News of someone’s death is always sudden and shocking.
Lou Reed died.
I have been dreaming of New York since I was a little boy, believing, without any evidence, there must be something special in the city. I gained a passion for rock music and started listening to punk rock. In the beginning, I was interested in fashionable aspects of the UK punk. Gradually, I became more fascinated by literary aspects of the New York punk and my interest shifted to it. Listening to Tom Verlaine, Patti Smith and Richard Hell and searching their routes, I ultimately got to Lou Reed.
The 1st album of Velvet Underground, which is famous for its banana jackets produced by Andy Warhol, was released in 1967. Speaking of 1967, the Beatles released “Sergeant Peppers“, Monterey Pop Festival was held, and Jefferson Airplane released “Surrealistic Pillows” in the year. I got an electrified feeling by the emergence of a band like Velvets on the east coast when “peace” mood by hippies prevailed on the west coast.
Since then, Lou Reed has attracted me even after he started his solo activities. Listening to his new songs in real time made me feel great. The film of the Concert of “Songs for Drella”, which was dedicated to the memory of Andy Warhol, was spectacular, conveying a sense of tense on the stage(up-tight!) and hinting at their history. My stories are endless if I start talking about ”Transformer”, “Magic and Loss”, “ New York”, “Berlin” and so on.
“Heroin” is the best song for me if I have to choose one from his songs.
Through the song, I feel impatience, high and lethargy heroin addicts may experience even though I don’t drink or smoke. It’s fantastic that every time I listen to the song from my stereo his tense performance gives me an illusion as if I’m in a live concert. Above all, I love the part “heroin it’s my life it’s my wife ha ha” very much. I have been saved and attracted by Lou Reed’s laughing, “ha ha” and I’m sure I will continue to be.
Obviously, our music (the scope of the target of “our” is vague, but I would rather say “our”) wouldn’t have come into being if Lou Reed hadn’t existed.
Thank you and goodbye, Lou Reed.