Product Description
The complete lyrics of Lou Reed, founder of the Velvet Underground and among the most acclaimed lyricists of all time.

Containing a body of work that spans more than three decades, Pass Thru Fire is a stunning collection of the lyrics of an American original. Through his many incarnations--from proto punk to glam rocker to elder statesman of the avant garde--Lou Reed's work has maintained an undeniable vividness and raw beauty, fueled by precise character studies and rendered with an admirable shot of moral ambiguity. Beginning with his formative days in the Velvet Underground and continuing through his remarkable solo career--albums like Transformer, Berlin, New York, Magic and Loss, and Ecstasy--Pass Thru Fire is crucial to an appreciation of Lou Reed, not only as a consummate underground musician, but as one of the truly significant poets of our time. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

AWESOME
This book is the coolest thing ever.I'm a huge Lou Reed fan, so buying this book was a must.What I expected was just a regular book full of lyrics.This is so much more!Each song's lyrics are designed in a different way.It's hard to explain in words, but it's just awesome.Get it!!!

pass thru fire ... a must have !
From the horse mouth. After all these years, at last, we are finally able to read Lou Reed's lyrics as they were written.
This book includes some alternative versions of some of his most famous songs. Do you remember listening to "1969" and thinking "what's he singing there I don't recognise New age or Sweet Jane" ... a must have for all of us, Reed fans.

this is how books ought to be written
You could be totally illerate and still be able to read this book.The words are actually printed with emotion.Some, like tears, puddle down the page.Others weave in and out of strength and weakness- it is absolutely stunning.
I am not a huge Lou Reed fan or anything but everyone should look inside this book simply for the sake of experiencing how extraordinarily it was designed and strung together.The poetry moves, it is evident and incredibly intense.

Real words for real people
Lou Reeds lyrics are some of the most important and greatest in rock history. The poet for the real man, lou reed wrote for himself and nobody else.

Read this to your kids? You've gotta be kidding me.
I think Lou Reed is (or at least was) a terrific songwriter.I even think he is a pretty good lyricist.But honestly, when will people realize that rock lyrics only very rarely qualify as poetic?This stuff is absolutely horrid on the printed page!What made the Velvets great was the menace of their sound, not Reed's pretentious dreck.Yeah, so he studied under Schwartz, therefore he's a poet.The power of rock music lies in the raw power of the music, not its lyrics.As Nietzsche would see it, it's the Dionysian vigor of music that makes it great, not stupid lyrics saying how great speed is.Lou Reed's a great rock star, but a lousy poet.

Read this to your children? Are you kidding me? Do you want them to grow up to be self-hating, smack-shooting "street poets," or worse -- pretentious hipster narcissists?They'll hate you for it someday.

-MD

"The poet should not try to be admired as a poet."-Hegel on music ... Read more

Product Description
In Romanticism, Lou Reed's third photo collection, the subjects are various landscape and architectural motifs encountered and documented in travels through Scotland, Denmark, Spain, Rome, China and Big Sur in California. The approach is at once formal and steeped in feeling. As Reed states, recalling the contexts for these images, "The trees and the wind billowing and dancing in Edinburgh reminding me of the storm I fell in love with in Cork. The perspectives and range of blacks and whites the perfect thing for a film noir fan."
Lou Reed was inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in 1996, and is a founding member of the legendary band, the Velvet Underground. He has acted in and composed music for a number of films, and is the recipient of the Chevalier Commander of Arts and Letters from the French government. He is the author of Pass thru Fire: The Collected Lyrics and the play The Raven. His previous books of photography, both published with Steidl, include Lou Reed's New York and Emotion in Action. ... Read more

