LOU REED - Walk On The Wild Side | FIRST TIME REACTION

[@bobschenkel7921]

This song is always good for a laugh, and a few raised eyebrows. When this song was released in the early 1970's the term "Colored Girls" was still in fairly common usage, especially among older folks, and in the music industry. All the folks specifically mentioned in the song Holly, Candy, Sugar Plum Fairy, Joe and Jackie were all real people and a part of "the scene" at Andy Warhol's Factory in NYC, where there was a lot of experimenting, with all sorts of things, much more than today. Lou was previously with the band The Velvet Underground before striking out on his own. Lou had another big hit with "Sweet Jane". RIP Lou Reed.

[@richardcranium5048]

Lawyers, Guns, and Money

[@richardcranium5048]

I also like Cake. My son is about your age, he put me on them

[@robertcartier5088]

Joe did a couple films. ;-]

[@bobschenkel7921]

Is that a request, because "Lawyers, Guns and Money" was a song by Mr. Warren Zevon, not Lou Reed.@@richardcranium5048

[@LarryNeie-lj7zc]

Yeah, Sweet Jane and Dirty Boulevard.

[@PlutoAnn]

Lou Reed, Roxy music, Velvet Underground, Mott the Hoople, and Bowie, all a great glam vibe. Lou Reeds Sweet Jane wow

[@stevedavis5704]

You can’t begin to imagine what it was like in the early 70’s when your Granny would walk into the room and hear this on the radio. When she woke up from passing out she would take you to the kitchen and Clorox your ears for safety. My younger children are adopted and my youngest daughter would always ask for the dut do dut do song when she wanted to go to sleep. When my mother figured out what she was asking for I got the “I’m really disappointed with you “ lecture.

[@user-ph9wt3ue7c]

All the people that Lou talks about in this song were real.

[@TerenceShortman]

good reaction as a 67-year-old back in the counterculture days we were pushing for equality on all fronts it's not what you are but who you are gender, culture or religion don't matter if you are a good person peace man.

[@benjamansharer7969]

We came from a time that we didn't give a damn about skin, sexual orientation, etc... If you was a good person treating others in a good way, we accepted you, no matter what

[@rhondamcewananderson3968]

I was lucky to see Lou in Hollywood, CA, in the late 70's. So great!! 🎶❤️

[@AP-gb3eh]

Lou Reed wrote this about people he knew and hung out with. America was very conservative and kids who didn’t fit in would flock to New York and other big cities to find their tribes . I love Lou’s art and it brings me back to my tribe of misfit toys ,we supported each other while we went clubbing,concerts trying to find love and trying to survive the cruelty of normal people ☮️

[@georgeg0810]

❤❤❤

[@lisarainbow9703]

💜✌🎶

[@MikeOstrowski-iq8wf]

……well said 💯

[@will-x9c]

Lou was a Lower East Side degenerate/street poet and a remarkably talented musician. Not only a memorable songwriter but a flash on guitar as well. "I Heard Her Call My Name" on the Velvet Underground's "White Light/White Heat" album is a tour de force. Crank it up. For his live "Rock And Roll Animal" album he put together one of the great bands of R&R history. Check out anything on it, all fire

[@janistan]

Velvet Underground: "Venus in Furs). Brilliant... and somewhat eerie... -Lou Reed in a nutshell!

[@gernblanston5697]

David Bowie and Mick Ronson produced this album. Dive into Lou and his first band Velvet Underground - deep, diverse and highly influential.

[@suzannecarter2163]

I'm a 70 year old woman in New Zealand, enjoying your reactions. We were so blessed with the music back then.

[@MikeOstrowski-iq8wf]

…….absolutely 💯

[@thrusta100]

Dave Dobbyn?

[@redcaddiedaddie]

When you're sunk down in your threadbare armchair, buzzed on weed & sipping Glenlivet at 3:00 in the morning, THIS is the song you dial up!

