I’ll be the first to admit that my music tastes are eclectic and pretty boring. After all, the newest band I’ve seen in the past 16 years is Nine Inch Nails (1988) and the newest band I listen to is Linkin Park (1996). I have a bright green mp3-player which is full of music – David Bowie, Linkin Park, Ministry, New Model Army, NIN and Pink (I know she debuted in 2000 but there are only have 3 songs of her that I like).
Yes, it is a digital player! I am in the 21st century!!!
Booooooooooooring, I know.
Add to that list Velvet Underground/Lou Reed/John Cale, Depeche Mode, Alice in Chains, Laibach, The God Machine and Nick Cave and my goto music list is kinda complete. This list does not include Norwegian bands cos I was lucky enough to have my own record label for the most awesome Norwegian music releases, Siri Rekkårdz.
A large portion of these artists/bands no longer exist. David Bowie died from liver cancer after the release of the Black Star album. Lazarus was released days before he passed – his swan song.
I have to admit, my love story with Bowie started in the late 70s and built up until the release of Outside in 1995. I remember I was sitting in the offices of Norsk Rock Forbund, currently working for Oslo Rockforbund, doing some layout promo shit and the radio was on and they played Hearts filthy lesson. First I heard was Trent Reznor – then Bowie’s voice – and I was in heaven. I can still remember the goose bumps on my arm, the way my mind just blanked out everything for this amazing musical fix – Bowie and Reznor! Together, in perfect harmony! Damn, still getting the goose bumps and all, more than two decades later…
What’s good? Life’s good, but not fair at all¹
But today’s blog seems to be about Lou Reed. I tend to start writing and then the words take over and sometimes, I end up some other place. Mostly when it comes to music.
I discovered VU/Lou Reed because I read about them in biographies about Bowie. With VU I started at the beginning and worked my way through to the end. Then I started on Lou Reed and John Cale at the same time – Nico was a later interest.
Between two Aprils, I lost two friends. Between two Aprils, Magic and Loss.¹
I got to see Lou once in concert. It was for the Magic and Loss tour, at the Oslo Concert house. A truly magical experience and you could have heard a pin drop. Magic and loss has stayed with me, as a soundtrack, a guide, a raison d’être. It’s kept me going when life has been at it’s darkest and blackest.
Isn’t this something, you’d say, tomorrow I’m smoke¹
I liked Andy Warhol. Lou lead me to him. Andy was a weird creature. I’ve seen more of his films than most people I know. I absolutely LOVE Blood for Dracula especially his use of Wagner’s Tannhäuser. [fun fact: Wagner has featured on Dracula-soundtracks since 1931]. Valeria Solanas founded SCUM (the Society for Cutting Up Men), released the SCUM manifesto and shot Andy in 1968. He survived by sheer luck, but died of cancer of the gall bladder 20 years later. I’ve never read her manifesto.
Release me from the body
From this bulk that moves beside me
Let me leave this body far away
I’m sick of looking at me
I hate this painful body
That disease has slowly worn away¹
I can recommend Ultra Violet‘s biography. She was one of the important people in the Factory, and died from cancer in 2014. If you want to understand Andy Warhol – read the biographies of the Factory people. You’ll learn a lot.
Lou Reed passed in 2013 after a liver transplant.
John Cale is still alive and kicking. He and Lou released Songs for Drella in 1990.
Andy said a lot of things, I stored them all away in my head
Sometimes when I can’t decide what I should do
I think what would Andy have said²
I’ve seen Cale live once. It was at Rockefeller, him and a grand piano and tables and chairs and it was pretty much magic. That Welsh lilt…
I miss Lou and David and Andy. Not that I knew them in person, far from it, but they made the world a little bit better and colourful. And although David Bowie’s my main OST – Reed/Cale/VU lyrics have probably had a deeper personal impact for me.
¹All lyrics from Magic and Loss, 1992
² From “Work“, Songs for Drella, 1990