Lou

"Here he comes, he's all dressed in black
PR shoes and a big straw hat
He's never early, he's always late
first thing you learn is that you always gotta wait
I'm waiting for my man"
Lou Reed

The Velvets were before my time.  The first I heard Lou was '73 - Rock n' Roll Animal.  I was 14.  Steve Hunter and the twin leads blew our adolescent minds and we imagined our lives were saved by rock and roll before they had even begun.

We fell into good taste; if you liked anything in SF in the early '70's it was probably very very good.  We suffered through Berlin and dug Sally Can't Dance and flipped for I love You Suzanne and listened to Lou's tunes turned up loud, but from afar.  He did not come out to the west coast much, or at least if he did he was drowned out by the west coast and southern bands that came to Winterland and associated venues far more frequently.  I don't know if Lou pissed off Bill Graham; I'd not be surprised if he did.

My appreciation for Lou came later; after Garcia had died and those southern bands had slipped to the county fair circuit.  He'd never done that, if he sold out it was temporary - we all gotta eat.

Now those southern bands have spawned a boatload of talent and the Americana folk, jam grass scene is bright as the ringing mandolin over the top.  But Lou never had use for that.  He had no interest in legacy.  There may be bands east of the Mississippi that can draw a line however indirect to Lou but they've not made their way out here.  The only guy who draws that line, and it is a straight one, is Alejandro Escovedo and he is only ten years younger than Lou.  More miles than money as Al observes wryly.  I saw Al at Slims shortly after Lou died.  He sang Gravity and Sweet Jane and some guy put it on YouTube and you can see B's head, and mine, popping in and out of frame lower left for which I am grateful now and will be more so as the years go by:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrXib-W95AQ



I can't get over Lou's death.  He is not fading warmly into the recesses of memory like George or Jerry or Phil Everly or Pete or any of the list that have gone before him.  He never took a victory lap; never sought elder statesman status.  He was good in his community, clearly dug it.

No, now I find old recordings of Lou and still turn them up loud.  I turn them up loud and throw heavy metal.  He's at the top of my playlist and won't get off.  I listen to all the heavy metal I used to enjoy during a heavy set and it sounds like shit so I put Lou on.  And it sounds great.  Hope the Marin county suburbs can hang, because they're going to keep hearing Lou loud for a piece here.

http://www.eyeneer.com/video/rock/lou-reed/im-waiting-for-my-man