Lou Reed, the Music Snob

[421JAM]

well, yeah, but there are two kinds of people... people who would consider jamming a needle full of street heroin into their arm and people who would not think that was a good plan. Pretty good dividing line, right?

I suppose that is A dividing line, if you’re into diving lines, but I maintain that Zappa and Reed were far more similar than different.

 

[Ron R]

I suppose that is A dividing line, if you’re into diving lines, but I maintain that Zappa and Reed were far more similar than different.

Lou placed a big emphasis on lyrics. Frank actually resented the fact that music had to have lyrics to have much hope for airplay in the US; hence much of the nonsense, self-sabotage, over the top lyrics he'd employ.

 

[Manual Slim]

Poking fingers in eyes is one similarity.

 

[Turtleneck]

Lou Reed was undoubtedly talented as far as the song writing and talk-singing, but he always grabbed me as an insecure small man.

I never got why everyone lauded him as the coolest cat ever.

 

[421JAM]

Lou placed a big emphasis on lyrics. Frank actually resented the fact that music had to have lyrics to have much hope for airplay in the US; hence much of the nonsense, self-sabotage, over the top lyrics he'd employ.

Nevertheless, regardless of their different ideas about what they wanted out of music, they both followed their own (often parallel) paths with little to no regard for commercial success. They both changed the course of their music repeatedly throughout their careers. Their music seemed like polar opposites, but some of their output is quite similar (for example, Metal Machine Music and Zappa’s frequent musique concrete experiments may as well be the same thing, they both employed funk and fusion musicians at times, they both created concept albums and songs that explored similar themes, they both reworked their old music in radically new ways throughout their careers). Both were outspoken d-heads a lot of the time, even when they’re right.

I see far more similarities than differences, even though their music usually doesn’t sound alike, and rarely comes from the same set of musical values.

 

[scottser]

20. Richey Edwards on The Levellers “You could go to any Levellers concert and stand in the middle and shout, ‘Jeremy!’, and 75% of the audience would turn round.”

I don't really know either of the people here, but that is funny, funny stuff.

Richey edwards was the guitarist in the first iteration of the manic street preachers. The Levellers attracted a lot of middle class fans to the hippy ideal back in the 90s.

 

[scottser]

Deleted.

 

[Digital Larry]

I liked Rock and Roll Animal OK, and the first VU LP has its moments.

I like a lot more Zappa, but recent reflection upon that indicates that I tuned out most of his lyrics to focus on the vast amount of structural and melodic detail crammed into even the most ridiculous songs.

I think one big difference in all this is that Zappa both did and did not take himself seriously, whereas Lou seems to mostly have taken himself seriously.

 

[Double Stop]

The power of the written word. Everyone has strong opinions. I disagree with most of his quotes in that clipping, but it doesn't change my opinion about his work, which I consider stellar.

I love pretty much all of Lou's work. Every time I go back and to re-explore his entire catalog, I hear something fresh and exciting.

I like the fact that even an individual such has he, with a lot of polarizing (some might say "snobby") opinions, has the common sense to acknowledge The Beatles as one of the greats.

I like his quote about being annoyed by Dylan if he was at a party. I get that. Both Dylan and Lou are easily among my favorite artists, but I would probably be annoyed with both of them if I were at the same party.

 

[ricknbaker]

Lou just talked a load of old bollocks. Watch any of his interviews. He liked to wind people up to get attention.

 

[ndcaster]

Few more for you –

30. Wayne Coyne on Arcade Fire “I get really tired of their pompousness [sic]… We’ve played some shows with them and they really treat people like sh*t. People treat Arcade Fire like they’re the greatest thing ever and they get away with it… They have good tunes, but they’re pr*cks, so f*ck ‘em.”

29. Christina Aguilera on Lady Gaga “I’m not quite sure who this person is, to be honest. I don’t know if it is a man or a woman.”

28. David Lee Roth on Elvis Costello “Music journalists like Elvis Costello because music journalists look like Elvis Costello.”

27. Lily Allen on Cheryl Cole “Taking your clothes off, doing sexy dancing and marrying a rich footballer must be very gratifying. Your mother must be so proud. Stupid b*tch.”

26. Trent Reznor on Marilyn Manson “A malicious guy [who] will step on anybody’s face to succeed, and cross any line of decency.