Product Description
Ever since forming the Velvet Underground in 1965, Lou Reed has been acclaimed as the poet of the New York streets, creating a body of work that comes closer to great literature than conventional rock and roll. Through his music, he chronicled the potency and pain of sex and drug excesses with a gritty articulation and streetwise wisdom that inspired an entire generation of punk artists. He was the first rock writer to deal with the hunger of drug addiction. He unashamedly explored the contradictory pleasures of homosexuality and sado-masochism. He took a long walk on the wild side of self-absorption, sensuality and suicide. Yet his achievements over the past 25 years have been observed by his public image. He appeared to inject himself with drugs through a syringe during concerts. He spent several years in the company of an exotic man named Rachel. He narrowly escaped death during a lengthy battle with drugs. But he has emerged on the other side a wiser man who has spent the last decade producing the finest work of his career."Growing Up In Public" is the first book to penetrate the private poetry and public persona of Lou Reed, integrating the man and myth to establish and clear view of the artist and his contributions to rock and roll. It weaves its way through the carefully assembled images which have been Reed's defence from the world since the beginning of his career, and traces the unapologetic way he has played out his personal obsessions in songs. For the first time, it examines the relationship and impact on his work by Andy Warhol and Delmore Schwartz, his acknowledged mentors. It also explains the American musical, artistic and literary traditions which have inspired and provoked Reed's writing and mystique. Cutting through the masks which Reed has used to separate his real self from his media image, "Growing Up In Public" is a remarkable study of one of the most important American artists of the 20th century and includes rare photos and the most exhaustive discography available anywhere. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

cheesy
I agree with the Reviewer below.Lots of facts but not a very engrossing story.I'm only on page 100 but there just isn't a whole lot of Lou to sink your teeth into.Alot of the writers theories on popular music over the last fifty years are a little ambitious as well.The prose can be overly dramatic and actually a little embarrassing at times.I'm hoping Transformer is better.

That said.It is a book on Lou Reed.If you are into Lou you are probably going to look past a lot of the books flaws.

FASCINATING PERSPECTIVES
A very addictive book. I wanted to re-familiarize myself for this review and couldn't put it down so a few hours later I had read it through again. Reveals the human being and chronicles the ups and downs and the artistryof Reed, for a "thorough dissection of the Rock 'n Roll animal" -and this animal has sharp fangs and a tendency to bite, one might add. Theauthor is obviously a fan, but a very honest writer who never hesitates totackle controversial issues. Very interesting also for the light it throwson other artists and sometime collaborators like John Cale, Nico and PattiSmith. Reading this book whets one's appetite for the music again - surelythe best recommendation. Great pics and an exhaustive annotated discograpy.

Well-Researched Downer
A solid analysis of Lou Reed's music and poetry as windows into his personal life.As such, it provides keen insights into his creative processes; often it's a revelation how closely the tone of Reed's writingfollowed the tumultuous ups and downs of his private affairs and career. Doggett tracks this correlation with sensitivity and precision, working tountangle the conflicts, perversities, and ambivalence of a famously complexman.

Finally, however, most of the credit goes to Reed for his artistichonesty rather than to Doggett.All of the biographical material,including interviews, are from second-hand sources, and the tone is overlycold and even negative throughout.It's unreasonable to expect a musicbook to be objective, but Doggett shows little enthusiasm for Reed's bestwork to match the censure of his worst.

Usually biographies (which thisessentially is) based on second-hand material bring something new to theirclipping-collection: passion, a radical viewpoint, an amount of daring. Doggett's is too cautious to qualify as a first-rate study.Die-hard LouReed fans will be disappointed by his clinical remoteness, and newcomerswill find little to spark their curiosity.

