Talk:Lou Reed

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• Like everything else I do my photos are about emotion. I'm interested in causing and recording emotion through action and interactive sequence, the sequence meant to tell a story of sorts, a dream. I am a lyricist and my feeling for rhythm and song dictates that these photos not be titled or in any other way impinged by the written word. The visuals speak for themselves in their relationships and theme and I have no interest in the where and when of it all. These dreams exist through the viewfinder of the camera and express a reality seen only through a lens but experienced by us all in every moment of puzzlement in waking life.

• The next time I listen to an audience member, standing next to a cabinet, for sound advice — I'll tell you.
  • Spoken to a volunteer acoustician near the stage at during a performance at Crobar (5 April 2005)

• Why aren't I on the cover of Hip Hop Magazine? I never sung a note in my life. I was fucking rapping since '65. 'Life is Unfair.' I think I know that. [to a sideman] Did you know life is unfair?
  • Spoken during a performance at Crobar (5 April 2005)

• no one is supposed to be able to do a thing like that and survive.
  • Unsourced comment about his 'Metal Machine Music' double album.

• They should be fucking grateful they got anything at all. And if they don't like it, they can go eat rat shit.
  • On being questioned about RCA Records executives' negative reaction to Metal Machine Music (quoted in Q magazine - issue? author? title?)

• Interviewer: "You sing a lot about transvestites and sadomasochism. How would you describe yourself in the light of these songs?" LR: "What's it got to do with me?" Interviewer: "Well, could I put it bluntly, and pardon the question: Are you a transvestite or homosexual?" LR: "Sometimes" Interviewer: "Which one?" LR: "I don't know. What's the difference?"
  • In a 1974 interview at Sydney Airport (published where?)

• The Bush administration, they and all the other Republicans and CIA before us got us into this mess we're now in, and it's their duty since the naïve and easily strong right manipulative people elected them that they got us out of it. History in America we always have these old fashioned conservatives who use war as a profit and send a whole generation of young men to murder other poor people. Have you seen Fahrenheit 9/11? Watch it, there's an interesting scene where Bush thinks and waits seven minutes before acting against 9/11. Don't pay attention to the fact it's biased or "propaganda", just see what's going on in the documentary and notice a man like Michael Moore from a place like Flint has been researching and is trying to open our eyes. And as for Bush, is he a terrorist? Figure out, his daddy and Reagan helped out Bin Laden and a lot of radical anti-commies and we still don't know why Bin Laden attacked us, Bush had dinner with Bin Laden's brother and his family visted us, I think that explains enough. As for Kerry I hope he wins but he's not strong enough to take on Bush by himself.
  • In an interview with Ketnet.

• A royal hall was made for art and queens but not for rock'n' roll. A theater was made for plays and so on but not for rock'n'roll. Outside was made for the weather but not rock'n' roll. If we really want to save music let alone rock'n'roll then go to those techno dance clubs, I mean they have all these loud-ass speakers, everyone is always there partying, and so that's how rock is saved from unwanted capitalistic corporation music. And also if all those metal, grunge, rock, and hey even those gangstas want to play then why not start off like the Beatles in cafes, pubs and bars instead of MTV?
  • In an interview with Ketnet.

• My father didn't give me shit.
  • When asked during an interview for Parrot Zik headphones (September 21, 2013) if his father gave him his first guitar. (published where?)