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Notes from the Velvet Underground: The Life of Lou Reed
Lou Reed, who died in 2013, was best known to the general public as the grumpy New Yorker in black who sang 'Walk on the Wild Side'. To his dedicated admirers, however, he was one of the most innovative and intelligent American songwriters of modern times, a natural outsider who lived a tumultuous and tortured life.
In this in-depth, meticulously researched and very entertaining biography, respected biographer Howard Sounes examines the life and work of this fascinating man, from birth to death, including his time as the leader of The Velvet Underground - one of the most important bands in rock'n'roll.
Written with a deep knowledge and understanding of the music, Sounes also sheds entirely new light on the artist's creative process, his mental health problems, his bisexuality, his three marriages, and his addictions to drugs and alcohol.
In the course of his research, Sounes has interviewed over 140 people from every part of Lou Reed's life - some of whom have not spoken publicly about him before - including music industry figures, band members, fellow celebrities, family members, former wives and lovers.
This book brings Lou Reed and his world alive.
In this in-depth, meticulously researched and very entertaining biography, respected biographer Howard Sounes examines the life and work of this fascinating man, from birth to death, including his time as the leader of The Velvet Underground - one of the most important bands in rock'n'roll.
Written with a deep knowledge and understanding of the music, Sounes also sheds entirely new light on the artist's creative process, his mental health problems, his bisexuality, his three marriages, and his addictions to drugs and alcohol.
In the course of his research, Sounes has interviewed over 140 people from every part of Lou Reed's life - some of whom have not spoken publicly about him before - including music industry figures, band members, fellow celebrities, family members, former wives and lovers.
This book brings Lou Reed and his world alive.
416 pages, Paperback
First published October 22, 2015
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322 people want to read
About the author
Howard Sounes
20 books118 followersBiographer of Bob Dylan, Charles Bukowski and Paul McCartney. Also histories and true crime - Fred & Rose, Heist - with The Fred West Tapes new in 2025.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
June 2, 2017
This is a reporter style narrative of the messy life of Lou Reed. It is "clearly written" and "non-judgmental" as author Howard Sounes says a good biography should be.
The approach is linear starting with the family, childhood and youth. You get clear reports on the author's findings regarding the two big unresolved questions that derive from this period: Reed’s hostility towards his parents, particularly his father, and the reason for the electric shock treatments Reed suffered as a young man.
The story of Reed's life and career continues with heavy emphasis on the Velvet Underground and his marriages and his relationships.
My own question on why Reed was never a big star in an era that enshrined and enriched singer songwriters was answered. Sounes shows an obnoxious teenager growing into a more obnoxious adult. He fought with everyone, band members, producers, lovers, managers and would be colleagues. His two landmark albums were produced by Andy Warhol and David Bowie, both of whom he rewarded by respectively, refusing further cooperation and (literally) a punch (and then another) in the face.
True to the reportorial style, Reed’s dubious sexuality is described through what he does, with no comment on why or what Reed could be thinking or feeling. While in the end Sounes does show the emotion/love/ companionship he feels for his third wife, Laurie Anderson, you’re left hanging on what he feels for and about others. One compelling instance (p.269) is the sad end for his 3 year partner, Richard/Rachel; did Reed capture his avoidance of his own issues in a song?
Most interesting is Reed’s European popularity. Reed tours there for ready cash when in the US he can hardly fill a club. Particularly amazing is that while so little of his work is political, it must have been perceived as such by Vaclav Havel and his followers in the Czech resistance. They circulated his work in what appears to be a mini-samizdat. I wonder which of his lyrics were there and what their perceived meanings could be.
Sounes fulfills his goals (p. 348) in that this biography is “entertaining” and “enlightening”. The research is “convincing” in that you feel it is credible, despite the absence of interviews of key people who either would not or could not be interviewed. I believe the tepid response to this book is that Sounes meets his other goal of being “non-judgmental” and readers are looking for an informed interpretation.
The approach is linear starting with the family, childhood and youth. You get clear reports on the author's findings regarding the two big unresolved questions that derive from this period: Reed’s hostility towards his parents, particularly his father, and the reason for the electric shock treatments Reed suffered as a young man.
The story of Reed's life and career continues with heavy emphasis on the Velvet Underground and his marriages and his relationships.
My own question on why Reed was never a big star in an era that enshrined and enriched singer songwriters was answered. Sounes shows an obnoxious teenager growing into a more obnoxious adult. He fought with everyone, band members, producers, lovers, managers and would be colleagues. His two landmark albums were produced by Andy Warhol and David Bowie, both of whom he rewarded by respectively, refusing further cooperation and (literally) a punch (and then another) in the face.