The book almost makes up forthis with its intelligence and muscular concision.But, as usual withbiographical studies, the art is analyzed on only one level, and with noobvious pleasure.By the last page you feel ready to pass your Lou Reed101 final, but also a bit deflated. ... Read more

Product Description
After his first book of photographs was published, Lou Reed told a journalist for The Independent on Sunday that, "I live on intuition and taking pictures is intuitive." Here, we see Lou Reed's intuitive take on New York, the city that has been the fulcrum of his creative world for decades and with which he has become indelibly identified. We've heard about the streets and characters for so long through his words and music, and now we can see it through his eyes. Over 100 of Reed's photographs comprise New York, an intimate view of what inspires him.Hardcover, 9 x 13.5 in./192 pgs / 100 color. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Engaging.
This book is really a visual poetry on New York, mostly working with areas on or near the Hudson river. I am partial in looking at this book as I know the area well and have also experienced a lot of the incredible early evening light along the Manhattan's West border. And the character of the Hudson fjord/river, retaining a rich history of maritime and urbanity, dissappearing under redevelopment schemes of various qualities.
The book is divided into several sections under their own heading. Each of these would be sufficient for a smaller photgraphy exhibition. I particularly like Blood moon and the distorted electric instrument like works.
There are also dark images, as if the twilight moment so strong at the river makes objects and spaces barely visible. The dark is an interesting photographic subject.
I also like the chapter with this beautiful title:

Sunrise Sunset
Don't you ever go to rest
The moon forever circling
A ring on the finger of a God.

It starts relating words with the images and gets away from the plain photographic imagery.
There is a side in his photograpic works where things are looked at intently, up close, experiences from a possibly shaky hand, overlays, interpretations and experimenting with the medium.
This is not your normal photographers book, it contains the works of a word-man.
Anyway, from this book I get the sense that Manhattan is the center of Lou's universe, in a larger cosmic sense to a plain almost in your face reality check.
There are a number of references in this book worthy of some discussion, I'll only mention here the Empire State building at the end. I read it as a subtle recognition of Drella's old movie. New York is rich in history and Lou's images contain more than meets the eye. Not knowing what to expect I have to say this book was surprising to me, the quality and thought and effort to experiment.


(I bought my copy at his exhibition opening. It has a kind of a fabric cover. I don't know if the edition sold here is exactly the same format.) ... Read more

Product Description
Lou Reed led the revolution in rock music that would grow into such different forms as glam and punk rock, and introduced such taboo subjects as drugs and aberrant sexuality into the American pop song. This first full biography of the chameleon-like figure who has continually revised and reinvented himself probes beneath the myths and contradictions of Reed's life to set the record straight. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Victor Bockris Really Really Dislikes Lou Reed
It's unfortunate that a really good biography of Lou Reed hasn't been written, since that means fans are left with meanspirited revenge peaces like this one. Not that it doesn't have a lot of good information, but it's interwoven with the author's unmasked hatred, repeatedly calling his subject names ("lizard-like" stands out). I mean, is it really so difficult to understand why even as an adult somebody still might be a bit upset with his parents about subjecting him to intensive and damaging electroshock treatments to "cure" antisocial and homosexual tendencies, no matter how "well-intentioned" they were? I mean, considering that Bockris has written his own "Mommy Dearest," apparently because a rock star was somewhat dismissive of him in an interview (dutifully excerpted in the book, as if in explanation of all that preceded it), I don't know how he can possible fault anyone else's resentment.

And, apparently, he's written a similar hatchet job on Patti Smith (though his biography of Keith Richards was, I must admit, pretty good. Perhaps Keef shared his drugs with poor Victor?)

not really a biography
A good biography provides insight into its subject and how that person became who he or she is or was.A good biography gives the reader a sense of the time and place in which its subject lived and worked, and how those things influenced the individual and his or her work.Bockris' book accomplishes very little of this, and is primarily a compendium of select gossip arranged in chronological order: no research is evident beyond endnote references to (not citations of) previously published articles and interviews, various unnamed sources, and quotations that may or may not have come from discussions the author had with the speakers; the lack of annotations further diminishes Bockris' credibility.This doesn't make it a "bad" book, but anyone about to invest the time to trot through the book's 400+ pages deserves to know what they're in for.Which is...

