DIRTY BLVD. - The Life and Music of Lou Reed

Finished Sa 8/20/16

This was a library book that I took out when I found that Doug Yule was not included when The Velvet Underground were selected for The Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame. I was listening to a tape called, 'Play' by SQUEEZE and I learned that the band's name was taken from the album SQUEEZE. This album had none of the original members of The Velvet Underground and was basically a Doug Yule solo effort. I heard it on YouTube and was not impressed, but shocked that I wasn't aware of its' existence.

HS Band The Jades

Pickwick Records was a musical organization that offered budget prices for bands that were 'just as good' as the top rock acts of the time. "Why pay $4.99 for an album when Pickwick will give you about the same for $2.99"? I was not aware of this and I've never heard music being marketed like this.  Pickwick did have Jay and The Americans. Reed wrote HEROIN while working at Pickwick.

THE PRIMITIVES 'The Ostrich' He first meets John Cale

Bunny, Lou's sister, is five years younger than him. He was always close to her. She maintains that the Reed family dynamic was destroyed after his electroshock treatments at Creedmoor Psychiatric Center, Queens NY. Parents, Sidney, accountant; Toby, housewife, she did win a beauty pageant when she was a court stenographer in the 40's.

The Reeds lived in Freeport, NY near Jones Beach on Oakfield Avenue.

Lou ran track and played tennis in High School.

Link to an excellent piece by Lou's sister, Merrill Reed Weiner,  about his early life-

https://medium.com/cuepoint/a-family-in-peril-lou-reed-s-sister-sets-the-record-straight-about-his-childhood-20e8399f84a3#.qph96d7a9

Went to work for his father after The Velvets imploded

Best book to come out about Lou Reed. I own TRANSFORMER and it leaves that book in the shade.

I was surprised to learn of all his work with important jazz and classical musicians. He strived to hire the best in any field for his later works.

This book is probably my second favorite Rock Bio. The first place honor must go to Bob Mould's book, "See a Little Light: The Trail of Rage and Melody".