True to the reportorial style, Reed’s dubious sexuality is described through what he does, with no comment on why or what Reed could be thinking or feeling. While in the end Sounes does show the emotion/love/ companionship he feels for his third wife, Laurie Anderson, you’re left hanging on what he feels for and about others. One compelling instance (p.269) is the sad end for his 3 year partner, Richard/Rachel; did Reed capture his avoidance of his own issues in a song?
Most interesting is Reed’s European popularity. Reed tours there for ready cash when in the US he can hardly fill a club. Particularly amazing is that while so little of his work is political, it must have been perceived as such by Vaclav Havel and his followers in the Czech resistance. They circulated his work in what appears to be a mini-samizdat. I wonder which of his lyrics were there and what their perceived meanings could be.
Sounes fulfills his goals (p. 348) in that this biography is “entertaining” and “enlightening”. The research is “convincing” in that you feel it is credible, despite the absence of interviews of key people who either would not or could not be interviewed. I believe the tepid response to this book is that Sounes meets his other goal of being “non-judgmental” and readers are looking for an informed interpretation.
November 7, 2019
3.5
A well researched biography about a complex artist. His song “A Perfect Day” from Transformer is one of my favorites. The song’s words tell volumes: “Just a perfect day. You made me forget myself. I thought I was someone else, someone good.” For most of his life, Lou Reed was, for most of the time, according to this bio, not “someone good.” Lou was a groundbreaking artist who never saw the commercial success of others in his peer group but his influence is undeniable. This book gives a good background on his days with the Velvet Underground and through the various stages of music career and his many relationships. He was not generous in giving credit to those who helped him during his long career and burned most bridges. It appears from this biography that mental illness was an underlying factor in much of his erratic and destructive behavior. His decision to self medicate most of his life may have been the root of his often repulsive actions towards others. It was a relief to gain some insight into his, what appeared to be, happy and loving relationship with Laurie Anderson where he seemed to have left the old Lou behind. It is interesting that she did not agree to be interviewed for this book but thankfully after his death, she spoke enough about Reed to get a sense of their relationship. I’d like to thank Diversion Books and LibraryThing for an advance review copy in exchange for this honest review.
A well researched biography about a complex artist. His song “A Perfect Day” from Transformer is one of my favorites. The song’s words tell volumes: “Just a perfect day. You made me forget myself. I thought I was someone else, someone good.” For most of his life, Lou Reed was, for most of the time, according to this bio, not “someone good.” Lou was a groundbreaking artist who never saw the commercial success of others in his peer group but his influence is undeniable. This book gives a good background on his days with the Velvet Underground and through the various stages of music career and his many relationships. He was not generous in giving credit to those who helped him during his long career and burned most bridges. It appears from this biography that mental illness was an underlying factor in much of his erratic and destructive behavior. His decision to self medicate most of his life may have been the root of his often repulsive actions towards others. It was a relief to gain some insight into his, what appeared to be, happy and loving relationship with Laurie Anderson where he seemed to have left the old Lou behind. It is interesting that she did not agree to be interviewed for this book but thankfully after his death, she spoke enough about Reed to get a sense of their relationship. I’d like to thank Diversion Books and LibraryThing for an advance review copy in exchange for this honest review.
July 25, 2021
Good biography
Neither slavishly adulatory nor overly critical (though it's hard to write truthfully about Reed as a person without some criticism). Very well researched with wide ranging sources who were close to Reed at various times in his life.
Neither slavishly adulatory nor overly critical (though it's hard to write truthfully about Reed as a person without some criticism). Very well researched with wide ranging sources who were close to Reed at various times in his life.
August 15, 2019
The Life of Lou Reed was very thoroughly researched and it was evident throughout that the author really immersed himself in his work. I've listened to Lou Reed's music in the past but didn't know much about him at all prior to reading this biography. I had always wondered about his connection with Andy Warhol and now I know!
Lou Reed was...a terrible person at heart. He was clearly a misogynist and an all-around not nice guy. It was interesting to read about his flippant remarks and sometimes violent reactions to those around him.
Overall this was an informative biography. However, I did find myself skimming a bit towards the midway point. Also, I feel that a strong biography really gives the reader a true feel for the individual, but this one didn't do that for me. It's like the old adage, "Show me, don't tell me" needs to be applied here. At times I felt this was more of a chronicling of his career with quotes from friends/family in Lou's life saying he was a jerk. I wish this biography opened the door into Lou's life a bit more because for someone who was so colourful, this biography came across more as a textbook when it could've easily been a thrilling read given the subject matter.
Lou Reed was...a terrible person at heart. He was clearly a misogynist and an all-around not nice guy. It was interesting to read about his flippant remarks and sometimes violent reactions to those around him.
Overall this was an informative biography. However, I did find myself skimming a bit towards the midway point. Also, I feel that a strong biography really gives the reader a true feel for the individual, but this one didn't do that for me. It's like the old adage, "Show me, don't tell me" needs to be applied here. At times I felt this was more of a chronicling of his career with quotes from friends/family in Lou's life saying he was a jerk. I wish this biography opened the door into Lou's life a bit more because for someone who was so colourful, this biography came across more as a textbook when it could've easily been a thrilling read given the subject matter.