[@gazoontight]

This is a song about drug addicts and transvestite prostitutes in New York City in the late 1960s & early 1970s. Holly Woodlawn was a transvestite prostitute; Candy Darling was another transvestite prostitute; Sugar Plum Fairy was Joe Campbell, a gay actor; Little Joe Dalessandro is another gay actor; and Jackie Curtis was an actress and drug addict who overdosed. Joe Dalessandro is the only one of the people mentioned in the song who is still alive. Oh, yeah, outside your comfort zone - most people were not comfortable with that lifestyle back then.

[@andrewclayton4181]

The amazing thing with this song is that the BBC didn't ban it. A lot of songs with less sexualised lyrics were banned, or suffered very restrictive play. I think it went completely over their heads. The other side - Perfect day, is pretty good too. It's a different vibe though. For fun why not give Laurie Anderson 's Superman a listen? There's a lot to unpick there!

[@joeboucher695]

Lou Reed is a huge figure and his catalog, both the Velvet Underground and solo, is definitely worth checking out. So many great songs but an obvious next step is "Candy Says" by the Velvets about the same Candy in "Walk on the Wild Side."

[@billyoliver4000]

Lou Reed was a part of Velvet Underground. You should check out their song Heroin.

[@scifimonkey3]

Check out ‘Perfect Day’ the perfect song

[@VicEclectica]

Yeah, this was about the experimentation going on in NYC in the late sixties and early 70s - both in drug use and sexuality. In that time frame, boundaries weren't pushed - they were destroyed. It was a very different world then.

[@ericanderson8886]

The great Herbie Flowers on that bass. Lou Reed front man for Velvet Underground, a seminal band that inspired hundreds of other bands.

[@tomroome4118]

Man, I was 17 when this came out. We were a little more open back then. There are tons of songs you should check out from his band The Velvet Underground.

[@steveullrich7737]

Yeah more open indeed back then; strange how we're going backwards in not being open to those who are not mainstream.

[@ohfour-seven6228]

Songs to check out Lou Reed: Intro/Sweet Jane from live Rock and Roll Animal album, Vicious, Satellite of Love, Dirty Blvd., Perfect Day. From Velvet Underground: Sweet Jane, Rock and Roll, Head Held High, Heroin, White Light/White Heat, I'm Waiting For the Man. Definitely visit NYC with your family. My sister lived in the city and I visited many many times. There is an energy you feel as soon as you get off the plane. So much to see and do. And actually, the people are very friendly. It's extremely easy to get around with buses and subways. And the crime you hear about is only in relation to the incredible number of people who live and work and visit daily. When you go, there are ticket booths in Times Square and the South Street Seaport with half price off Broadway plays day of show. Honestly NYC is an incredible city and a must see for everyone!

[@RJ-oy7cq]

The "giving head" line always gets them! LOL.

[@stephendenning5943]

Herbie Flowers on Bass.....Also on David Bowie's Space Oddity, and Jeff Wayne's War of the world's album....Amongst many others!

[@annewoodard6803]

I was between 5th and 6th grade when this played on the radio. I didn’t blink an eye over the lyrics, partiality because they were over my head, but this song was a big thing and I loved it.

[@ed.z.]

Lou Reed lived for long time with Laurie Anderson, an extremely hip and cool singer/writer/performance artist who has had success over many decades.

[@robinreiley1828]

I spent about 2 months, over the years, teching Laurie's "Nerve Bible" and "Moby Dick" Tours. Very hardworking and creative. She would take all her meals and coffee breaks with the crew, so I got to spend some time with her talking. One of my favorites to work with!

[@ed.z.]

@@robinreiley1828 did you see the CBS 60 Minutes piece about Laurie? Was it accurate? She seems like a creative genius. Was she easy to talk to? She was a legend in the Village scene when I lived in NYC. It really seemed that Lou Reed and her had true love and a common love for creativity.

[@robinreiley1828]

@@ed.z. I didn't see the 60 Minutes piece. Laurie was completely approachable, at the right time. As a Union Stagehand, your relationship with Talent is Professional, you Do Not act like a Fan. I have only asked for one Autograph in 30 years, and that was Jerry Lewis on the last day teching the National Tour of "Damn Yankees" after loading Pyro on him everyday for 3 weeks. Lou would come by rehearsal when he would bring Laurie one of his guitars or other show related tasks. She kept close tabs on his whereabouts through her production staff to keep him out of trouble. They definitely loved each other. She also loved her Dog Lula unconstitutionally, brought her to work every day. She was a very hard worker, who wasn't "In Love" with her own ideas and had no problem cutting ideas that didn't work or trying an idea from someone else.