...an account of Lou Reed that deliberately and cloyingly focuses on and emphasizes the most lurid details of the man's existence: dope, a nasty personality, a wildly inconsistent career, and his sexuality.To be fair to Bockris, he does seem truly to admire Lou Reed and his music, but apparently realized he needed to have some angle for his book to help it sell--too bad he took the easy way out.To be fair to the reader, Bockris' writing is often tedious and repetitive, and rife with plain, old-fashioned factual errors.

My two primary frustrations with the book are these: Reed is presented as a one-dimensional nasty, immature, and selfish character--so what?Most rock stars are probably the same; most ordinary folk too.There simply has to be a lot more to Lou Reed than this, and I wish I knew what.Secondly, Bockris presents Reed as a dope fueled, speed freak from the mid-60s through the 1970s.The problem with this assessment--however accurate it may be--is that the Velvet Underground produced at least two of the 60s' most important records, and Reed as a solo musician created AT LEAST three or four of the most important rock albums of the 70s.Quantitatively, that puts Reed up there, arguably, with only the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and the Stones--not bad company!(A qualitative assessment of 60s and 70s bands would be much more inclusive, but that's not the issue at hand).Additionally, Reed toured every year from '72-'78.Again, there's got to be a whole lot more to the man than personlity crises, speed-injected veins, and a wavering sexual orientation.

Ultimately, reading the biography was like reading a cheap celebrity magazine (or a "dirty French novel"!): our desire for dirty details is gratified tremendously, but any hope to understand the person is sorely disappointed.

BestReed bio so far
This remains the best bio of Reed. Don't be discouraged by the three-star average rating, which is simply the result of fans' resentment at a critical examination of their hero.

This book view of Lou Reed is not pretty, but is unsurprising to anyone familiar with his history and his own account of himself in interviews, where he regularly appeared as self-aggrandising and insecure (although without seeming to realise it ...)

Anyway, his character deficiencies needn't undermine your appreciation of his music.

The book has some marvellous anecdotes and insights, for example, relating to the woman who inspired several classic VU songs and an amusing attempted interview by Lou Reed of Vaclav Havel. (Clue: the rock star thought himself more important than a mere head of government. Havel terminated the interview as Lou was clearly too incompetent to perform it.)

Helping
This book is far superior to Doggett's "Growing up in Public".I recently read them both.Just wanted to help out if anyone was deciding between the two.

Portait of the Artist as an Egomaniacal Jerk
Heed this, lest ye venture any further in vain. Lou Reed did not participate in this "biography" whatsoever. After reading it, I can't ever imagine why. Oh, I'm sure Louie boy is every bit the egomaniacal jerk Bockris portrays him as. Sharing many similarities in background with Messier Reed, it's often difficult not to be, what with the mass of morons that pollute our common air, coming and going and breeding as they please. Bockris lays on the trashy gossip thick, particularly where it concerns Lou's relationship with transvestite Rachel, and the methamphetamine circle that mocked him as he lapped up the abuse for a hit. There are moments of Lou-ney humor here and there, mostly extracted from interviews dating back to the "Transformer/Berlin" days. Lou envisions Sinatra singing "Heroin" at the Sands, and spins tales of a groupie who complained about Mick Jagger's lack of sexual prowess in the middle of getting it on with him. If that sort of thing amuses you, as it does me, then sure, grab a copy. If you really want to peek into Lou's skull, and few would sanely dare, just listen to his albums. The Rock 'N Roll Animal's music is where his soul is at. ... Read more