July 22, 2017
Lou Reeda kojarzy pewnie każdy jako tako zainteresowany rockiem. Ja też kojarzę, co więcej mam, znam i lubię zarówno solowy Transformer jak i 2 płyty The Velvet Underground. Po lekturze biografii nie da się jednak polubić samego Reeda. Chyba najczęściej wyrażana opinia o nim to "dupek" i pada ona z ust przyjaciół, wrogów, znajomych i współpracowników.
Sama biografia to dla mnie duże zaskoczenie - nie wiedziałem że płyt VU było tak mało a solowych Reeda tak dużo - mam sporo do nadrobienia. Nie wiedziałem też że recenzje większości z nich były tak złe, że był dużo bardziej znany i ceniony w Europie niż w USA, że nagrane z Metalliką Lulu było taką klapą i wielu innych rzeczy. Czyli wartościowa lektura bo po co czytać coś co się wie.
Edytorsko i tłumaczeniowo bez zarzutu, może trochę mało zdjęć.
Czas czytania: 7h.
Sama biografia to dla mnie duże zaskoczenie - nie wiedziałem że płyt VU było tak mało a solowych Reeda tak dużo - mam sporo do nadrobienia. Nie wiedziałem też że recenzje większości z nich były tak złe, że był dużo bardziej znany i ceniony w Europie niż w USA, że nagrane z Metalliką Lulu było taką klapą i wielu innych rzeczy. Czyli wartościowa lektura bo po co czytać coś co się wie.
Edytorsko i tłumaczeniowo bez zarzutu, może trochę mało zdjęć.
Czas czytania: 7h.
March 15, 2020
Extremely well researched and comprehensive account of the life of Lou Reed. This is the definitive (if boring) account of every detail of Reed’s life. I would have thought that Reed’s biography would be more interesting than a list of every mediocre record he ever recorded and every person who met him and thought he was an a-hole (pretty much all of them) but I guess that’s all there is. Can’t blame the author for Reed being a boring malcontent. I wouldn’t read anything else about him though.
February 23, 2020
If I know one thing about English tabloid journalists it’s that they love to rake the muck. Therefore, I approached this biography of Lou Reed with a healthy skepticism. However, after reading page after page of quotes from nearly everyone who ever knew the man saying he was one of the most difficult, unpleasant and unkind people they’d ever met, it was hard to think that English biographer Howard Sounes was going out of his way to make a decent guy look bad. Andy Warhol protégé Paul Morrissey didn't mince words when he said, “You need a good title like The Hateful Bitch [or] The Worst Person Who Ever Lived. Something that says this isn’t a biography of a great human being, because he was not…He was a stupid, disgusting, awful human being.” This is pretty typical of the responses Sounes received from everyone interviewed for this book (with the exception of Reed's sister).
Apparently, Lou Reed just wasn’t awfully nice.
The book suggests that Reed’s life-long anger most likely stemmed from his parents subjecting him to ECT (more commonly referred to as electro-shock therapy) when he was still in his teens. This negative formative experience, combined with the long term abuse of drugs and alcohol, compounded to make him paranoid, selfish, manipulative, disloyal and generally unpleasant. It struck me that, in an attempt to make this seem like less of a hatchet job, Sounes actually takes pains to show a more human side to Reed, including his disappointment at the Velvet Underground’s failure to achieve success, his struggle to fully embrace his bisexuality and his inability to live up to his early promise as a songwriter.
It was particularly interesting to find out just how unsuccessful he was throughout most of his career. And certainly an eye-opener to learn that, in its heyday, the VU never played venues with a capacity of more than 500. In the 1980’s I was an enormous fan of the cult indie band the Bongos. Because they cited Lou Reed as a huge influence, I made a point of buying all his and the VU albums. While I enjoyed the Velvet Underground for the most part, I hated all of Reed’s stuff. With the exception of “Walk on the Wild Side,” I found most of the songs to be boring and unlistenable. Until I read Sounes bio, I thought it was just me; that I had unsophisticated musical taste, but it turns out I’m hardly alone. Most of Reed’s solo albums were gigantic failures, both critically and commercially. On a side note, Rob Norris, a member of the Bongos, merits two mentions in this book but, for whatever reason, the author fails to name his band (which was hugely popular in the UK) or even mention that he’s a musician.
I seldom read non-fiction and normally find biographies a bit of a chore to get through. However, Notes from the Velvet Underground is written in a no-nonsense, very readable style and, however dislikable, Reed was a compelling individual. His disreputable, bohemian life makes for captivating reading.
Apparently, Lou Reed just wasn’t awfully nice.
