European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 15, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse Lou Reed still walks on the wild Side. Sun Lou Reed takes history personally not Al history of course the Guy in t a fanatic but there Are some things Fiat he simply refuses to Tat pass without comment some of i hem turn up on new Fork his first album in fuse years Othera emerge in Oloc Hvisc casual conversation whatever the Case though there is no mistaking the intensity of feeling that fuels his commentary consider his musical past for instance. At 46, Reed has been playing lock n Roll for the past 32.years. He Cut his first record Al 14, a single called leave her Lor me. Which was under a group cared fhe Jades read said Over it i phone irom his new York Home i did t sing it just wrote went on to play in bar bands while studying English Al Syracuse University in now York and later worked As a Slat songwriter Lor. Pickwick records. Red Ihnn was Lis beginning to make his Mark in the business when the Ballos burst onto the scene heralding Tho British invasion and Selling the fuse Tor she Rock culture explosion of the 60s. Ash him Hough what he thought about the recent 25h anniversary of the Seal Les appearance on the de still Ign Stow and his answer is As Blunt Asil is surprising the velvet underground was t on de not that Reed actually imagines that his band should have been. Founded in i9g5 by Reed along win John Cale Sterling Morrison and Maureen Tucker. The velvet underground could almost have been the Anli beatles uncompromisingly dissonant in blindingly rank the group s repertoire included everything irom songs Ghoul heroin addiction arid sadomasochism to musical Short stories and allusions to Pool Delmore Schwartz i thought to were quite a bit Over people s Heads he said nor docs he wish otherwise we weren t writing Down. When i Road certain reviews of my own album now in Sven easy understand what happened to the velvet underground. Some people Are icily off base or really offended it s hard we maybe. Certainly it is not hard to see How a song As venomous As Good evening could sub some people Iho wrong Way particularly those too Liberal minded to have much use Tor irony and sarcasm. But the easiest thing to miss about Reed s. New York is that lot All its angry words and disquieting images Reed seems to the time of his life on fhe record. We had a really great time he admitted. To begin with there was his current band which pairs Reed s Iii Lar with that of Mike Rathke. I really love what happens when you get two guitars really working Togo Thor Well Recd said to record the guitars and then add everything thai s the basis of the song not the rhythm section.". Then Thero was co producer Fred Manor. Although Maher has some impressive pop recording to trs credit information society s current album among them he also had a terrific empathy Tor Reed s music having drummed in Tho Singer s band Tor several years put the two together Reed said and the result was instant arid harmonious communication so that when to were in the studio there would t be any differences of opinion As tar As n Goat and How to achieve it we did t do a whole sol of but what to did really mattered. To made Tho record in seven weeks such Speed is important to Reed. My attention Span in t Hal Long he said. My records Are about emotion and in in there too Long you Slop responding to the emotion of a song and Start responding to technicalities this or that.,1 m still responding so the emotion As Long As i still got emotion off the Hiing. Part of what the record is really about is the use of language i had a lot of fun with that just playing with the words using the right ones and the rhythm of them. A listener ought to get pleasure just out of listening of the words forgetting about the Story that they re lolling just the rhythm of Inbum and the use of wordplay has Barona Central part of Reed writing style almost from the Start. Despite joking that it you have and need some material easy stud anyone can learn a Lou Reed song in about five minutes Reed agreed thai in sometimes does take a Little More than three chords and a Lyric shoot to gel to the heart of his songs v. "1. Remember once Tan Hunter Iron Motl Tho hoopla was trying to do Sweet Jane he said. David Bowie a major velvet underground an and Early Reed supporter was producing Iho session and me up because Hunter could t do the lyrics gel them i. You know the line. Jack s in a Corset Jana s in a Vest Lou heed takes a Savage slice at complacency in the big Apple on is new album new York and a i m in a Rock n rot band ? you be got to phrase in correctly or you can t get it in. So thai was the stumbling Block " astute pop tans May Havo noticed by the Way that. The Jack s in a Corset line does in the Cowboy junkies recording of the song a version Reed has called the authentic rendition Hove heard. And snarls at 80s Happy talk by Jon Pareles hew York times w Hen commentators insisted thai election year 1968 was one of peace arid Prosperity some new yorkers could Onty gape and snarl in disbelief. In their neighbourhoods they saw homeless copse begging outside luxury co Ops friends dying of aids teen agers smoking crack the nightly nows intercut abused children racist demagogues and poisoned beaches with voracious Deal makers and Iree spending Consumers Lou Reed was one of the snarl Orsi and his new new York assaults 1980s Happy Alk and Yuppie complacency. Ivs his Best most hardheaded album in a decade As the main songwriter for the velvet underground 20 years ago. Reed brought plainspoken Urban realism to Ioc n1 Roll Fco the Ashcan school painters jus before world War i and Tho tabloid photographer Weegee. To decided that City Lile Sha tired romantic Cove Nihoris and Hes Elul to reveal new York s last noisy Bleak d Fly . Brutal truths. Then As now. Most of pop s audience preferred Catchy love allies but eventually the velvets example Basic three chord songs laced with guitar noise telling uninhibited and unpretty stories provided the sound and strategy of Punk lock and its progeny. Reed s Solo career did t always live up to his own Pedigree As he toyed with styles and. In the 1960s, tried to portray himself As a settled married adult. But oven his most contrived and mawkish albums usually had a song or two Worth hearing and some whole albums transformer 1972berlin 1973siree Hansfo 1978legendary hearts 1983 and two five a forums Rock and Roll animal 1974 and the import Only Irve in Italy 1.984 have held up. Reeds darkest scenarios have been his most enduring ones Rve work builds on the musical and literary strengths of his belter albums. It uses a four piece band aka the velvets loaded a lineup Reed returned to with legendary hearts himself and Mike Rathke on rhythm guitars often with Reed overdubbing a Lead guitar Bob Wasse Mari or Fred Maher on Bass Maher. Or on iwo songs the velvets Maureen Tucker on Drums. In Basic three chord Rock Tho guitars mesh and Wrangle in an improvisatory dialogue without a wasted note the rhythm Section punches out an uncluttered beat. Above Tho band Reed sings and Speaks his lyrics in a Deadpan voice beyond disgust or astonishment barely willing to admit compassion the voice of a longtime now yorker and As on his Best albums. Reed has again decided to stare Down the Urban inferno. In some ways. Rew Dvorkis another late-1980s album that takes up issues and social responsibility. Luckily Rood in l Cut Cul for Dutiful re to mod cling or heroic Neo Rorri Anticis or holier than Tho ii pronouncements. He s infuriated and bewildered often rude and he always Notos Tho ugly of tads on Tew York he lands somewhere Between Theca Elul righteousness of Bruce Springsteen or u2 and the grungy Shock treatment of rappers and Post Punk hard Core bands. Over the years Reed has changed his tactics where his Callior songs told lowlife stones in the first person without comment or judgment impersonating such characters As a Junkie we Rorrer. A Hus Leaf so col hassle or & rapist the gun lately he has chosen to spell out his sympathies even to draw a moral or two he still does t pretend to have ,.clear Oil solutions he knows he s ranting spitting in the wind but Page 17