[@ed.z.]

@@robinreiley1828 thanks. As a former and two year IATSE member and retired NABET/CWA staff ABC video editor who began as a page and PA, I salute you my fellow union member.

[@robinreiley1828]

@@ed.z. Thanks! I started working out of the Giant's Stadium Local (642 at the time, later became 643 when they merged with other North Jersey Locals) and eventually became Business Agent for Local 499 Poughkeepsie. Best years of my life!

[@randyhodges8782]

I recommend Low Spark of High-heeled Boys by Traffic.

[@lisarainbow9703]

I second this, very much!!

[@Alan_CFA]

From Wikipedia: “Walk on the Wild Side" is a song by American rock musician Lou Reed from his second solo studio album, Transformer (1972). It was produced by David Bowie.

[@EdwardGregoryNYC]

'72, but I can see this being just a fresh any time through the '80s. Come to NY and enjoy. Stuff happens, but even so, it's still one of the safest large cities in the US. Just try not to spend your whole trips at the tourist attractions.

[@lindasalaki9404]

Remember this song on the radio back in the 70s 😅😅

[@MisterWondrous]

UK's iconic cool was embodied in Jeff Beck, but the US had Hendrix and Lou Reed. All gone too soon. In '74, I hitched the US, and in Clear Lake Iowa, where Richie Valens last played and died, a kind young lady let me crash at her lake house, and we stayed up all night, speeding, listening to this album. We are now Facebook friends. A little kindness goes a long way.

[@pillmuncher67]

I miss the speeding.

[@ed.z.]

This song reminds when people didn’t care what other people did in private. I’m just glad when anyone finds love. This world is bad enough. I lived in NYC for 55 years. I’ve traveled around the world and NYC is an absolute amazing (expensive) mixed bag. It’s not for kids, unless you want to see some incredibly interesting museums, the night life is not for kids. For grown ups, who have bucks to spend, it has great music, jazz, rock, and classical, dance food, and plays. For culture, it’s an amazing absolute adventure to experience. Subways are a great way to get around because it’s fast. The people only seem unfriendly and cold, until you experience them one to one (in Manhattan people are very busy chasing the bucks). I moved with my wife to Texas which has pluses and minuses (culturally) but, It’s usually delightfully quiet here, except for the record amount of mass shootings (including during road rage, or attending school). I have not been there since the immigration crisis. And I would never believe anything shown on a loop by FauxNoose and MAGA haters of democracy. But, there are legitimate matters (you mentioned) to consider carefully. *** It’s definitely NOT Disneyland.

[@robinreiley1828]

It's only "Disneyland" on 42nd Street , ever since Disney bought the New Victory Theatre for "The Lion King" Times Square is Very Different than in the 60's and 70's. They started "cleaning it up" around the time of the Statue of Liberty Centennial in 86, when they started moving the prostitutes and street hustlers over toward the Hudson River

[@Papabob1957]

Great song, always amazed us that it was played on the radio lol

[@ozmaile7938]

There are over 8 Million People in just the city proper, It's safer than most cities Itjust get a lot of publicity vs reality. I lived there 35 years and only had one situation in all that time that made me nervous and that was way out in the boroughs.. ..... GREAT CITY every one should experience....... People are NOT rude there just living at a faster pace than tourist ,,,,,

[@nanook8721]

You can also hear Lou's song Perfect Day on a few TV commercials. We grew up on the lower east side/east village just about the same time. His album Transformer is probably my favorite.

[@russellkaplan1818]

I lived in NYC from 1967 to 1971 (from Boston) I was 20 to 25. Took a nit to adjust but a lot of fun. Still have my Woodstock tickets. Fillmore East was great. 2 dollar concerts in Central Park (Hendricks opening for the Monkees. My kids still send me sides of pastrami from Katz's Deli.