Product Description
Lou Reed has been art-rocker, iconoclast, contrary noise merchant, and junkie, yet he's always been fascinating. Only David Bowie, arguably, has re-invented himself as many times as Reed, while ensuring that each image was potent, edgy and dangerous. It's a tribute to Reed's standing that even punk rockers, with their scorched earth policy towards all pre-punk music, had a healthy respect and regard for him. Velvet Underground is one of the all-time greats; but in many people's eyes, Reed has produced his best work solo, after the demise of that band. This groundbreaking book analyzes and celebrates the willful intellect, fierce intelligence, and literary merits of Lou Reed's post-Velvet Underground music. Chris Roberts has written about music for fifteen years for The Guardian, Melody Maker, Sounds, and Uncut. He was also the editor of Idol Worship (Harper Collins), a collection of writings by pop stars (Bono, Thurston Moore, etc.) that has been hailed in some quarters as "The best book about rock 'n' roll ever." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Few stories and only his early stuff (pre-1980)
The author states in his introduction that he only likes LR's early albums and the text bears it out. Anything beyond 1980 is panned or barely mentioned. As a fan of his later work(Songs for Drella, Magic and Loss), I was particularly disappointed.

Even the early albums get generic music writer reviews like "the guitars are too aggressive" rather than actual "Stories Behind the Songs." The book bascially follows the format "This album was good, Song 1 was really good, Song 2 was a little better...The next album sucked, the first song sucked a lot, the second song sucked more..."

As another reviewer said, there are some good shots(some lacking any caption or context) of Lou and his various acquaintances through the years. Aside from that, there's not much substance. It reads more like an anthology of Rolling Stone album reviews than a "Behind the Music" documentary.

I could only recommend it to someone particularly interested in Transformer, Coney Island Baby or Sally Can't Dance.

an okay thing
this is a decent book i guess. the only reason to buy it is to see some rare lou reed pictures. the author's writing is cliched and boring. he sucks up to lou reed so badly that it's embarassing. ... Read more

Product Description
Berlin is a concept album that represented a brave departure from the familiar sounds and themes of Lou Reed’s earlier solo work, a tragic tale about heartbreak and addiction meant to be played live as a rock opera, in the vein of The Who’s Tommy. But its poor reception meant that plans for a live performance were put on hold until 2007, when, with a renewed confidence in the material, Reed toured with a full orchestra and choir, giving some of the most personal and powerful performances of his career.The tour was filmed by legendary artist Julian Schnabel, a longtime friend of Reed’s who also designed the spare and beautiful set, and whose daughter Lola contributed moving images projected behind the stage. This immeasurably powerful book draws on stills from Schnabel’s film, photographs of the set design, printed lyrics of Reed’s original verse, and images from Schnabel’s projections to tell the twin stories of Berlin as rock opera and as unique collaboration between two geniuses of contemporary art, music, words, and film. The book also includes a rare conversation between Reed and Schnabel. ... Read more

Product Description
This is the biography of Lou Reed, the singer/songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the surviving cult heroes of rock 'n' roll. Chief songwriter for the Velvet Underground - the band produced by Andy Warhol - Reed introduced drugs and aberrant sexuality into the American pop song. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

How come nobody noticed this before?
This is the exact same book (give or take) that became the Transformer book! Not necessary to have both, I've found out the hard way.

Moderate to heavy reading even for a die hard Lou Reed fan.
I suppose as a book of reference this one works, as far as reading for enjoyment, I'd rather stick a hot poker in my ass.Hopefully, Transformer is better.I imagine it can be difficult puting someones life in anunderstandable order, especially a up and down guy like Reed,but I fellaway in the attempt to follow. ... Read more

Product Description
From his Velvet Underground days to the release of hisalbum Magic and Loss, Lou Reed has always been intensely of his time. InLou Reed: Between the Lines Mike Wrenn presents a carefully selectedself-critique in which the singer's own words reveal him to be poet,lyricist and musician. A fascinating insight into a man who has pushedhimself and his music to the limit. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Great scrapbook...
In terms of having real digestable content instead of just throwing quotes around and passing for a "biography" I'd say this falls flat on it's face..but if you're looking for something that will help you gain a good visual idea of Lou Reed and his various forms then this is definitly great for that! Full of advertisements, old zine clippings and photos etc this is a great scrapbook for Lou Reed and Velvet Underground fans with a lot of rare pix and quotes I havent seen elsewhere...

