I have always had a fascination with Lou Reed. There has always been a coolness/darkness about him that fascinated me. He epitomized what I visualized New York was before I ever really frequented Manhattan. I painted a portrait of him in 9th grade. Even in pictures, he came across so angry, smug, and arrogant that I was drawn to what he was all about. I ended up reading a biography, Transformer, about his youth, elector-shock therapy, issues with sexuality, life at Syracuse University, into the Velvet Underground and beyond.
To me. the Velvet Underground's"banana album"(The Velvet Underground & Nico) is a masterpiece. Odd and different, but still listenable today. Much the opposite, but still a masterpiece is 1975's Metal Music Machine four sides of pure feedback with the last side on a loop to continually play forever. I still don't know if I call it bullshit or brilliance.
"Sweet Jane" from Reed's Rock & Roll Animal is one of the best recorded live songs ever. The long intro into a new take (at the time) of a Velvet Underground classic is still a song that I listen to happily when it shuffles on my ipod.
