Psychedelic Time Warp is hosted by Bart Shore.
This weekend we pay tribute to the great Lou Reed. He was born on March 2, 1942, and died on October 27, 2013.
He was the guitarist, vocalist and main songwriter for the Velvet Underground, a pivotal band in the underground rock scene and perhaps the original alternative rock act. They were championed by Andy Warhol and famous for their subject material and experimental guitar riffs.
The first hour of this episode showcases much of Reed’s work with the Velvet Underground, including the four studio albums.
Hour two of the show features songs from many of Reed twenty solo albums released after his tenure with the Velvets.
Bio: Reed played guitar and sung in doo-wop groups in high school, and studied poetry at Syracuse University. After graduating, he went to work for Pickwick Records in New York City, a low-budget record company that specialized in sound-alike recordings, as a songwriter and session musician. Along with fellow session player at Pickwick John Cale, plus Sterling Morrison and Angus MacLise, they formed the Velvet Underground in 1965. After building a reputation on the avant garde music scene, the band came to the attention of Andy Warhol. The artist became the band’s manager, and in turn the Velvets they became something of a fixture at The Factory, Warhol’s art studio, and served as his “house band” for various projects.
The band released their first album, now with drummer Moe Tucker and featuring German singer Nico, in 1967, and parted ways with Warhol shortly thereafter. Following several lineup changes and three more little-heard albums, Reed quit the band in 1970.
After leaving the band, Lou Reed would go on to a much more commercially successful solo career, releasing twenty solo studio albums. His second, Transformer (1972), was produced by David Bowie and arranged by Mick Ronson, and brought him mainstream recognition. The album is considered an influential landmark of the glam rock and featured Reed’s most successful single, “Walk on the Wild Side”.
After Transformer, the less commercial but critically acclaimed Berlin peaked at number seven on the UK Albums Chart. Rock ‘n’ Roll Animal (a live album released in 1974) sold well, and Sally Can’t Dance (1974) peaked at number ten on the Billboard 200
Reed fell into alcohol and drug addiction, but cleaned up in the early 1980s, and gradually returned to prominence with The Blue Mask (1982) and New Sensations (1984), reaching a critical and commercial career peak with his 1989 album New York.
For a list of stations and times visit the PTW home page
Psychedelic Time Warp is a two-hour mind expanding journey of music, comedy, and memories.
Tags: Lou Reed, Velvet Underground, Psychedelic Tiume Warp, PTW #55