ENJOYABLE REED READ
Wrenn presents Reed in a very interesting way -- the text is interspersed by Reed's quotes and actual reproductions of articles from magazines like Creem, NME, Melody Maker, Disc, Rock News, Rock & Folk, Village Voice,Rolling Stone, NY Rocker and Q. The photographs provide fascinating insightinto the chronological documentation of a man and his music: from a sweetlittle boy at Syracuse University in 1963 to world weary drug casualty inthe 70s, to happily married, reformed survivor in the 90s. Interestingpictures include the cover of the original trashy exposé "The VelvetUnderground" by Michael Leigh, the book from which the band took theirname, posters and tickets of Warhol's multi-media Exploding PlasticInevitable show, rare records and record covers and exotic undergroundcomics featuring Reed and the band. There's also a poignant picture of Nicoand one of Warhol taken just before his death in 1986. Wrenn uses Reed'sown words to present a powerful self-critiqe of the artist in all hisfacets-- musician, writer, poet, performer. The result is a remarkableinsight into a man who has pushed himself and his music to the edge but whohas survived with his cutting edge sharper than ever. Like this Reed qote:"All I ever wanted to do was to make records that adults could listento without wincing, rather than all that 'rock below the waist' stuff.There's pop music, then there's what I do. I consider myself awriter."

Another stale rock book
For fans of Lou Reed only. For a real look at Lou get Growing Up in Public, his authorized autobiography. This book is just another stale rock review of who signed for how much with what record company. ... Read more

Product Description
"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. --Lou Reed

Lou Reed was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996 and is a founding member of the legendary Velvet Underground. He began experimenting with photography in the 1990s and first exhibited his work in the 1997 group show Extended Play: Between Rock and an Art Space at the Boston University's Photographic Resource Center and later in Paris. His work has only briefly been seen since. Emotions is thus that rare book that displays virtually unknown work by a famous, familiar artist--it is very much Reed's first photo book. His work in other art fields has been well recognized, however: Reed has acted in and composed music for film and is the recipient of the Chevalier Commander of Arts and Letters from the French government. The author of Pass thru Fire and the play The Raven, Lou Reed lives in New York City. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Cool Lou Reed as photographer book in book!
A must have for the true Lou Reed fan. Its great to see Lou branching out into other media. Also check out Lou Reeds New York, another great book by Lou!

Quiet Contemplation
There is no music in this book, and no hidden lyrics to find, or some secret code to Andy Warhol.Lou Reed's "Emotion in Action" is a photo montage of Lou's design. A color series in a smaller inset book titled "Actions" and a large book of black & white photos titled "Emotions".These are the only words on the book (besides Lou Reed).No commentary, no narrative, no explanation, just beautiful, haunting, sometimes nonsensical photos.This collection came out in 2003, and it is just beginning to take hold in the art world, Lou has been going around the world with gallery showings and signing this book (got mine from the Venice show).

Are the pictures background to his music, is the music background to the pictures?You decide.It is a quiet contemplation. ... Read more

Product Description
With the help of author James McKay, the late Louis Skinner, America's master bassoon reedmaker, documented his techniques for making specialized and general purpose reeds for the bassoon and the contrabassoon. In this work, step-by-step explanations of reedmaking techniques are complemented by photographs and drawings, making every procedure clear. Throughout, the emphasis is on giving practical advice, not just giving steps to follow but explaining why they are important. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A "must have" for any serious reedmaker
Each of us makes our reeds to our own specifications right down to the colour of the thread.This book details some of Lou Skinner's later techniques for producing remarkable bassoon reeds.While it is targetted at a more advanced bassoonist, hence written by a college professor, it breaks down to the smallest detail the nuance of making a personal reed design that works for each of us.
Skinner, like all good academics, stressed open-mindedness.He encouraged bassoonists to continue experimenting to find the palette of colours most suitable for themselves.
Anyone who can't produce a fine reed from this book should work with Professor McKay to find what crucial element they are misinterpreting.
This is the foremost publication on the subject of reeds to be produced to date.

