Like most, I am pretty heartbroken, shocked, and saddened by learning about the sudden passing of one of my favorite singer/songwriters of all time… Lou Reed. I  have loved the music of Lou Reed for many years. Everything he did from the Velvet Underground & Nico, his solo career, Metal Machine Music, and yes, even his “Lulu” album with Metallica was all inspirational stuff to me. Loved him or hate him… Lou Reed was a musical genius.

Lou was a man who wasn’t afraid to do what he wanted to do musically… not giving a shit what the public thinks. That’s one reason why I respected him so much. Lou was also proof that you don’t need to be a good singer to play rock n’ roll music. That’s another reason I respected Lou. Most importantly, I respected Lou because of the genius songwriter that he really was. He wrote too many incredible songs.

Lou was also a very honest man. He wasn’t afraid to say what he wanted to the media and the press. Proof of that… he praised Kanye West’s newest album and gave it a positive review so that was pretty ballsy of Lou to do.

Another ballsy thing Lou did was that he collaborated on an album with Metallica… an album titled “Lulu” which is an album full of songs based on a play in Germany. The album got mostly negative reviews by music fans but no matter what you think of the album… Lou Reed was very proud of the album, “Lulu”. He didn’t care what the public thought. Lou just did what he wanted to do in the music industry. “Lulu” is now his final album before his death. Many of you would think it would be pretty weird that this would be his final album but I’m 100% sure Lou would have wanted this to be his final album. Metallica made Lou’s dream come true that the band accepted to collaborate with him so you should at least respect that.

Lou was one of the rock n’ roll greats. He was a great inspiration to my own guitar playing and songwriting.

In the song below, “Junior Dad” from his album Lulu… the song is about somebody’s dead father. Well, Lou Reed was a pretty much like a father to us musicians and rock n’ roll lovers. Lou was a rock n’ roll pioneer so I guess you can absolutely call him the father of rock n’ roll. I’m posting Lou’s song “Junior Dad” in dedication to him.

RIP Lou… and thanks for the great music over the years. My condolences go out to his wife Laurie Anderson and their families.

Kev
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“Junior Dad”
Would you come to me
If I was half drowning
An arm above the last wave

Would you come to me
Would you pull me up
Would the effort really hurt you
Is it unfair to ask you
To help pull me up

The window broke the silence of the matches
The smoke effortlessly floating

Pull me up
Would you be my lord and savior
Pull me up by my hair
Now would you kiss me, on my lips

Burning fever burning on my forehead
The brain that once was listening now
Shoots out its tiresome message

Won’t you pull me up
Scalding, my dead father
Has the motor and he’s driving towards
An island of lost souls

Sunny, a monkey then to monkey
I will teach you meanness, fear and blindness
No social redeeming kindness
Or — oh, state of grace

Would you pull me up
Would you drop the mental bullet
Would you pull me by the arm up
Would you still kiss my lips
Hiccup, the dream is over
Get the coffee, turn the lights on
Say hello to junior dad
The greatest disappointment
Age withered him and changed him
Into junior dad
Psychic savagery

The greatest disappointment
The greatest disappointment
Age withered him and changed him
Into junior dad