The book suggests that Reed’s life-long anger most likely stemmed from his parents subjecting him to ECT (more commonly referred to as electro-shock therapy) when he was still in his teens. This negative formative experience, combined with the long term abuse of drugs and alcohol, compounded to make him paranoid, selfish, manipulative, disloyal and generally unpleasant. It struck me that, in an attempt to make this seem like less of a hatchet job, Sounes actually takes pains to show a more human side to Reed, including his disappointment at the Velvet Underground’s failure to achieve success, his struggle to fully embrace his bisexuality and his inability to live up to his early promise as a songwriter.
It was particularly interesting to find out just how unsuccessful he was throughout most of his career. And certainly an eye-opener to learn that, in its heyday, the VU never played venues with a capacity of more than 500. In the 1980’s I was an enormous fan of the cult indie band the Bongos. Because they cited Lou Reed as a huge influence, I made a point of buying all his and the VU albums. While I enjoyed the Velvet Underground for the most part, I hated all of Reed’s stuff. With the exception of “Walk on the Wild Side,” I found most of the songs to be boring and unlistenable. Until I read Sounes bio, I thought it was just me; that I had unsophisticated musical taste, but it turns out I’m hardly alone. Most of Reed’s solo albums were gigantic failures, both critically and commercially. On a side note, Rob Norris, a member of the Bongos, merits two mentions in this book but, for whatever reason, the author fails to name his band (which was hugely popular in the UK) or even mention that he’s a musician.
I seldom read non-fiction and normally find biographies a bit of a chore to get through. However, Notes from the Velvet Underground is written in a no-nonsense, very readable style and, however dislikable, Reed was a compelling individual. His disreputable, bohemian life makes for captivating reading.
March 30, 2018
A fascinating study of a musical genius who was also a prick of human.
January 4, 2016
i liked this book...for the most part. Sounes is pretty exhaustive in his research and his interviews...but the mark of a good biography is one in which the subject appears to be present throughout. Sounes drops the ball a lot where Lou Reed is concerned. Reading the bio i never really felt the presence of Lou, but just felt like people were talking about him...and oftentimes in an unflattering manner....which is fine. Lou Reed is who is he is....that said, if you are going to have people being interviewed talking about what a "creep" or "prick" Lou Reed is you better be about to back it up with actualities....at least more than Lou snapping at someone in a studio. Since Reed's death in 2013 i was hoping for a solid bio on him...this one was okay....so the search continues.
October 7, 2019
...Lou’s sexuality remained enigmatic throughout his life, a conundrum to many friends and one suspects, himself…
Lou Reed’s sexuality was pretty much the main focus of the biography. That and what an asshole he was. But he did become a rock and roll icon and he did write a few good songs. But to place him in the same tier as Bob Dylan is ludicrous at best. A fairly interesting book that in the long run disappoints because of its emphasis on Lou’s sexual proclivities.
Lou Reed’s sexuality was pretty much the main focus of the biography. That and what an asshole he was. But he did become a rock and roll icon and he did write a few good songs. But to place him in the same tier as Bob Dylan is ludicrous at best. A fairly interesting book that in the long run disappoints because of its emphasis on Lou’s sexual proclivities.
January 7, 2022
A very honest book which shows both the good and bad of Lou Reed.
November 25, 2019
The only thing I really knew about Lou Reed was his song "Walk on the Wild Side". Then I saw a rerun of an interview with Lou Reed and Dan Rather on AXIS TV. I became intrigued and discovered in that interview his association with Andy Warhol and The Velvet Underground. So...when I saw this biography featured at my local library, I thought I would give it a try.
The book covers Lou's life chronologically from 1942 til his death in 2013. The book is packed with details about his troubled childhood and troubled life in general. He had huge issues with his father, and was give Electric Shock Treatments when he was quite young...(he had a mental breakdown) .
I learned that he was a very gifted writer and was well respected for his lyrics and poetry. Often his lyrics were quite controversial. He wrote often about drug use, sexuality, violence especially toward women, and other content that was not appropriate for the radio. In the early days of the Velvet Underground, his audience was a very niche/elite and avant guard crowd. His connection to Andy Warhol becomes clear in this biography. (A very interesting story, but too many details for this review) In this biography, there is lots of info about other members of The Velvet Underground. made it into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but their record sales were not impressive.
As an adult, Lou was described by many as a prick and yet, at the same time, people loved him. He was heavy into drugs, alcohol and sexual experimentation. It was never really clear if Lou Reed was gay or bi-sexual. He had described himself at different times as both. He once had a long term relationship with a Transvestite, but eventually married women. He was temperamental and demanding. It took special people to work and live with him. If he ended a friendship with someone who played on his albums, he would fire them, and then overdub their part on the album given them no credits.
Lou went on to have a successful career after the Velvet Underground as a solo artist. He made more albums than I ever realized. I admit, that I had to Google most of the songs mentioned in the book. Now that I know more about the artist, I will listen more intently.