[@Billis75]

I'm from California and visiting New York was always meh. It was just a cold version of San Francisco to me at the time. But then I moved there for a job and it was a totally different experience. So I would say your experience will vary. It seemed so much more cool when I lived and worked there. My only gripe is that I've never been a fan of cold weather and humid weather, and New York is both (just not at the same time). That's what I get for living most of my life in the desert.

[@Brandi6666]

Gotta love the old new york scene🤘❤️lou reed and andy wharhol were the folks you needed to hang with, to get noticed

[@TheJets9900]

Sweet Jane from Rock and Roll Animal

[@GinMae]

Thanks, Critical... this was amazing... so groovy.... and so "of the era"... (all based on actual people on the scene in the day.. and "the colored girls" were aweome) appreciate your reaction!

[@sukie584]

You did I’m Waiting For The Man by The Velvet Underground which was Lou’s band from the 60s. Lou was not particularly commercially successful (except this song & a few others) but he was one of the most influential singer songwriters.

[@konradv7]

Like just about anywhere, it’s the places you visit. If you don’t go off the beaten track, NYC is great.

[@JimFlickinger]

One of the best chill out songs ever. Made a blue jeans commercial with this song.

[@mikemccabe6258]

This was about Andy Warhol’s NYC crowd.....wild

[@luvlgs1]

if you can imagine, this came out in 1972 and was a huge top-40, AM radio hit. i think they did delete the second verse, and maybe a different one too, i forget. keep on rockin

[@dougoneill7266]

One of the sexiest songs, I love it. it has a big piece of my heart.

[@IrishKack]

Love watching your thought process here. 😉

[@NRBQLou]

Don't buy the hype, NYC is a great place to live and visit. Capital of the world.

[@Slo-ryde]

He is right about the traffic issues.

[@DennisGayhart-s3t]

Sweet Jane off the Rock and Roll Animal album has the best intro I have heard.

[@patticampana9458]

This is great! Had a friend when I was really young that said when she grew up she was going to NYC to find Lou Reed.😄. Velvet Underground ✌️

[@pillmuncher67]

The heavy radio play that song got at the time was because most people didn't understand what the song was about. Those who did and heard it on the radio got a good laugh out of it.

[@bobk9572]

If you want to hear a great live performance listen to Intro / Sweet Jane from Lou's Rock 'N' Roll Animal album. The whole albums good.

[@jons.105]

Risqué *and* risky! LOL. It hit #16 on the Hot 100, making this Lou Reed's most successful song. I think Reed was riding the crest of Bowie's trendy androgyny at the time, but it worked. The LP "Transformer", also produced by Bowie and Ronson, peaked at #29 on the album charts.

[@seansersmylie]

Mick Ronson was David Bowie's brilliant guitarist, they produced this fantastic album. The legendary basslines were created by Herbie Flowers and were sampled on Can I kick It?, a fantastic hiphop track by A Tribe Called Quest. The characters in the song are all real people from the Andy Warhol factory days.

[@cletushouse906]

Check out Lou Reed and David Bowie doing Waiting For The Man.

[@johnthegreek5836]

😂😂I was waiting for you to get to this song, way ahead of its time and people were surprised it received radio play but I thought it was cool, New York is a cool place to visit, not a place to live

[@cherrypickerguitars]

Lou Reed’s original band, the Velvet Underground are considered to be one of the most influential bands of ALL time! I always think of Lou and Charles Bukowski in the same millisecond of a thought. Check out poet Bukowski for a REAL 70’s education! Peace

[@sherryheim5504]

This is such a cool song, kind of a jazz/blues feel. I always loved this song, the lyrics are so pregnant with idea, thank you. This was early 70's.

[@johnathanstruble1064]

Lou was a Poet, ( and for the easily offended, and snowflakes, this ain't for you)...Lou was a Poet, like Jim Morrison, Dylan, and Leonard Cohen...set to some really amazing music and arrangements.

