Lou Reed for the complete neophyte.

November 1, 2013 7:33 AM

So, say you've got a friend who has never heard anything by Lou Reed or Velvet Underground (seriously, like, not even Sweet Jane or Walk on the Wild Side). And you want to fix this. What is the one album / compilation / playlist you'd give them? Assume this friend has incredibly diverse music taste and is looking for music that remains relevant and powerful today, not so much for music that is "Important" solely because of the role it played in influencing others.
posted by jmstephan to Media & Arts (16 answers total)

Not for any particular reason, just as a consequence of the way that I listen to music, the only Velvet Underground album I've really ever listened to is this one. Obviously I can't speak to it being The Representative Velvet Underground Experience or anything, but it works for me.
posted by phunniemee at 7:38 AM on November 1, 2013

This was me a week ago! There's a playlist on Google Play music called Lou Reed remembrance or something similar that I've been listened too that's been pretty great. I can hear a fair bit of precursor stuff I guess in it, and it's certainly been interesting to hear.
posted by Carillon at 7:46 AM on November 1, 2013

I'd agree--VU and Nico is a fantastic album and would be where I'd start with a new listener.

For Lou Reed solo, I guess you'd go to Transformer, which has some of the big hits--but I find it uneven. VU and Nico is just great all the way through.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 7:49 AM on November 1, 2013

New York is the most timeless and powerful political screed ever pressed into vinyl. I consider it his most accessible solo album.
posted by any major dude at 7:51 AM on November 1, 2013 [4 favorites]

This question has been answered quite a few times on the interwebs over the past week and a half, e.g. here and here. The former includes VU and the beautiful, fragile, not very well known track "Magician", the latter is good for not eschewing recent stuff (and introducing me to Street Hassle). Both include a spotify list.
posted by gijsvs at 8:12 AM on November 1, 2013

The stellar songwriting and Robert Quine guitar of The Blue Mask converted me into a diehard Lou fan 2 decades ago.
posted by porn in the woods at 8:13 AM on November 1, 2013

Can't go wrong with anything on the Loaded album - the one Atlantic Records requested to be "loaded with hits".
posted by steinwald at 8:25 AM on November 1, 2013

For VU, I think this album is an excellent collection of their work (Spotify link).
posted by kuanes at 8:27 AM on November 1, 2013

I got into him through 'Songs for Drella'. Contains a lot of what was good about the first couple of VU albums, but with a more intimate feel and polished performance/production. More here...
posted by monkey closet at 8:39 AM on November 1, 2013 [1 favorite]

I'd just pop open youtube and roll down the hits.
posted by colin_l at 9:07 AM on November 1, 2013

any major dude beat me to it. New York is somewhat of a departure from the rest of Reed's discography, but it really is fantastic. The tracks that are coming to mind might be a bit dated in terms of "current events" referenced, but the social commentary is timeless. So is the music.
posted by bluejayway at 10:10 AM on November 1, 2013

I really like Lou Reed: Rock and Roll Diary 1967-1980. It contains both Velvet Underground and solo work.

Tracks:
1. I'm Waiting for the Man
2. White Light/White Heat
3. I Heard Her Call My Name
4. Pale Blue Eyes
5. Sweet Jane
6. Rock & Roll
7. Heroin
8. Femme Fatale
9. Walk on the Wild Side
10. Berlin
11. Temporary Thing
12. All Through the Night
13. So Alone
14. Keep Away
15. Street Hassle

If you picked up that, the first and third Velvets albums, Transformer, The Blue Mask, and New York, you'd be doing pretty well.
posted by Kafkaesque at 10:10 AM on November 1, 2013 [1 favorite]

The day the news of his death appeared, I sat down and listened to the entirety of Metal Machine Music. It was a powerful experience.
posted by Nomyte at 10:39 AM on November 1, 2013 [1 favorite]

For an overview of the ethos of Lou, I might spin 1969: The Velvet Underground Live.

(I loved Nomyte's suggestion of MMM, but not for all tastes, of course).
posted by ovvl at 5:30 PM on November 1, 2013

I have been in a somewhat similar situation -- trying to convince a friend to give him a try. I found that later Lou was what did the trick, and we worked backward from there. I played him Magic & Loss. I cannot overstate how much I love that album. It was one of the things that helped me get through the loss of my twin.
posted by emcat8 at 9:06 PM on November 1, 2013

Best answer: Thank you all for your thoughts and suggestions. All have been very helpful!
posted by jmstephan at 4:55 AM on November 7, 2013