. It's one of his favourite albums. But he doesn't like the VU.
