Cult Hero, iconic rock musician and one of the most influential artists of his generation; Lou Reed made up in influence what he lacked in commercial success. If you’re a fan of punk, electronica or indie music, you should certainly give thanks to Lou Reed.
Originally forming The Velvet Underground after Reed’s first band refused to play his song “Heroin”, The Velvets explored the darker side of New York in their music. Eventhough their commercial success was limited; they did however attract the attention of artist Andy Warhol who acted as manager and convinced them to collaborate with German model and singer Nico on their debut album. “The Velvet Underground & Nico” was released in 1967 and, despite low sales; it is still considered a musical masterpiece, with NME voting it the 7th greatest album of all time last month.
Reed commenced his solo career once he left The Velvets after “Rock and Roll” (1970). A key highpoint of this was his 1972 album “Transformer” which featured some of the singer’s most commercially successful songs including “Walk on the Wild Side”, “Satellite of Love” and “Perfect Day”. The latter was re-recorded for a BBC charity single in 1997 featuring vocals from Bono, Elton John and Boyzone among others. David Bowie’s influence on “Transformer” was huge. They both co-produced the album and Bowie offered some backing vocals of his own. Bowie was an instrumental figure in moulding Reed, and leading the tributes, called Reed “a master”.
Reed has influenced a vast amount of artists from a broad spectrum of genres and will continue to do so for the years to come. He represents a passing era of artists who seemed to solely care about the music, rather than the potential commercial success that could come from it. Producer Brian Eno quipped “The first Velvet Underground album only sold 10,000 copies, but everyone who bought it formed a band.” He represents authenticity which is something that today’s music industry sadly attempts to manufacture.
Yet Reed himself was still widely present in the music business, recording ‘Lulu’ with Metallica in 2011 and writing a lengthy review on Kanye West’s ‘Yeezus’ album earlier this year. Reed was also known for his enigmatic presence both in interviews and live performances, with the singer known to bring his Tai Chi instructor on stage with him.
Having developed a reputation over the years as an often difficult personality, Reed was held in deep affection by the artists he had influenced. Courtney Love, the widow of a troubled rock icon herself, made her own sad farewell – “I have lost my grumpy old Uncle Joe”.
Along with those in the music industry such as Simon Cowell, tributes flooded in from unusual corners of the world, demonstrating the colossal impact of Reed’s timeless music. Among others were The Vatican and Salman Rushdie who both tweeted their condolences and expressed their admiration.
Reed had suffered from drink and drug problems for years and had undergone a life-saving liver transplant in May 2013. After the operation, Reed proclaimed himself a “miracle of modern medicine” and promised a return to song writing. Treatment for his liver continued and despite his optimism, Reed’s wife Laurie reservedly told the world – “he may not ever totally recover”. He died on 27th October of liver disease.
Though many students alike were not around in the glorious hay-days of Reed’s sterling musical career, and although his departure has left a void in the hearts of music lovers from around the world, it seems that he has in-fact left us with an important message – remember to love your music.
Alex Fowler