Between thought and expression selected lyrics of Lou Reed

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When Lou Reed interviewed Vaclav Havel in October 1990, President Havel handed Reed a small black book of his lyrics hand-printed and translated into Czech. Havel told him, "There were only 200 of them. They were very dangerous to have. People went to jail, and now you have one. Keep your fingers crossed for us." Such is the power of Lou Reed's lyrics, that the president of a nevvly emancipated country should find them worthy of translation, .meditation, and risk. Lou Reed first gained fame in the 1960's as a songwriter, singer, and guitarist for the legendary Velvet Underground, and has recorded more than twenty-five albums over the course of a career spanning somé three decades. Now, for the first time, Reed has gathered together somé of his most memorable and poetic lyrics. "This is a collection of lyrics which I feel can stand alone from the music for which they were originally written," Reed writes in his introduction. Reed, who studied with the poet Del more Schwartz, has alsó... Tovább

Fülszöveg

When Lou Reed interviewed Vaclav Havel in October 1990, President Havel handed Reed a small black book of his lyrics hand-printed and translated into Czech. Havel told him, "There were only 200 of them. They were very dangerous to have. People went to jail, and now you have one. Keep your fingers crossed for us." Such is the power of Lou Reed's lyrics, that the president of a nevvly emancipated country should find them worthy of translation, .meditation, and risk. Lou Reed first gained fame in the 1960's as a songwriter, singer, and guitarist for the legendary Velvet Underground, and has recorded more than twenty-five albums over the course of a career spanning somé three decades. Now, for the first time, Reed has gathered together somé of his most memorable and poetic lyrics. "This is a collection of lyrics which I feel can stand alone from the music for which they were originally written," Reed writes in his introduction. Reed, who studied with the poet Del more Schwartz, has alsó included two poems (one of which won a literary award), biographical notes on the lyrics, as well as his interviews with Vaclav Havel and Hubert Selby, author of Last Exít to Brooklyn. As the songwriter who "brought plainspoken úrban realism to rock-and-roll" (The New York Times), Reed has always been a sharp-eyed observer of the American social scene. Somé of his early songs, such as "Heroin," "Venus in Furs," "Candy Says," and "Walk on the Wild Side" were noted for broadening the parameters of what rock-and-roll could really be about. Another group of songs was inspired by And)' Warhol, who served as the first producer of the Velvet Underground. Reed wrote "A Dream," not as a literal transcript of Warhol's diary, but as an attempt "to capture the love of the Andy I knew both inside and out." "Andy's Chest" is a meditation on the infamous 1968 assassination attempt on the pop-culture icon, while "Hello It's Me" is a poignant wish for reconciliation with Warhol, with whorn Reed had fallen out of touch by the time of his death. (continued on back flap!
(continued from front flap) Lyrics from Reed s New York, which The New York Times called "his best, most hardheaded album in a decade," focus squarely on the problems of úrban America with renewed urgency. "The Halloween Parade" is a bittersweet tribute to friends who have died from AIDS. "Dirty Blvd." portrays a young welfare resident named Pedro, whose father "beats him eause he's too tired to beg." "Endless Cyele" is a disturbing vision of two háttered children who themselves become abusive parents, whereas "Beginning of a Great Ad ven tu re" offers a wry look at the possibility of parenthood. Diverse as it is provocative, Between Thought and Expression represents the finest work in words from one of rock music s most influential and enduring artists. Lou Reed's most recent album is Magic and Loss (Sire Records). He lives in New York City with his wife, Sylvia, and his dog, Champion Mr. Sox. Vissza