You, Me and Lou Reed - Television Personalities

You, Me and Lou Reed - Television Personalities

2:57

You, Me and Lou Reed E.P., 1993

Written by Dan Treacy

Who's Lou?

Yet another band I've never heard of, TVP is a post-punk outfit influenced by, pace Wikipedia, Jonathan Richman and the Sex Pistols (what a lineup).  This song is a jangly, lo-fi exercise in nostalgia (it also cites Hendrix and the Rolling Stones).  Over a VU-style riff, singer Dan Treacy delivers the lyrics in a half-spoken, desultory nasal style, ironic yet intimate. 

Shoulder Pads 1 - The Fall

Shoulder Pads 1 - The Fall

1:56

Bend Sinister, 1986

Written by Mark E. Smith and Brix Smith

Who's Lou?

The Velvet Underground's influence is pretty clear on this driving post-punk track, although it's even more apparent on "Shoulder Pads 2," appearing later on this album.  I like the whistling motif, which is not very Velvety.   The song seems to be a diatribe against people the narrator finds uncool: "Walked, at shoulder, down the street, ridicule / They couldn't tell Lou Reed from Doug Yule."  The shoulder pads of the title might refer to the silly fashions of the '80s or possibly the pads worn by jocks.  It's not clear to me if Smith is being ironic and also targeting the uber-hipster who puts everyone down.

I've Been Tired - Pixies

I've Been Tired - Pixies

3:00

Come On Pilgrim, 1987

Written by Black Francis

Who's Lou?

Amid a primitive beat and feedback (until the loud part two minutes in) Black Francis yelps a crazed dialogue between a man and a woman in a bar.  It's not much of a meet-cute.  "I said, 'I want to be a singer like Lou Reed' / 'I like Lou Reed,' she said, sticking her tongue in my ear."  It's a wild, lurching blast of alt-rock with demented pickup lines, jagged riffs, and basement-show energy.  It’s brash, messy, and weirdly charismatic.

Hugo! - Too Much Joy

Hugo! - Too Much Joy

2:23

Son of Sam I Am, 1988

Written by Tim Quirk, Jay Blumenfield, William Wittman, Sandy Smallens, and Tommy Vinton?

Who's Lou?

A sort of proto-emo power pop with a sly wink and a sneer.  They remind me of Sum 41.  The Hugo of the title here is Hugo Burnham, the drummer for the Gang of Four.  The song is about the disappointment the narrator feels in artists that make money, specifically citing Lou Reed and the Clash.  "Another hero has failed me / He's a guest VJ on MTV / Jack's in his corset, Jane's in her vest / Lou's hawking scooters and American Express."  I have no patience for starry-eyed idealists who believe in the ridiculous concept of "selling out," but it's a fun tune I guess.

Summer Girl - Haim

Summer Girl - Haim

3:25

Women In Music, Pt. III, 2020

Written by D. Haim, E. Haim, A. Haim, Rostam Batmanglij, Ariel Rechtshaid, and Lou Reed

Who's Lou?

An ethereal soft jazz-pop track, with a nice saxophone line and based off of the "Walk On the Wild Side" riff, for which Reed got a songwriting credit.  The song was inspired by Rechtshaid's cancer diagnosis and is meant to be sunny and positive despite the bleak news.  "Walk beside me, not behind me / Feel my unconditional love."  

Hey Lou - Liz Phair

Hey Lou - Liz Phair

2:42

Soberish, 2021

Written by Liz Phair and Brad Wood

Who's Lou?

A not entirely light-hearted jab at Lou Reed.  "What's inside that heavy head? / Are you on the junk again? / Your eyes look dead / But your mouth keeps moving on and on."  She accuses him of "acting like an asshole" and "talking shit about Warhol again."  Phair's vocals are great here and the peppy melody, with handclaps and echo, keep it from being too heavy-handed.

Rock And Roll Heart - Lou Reed

Rock And Roll Heart - Lou Reed

3:06

Rock And Roll Heart, 1976

Written by Lou Reed

Lou Reed gets anthemic, sort of.  It's a low-key groove that trades Reed's usual grit and snarl for a smooth, almost loungey vibe.  He's just looking for a good time, you know?  It has one of Lou's corniest couplets: "I guess I'm just dumb, 'cause I know that I ain't smart / But deep down inside, I got a rock 'n' roll heart."  He's staking out a new identity on a new album, with a sly shrug.  Maybe it's really Lou Reed this time, or maybe it's just "Lou Reed."

Charley's Girl - Lou Reed

Charley's Girl - Lou Reed

2:39

Coney Island Baby, 1975

Written by Lou Reed

One of Reed's more cheery-sounding songs, this has a simple but very catchy riff (it has a faint echo of "Walk On the Wild Side"), a reserved vocal, and even cowbell.  The narrator bemoans the fact that someone, possibly the law, has come down on him.  They said to watch out for Charley's girl: "Man, she's going to turn you in."  And how here they come trying to break up the band.  Somehow Sharon is at fault.  It's not entirely clear.  I would prefer another verse from Reed instead of an ad nauseam chorus, but at this length everything is all right.

Legendary Hearts - Lou Reed

Legendary Hearts - Lou Reed

3:25

Legendary Hearts, 1983

Written by Lou Reed

This song addresses conflicts between an idealized world of love and fidelity (the "good" Lou Reed), and the reality of struggling with weaknesses like drugs, rage, and selfishness (the Lou Reed of the albums).  It's a pretty and stately tune built around Fernando Saunders' bass, with a slow, almost country sound.  The narrator tells us that one must fight for love, fight for what's right.  "No legendary love is coming from above / It's in this room right now."

Some Kind Of Nature - Gorillaz featuring Lou Reed

Some Kind Of Nature - Gorillaz featuring Lou Reed

2:59

Plastic Beach, 2010

Written by Lou Reed, Damon Albarn, Jamie Hewlett and Remi Kabaka Jr.

A song, like its album, that evokes an environmental apocalyptic wasteland.  An unusually dry and lugubrious-sounding Reed rattles off fragment-visions of an artificial, toxic world over a deceptively bright beat.  "Well, me, I like plastics and digital foils / Could wrap up the sound and protect the girls."  Reed's detached, could-not-give-a-shit vocals really sell the whole package.  Indifference is what will get us in the end, until all we have is misplaced hope.  "It's got to come and find us / All we are is dust."