The New Yorker: Lou Reed
He famously called our city's mascot the 'Statue of Bigotry.' But don't be fooled. Lou Reed is Manhattan. And we'll drink to that.
Matthew Strmiska
November 21, 2007
By Marianne Hagan
Reed, The Highline, New York City, above.
This photograph of Lou Reed standing against the New York City skyline—atop the abandoned, elevated railroad in the West Village known as The Highline—was taken on September 11th of this year. It marked the sixth anniversary of “that day.” Like so many other disembodied souls facing the unthinkable as it played out in nightmarish slow motion, Reed couldn’t reach his longtime love, Laurie Anderson, by phone. So he did the only thing he knew to do: howl from his rooftop, and write her a poem, “Laurie Sadly Listening.”
“Laurie if you’re sadly listening/ The birds are on fire/ The sky glistening/ While I atop my roof stand watching.”
And watch he continues to do-from the trenches and the towers, as an artist and a citizen. Reed, the co-founder of The Velvet Underground and solo artist in every way, exists with an exclamation point, in stark contrast to other erstwhile rebels of his generation. (Former counterculture mascot, Dennis Hopper, comes to mind-shilling Ameriprise retirement funds, standing anachronistically on a pristine Caribbean beach.) Reed remains upright in his artistic endeavors. September 11th drew a straight line down the middle of a splatter painting, marking in stark relief the two sides: those who would flee their maimed city and those who would stay. He stayed with a vengeance. And today, no other figure, rock-n-roll or otherwise, so urgently, so iconically shouts “New York City.”
BLACKBOOK: The railroad tracks are hallowed ground for you. Why?
LOU REED: Because it’s so much a part of old New York. It’s very beautiful. It’s amazing to be up there walking on those old tracks.
BB: The bottomless well of New York City seems to be a constant source to which you return. What about it continues to inspire you?
LR: The city keeps changing constantly. It’s like an animal that keeps growing, shifting.
BB: Are there any musicians working today who influence you?
LR: Way too many to name…
BB: You don’t seem like someone who will “go gently into that good night.” What keeps you going while many of your contemporaries have traded in their guitars for golf clubs?
LR: I like making things.
BB: If there is such a thing as a perfect day.
LR: Good music, good friends, a nice day in the city, a good movie, a nice gallery, perhaps a play, all the things that make New York.
Photography by Jeff Reidel.
Posted by madlycorn on Thu Nov 22, 2007 at 11.09 am
i worship Lou… thanks for the great article/interview…
Posted by algernico on Fri Nov 23, 2007 at 10.36 pm
Hagan manages to convey the essence of Reed with evocative questions. I look forward to reading more by her.
Posted by jtrehy on Sun Nov 25, 2007 at 02.03 pm
Terrific article. Made me want more. It’s great to read that Lou Reed has stayed Lou Reed.
Posted by howgo on Mon Nov 26, 2007 at 07.50 pm
Wonderful piece. Makes this LA bound ex-New Yorker very nostalgic for home. Take a walk on the wild side.
Posted by Laura M on Mon Nov 26, 2007 at 11.56 pm
Fantastic article. After 7 years in Chapel Hill, I am still a New Yorker and this article really hit the spot. My message to Marianne Hagan is keep’em coming!
Posted by scott on Tue Nov 27, 2007 at 01.07 am
awesome...worship lou. thanks for the interview.
Posted by Ron Baldwin on Tue Nov 27, 2007 at 02.36 pm
Wonderful article! In very few words, Hagan shows in high relief the essence of Lou.....that he is a truly brave artist!
Posted by nelmo on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 11.38 pm
Great article. I love NY and I love Lou Reed. Thanks!!