Lou Reed- beatles 'garbage'

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The Dr
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Lou Reed- beatles 'garbage'

Post by The Dr »

Lou Reed recalled his vision for the Velvet Underground and his derision for that band's contemporaries in a recently rediscovered interview that PBS has animated as part of its Blank on Blank series. The singer told music executive Joe Smith in 1987 that he felt the purpose of the band was "to elevate the rock & roll song and take it where it hadn't been taken before."


He also had strong words for his more successful peers in the Sixties. "When [bands] did try to get, in quotes, 'arty,' it was worse than stupid rock & roll," he said. "What I mean by 'stupid,' I mean, like, the Doors." And what did he think of John Lennon and the Beatles? "I never liked the Beatles," Reed said. "I thought they were garbage. If you say, 'Who did you like?' I liked nobody."

Elsewhere in the chat, Reed talked about living in a remote part of New Jersey where he threatened curious college kids with a shotgun and the clashes he had with recording engineers at studios.

He also brought up how no one realized the Velvet Underground's "Venus in Furs" was based on a novel, and said that he felt the reaction to "Heroin" was like "I murdered the Pope or something." He said his intention with bringing these subject matters to rock – things that had been in novels, he points out – was to open people's eyes to what pop music was capable of. "What I wanted to do [was] write rock & roll that you could listen to as you got older, and it wouldn't lose anything," he said. "It would be timeless, and the subject matter and the literacy of the lyrics."

Reed's pop subversion will be honored April 18th when he is inducted as a solo artist into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The late rocker was already part of the Rock Hall after the induction of Velvet Underground in 1996.

The video interview is part of PBS' Blank on Blank series, which animates long-forgotten interviews by notable musicians and entertainers. Other celebrities whose interviews have been animated include Reed's least favorite musicians John Lennon and Jim Morrison, as well as Robin Williams, David Bowie, Tupac Shakur, Wayne Coyne and Michael Jackson.

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/video ... z3SJ4Fyltv
“You're not Dostoevsky,' said the citizeness

'Well, who knows, who knows,' he replied.

'Dostoevsky's dead,' said the citizeness, but somehow not very confidently.

'I protest!' Behemoth exclaimed hotly. 'Dostoevsky is immortal!”
Multi
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Re: Lou Reed- beatles 'garbage'

Post by Multi »

The Dr wrote:He also had strong words for his more successful peers in the Sixties. "When [bands] did try to get, in quotes, 'arty,' it was worse than stupid rock & roll," he said. "What I mean by 'stupid,' I mean, like, the Doors." And what did he think of John Lennon and the Beatles? "I never liked the Beatles," Reed said. "I thought they were garbage. If you say, 'Who did you like?' I liked nobody."
Silly.
Last edited by Multi on Fri Feb 20, 2015 7:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.
ro
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Re: Lou Reed- beatles 'garbage'

Post by ro »

"What I wanted to do [was] write rock & roll that you could listen to as you got older, and it wouldn't lose anything,"
That was certainly achieved!
And I'm awfully grateful for it.
mc
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Re: Lou Reed- beatles 'garbage'

Post by mc »

Typical self-aggrandising and hyperbolic Lou :) Silly is right, but Lou Reed and his musical legacy still means a thousand times more to me than anything The Beatles did.
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Re: Lou Reed- beatles 'garbage'

Post by BzaInSpace »

mc wrote:Typical self-aggrandising and hyperbolic Lou :) Silly is right, but Lou Reed and his musical legacy still means a thousand times more to me than anything The Beatles did.
I completely agree with you, bar honourable mentions of John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band and All Things Must Pass, which I'll happily rank with the best of the Velvet Underground, despite being post VU releases.

Good ol' Lou for kicking out the jams - weirdly enough, the Beatles and Lou basically evolved from the same primal rock 'n' roll template.
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Re: Lou Reed- beatles 'garbage'

Post by semisynthetic »

I heard Lou Reed in other formats say just about the same sort of comments about what his Mrs. did; shaking his head at the "absurdity" of what Laurie Anderson did and HOW she did it; more than once, in fact. The key-word-phrase I believe is "I don't see how she does it; I could never do that"; maybe that had something to do with this somewhat "general negativism". Many painters cannot stand any work but their own, and many may not be able to even tolerate THAT!

The weird "Factory" setting that the Velvet Underground was created in is as genuinely commercial as any PROCESS - but what they created there, was something wonderfully unique; and if you like Nico, then the "product is complete"; that Teutonic, sultry voice and a very Beautiful young Model. (The FIRST LP cover I have of Nico is not even HER music)! It is her portrait, pre-VU, on a Jazz LP! I wanted to share it, but I haven't filed it yet, so I cannot find it quickly. :)

Lou Reed has always been one of my favorites! (Anyone who has SEALED RCA PROMO's of "Metal Machine Music" is likely to be a fan). But I enjoy so many types of music, that only a very few genre are not enjoyable to me.