Lou eventually gave up drugs because he knew he would die if he did not. He also had destroyed his liver and supposedly gave up alcohol. He had a liver transplant, however, he continued to drink some. Although he was fairly clean for many years, the previous destruction to his body eventually killed him.
The Velvet Underground made it into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but their record sales were not impressive.
Lou Reed was also inducted as a solo artist into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame after his death. (His record sales never really knocked it out of the park either) I found the book interesting because I love reading about artists of this era, but I am not sure how I missed knowing more about him as I was growing up. I am sure that the lack of record promotion and radio play was part of the reason.
The book covers Lou's life chronologically from 1942 til his death in 2013. The book is packed with details about his troubled childhood and troubled life in general. He had huge issues with his father, and was give Electric Shock Treatments when he was quite young...(he had a mental breakdown) .
I learned that he was a very gifted writer and was well respected for his lyrics and poetry. Often his lyrics were quite controversial. He wrote often about drug use, sexuality, violence especially toward women, and other content that was not appropriate for the radio. In the early days of the Velvet Underground, his audience was a very niche/elite and avant guard crowd. His connection to Andy Warhol becomes clear in this biography. (A very interesting story, but too many details for this review) In this biography, there is lots of info about other members of The Velvet Underground. made it into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but their record sales were not impressive.
As an adult, Lou was described by many as a prick and yet, at the same time, people loved him. He was heavy into drugs, alcohol and sexual experimentation. It was never really clear if Lou Reed was gay or bi-sexual. He had described himself at different times as both. He once had a long term relationship with a Transvestite, but eventually married women. He was temperamental and demanding. It took special people to work and live with him. If he ended a friendship with someone who played on his albums, he would fire them, and then overdub their part on the album given them no credits.
Lou went on to have a successful career after the Velvet Underground as a solo artist. He made more albums than I ever realized. I admit, that I had to Google most of the songs mentioned in the book. Now that I know more about the artist, I will listen more intently.
Lou eventually gave up drugs because he knew he would die if he did not. He also had destroyed his liver and supposedly gave up alcohol. He had a liver transplant, however, he continued to drink some. Although he was fairly clean for many years, the previous destruction to his body eventually killed him.
The Velvet Underground made it into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but their record sales were not impressive.
Lou Reed was also inducted as a solo artist into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame after his death. (His record sales never really knocked it out of the park either) I found the book interesting because I love reading about artists of this era, but I am not sure how I missed knowing more about him as I was growing up. I am sure that the lack of record promotion and radio play was part of the reason.
October 16, 2021
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley to read and review.
THE LIFE OF LOU REED: NOTES FROM THE VELVET UNDERGROUND is a biography by Howard Sounes that covers not only the period of time up to including Reed’s life and career up to and including the Velvet Underground era, but also follows his entire life and career from that point until his death.
Excellent history of this unusual artist’s life and career, and the difficulties and setbacks he experienced (many he was responsible for), and his far reaching influence in spite of his erratic behavior and erratic output.
Lou’s time with the Velvet Underground showcased his ability to influence fashion and inspired countless others to follow his lead and form bands and become musicians, also this period of time served notice that Lou Reed was a great songwriter with an unusual approach.
Andy Warhol was very supportive and influential to Lou during this period of time, and Lou later made mention of how his work ethic was a direct influence of the artist, although they were not on speaking terms at the time of Warhol’s death.
Relationships in the life of Lou Reed as described by the author illustrates the difficulties he had in maintaining them, and that his seemingly narcissistic actions made many people in his life disposable often without warning.
Something that I liked about this biography was that it did a good job of highlighting the good and the bad in the life of Reed, and lists his strengths as well as his weaknesses.
5 stars.
THE LIFE OF LOU REED: NOTES FROM THE VELVET UNDERGROUND is a biography by Howard Sounes that covers not only the period of time up to including Reed’s life and career up to and including the Velvet Underground era, but also follows his entire life and career from that point until his death.
Excellent history of this unusual artist’s life and career, and the difficulties and setbacks he experienced (many he was responsible for), and his far reaching influence in spite of his erratic behavior and erratic output.
Lou’s time with the Velvet Underground showcased his ability to influence fashion and inspired countless others to follow his lead and form bands and become musicians, also this period of time served notice that Lou Reed was a great songwriter with an unusual approach.
Andy Warhol was very supportive and influential to Lou during this period of time, and Lou later made mention of how his work ethic was a direct influence of the artist, although they were not on speaking terms at the time of Warhol’s death.
Relationships in the life of Lou Reed as described by the author illustrates the difficulties he had in maintaining them, and that his seemingly narcissistic actions made many people in his life disposable often without warning.
Something that I liked about this biography was that it did a good job of highlighting the good and the bad in the life of Reed, and lists his strengths as well as his weaknesses.
