Over the weekend we lost one of the great musicians on the 21st century, Lou Reed. To honor his lost we put together a list of our favorite Lou Reed songs from his time with the Velvet Underground, to his solo career that last up until the time of his death. Lou, you were a truly gifted human being, and paved the way for so many artists. We love you, and thank you. You will be missed.
"Most everyone who either plays music or works in the music industry has had a Lou Reed/Velvet Underground phase. It's similar to learning about the Civil War in middle school, you may not like it or understand everything about it, but you know that it's historical significance is incredibly important. That being said, the first Velvet Underground song that I ever heard, still remains my favorite- "I'll Be Your Mirror." Reed wrote this song for Nico to sing on their landmark debut and although it runs for just over 2 minutes it's simplicity and heartfelt lyrics are what makes it stand out amongst the rest of The Velvet Underground catalogue." -Eric
"Growing up I feel in love with the Velvet underground. From my first time hearing "Walk on the Wild Side" on the radio as a kid, to my first time listening to "Heroin" in my headphones as a teen, I knew I had stumbled upon a band unlike anything I had ever heard before. Lou Reed became my idol. The first time I listened to Berlin start to finish, I was a sophomore in college. I bought a beat up copy on vinyl for five bucks in a small record store in NH. I got home, put it on, lied in bed and didn't move. I just listened. "The Kids" is one of those songs that just stays with you. You hear it and never forgot it. Above all, Lou Reed was an amazing story teller and poet. He was a man who shined a light on the darker side of life, and told us of its tale. He will be missed." -Robert
"Lou Reed never shied away from evolving his sound throughout his career. Instead of writing songs he knew would be hits, he preferred to express himself as an artist and explore musical frontiers. He was not beholden to his fans, and sometimes critics viewed his releases almost as a personal affront. Lou instead made the music he wanted to make, and we were lucky enough to go along for the ride.
I wish I could applaud his bravery or pioneering spirit releasing Metal Music Machine, but I've never been able to make it through a full song. Some people love it, and that's a tribute to the variety of people Lou Reed's music can reach.
Street Hassle combines his signature simplistic style with storytelling and relaxed orchestration. The title track from the album of the same name, the arch of the song starts with simple strings, and swells to the full band before retreating back down. In contrast to today's auto-tuned perfection, Street Hassle sounds organic. Imperfect intonation and lose rhythmic alignment bring emotion to the multi-level tragedy in this story of love, sin, vice, death, penitence and atonement." -Matthew
"I heard this song in reverse. I was listening to a Phish tape (yeah, let that sentence sink in) when I heard Rock & Roll for the first time, the refrain was telling me 'It was alright'. It put me on a quest to find the original and when I finally heard it, my mind was blown. It was more than alright. If you built a blueprint of every indie rock song I've liked in 2013, at the foundation would be this song written more than 40 years ago. Thank you, Lou. You were one of a kind." -Jeff
Lou Reed wasn't afraid to shock listeners with his lyrics, and this track is my favorite for that precise reason. Reed is casual in his delivery; so subtle, it's likely you'd forget what he's singing about and find yourself chiming in at the 'doo do doo, doo do doo, doo do doo' before realizing he was telling stories about real people at The Factory. He was a magnificent storyteller and I don't know of anyone else who could of told the same stories and pulled it off the way he did. It also provided the famous chords that would show up years later in A Tribe Called Quest's 'Can I Kick It?' which turned out to be a huge hit and another favorite track of mine. He was an honest and fervent writer. They sure don't make them like that anymore. Thank you, Lou. -Kristina