So many of the great VU songs have a group writing credit that I don't know if they really count; my copies of "Loaded" and "VU" don't say who specifically wrote "Temptation Inside Your Heart" or "Cool It Down" or "Hey Mr. Rain". So I dunno if they go to Lou or not. But they are fabulous songs, and don't get their due I think because the chestnuts are "Sunday Morning" and "Femme Fatale".
"Street Hassle" to thread, for sure.
If we're picking "Metal Machine Music", (and we should), then it's all about side four: the locked groove, people!
― Drew Daniel (Drew Daniel), Friday, 19 November 2004 08:48 (nineteen years ago) link
I think they're all Lou.
― My Son Calls Another Man Dadaismus (Dada), Friday, 19 November 2004 09:54 (nineteen years ago) link
― Jonathan Z. (Joanthan Z.), Friday, 19 November 2004 10:13 (nineteen years ago) link
― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Friday, 19 November 2004 10:21 (nineteen years ago) link
― My Son Calls Another Man Dadaismus (Dada), Friday, 19 November 2004 10:23 (nineteen years ago) link
― LSTD (answer) (sexyDancer), Friday, 19 November 2004 10:36 (nineteen years ago) link
― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Friday, 19 November 2004 10:39 (nineteen years ago) link
― haitch haitch haitch (or any three repetitive sounds) (haitch), Friday, 19 November 2004 13:26 (nineteen years ago) link
― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Friday, 19 November 2004 14:02 (nineteen years ago) link
― Onzong Lee, Friday, 19 November 2004 14:26 (nineteen years ago) link
― seedy poops in the woods (Queen Electric Butt Prober BZZ), Friday, 19 November 2004 17:06 (nineteen years ago) link
― BrianB (BrianB), Friday, 19 November 2004 18:34 (nineteen years ago) link
But maybe "Sweet Jane," which after all is his best riff and his best-known song after "Walk on the Wild Side," which is a great RECORD and it's a song too, absolutely. "Rock and Roll" is another good one to cover. "Head Held High" is a good basic one. "Wild Child" and "Satellite" I heard last night for the first time in a L.T. and they're good ones too. His later stuff, I don't consider "New Sensations" a "song" in the same way as "Pale Blue" but it's good, real good, as is most of that album. "Don't Talk to Me About Work" is a good one. After that, I never heard most of it, I did get "The Raven" for my birthday last year and I have listened to it. But Lou, he's pathetic now.
― eddie hurt (ddduncan), Friday, 19 November 2004 23:34 (nineteen years ago) link
― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Friday, 19 November 2004 23:35 (nineteen years ago) link
― Bimble (bimble), Saturday, 20 November 2004 14:33 (nineteen years ago) link
― Bimble (bimble), Saturday, 20 November 2004 14:36 (nineteen years ago) link
I'm too big a fan to pick one, but I like eddie's rundown up above. If I have to pick, almost anything from the first album, but obviously here the John Cale influence is very strong. I guess I'll go with that "song about love between man and subway," Waiting for the Man. For a good analysis of this song, see a Robert Quine interview at the old Perfect Sound Forever.
― Ken L (Ken L), Saturday, 20 November 2004 15:06 (nineteen years ago) link
― eddie hurt (ddduncan), Saturday, 20 November 2004 17:32 (nineteen years ago) link
Best songs to me are the ballads: Pale Blue Eyes, Femme Fatale, Mirror....although among his latest songs I'd say the song is Baton Rouge.
― shookout (shookout), Saturday, 20 November 2004 17:39 (nineteen years ago) link
― J.H. Malerman (xada_hgla), Saturday, 16 September 2006 20:20 (seventeen years ago) link
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Saturday, 16 September 2006 20:44 (seventeen years ago) link
― Ficky Stingers (Bimble...), Sunday, 17 September 2006 08:05 (seventeen years ago) link
― Brian Turner (btwfmu), Sunday, 17 September 2006 20:36 (seventeen years ago) link
― Erroneous Botch (joseph cotten), Monday, 18 September 2006 02:00 (seventeen years ago) link
― Squirrel_Police (Squirrel_Police), Monday, 18 September 2006 02:30 (seventeen years ago) link
― Squirrel_Police (Squirrel_Police), Monday, 18 September 2006 02:31 (seventeen years ago) link
― Grey, Ian (IanBrooklyn), Monday, 18 September 2006 05:41 (seventeen years ago) link
― emekars (emekars), Monday, 18 September 2006 07:29 (seventeen years ago) link
― emekars (emekars), Monday, 18 September 2006 08:21 (seventeen years ago) link
― Charlie Howard (the sphinx), Monday, 18 September 2006 12:56 (seventeen years ago) link
Show you where my state of mind is.
― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Monday, 18 September 2006 13:52 (seventeen years ago) link
"Thought of you as my mountaintop / Thought of you as my peak / Thought of you as everything / I had but couldn't keep" is a hall of fame lyric.
― Edward III (edward iii), Monday, 18 September 2006 14:24 (seventeen years ago) link
― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Monday, 18 September 2006 16:26 (seventeen years ago) link
there are about 5 velvet tracks that jump in ahead of it however
― Charlie Howard (the sphinx), Tuesday, 19 September 2006 11:46 (seventeen years ago) link
― Oh No It's Dadaismus! (Dada), Tuesday, 19 September 2006 11:48 (seventeen years ago) link
― kornrulez6969 (TCBeing), Tuesday, 19 September 2006 12:35 (seventeen years ago) link
I can think of many best songs.
― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, 3 March 2018 02:40 (six years ago) link
good list, you not a fan of Drella?
― piscesx, Saturday, 3 March 2018 12:46 (six years ago) link
I am but I prefer Cale's tunes.
― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, 3 March 2018 12:57 (six years ago) link
live in italy version of "betrayed" has always been one of my fave moments of RQhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plh-3ej1t0M
― freedom is not having to measure life with a ruler (outdoor_miner), Saturday, 3 March 2018 15:05 (six years ago) link
didn't mean to embed, sry
― freedom is not having to measure life with a ruler (outdoor_miner), Saturday, 3 March 2018 15:06 (six years ago) link
I really think 'Legendary Hearts' is one of Lou's most beautiful songs. A bit of a 'Everybody Hurts' sentiment going on, but then, I love grand sweeping gestures.
― campreverb, Saturday, 3 March 2018 18:24 (six years ago) link
One of my favorites is "Busload of Faith". I always really dug how the New York album, as it's real stripped down and live sounding.
― earlnash, Saturday, 3 March 2018 18:39 (six years ago) link
can think of many best songs.
― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, March 2, 2018 6:40 PM
Taste is taste; but the positioning of “Coney Island Baby” on that list almost leads me to conclude you are trolling
― absorbed carol channing's powers & psyche (morrisp), Saturday, 3 March 2018 19:45 (six years ago) link
Perfect Day and Stephanie Says.
― treeship 2, Saturday, 3 March 2018 19:56 (six years ago) link
Not very exciting answers but you know. I find halloween day parade really affecting too.
aste is taste; but the positioning of “Coney Island Baby” on that list almost leads me to conclude you are trolling
― absorbed carol channing's powers & psyche (morrisp)
Don't take lists too seriously. The song made it, you're good.
― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, 3 March 2018 19:59 (six years ago) link
lol
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bx-mH9ZjnuM
― kolakube (Ross), Saturday, 3 March 2018 21:59 (six years ago) link
pale blue eyes
― flappy bird, Saturday, 3 March 2018 22:40 (six years ago) link
Alfred, Our House is called My House.
And this should be on your list:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gveePL9Ft2Y
― Heavy Messages (jed_), Saturday, 3 March 2018 22:53 (six years ago) link
VU: Sweet Jane70s: Coney Island Baby80s: Waves of Fear90s: Hello It's Me00s: Modern Dance10s: Junior Dad
― niels, Saturday, 10 March 2018 20:02 (six years ago) link
I couldn’t even pick a “best song” from "The Blue Mask" alone. That album is extraordinary...
― absorbed carol channing's powers & psyche (morrisp), Saturday, 10 March 2018 21:05 (six years ago) link
Covers comp coming: https://acerecords.co.uk/what-goes-on-the-songs-of-lou-reed
― beer drops on my keytar (morrisp), Friday, 26 March 2021 19:46 (three years ago) link
'walk like an egyptian'
― John Cooper of Christian rock band Skillet (map), Friday, 26 March 2021 19:52 (three years ago) link
oh wait, that's the bagnles
Sorry, it was Prince
― Muswell Hillbilly Elegy (President Keyes), Sunday, 2 May 2021 19:54 (two years ago) link
Oh he wrote more profound tunes, but when I just put the question to myself the first tune I heard was "She's My Best Friend". It is one of those songs that sounds like the whole song is a chorus.
― earlnash, Sunday, 2 May 2021 22:19 (two years ago) link