25. Mark E Smith on Mumford & Sons “There was this other group warming up … and they were terrible. I said, ‘Shut them c*nts up!’ And they were still warming up, so I threw a bottle at them … I just thought they were a load of retarded Irish folk singers.”

24. Courtney Love on Dave Grohl “As for that drummer, well, he’s hit on me so many times. He’s just a very very conflicted guy about me, which is why he continually writes songs about me to hear he ‘hates’ me more than ‘anyone else.’ Kurt loathed HIM more than anyone else (except a journalist) … He’s just sub-mediocre kind of [guy] who does this ‘nice guy’ nonsense.”

23. Dave Grohl on Courtney Love “She’s an ugly f*cking b*tch.”

22. Kathleen Hanna on Courtney Love “Where’s the baby? In the closet with an IV?”

21. Paul Weller on Freddie Mercury “He said he wanted to bring ballet to the working classes. What a c*nt.”

20. Richey Edwards on The Levellers “You could go to any Levellers concert and stand in the middle and shout, ‘Jeremy!’, and 75% of the audience would turn round.”

19. Kurt Cobain on Guns N’ Roses “They’re really talentless people, and they write crap music, and they’re the most popular rock band on the earth right now. I can’t believe it.”

18. Nick Cave on Red Hot Chili Peppers “I’m forever near a stereo saying, ‘What the f*ck is this garbage?’ And the answer is always the Red Hot Chili Peppers.”

17. Noel Gallagher on Kaiser Chiefs “They play dress-up and sit on top of an apex of meaninglessness. They don’t mean anything to anybody apart from their f*cking ugly girlfriends.”

16. Alan McGee on Coldplay “Coldplay are the dictionary definition of corporate rock. The singer is about as weird as Phil Collins. They are career rock personified. EMI should’ve signed Otis The Aadvark instead. At least he only sucks his thumb rather than corporate c*ck.”

15. Elvis Costello on Morrissey “Morrissey writes wonderful song titles, but sadly he often forgets to write the song.”

14. Noel Gallagher on Jack White “He looks like Zorro on doughnuts.”

13. Rick James on Prince “A little short ego-ed f*cker who I had a feeling didn’t like people of his own race and wanted to be white and taller.”

12. Mark “E” Everett on The Beatles “John Lennon sings about peace because he’s a woman-beater. Hippies are so full of sh*t.”

11. Richey Edwards on Slowdive “We hate Slowdive more than we hate Hitler.”

10. Ian Brown on Bono “He’s such a fake, isn’t he? When he did Live Aid, which made them a worldwide group … he looked out and [saw] that black girl in the middle of all them people, and she’s from Hackney or something, and he was like, ‘Here’s a great shot for me around the world to show I’m Mr Africa.’ It’s like colonialist times with a big white hat.”

9. Robert Smith on Morrissey “If Morrissey says not to eat meat, then I’ll eat meat — that’s how much I hate Morrissey.”

8. Morrissey on Bob Geldof “Bob Geldof is a nauseating character. Band Aid was the most self-righteous platform ever in the history of popular music.”

7. Noel Gallagher on Liam Gallagher “He’s like a man with a fork in a world of soup.”

6. Boy George on Madonna “A vile, hideous human being with no redeeming qualities.”

5. Boy George on Elton John “All that money, and he’s still got hair like a f*cking dinner lady.”

4. Elton John on Keith Richards “It’s like a monkey with arthritis, trying to go onstage and look young.”

3. Morrissey on Brett Anderson “He’ll never forgive God for not making him Angie Bowie.”

2. Anton Newcombe on Eric Clapton “People talk about Eric Clapton. What has he ever done except throw his baby off a f*ckin’ ledge and write a song about it?”

1. Tupac on The Notorious BIG All of “Hit ‘Em Up,” really, but particularly this: “I f*cked your *****, you fat motherf*cker.

now that's entertainment

 

[teletimetx]

Some of these quotes are pretty funny. At least IMO.

One thing I try to remember is that artists, musicians, etc. all develop at different rates. Some are golden forever; some turn out to be shooting stars. Torch and fade.

And some don’t turn into diamonds until they’ve been buried in the crushing overburden and somehow survive.

All part of a spectrum or various combinations.

Whatever we see is just a single time slice.

