Lou Reed is one of the most influential musicians in rock and roll history. Whether it was in his solo career or his work with The Velvet Underground, Reed was influencing the masses and other intellectuals and creatives of his time such as Andy Warhol, David Bowie, and Nirvana. Upon Lou Reed’s death Patti Smith, an influential musician, stated, “Lou was a very special poet – a New York writer in the way that Walt Whitman was a New York poet. One thing I got from Lou, that never went away, was the process of performing live over a beat, improvising poetry, how he moved over three chords for 14 minutes. That was a revelation to me.” Lou Reed did not have any easy bringing up, which inspired some of his most famous lyrics. He states that he …show more content…
He was drawn to poetry and intellectual statements about political issues of his time. Lou Reed often made confusing statements inspired by these thinkers. One I found myself especially confused by was, “You have to take your own shower – an existential act. You could slip in the shower and die alone.” It was a statement about a Syracuse (Lou’s alma mater) professor and poet Delmore Schwartz who inspired him. Although his statements may not always be understood, they could possibly explain his writing style; his style is often political, edgy and often described as avant garde in articles in Rolling Stone. In the article announcing Lou Reed’s death, Rolling Stone says, “Reed fused street level urgency with elements of European avant-garde music, marrying beauty and noise, while bringing a whole new lyrical honesty to rock and roll poetry.” In an interview with a London reporter Reed was quoted when asked about his music getting some critical reception as saying, “I could give two shits. I never wrote for them then, I don’t write for them now, I have no interest in what they have to say about anything. I write for