Though not nearly as pithy as Tim Warren’s dismissal of Declan MacManus as “Elvis Cosdildo”, following entry by the Austin American-Statesman’s Michael Corcoran to the Contrarian Sweepstakes is equally memorable.
SXSW keynoter Lou Reed played the œLou Reed Tribute Thursday evening at the Levi’s/Fader Fort. He performed “Walk On the Wild Side” with Moby, not really an adventurous choice. The songs I heard for two hours, many of them sounding alike, kinda rat out Reed as an overrated songwriter in the right place, right time. Where’s his “I Say a Little Prayer?”. What’s the great song he’s written in the past 30 years?
But there’s no denying Reed’s incredible influence. Since the Stooges owned 2007 and the New York Dolls were the big band a couple years earlier, it’s only fair that 2008 is a salute to the Velvet Underground, who were the Grateful Dead with worse drugs, but better guidance.
If you find the above claims as outrageous as I do, never fear, at least there’s someone else in the media who has a fuller appreciation for Reed’s many skills.
I know that Corcoran has frequently been busted for reviewing shows he didn’t actually attend, so perhaps in this case, he’s reviewing an entire catalog he’s unfamiliar with.
Apparently Lou is rolling tight with Vince McMahon these days as well as Zorn (the latter of which made an appearance on Joe Piscopo’s song “Fat Boy”), so the avant-garde has truly come full circle in many ways.
Lou Reed is absolutely on par, and furthermore, surpasses Burt Bacharach. I can’t say I’ve had that much respect for his decisions post 1980, but the Velvet Underground are the greatest band of all time. Just one listen to “Live: 1969” and there is not doubt. They mix everything that makes American music great; blues, country, doo-wop, the avant garde, the Bo-Diddley beat, jazz, improvisation, and that unbelievably beautiful tone that comes out of every amp, drum, cymbal, and key they played. I was going to give you some examples of their lyrics, but just look up any Velvet Underground lyrics, and you will immediately understand. The only songwriter with a talent for putting words together like Lou is Bob Dylan.