5 stars.
January 31, 2021
This book does what is hoped for by aspiring ones attracted to this type of extreme figure for a
"how-to" succeed on the fringes of pop culture. The reasons why in my guess are extremely innovative egos which can be found in all vocation streams. The two things which stand out since I read this 6 months ago, and what I offer in discussion of Reed are; how he played the record companies against eachother. He accepted deals from two lables while in France (I think), and had the AR guys fly over from the US then didn't answer the door. The second was when his contract was due to release another album and he went into a loft with 10 amps and recorded a whole album of feedback. Which sold. These things for me are more poignant (if they actually happened) because their impact is vivid in plain language, where-as the music can be given retrospective value depending on the authority. Saying that I bought an original copy of the banana album while reading this book. I think Reed had figured out his way of getting the pats on the back. There's a section of people who relate with this subversive method which constantly repositions itself "outside" the norm. I think they're called hipsters, but they could be anyone who has to be the best in their field. When you think about it, homeless people are the biggest hipsters.
"how-to" succeed on the fringes of pop culture. The reasons why in my guess are extremely innovative egos which can be found in all vocation streams. The two things which stand out since I read this 6 months ago, and what I offer in discussion of Reed are; how he played the record companies against eachother. He accepted deals from two lables while in France (I think), and had the AR guys fly over from the US then didn't answer the door. The second was when his contract was due to release another album and he went into a loft with 10 amps and recorded a whole album of feedback. Which sold. These things for me are more poignant (if they actually happened) because their impact is vivid in plain language, where-as the music can be given retrospective value depending on the authority. Saying that I bought an original copy of the banana album while reading this book. I think Reed had figured out his way of getting the pats on the back. There's a section of people who relate with this subversive method which constantly repositions itself "outside" the norm. I think they're called hipsters, but they could be anyone who has to be the best in their field. When you think about it, homeless people are the biggest hipsters.
March 9, 2023
Cold, callus, difficult. Average guitarist, poor singer. Racist, misogynistic, violent. Alcoholic, drug-addicted, sexually confused, a control freak and bi-polar. This book points an accusatory finger at its subject with all of these less-than-stellar attributes but not without some balance; after all, the subject happens to be one of the finest American songwriters and influential musicians in rock history. Notes From The Velvet Underground: The Life of Lou Reed (2015) is a thoroughly well-researched biography of Reed by Howard Sounes. He draws on over 140 interviews of family, former lovers, bandmates and friends of Reed whilst breaking down his life in a reader-friendly, chronological fashion. Sounes certainly doesn't shy away from exposing the ugly side of the man, so much so that about halfway through I thought "okay, he was an arsehole, what else?" But there is balance, there is no denying the quality of his songs (particularly when he was with the VU and his seminal, Bowie-produced classic solo album 'Transformer'. Reed was certainly not boring and a lifetime of drug-use is clearly a huge reason for his fiery demeanour. I enjoyed this book a great deal; a fan of his music my whole life, I (as I'm sure Sounes intended), managed to separate the artist from his sins and give thanks for an overture that doesn't go doe-eyed in praise for this troubled genius.
January 31, 2024
I love reading about Lou, his complicated (to put it nicely) personality, and his awkward rise to rock royalty. The darkest parts of my soul yearned to peak into the perversions of this man’s mind. A very complicated soul, indeed, I hate how much I love him (ie: TW: lots of misogyny).
As for the writing of the biography, certainly dry in terms of style -as many of these rock biographies written 10 or more years ago by (presumably) men often are. Sounes’ facts and references seem reliable until he introduces Andy Warhol’s zeitgeisty “Exploding Plastic Inevitable” by the wrong name, then using the correct reference a page later??? Definitely made me lose confidence in the validity of the material that followed. And jesus this author must have a paraphrasing kink that entails describing every little detail so a three year old can comprehend. I would’ve appreciated a little more trust in my ability to infer, thank you very much. Also, an ass ton of brackets makes it very disorienting to continue to read and comprehend my man (@ Sounes!)!!!
I’ll leave you all on a most happy note with my favorite quote from this book: “He had fans who would love anything he did. If he farted into a paper bag they would go ‘It’s the most brilliant thing ever!’”
I felt that.
As for the writing of the biography, certainly dry in terms of style -as many of these rock biographies written 10 or more years ago by (presumably) men often are. Sounes’ facts and references seem reliable until he introduces Andy Warhol’s zeitgeisty “Exploding Plastic Inevitable” by the wrong name, then using the correct reference a page later??? Definitely made me lose confidence in the validity of the material that followed. And jesus this author must have a paraphrasing kink that entails describing every little detail so a three year old can comprehend. I would’ve appreciated a little more trust in my ability to infer, thank you very much. Also, an ass ton of brackets makes it very disorienting to continue to read and comprehend my man (@ Sounes!)!!!