[@Brandi6666]

Check out sweet jane live. Prob over a few million hits. But def grab the right one with a 5 minute intro

[@eviekelpie1]

A bit controversial at the time but a classic! The people Lou talks about are real! They were part of Andy Warhol's New York scene in the 70s

[@nathansellers8454]

Try “Intro/Sweet Jane” great reaction as always

[@blitztim6416]

Yes!

[@jimmeltonbradley1497]

Lou Reed and The Velvet Underground, of which he was a founding member, were very infliential on so much music which came later.

[@davidgreer4615]

visiting new york is no real big deal as long as you pay attention to your surroundings.

[@lindataggart9076]

Lou Reed yeah! he talking about all kinds of people that make up the world..i think

[@kevinogracia1615]

It's about the Warhole's "factory" scene - '60's. Bowie produced. Peace on earth.

[@patticampana9458]

Reminds of the song Lola. Another song on the cusp.

[@bobdelp2023]

HIS BIGGEST HIT BY FARRRRR GIB, BACK IN 72 😊

[@1pelicanmarsh]

I LOVE your tone and personality, especially respecting the "tone" of who you are. im sure id be drawn to hang out/be freinds with you in life. Commenting on the NY thing....I am a native of Indiana (smaller town) and again live there (age 62) but have lived other places. Flight attendant by trade (34 years). I fully get your impression on NYC......it is massively safer than it was in the 70's-80's. Daily life pace is CRAZY and natives are not inherently patient with those that arent moving at the same crazy life-pace. HOWEVER there is so much to take in, it's so incredibly special......you MUST go and take your family. the only caveat is just be careful/thoughtful and exercise good judgement. You could be laughed at for being a tourist (occasionally if stopping to look up at blogs/talking slower/being surprised at stuff, but there is so much to see/experience. its horribly expensive (still puzzled at how ppl afford to live there) but the 10 dollar bagels are worth it, and so is most everything else. You will be glad to escape to home once trip is over. Now from my aspect, I have been based (worked trips only out of there) and life with the passengers is less aggressive than other cities...which im still somewhat puzzled by. DEF plan a trip and go! thanks for your work, I enjoy it so much and appreciate all of this is created after your 9-5 and taking care of a family! Best; Greg

[@ShawnSalvadori]

Thank you very much, Greg! Appreciate your kindness and insights. I look forward to checking out NY one day! 😁

[@bonya4585]

You can’t react to Lou Reed without reacting to Boz Scaggs “Lido” is a good start.

[@librarylady13]

🥰🥰🥰

[@melissakhalar1842]

❤❤❤❤

[@MichaelYoder1961]

These are all people who were part of Andy Warhol's 'Factory". A time when the sexual revolution and drug culture were at a high.

[@jamesmcnally1253]

This whole album is amazing.David Bowie produced it.

[@lynnieiapichino1121]

☮️💙💙💙😎

[@randyhodges8782]

I hear that bass and I just settle in.

[@stephenpresley5772]

Great song and reaction

[@87ventus]

Hi. This played on the radio all the time. I guess the censors just missed it. I like 'Cake' only know a couple of songs. 'Short skirt long Jacket.' I just never got to listen to more.. just what played on radio.✌

[@87ventus]

Lou Reed was cool when i was 14- 15.. experimenting with drugs were part of the culture back then (not that it was a good thing it was just a thing) but anyway a big song was Heroin and a Perfect Day which played in the movie 'Trainspotting' heavy drug use movie. .i went to NY City when i was 22 so 40 years ago..so i can't tell you what New York is like...BUT.. When i was 22 i was so afraid cause of everything i heard about N.Y. and the subways ..crime i was scared well( 40 years ago) the subways were clean. This is coming out of Grand Central Hotels were expensive ,the bars & cops were cool. Everything bad i expected was opposite. ( didn't go in alleys or stray from your basic main streets.) So ANYPLACE had got really bad sections. N.Y. like any other place wants tourist dollars. So stay on main streets well known bars/ restaurants..don't go looking for what you know will get you in trouble. You & family will be fine( having enough money to stay 'where it's at' helps to.

