With his conversational lyricism, deadpan delivery, and refusal to ignore those on the fringes of society, Lou Reed has inspired everyone from Lana Del Rey to the Killers’ Brandon Flowers. Getting his start as the guitarist and singer for the Velvet Underground, Reed was alt before alt entered the public consciousness. After leaving the band in 1970, the “Venus in Furs” singer went on to enjoy an enormously impactful solo career, releasing 20 studio albums before his death in 2013 at age 71. On this day in 1972, Lou Reed released the album that would come to define his post-Velvet Underground era.
Why Lou Reed Intimidated David Bowie
Despite the buzz surrounding it, Lou Reed’s self-titled solo debut ultimately fell flat. Even Reed admitted that while it contained some of his best songwriting, “the production sucks.” However, the New Yorker found a cure for what was ailing his music. That cure’s name was David Bowie, who had been a longtime fan of the Velvet Underground.
The pair met through their record company, RCA, at a time when Bowie was at his pinnacle following 1972’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. Although Bowie was objectively more famous than Reed at this point, the “Starman” crooner initially balked at their label’s suggestion that he produce the ex-Velvet Underground member’s next album.
“I was petrified that he said, ‘Yes’, that he would like to work with me in a producer capacity,” Bowie told Classic Albums. “I had so many ideas and I felt so intimidated by my knowledge of the work he had already done…Lou had this great legacy of work.”
Overcoming his initial hesitancy, Bowie teamed up with guitarist Mick Ronson to produce a “gritty, realist” depiction of downtown New York City, Reed’s hometown. In addition to producing the album, Ronson also played lead guitar and piano and wrote string arrangements, including on Reed’s signature song “Walk on the Wild Side.”
The Controversial Lyric Reed Had to Change
Undoubtedly, Lou Reed’s Transfomers illuminated the often grimy corners of downtown New York. “I just wrote about people I knew and where I come from,” he told Classic Albums.
[RELATED: 3 Times Lou Reed Put Other Musicians in Their Place]
This is especially true in “Walk on the Wild Side,” which touched on topics such as gender identity and substance use. However, it wasn’t the line, Shaved her legs and then he was a she, that fans took issue with. Reed would eventually change the original lyric, And the colored girls go / Doo, do-doo, do-doo, do-do-doo, removing the word “colored” at the behest of his fans.
Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters recalled discussing Reed’s decision with him when their paths crossed in the Caribbean. “I said, ‘Don’t you think your fans know you well enough to know that you’re not racist?’” he said. “Well, you know what Lou’s like, he was very phlegmatic. He said, ‘Well, these people, they wanted me to change it…’ and he felt he should do it.”
Featured image by Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns
