Lou Reed

Lou Reed
6x9
watercolor

So, yesterday my friend and gallery director, Jeremy Hansen broke the news to me about the passing of rock legend Lou Reed. For some reason, I was glad that it was Jeremy that told me this, as he had a somewhat understanding of why I liked the music of Reed.

Anyways, as a youngster I was always fond of Perfect Day, Take A Walk On The Wild Side, and Sweet Jane. Still am. But, it was really when 1989's New York came around to my senses that I fully emersed myself in all things Lou. I got it. This guy had a voice (not so much the gravelly sound, but the inner voice) and a story to tell. A lot of stories, to be truthful. He was a man of experience, thoughts and  an adventurous spirit. And he put all of that into song and verse. He spoke as much through his skin as he did through a guitar.

He once said that his goal in making music wasn't just to do that, but to create literature. That speaks to me, man.

"My goal has been to make an album that would speak to people the way Shakespeare speaks to me, the way Joyce speaks to me. Something with that kind of power, something with bite to it." - Lou Reed.

If only I could have an ounce of that in the way that I paint or draw, to convey what is on the inside to the outside in that manner, with that power, that would be something.

I read that he was still practicing his Tai Chi exercise an hour before his passing, trying to fight for his life. I couldn't even begin to imagine what his state of mind was at that point and maybe I don't even want to know, but that is a good example of a fighter, I believe. Someone with spirit, someone with a bite to him.

Lou Reed's passing  hit me in the same way as when Freddie Mercury died. It's hard to imagine that there will be no more new music to hear, but that is the way that it goes. I think that I will go and listen to Modern Dance (from Ecstasy) and let that sink in some more.