I believe that MANY bands from "the distant past", like The Beatles, are often so tied WITH the Time they were in and affected in some ways, dates them as much as black and white Silent Movies; if you cannot accept or somehow enjoy the film despite it being IMMEDIATELY "dated" and eliminated from contention, then you may miss out on many FANTASTIC films by default. I see many "misunderstandings" of music only a few years OR a few decades old, simply because there is a sometimes difficult "leap" to make in enjoying it, and certainly any attempt at understanding certain music or musicians in particular can require more time and thought than some may wish to devote, which is their prerogative.
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plastic37
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Re: Lou Reed- beatles 'garbage'

Post by plastic37 »

This thread reminds me of an internal discussion i have been having concerning the processes whereby the legacy of The Beatles will be reassessed and marginalised in favour of other artists from that time/slightly later years.
It seems inconceivable now but it could happen.
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Re: Lou Reed- beatles 'garbage'

Post by runaway »

Yeah, like the reverse of how people now are critical of Madonna and Justin Timberlake, before history has a chance of showing us their true genius.
mc
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Re: Lou Reed- beatles 'garbage'

Post by mc »

I revere The Velvet Underground more than most bands, but in all honesty, I love Lou Reed's solo career even more. Berlin, Rock N Roll Animal, Coney Island Baby, Take No Prisoners, Street Hassle, The Bells, The Blue Mask, Magic & Loss, Ecstasy, Lulu: these albums and more take me places the VU could never dream of. It's an unusual opinion, I realise, but I will defend it with my life :)
olan
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Re: Lou Reed- beatles 'garbage'

Post by olan »

mc wrote:I revere The Velvet Underground more than most bands, but in all honesty, I love Lou Reed's solo career even more. Berlin, Rock N Roll Animal, Coney Island Baby, Take No Prisoners, Street Hassle, The Bells, The Blue Mask, Magic & Loss, Ecstasy, Lulu: these albums and more take me places the VU could never dream of. It's an unusual opinion, I realise, but I will defend it with my life :)
I have more context for his solo work because I discovered much of it in real time as it was released. The VU (proper) were finished before I really got my head around walking, let alone rock & roll, so I worked my way back through the material. Despite owning several Lou Reed LPs at the time, I really first started listening to VU in 1980/1 largely thanks to Joy Division's versions of Sister Ray on bootlegs and later the Still LP. It was really hard to track the VU records down in Dublin back then.....
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Re: Lou Reed- beatles 'garbage'

Post by semisynthetic »

plastic37 wrote:This thread reminds me of an internal discussion i have been having concerning the processes whereby the legacy of The Beatles will be reassessed and marginalised in favour of other artists from that time/slightly later years.
It seems inconceivable now but it could happen.
Certainly I do enjoy the VU very much; and Nico's recordings; almost everything has SOME good in it for me; the amount simply varies, sometimes for reasons that are difficult to put into words; for the feeling drives the desire and enjoyment. I believe I have a nearly completest collection and enjoy them all.

But I also believe that people, "as some great group of individuals", like Happy Music; or something that is positive and pleasing; I believe much of what was "lost in the Crowd" will be found again, along with music like that of The Beatles for a very long time; Beethoven's "Ode To Joy" is still enjoyed, after all these years, and why is that? It is uplifting and fills one with a sort of Ecstasy inside, perhaps even more when sung in the original German! It is the feeling! It is Happy! (Especially if your name is by chance Alex).

Music from the 1920's was mostly fun, because it WAS the 1920's; the Great Depression had its few "sad songs" that stuck, but MOST of what people remember of that era was HAPPY MUSIC, they already had enough to cry about! In the 1940's, with WWII - Happy wins! The 1950's and 1960's, although VERY DIFFERENT ERAS; still HAPPY WINS.

The sheer amount of Music will naturally allow different people to find even more music that they, themselves identify with; but I believe simple, Happy Songs are naturally just hard to "get rid of", and will stay around a long time.

There is SO MUCH music out there, and more to come; so everyone will find what suits them personally; but I doubt if Leos Janacek, who wrote what was eventually a 3LP Box Set about Concentration Camps, "From the House of the Dead" is ever going to be terribly popular. It is decidedly NOT Happy; I have a copy, and is was not what you would call a "big seller", yet I do not doubt it has an audience.

