One Last Question For The Evening...Are You A Fan Of Lou Reed?

Question

Or of The Velvet Underground?

If You are...what are Your Fave Lou Reed/Velvet Underground Songs?
Personally I LOVE the version of "Sweet Jane" from Lou Reed's "Rock And Roll Animal"
The guitar overture at the beginning from Steve Hunter and Dick Wagner is one of the best in alll Rock IMO

Your Turn

Answer 1

Of both.



There's not much to say about the VU apart from that they were genuinely one of the greatest, most risk-taking bands in history. The major cliche "ahead of their time" is overused in connection with musical acts; here, it's actually valid. Bear in mind that this group's early beginnings were at roughly the same time as flower power and the summer of love. Talk about going out on a limb and against the commercial tide. No wonder their records sold badly at the time.



Songs - a quick and random list:



"Sister Ray"

"I Heard Her Call My Name"

"Jesus"

"I'm Set Free"

"Heroin"

"Candy Says"

"After Hours" (best song about death and coffins EVARRR :)

"Oh! Sweet Nuthin"

"The Black Angel's Death Song"

"Venus In Furs"

"Who Loves The Sun"

"Pale Blue Eyes" - (2 minutes too long, but still...)

"I Found A Reason"

"Here She Comes Now"

"Venus In Furs"

"European Son"

"She's My Best Friend"

"The Ocean"

"White Light / White Heat"



Lou Reed has the Dylan/Bowie syndrome - an artist whose work you value for what he did 20, 25 years ago, rather than anything recent. I think the guy misses Cale more than he would ever admit (although "Songs For Drella" wasn't stellar - OK, that rhyme was unintentional : )



Songs (best of the solo years. I actually have all his solo work, so in a way it's sad that this list is so short):



The "Transformer" album (not deep but it's fun)

"Street Hassle"

"Harry's Circumcision (Reverie Gone Astray)"

"Hello, It's Me" - (heartbreakingly sincere. This time I think he meant it.)

"The Kids" - (one of the most harrowing songs ever)

"Berlin"

"Coney Island Baby" - (sweet nostalgia. Is there a heart in the dude, somewhere?)

Answer 2

Not that I've ever read. And that Rolling Stone article seems a little fishy. It is incorrect for example that Andy Warhol changed their name to the Velvet Underground, that was a book (about sadomasochism I believe) that Lou Reed and some of the others enjoyed (the song "Venus In Furs" features the character from the book The Velvet Underground) and they all agreed on the name. But then again that's just what I've read elsewhere, who knows which is the truth, I believe the interviews over the RS though. By the off chance are you maybe thinking of Roky Erickson? He's schitzophrenic.

Answer 3

I'm going to confess there are only three that I know {and like} :~



Perfect Day ~ Lou Reed

{used as a Children In Need charity single a few years ago}



Walk on the Wild Side ~ Lou Reed



Venus In Furs ~ The Velvet Underground & Nico

{I *love* this song!}





I discovered 'Venus In Furs' when it was used over here on an advert for Dunlop tyres, and was then included on a compilation album from the BBC series 'Top Gear'.

Answer 4

If you've ever seen me do a list of my favorite bands you know I'm a Velvets fan, they're practically incapable of doing wrong in my eyes. Like an earlier answer said, "ahead of their time" fits here, I also like the argument that everything labeled indie owes a deep debt to this group. The Velvet Underground & Nico has been one of my favorite albums since the first time I "got it" (not the first time I heard it though) and I always have thought it should be put at the top of the list of albums from '67 in place of Sgt. Peppers.



Lou Reed's solo I don't have much experience, I've heard most of Transformer but unfortunately that's it. I plan to buy most of his catalouge one day (maybe not Metal Machine Music) but I've just had too much music to buy, it's overwhelming actually.



Favorite song from the Velvets is probably "Heroin" just because it's such a perfect blend of beauty, chaos, nihilism, experimentation, and damned good music.



Other favorites:

"There She Goes Again"

"Sunday Morning" (Didn't start to respect this one until lately)

"Venus In Furs"

"Run Run Run"

"I'm Waiting For The Man"

"White Light/White Heat"

"Here She Comes Now"

"Sister Ray"

"I Can't Stand It"

"Pale Blue Eyes"

"What Goes On"

"Some Kinda Love"

"Sweet Jane" (the Eater cover is a killer as well)

"Rock And Roll"



Listening to "Can't Stand It" right now and what a song! What a band!

Answer 5

Lou Reed is among my faves. I think his live Sweet Jane is a great blast the radio and drive real fast song. I heard Walk on the Wild Side today on the radio, I was pleasantly surprised they played the whole song, in my area, at least, they tend to "edit" out the verse about Candy from out on the Island. I guess they can be really prude in Upstate NY

Answer 6

I love Lou Reed and Rock 'n Roll Animal is my favorite album for the reasons that you mentioned.

Answer 7

Caroline says that I'm not a man --

so she's gonna get it catch as catch can.

yea Caroline says...





swoop swoop

baby, rock rock...



and

I'm ---- going to try ----- to nullify my life...



lol, yea i like Reed.

and, the sweet Jane piece IS simply SWEET.

y'know, when they made the movie Interview with the Vampire, I always kinda wished Reed played had Lestat.



but what can I say ---- Sally can't dance no more...

Answer 8

WALK ON THE WILD SIDE....



Sorry to confess Darth.. but that is the one and only Reed song I know. He was a little heavy for me I guess when I was a kid. Heavy morally if you know what I mean. Kind of a person who lived in the gutters of NYC or so.... that's the way I envisioned him....



gonna check out your website !!! Congrats.

Answer 9

im a big fan of lou reed and vu, i never get tired of his releases, i think the tranquilise song he did with the killers was one of the best songs of last year, even though im not a big fan of them.

some of my fave songs are

rock and roll

heroin

sweet jane

i'll be your mirror

ecstacy

blue mask

magic and loss

vicious

pale blue eyes

femme fatal

white light white heat

there is one i cant listen to and thats berlin,

Answer 10

After the bars closed one night last week, a lovely young lady accompanied me home and, after surveying my CDs, asked me to put on "Rock & Roll Animal."



I think I just may be in love now....



;-}