From my tiny point of view, it’s hardly surprising that some folks get salty.

 

[Killing Floor]

Great thread.

FWIW Lou Reed was the kind of musician who would wrap up a set and as people in the front rows were leaving he'd invite the folks with the cheaper tickets to come fill their seats for another encore. I appreciate every time I had the chance to see him live and the couple times I met him he was engaging and genuine.
And I don't doubt for a second he'd tell Dylan to shut up at a party.

 

[getbent]

Nevertheless, regardless of their different ideas about what they wanted out of music, they both followed their own (often parallel) paths with little to no regard for commercial success. They both changed the course of their music repeatedly throughout their careers. Their music seemed like polar opposites, but some of their output is quite similar (for example, Metal Machine Music and Zappa’s frequent musique concrete experiments may as well be the same thing, they both employed funk and fusion musicians at times, they both created concept albums and songs that explored similar themes, they both reworked their old music in radically new ways throughout their careers). Both were outspoken d-heads a lot of the time, even when they’re right.

I see far more similarities than differences, even though their music usually doesn’t sound alike, and rarely comes from the same set of musical values.

I agree with pretty much everything you express.... For both, they are more interesting to me as personalities than any of their music.

In the old days, I would read Guitar Player and DownBeat cover to cover, every ad, every little spec of print, I would devour even by artists who played music I didn't listen to or like very much. You know, Nuno Bettencort's speed practice for scales or the Rik Emmet on something. I grew to LOVE what they wrote about even if I didn't agree, I just inhaled it.

Then I'd go track the music down and kind of like Charlie Brown looking in his Trick or Treat bag, nuttin for me.

I enjoy their interviews and books about them more than their music. I dig the 'thought' that they put into it more than the execution...

The opposite of that is listening to Al Green and Teenie and Charles Hodges and Al Jackson... There isn't too much to read about what they had to say, but, they didn't need interviews, the music is so intimate, you can feel what they felt and their thoughts come through like a whisper from a lover... just clear and perfect.

Sometimes in Keith Richards interviews, I see a certain exasperation in him as if to say, 'hey, you have the music, it says everything that needs saying.' and I think for him, he is right. His music does that too.

 

[aging_rocker]

7. Noel Gallagher on Liam Gallagher “He’s like a man with a fork in a world of soup.”

Whatever your opinions might be on Noel Gallagher as a writer/musician/person, he is one funny guy. I cried with laughter when I first heard that comment, and it still makes me LOL now.

And Lou was spot on with his Keith Richards comment. If not much else.

 

[aging_rocker]

...Sometimes in Keith Richards interviews, I see a certain exasperation in him as if to say, 'hey, you have the music, it says everything that needs saying.' and I think for him, he is right. His music does that too.

Yeah, I think that folks often place far too much importance on what musicians 'say', rather than just enjoying their 'art'.

I couldn't give a toss about what most of them have to 'say'. It's all just one person's opinion, after all.

 

[bsman]

Yeah, I think that folks often place far too much importance on what musicians 'say', rather than just enjoying their 'art'.

I couldn't give a toss about what most of them have to 'say'. It's all just one person's opinion, after all.

Yeah - that's where I am. Having some songs that are popular does not make you an instant expert on all facets of music.

 

[viking]

1984ish the first time a festival in Denmark payed 1 million of our currency for a 1 hour" performance"
I was there , with friends older than me who insisted we watched this. .oh my ....couldnt sing in tune , couldnt play in tune...
Emperors new clothes yup , felt just just like the fairy tale.
What a waste of time sorry ..

 

[aging_rocker]

Yeah - that's where I am. Having some songs that are popular does not make you an instant expert on all facets of music.

Or anything else. Mostly.

 

[aging_rocker]

...In the old days, I would read Guitar Player and DownBeat cover to cover, every ad, every little spec of print, I would devour even by artists who played music I didn't listen to or like very much. You know, Nuno Bettencort's speed practice for scales or the Rik Emmet on something. I grew to LOVE what they wrote about even if I didn't agree, I just inhaled it.

Then I'd go track the music down and kind of like Charlie Brown looking in his Trick or Treat bag, nuttin for me...

Yep, had many similar experiences back in the day.

A lot of stuff 'sounded great on paper', but hearing it was a revelation, and often not in a good way.

I won't name names, to avoid upsetting anyone.