But Beatles Sets, released in unimaginable media will STILL be around for a very, very long time; they have some inherent quality of Happiness and simplicity; both of which may be in even GREATER demand in an uncertain World to come; I believe we generally WANT to be Happy, and the music we prefer often reflects that, regardless of what else we may have or otherwise enjoy; in all the GREAT VARIETY, Happy still Wins.
"Everything is a Poison; it is the amount or degree that separates one Poison from another"
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plastic37
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Re: Lou Reed- beatles 'garbage'

Post by plastic37 »

semisynthetic wrote:But Beatles Sets, released in unimaginable media will STILL be around for a very, very long time;
One of the strands of me thinking about what will remain relevant in years to come concerns copyright. It keeps getting extended. Maybe if that was reversed/altered the landscape would be different.
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semisynthetic
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Re: Lou Reed- beatles 'garbage'

Post by semisynthetic »

plastic37 wrote:
semisynthetic wrote:But Beatles Sets, released in unimaginable media will STILL be around for a very, very long time;
One of the strands of me thinking about what will remain relevant in years to come concerns copyright. It keeps getting extended. Maybe if that was reversed/altered the landscape would be different.
Copyright is a valid point; but it matters little who owns or does not a Copyright if no one wants to hear it; I have thousands of recordings that I am fairly certain are most likely never going to be in any great demand!

Yet, think of all of the Bootlegs that time, trouble and expense - not to mention other possible "problems" were ALL overcome because people WANTED TO HEAR THAT MUSIC! I believe there are a great number of recordings that will remain in demand, no matter by what new media may come into favor and regardless of who "owns" the rights; (multiple large cabinets of ROIO's are a testament to that premise); no matter what, if it can be reproduced, people who want certain music will generate the reason for "giving the people what they want", officially or otherwise. That is my take on it, anyway.
"Everything is a Poison; it is the amount or degree that separates one Poison from another"
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plastic37
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Re: Lou Reed- beatles 'garbage'

Post by plastic37 »

semisynthetic wrote:but it matters little who owns or does not a Copyright if no one wants to hear it;
I have a more cynical view. A copyright holder benefits from convincing audiences that they want to hear the works which generate income for the holder. Perhaps we are far more likely to be persuaded to hear something if it is in copyright?
semisynthetic wrote:no matter what, if it can be reproduced, people who want certain music will generate the reason for "giving the people what they want", officially or otherwise. That is my take on it, anyway.
Good point about bootlegs but i think my thinking on this is more concerned with the stuff that has a deep cultural impact and/or is consecrated as part of 'the canon'. And that's done with high level/mass activity. You are largely right... the good will always out. And there will always be that oppositional idea of what's hip in the face of the mainstream. That aspect is part of the joy of music. Although i would still contend that even the hip stuff will only be advanced as being hip if its in someones interests (be they capital or cultural capital motivations) to make it so.
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Re: Lou Reed- beatles 'garbage'

Post by The Dr »

semisynthetic wrote: LP cover I have of Nico is not even HER music[/b])! It is her portrait, pre-VU, on a Jazz LP! I wanted to share it, but I haven't filed it yet, so I cannot find it quickly. :)

[/b]

Image

a beautiful picture indeed
“You're not Dostoevsky,' said the citizeness

'Well, who knows, who knows,' he replied.

'Dostoevsky's dead,' said the citizeness, but somehow not very confidently.

'I protest!' Behemoth exclaimed hotly. 'Dostoevsky is immortal!”
The Dr
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Re: Lou Reed- beatles 'garbage'

Post by The Dr »

semisynthetic wrote:but I doubt if Leos Janacek, who wrote what was eventually a 3LP Box Set about Concentration Camps, "From the House of the Dead" is ever going to be terribly popular. It is decidedly NOT Happy; I have a copy, and is was not what you would call a "big seller", yet I do not doubt it has an audience.
.

it is based on dostoyevsky's 'novel' about 'someone's' time in the russian gulag
“You're not Dostoevsky,' said the citizeness

'Well, who knows, who knows,' he replied.

'Dostoevsky's dead,' said the citizeness, but somehow not very confidently.

'I protest!' Behemoth exclaimed hotly. 'Dostoevsky is immortal!”
semisynthetic
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Re: Lou Reed- beatles 'garbage'

Post by semisynthetic »

The Dr wrote:
semisynthetic wrote:but I doubt if Leos Janacek, who wrote what was eventually a 3LP Box Set about Concentration Camps, "From the House of the Dead" is ever going to be terribly popular. It is decidedly NOT Happy; I have a copy, and is was not what you would call a "big seller", yet I do not doubt it has an audience.
.

it is based on dostoyevsky's 'novel' about 'someone's' time in the russian gulag

Yes, and a laugh a minute; no, not really; Janacek captured the Horror of it all too well; I have listened to it 3 times all the way through since I obtained it new many years ago; and to make the Horror more Ironic, the 1st issue I obtained, a very heavily made, well made BOX SET of 3LPs and B&W Libretto, was released on the Czech Melodya label!
"Everything is a Poison; it is the amount or degree that separates one Poison from another"
Paracelsus
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