Comments on: Lou Reed, Good Riddance

By: Karl

Karl — Fri, 27 Dec 2013 14:40:43 +0000

ho, hum. Hamsters gonna hamster. Young nubile, fertile females love badboys. Really shocking to us nice guys – we end up in the friendzone. No action for us! Don’t deny it – who should we believe…. you? Or our lying eyes?

By: Marky

Marky — Sat, 09 Nov 2013 00:19:51 +0000

One of your best posts. Thank you.

By: Sister Wolf

Sister Wolf — Thu, 07 Nov 2013 04:22:59 +0000

Jenny – Yay!

David – Okay, I just read your Lou Reed post. That is so adorable, I can’t even argue with you. The fact that you are so open to new music that is out of your “comfort zone” is extremely gratifying. For example, I am too old to start liking anything I missed in the 70s, and waaaaaaay to old to appreciate rap.

Andra is right about Lou Rawls though.

By: Sister Wolf

Sister Wolf — Thu, 07 Nov 2013 04:16:59 +0000

Suspended – You are the wind beneath my sails or however that expression goes

Bessie the Cow – I hate that film more than I can say.

Will – THANK YOU!

ALi – Set Free is a gorgeous song. It is so wonderful, but I give credit to Sterling Morrison for that guitar solo.

Just Ann – Why is it that whenever I express anger or contempt, people complain about my “vitriol??” That word cancels out whatever points you are trying to make.

Andra – Haha, you big silly.

By: Jenny

Jenny — Tue, 05 Nov 2013 23:52:27 +0000

I couldn’t agree more!

By: Andra

Andra — Mon, 04 Nov 2013 22:06:24 +0000

I’ve only vaguely heard of Lou Reed and I have no interest in him or his music.
It’s all very dreary and boring.
He’s no loss.

By: Just Ann

Just Ann — Mon, 04 Nov 2013 13:49:12 +0000

As someone who watched her father (who was younger than Lou Reed was when Lou got his new liver) die while waiting for a transplant, it pisses me off when we see old celebrities who famously, publicly abused their organs, then went to the front of the list for a transplant. Problem is: If someone designates their liver to go to a particular person, that’s where it’s going. List doesn’t count. Age doesn’t count. The famous are more likely to have people put them down as a designee should they die before that person gets the organ they need, if they match. And, body’s reject the transplants often, even when it’s a match.

The rest of the vitriol directed at Lou Reed is your choice. Lou Reed wrote about the experiences he knew. For the last 40 years of his life, he was publicly not a junkie and spoke openly about it. I don’t know how I would have turned out if I had been raised in New York with my parents trying everything they could (including electroshock therapy) to try to kill bisexual urges. I’ve not walked in those shoes, so I’m not going to judge a past that cannot be changed.

I idolized many musicians over the years. I haven’t felt the need to try to live like one of them. I don’t get that mentality either, so I’m not going to judge the people who feel so bereft of original personality that they feel they must adopt some celebrity’s habits in search of some borrowed cool. That’s sad.

By: David Duff

David Duff — Mon, 04 Nov 2013 09:39:55 +0000

I discovered Mr. Reed on the 18th November 2011. I know that to be accurate because I blogged on the subject:
http://duffandnonsense.typepad.com/duff_nonsense/2011/11/alright-alright-so-ive-never-heard-of-lou-reed-ok.html

Actually, I only liked one of his songs – ‘Walk on the Wild Side’ – even if the lyrics are witless, the arrangement and the deep tone of his voice are very striking – once heard, difficult to forget.

By: ali

ali — Mon, 04 Nov 2013 06:49:13 +0000

*I didn’t mean to make it sound like kids who look up to lou reed are/were stupid…. just been thinking a lot about “cool”, survival of the fittest and pack mentality.

“Cool” is destructive. but trying to be cool is survival. Emulating someone you look up to isn’t STUPID.

hell, I look up to you and I think you’re cool so I started a tumblr. best decision!

think I am rambling….

My main point is that, sure, to hell with lou reed. Still makes me a little sad tho.

By: ali

ali — Mon, 04 Nov 2013 06:33:59 +0000

My first encounter with true stories of heroin addiction was in early high school (anthony kiedis’ “auto” biography). His stories scared the living crap out of me – enough scare me about cocaine in high school (tough to stay away from that stuff in latin america) . Anthony Kiedis is a total dickhead … but at least he spared no language in describing what heroin did to him and what he became.

I’ve had a few other encounters with heroin usage since then, but up until 5 months ago I lived with a heroin addict for a year and a half – and boy was that the most terrifying thing…… constant vigilance necessary.

I’m not a stranger to addiction myself so I can understand making excuses to transcend deep shame. Unfortunately, success, talent and industry “yes men” are the perfect system for justification.

I can also understand making art about something that you are literally addicted to. Unfortunately, Lou happened to be famous. He happened to need an excuse and excuse himself to the world. It’s grand scale manipulation.

I just wish “cool’ didn’t exist. but human beings are stupid animals (mostly).

All I know is “I am set free” makes my heart soar ….and heroin chic is utterly stupid. I would rather two kids not overdose than have a lou reed – and if lou reed never existed, I couldn’t feel the loss. But thinking about lou reed-less music history makes me sad.