I’ll leave you all on a most happy note with my favorite quote from this book: “He had fans who would love anything he did. If he farted into a paper bag they would go ‘It’s the most brilliant thing ever!’”
I felt that.
May 15, 2024
Pretty good biography and outline of Lou Reed and his career as well as how people viewed him. As a big Velvet Underground fan myself, this was kind of what I was looking for with this book. I, however, wish I could’ve gotten more detail and character about the band itself. I know they weren’t commercially successful or appreciated for their time. But I think the book fails to capture the gravity of the band and Reeds work. It tries to, but fails at capturing the importance of alot of their work. And while it alludes to this importance, it doesn’t highlight it. It just kind of outlines Reed’s life and career and perception in the eyes of others. While that’s how an unbiased account of these things generally go, I still think there could have been more character in here. I also didn’t realize how awful Lou Reed was as a human but makes sense listening to alot of his music. Good read. Probably can find something better when looking for works on the Velvet Underground but a good work if you want to know more about Lou Reed and his career especially when it comes to general knowledge on his career
August 12, 2019
Notes From The Velvet Underground:TheLife Of Lou Reed
by Howard Sounes
due 9-10-2019
4.0/5.0
#netgalley. #TheLifeOfLouReed
I spent a lot of time listening to Lou Reed, 'Transformer' is still one of my favorite albums.
Although many claimed he was a difficult person to work with, and some call him a controlling, misogynistic prick, almost everyone agrees he is a talented and prolific songwriter and lyricist.
I really enjoyed this walk on the wild side of Lou Reed, it follows his life and career, the chapters all are years of his life. His relationships with other band mates (from Velvet Underground and his solo career), girlfriends, boyfriends, family, wives are all clearly portrayed and easy to follow. This is a great bio, Sounes has clearly done much research and digging to put together an intimate biography of a complex man, driven by an inner emotional turmoil he could never quite tame. Be sure to pick this up.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for sending this requested e-book ARC for review.
by Howard Sounes
due 9-10-2019
4.0/5.0
#netgalley. #TheLifeOfLouReed
I spent a lot of time listening to Lou Reed, 'Transformer' is still one of my favorite albums.
Although many claimed he was a difficult person to work with, and some call him a controlling, misogynistic prick, almost everyone agrees he is a talented and prolific songwriter and lyricist.
I really enjoyed this walk on the wild side of Lou Reed, it follows his life and career, the chapters all are years of his life. His relationships with other band mates (from Velvet Underground and his solo career), girlfriends, boyfriends, family, wives are all clearly portrayed and easy to follow. This is a great bio, Sounes has clearly done much research and digging to put together an intimate biography of a complex man, driven by an inner emotional turmoil he could never quite tame. Be sure to pick this up.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for sending this requested e-book ARC for review.
October 21, 2019
I enjoyed the writing and the storytelling of this biography, however I think I would have enjoyed it exponentially more if I would have known more about Lou Reed going into this.
The author takes for granted that the reader has a good baseline of knowledge of his subject matter before reading, and that is a fair assumption. However, I went in to this knowing that I enjoy music biographies and not necessarily Lou Reed, specifically.
There is plenty of juiciness; Reed was bisexual, and even though many people described him as non-sexual, the author found plenty of evidence of numerous sexual relationships throughout Reed's life. And the alcoholism and drug addiction is duly noted throughout, as well.
And, the stories behind the songs, the discography, the tales of the way his band and his music morphed through the years is all well documented.
I'm sure if you are a fan of Reed and the Velvet Underground, this book would be wonderfully enjoyable. I, however, am not, and that downfall is on me and me alone.
I won this book from LibraryThing.
The author takes for granted that the reader has a good baseline of knowledge of his subject matter before reading, and that is a fair assumption. However, I went in to this knowing that I enjoy music biographies and not necessarily Lou Reed, specifically.
There is plenty of juiciness; Reed was bisexual, and even though many people described him as non-sexual, the author found plenty of evidence of numerous sexual relationships throughout Reed's life. And the alcoholism and drug addiction is duly noted throughout, as well.
And, the stories behind the songs, the discography, the tales of the way his band and his music morphed through the years is all well documented.
I'm sure if you are a fan of Reed and the Velvet Underground, this book would be wonderfully enjoyable. I, however, am not, and that downfall is on me and me alone.
I won this book from LibraryThing.
April 3, 2024
This is a wonderful book about a man who was an amazing artist, a complex pop cultural icon, and—often—not a very good person.
This book balances Lou’s artistry with the more difficult aspects of his character and story.
My only real complaint would be the way that Sounes seems to play fast and loose with trans peoples’ pronouns. In the case of Rachel, it’s a little more understandable, as they often shifted between names and pronouns. But in most of the cases, it just feels like the author is misgendering is subjects. To be fair, we’ve made massive strides in public understanding of transgender identities since 2019, but that still feels a little late for such language.