[@mattjohn4731]

Great artist, check out Perfect Day, Wild Child, Hangin' Round, Heroin, Venus In Furs, Dirty Blvd, Street Hassle, Caroline Says, Kicks, Sex W Yr Parents 😂 he was a provocateur

[@lgot123]

Song supposedly based on real characters

[@karenmandeville7116]

all the people in this song were real. they hung out with Andy Warhol at his Factory.

[@steve-eq8kx]

Great outro!

[@gforce4063]

Heroin next

[@jonthomson8392]

👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@gforce4063]

Running commentary

[@donsmith3474]

Check out Sweet Jane

[@bobschenkel7921]

If I never go to New York City again in my life, I'm okay with that. I first went there in 1964 with my parents for the World's Fair, and about two dozen times since. Yuck.

[@knowbuddyknows2814]

check out Amos Mosses by tex reed

[@brigidsingleton1596]

I borrowed Transformer (Lou's album) and loved it but, sadly eventually I had to give it back, though I widpsh I had kept it because the girl who lent it to me kept my Tina Turner single 'Nutbush City Limits' which I had only just bought, and she never returned it to me. I used to go to her house to try to get it back but she left rhe riding school where I worked, and she worked for a short while, then shel left and took her Transformer album, and my single with her, to who knows where! 😕😳😦🥺😠

[@dionisioiacobelli6689]

Lou was in a band at Syracuse University . He wrote derogatory songs about the preppies who wanted to kill him . At Syracuse he sold drugs and contracted hepatitis from using a dirty needle. And he still managed to graduate with honors.

[@Slo-ryde]

In what major?

[@dionisioiacobelli6689]

@@Slo-ryde English

[@cheripetty1805]

It's a REAL BASS...Stand Up Bass. Too big to fit in a Volkswagen Beetle.

[@kimn9802]

Not sure Lou would have taken too kindly to being compared to the Fonz. Way cooler than the Fonz. He was notoriously disdainful and acerbic with people if he felt he was being disrespected.

[@knowbuddyknows2814]

good song if you ignore the words

[@dennispurdy3533]

Do Not Insult Lou Reed with a comparison to totally commercial band Cake/.

[@s.k.3891]

As a New Yorker , I would say that there is no other place I would live in! Its diverse and interesting, and one of the safest large cities. What you hear on the news are sensessional crap. Crime happens , but dont forget 10 million people live here!

[@ed.z.]

It’s a contra bass (stand up bass) and not a bass guitar. The sax sounds like a baritone saxophone, made popular in jazz by Gerry Mulligan.

[@Macilmoyle]

It's actually two basses. One upright and one electric, both played by Herbie Flowers kzbin.info/www/bejne/jnO7hoNrfNaMgNUsi=txXXe_BIHOu8Rrrx

[@ed.z.]

@@Macilmoyle very cool.! Thanks for the correction.

[@Macilmoyle]

@@ed.z. No problem. I'm a bassist so I fixate on this sort of thing. 😀

[@joeboucher695]

It's two basses: an upright and a fretless electric, both played by Herbie Flowers. I probably heard the song hundreds of times over the decades before listening on headphones one day and realizing it's two bass lines.

[@ed.z.]

@@Macilmoyle I played saxophone professionally so I understand focus, completely. I also love Ron Cater ( who I got to see), Charlie Hayden, Marcus Miller, Victor Wooten, Mingus, McCartney, Lincoln Goines, Jeff Andrews, the ever swinging Ray Brown, Bootsy Collins, Chis Squire, Joco ( who I saw in concert With Weather Report), Jimmy Garrett, everyone who ever played with Miles, Trane, Sonny Rollins, Sonny Stitt, Count Basie, James Brown, Motown, Stax, BlueNote, Aretha, Jack Bruce, Michael Brecker, Bob Berg and Branford Marsalis. Just to drop some of my fav bass names, for the fun of it. Thank you.

[@realitybytez]

obviously not "politically correct" these days. but a really cool vibe nonetheless.

[@John-d5d9v]

I recently began to watch you. You pick good songs. But you need to ease up on weird analysis

[@dennispurdy3533]

Look up Andy Warhol. You are way off.

[@valyum5504]

You talk over the lyrics and you miss too much of what the song is doing. It's frustrating to watch. Maybe try a different style of reacting.