Sad day in the world, the poet of the underworld, Lou Reed, has passed away at the age of 71. I first heard the "Walk On The Wild Side" in high school. At the time I thought it was just a cool song and the saxophone solo at the end remined me of all those street musicians playing for change. At the time I didn't understand what he was singing about or the impact he had on music. As an adult, I'm beginning to fully appreciate the way he chronicled life beneath the slick urban surfaces. Lou Reed wrote about the people and places that inhabited the demimonde. The prostitutes,transgendered, drug dealers, the hustlers, and the lonely. These weren't made up characters, they were people he encountered on the streets of New York City, where he lived. They were the people that fell through the cracks, people who were just trying to get by. Lou Reed tolded their stories. Perhaps my favorite song by the great Mr. Reed is "Perfect Day." It's about as close to a love song as he came to writing. It's a beautiful waltz tempo song about what an ideal day in the life would like. Lou Reed also worked with the chameleon-like David Bowie, another favorite of mine. Their collaboration produced some of most innovative the great Mr. Bowie has done. Lou Reed also wrote and published poetry. One favorite of mine is his book of Edgar Allan Poe's work. My parents took my name from the classic The Raven, so I've always had that connection. The world is sadder today because, the voice of the underworld is gone but never forgotten. The music and poetry will always remain.
Please honor the memory of Lou Reed by going to http://www.change.org and sign the online petition to save the Tower Records on Sunset Boulevard.
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