This is a wonderful portrait that maintains a level of realistic criticism about its topic while still praising his accomplishments. I recommend it.
This book balances Lou’s artistry with the more difficult aspects of his character and story.
My only real complaint would be the way that Sounes seems to play fast and loose with trans peoples’ pronouns. In the case of Rachel, it’s a little more understandable, as they often shifted between names and pronouns. But in most of the cases, it just feels like the author is misgendering is subjects. To be fair, we’ve made massive strides in public understanding of transgender identities since 2019, but that still feels a little late for such language.
This is a wonderful portrait that maintains a level of realistic criticism about its topic while still praising his accomplishments. I recommend it.
May 8, 2020
As is so often the case when I read biographies of artists, musicians and authors whose work I enjoy and who I’d always thought I would like to meet, I consider myself lucky that I didn’t, as knowing them and dealing with their personalities might well have interfered with my ability to appreciate their work. This is certainly the case with Lou Reed, who, while remembered fondly by some, seems to have spent.a lifetime alienating people who started off on his side and wanted to please him. At times I found this aspect of the book tedious, but it clearly was a central aspect of Lou Reed’s life. But the book digs much deeper and also tells a far more nuanced story of a man of many contradictions, insecurities, weaknesses, and failings but also one of bursts of great talent and originality. If you are the least bit curious about who Lou Reed was, what his life and the span of his career was like, and how he came to produce such an eclectic body of recordings over the course of his life, this is the book to read.
July 25, 2021
A well written and informative biography of one of Rock's most fascinating and enigmatic characters. For all his amazing talent, as a person Lou Reed was often self-centred & nasty, a control freak discarding former friends whenever it suited him. Although one can often forgive the "tortured artist" for his failings, Lou Reed's behaviour is often intolerable and selfish. 3 of the albums he helped create are amongst my favourites, the debut Velvet Underground album, Transformer and New York. Such a pity to read what a nasty piece of work Lou was for most of his life. It seems he mellowed in the last 10 yrs of his life managing to have a more balanced approach to his physical and mental health. A well written portrait of a complicated artist and person.
August 3, 2019
[...] Notes from the Velvet Underground: The Life of Lou Reed covers Reed's whole life with a slight emphasis on his work with the Velvet Underground, upon which his reputation largely rests. [...] Reed was one of the most literary rock musicians, making his notes from underground and reporting back to us in song, hence this book's title, which also invokes Dostoyevsky's underground man, another damaged, hyperconscious outsider.
May 27, 2017
I've always enjoyed a number of Lou Reed's songs but have never really known much about him or the Velvet Underground other than that he was notoriously difficult to work with and a bit of a grump!
This book is a good introduction to his life and spans his entire career. At times it reads like the author seems to think that he is the main authority on the life and times of Lou Reed, but for the most part it is informative and well written. For anyone who would like an introduction to the Velvet Underground and Lou Reed this book is a great start.
This book is a good introduction to his life and spans his entire career. At times it reads like the author seems to think that he is the main authority on the life and times of Lou Reed, but for the most part it is informative and well written. For anyone who would like an introduction to the Velvet Underground and Lou Reed this book is a great start.
August 21, 2020
I really felt Sounes thoroughly thoroughly disliked Reed. Whilst he wasn’t alone in that sentiment, Sounes never misses an opportunity to take a jab at old Lou and pretty much characterises him as a lifelong malcontent of limited musical ability. Sounes is more appreciative of Reed’s songwriting abilities but the book is riddled with negative assessments of the irascible Reed. One such gem is Sounes description of Reed towards the end of the book where Reed’s face is described as resembling an ancient lined deflated football.
March 22, 2023
Yet another example of the very talented artist being less high-minded as a human being. This very interesting biography features several people who find Lou Reed the most unpleasant person they have ever met. I'm a big Velvet Underground/Lou Reed fan and knew Reed was an asshole, so I find his artistry more relevant and interesting than his character. I enjoyed reading this biography and was frankly rather amused by his behavior, the anecdotes are piling up. But undoubtedly the heavy alcohol and drug addiction had a very negative effect on the man, especially in the 70s.
February 2, 2022
Great book about a pretty big dickhead. I've always had an issue with people who are dickheads because they think it's cool to be one and that seemed like Lou Reed to me. Sorry to my musical heroes, Ezra Furman and Julian Casablancas, I hope neither of you ever read this review
August 21, 2019
3.5 stars. A hard book to grade. Worth reading with a great deal of reporting and synthesizing of worthwhile material. But also awkward and offhandedly written in spots.
December 23, 2019
Very little held back here as the sordid side of Reed is given plenty of attention. A good read for fans nonetheless.
February 21, 2020
Too much name dropping, not enough anecdotes. Otherwise a good biography.
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