A waste of money.
I bought this book on the recommendation of my repairman, James Keyes.

The contents of this book are interesting, giving some (not much, but some) insight into how a reed actually works.However, a sketchy quality of writing makes it hard to follow with the very few examples provided.

It doesn't end there.The instructions and methods provided to produce the various reed models mentioned in the book are completely useless; every reed I've made following his instructions has failed even if I followed them to the exact letter.

Interesting if you want to see how Louis Skinner worked.But if you want to use the book for practical purposes, don't bother.

The Bassoon Reed Manual: Lou Skinner's Techniques
I waited over a year for the book and it was worth the wait. It is well documented and well worth the cost of the book.It will definitely be a well used and valuable reference in any serious bassoonist library. It may be too advance for a beginning reed maker (Popkin & Glickman, Chris Weait, or Mark Eubanks reed books may be easier for them to follow).Thank you Mr. Skinner for sharing your knowledge. ... Read more

Product Description
One of the most influential and innovative recording artists of the past three decades, Lou Reed has always offered a shrewd view of life in the big city in all its colors. It is no surprise, then, that he considers Edgar Allan Poe a spiritual forefather. In The Raven, Reed immerses himself in Poe's enigmatic world and sets out to reimagine his work to mesmerizing effect. In 2001 Lou Reed, legendary theater director Robert Wilson, and an all-star cast presented the musical POEtry at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Reed's subsequent studio adaptation, The Raven, has been hailed as one of his more daring and challenging albums. Here, accompanied by photographs by the acclaimed artist and director Julian Schnabel, is the definitive text of the CD release. The Raven includes Reed's distinctive takes on Poe's most celebrated works, as well as song lyrics written for the musical. The Raven is a fascinating meeting between a dark chronicler of the twentieth century and his nineteenth-century counterpart; the work on one iconoclastic genius offering a haunting exploration of another. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

DON'T GIVE UP YOUR DAY JOB
Not a great read. Could be better with loud guitars.

"Quoth The Raven"
This Book is an adaptation of Lou's Album of the same name(which is an adaptation of Lou's play POEtry). Overall it is a good read for the Reed fan or the Poe fan. In the book, Reed slightly adapts some of Poe's most memorable poems to reflect his feelings/experiances.Interesting stuff. ... Read more

Product Description
A biography and critical assessment of Lou Reed as rock star, icon and street poet. Since his days as Andy Warhol's protege performing with the Velvet Underground, Lou Reed has established himself as one of the most creative and startlingly original performers ever to pick up a microphone. An acutely perceptive writer, he has gone from extremes of anti-establishment subversion to supporting worthy causes like Amnesty International and Greenpeace. The story of this transformation and his extraordinary life is included in this book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Indispensible, delightful
This book is everything Victor Bockris's "Transformer" wasn't.This is a full-length review of Lou Reed's MUSIC.For seedy details about methamphetamine and transvestites, you'll have to look elsewhere.Jeremy Reed (no relation to Lou) is a published poet himself, and takes the approach of art first, personality second, throughout this well-written book.

If you're a Lou Reed fanatic and you don't have this book, why even have a bookcase?

... Read more

Product Description
A comprehensive chronicle of the work of a master, Pass Thru Fire is breathtaking in its raw beauty and power to move. Collected here is over thirty years of work, spanning Lou Reed's entire career: from his early days with the Velvet Underground to the classic albums Transformer, Berlin and New York; from the elegiac Magic And Loss to his most recent release, Ecstasy. Many of his lyrics have never been written down, so this project has been a labour of love: fans transcribed the songs as well as they could; Reed took what they wrote and listened to the records over and over, and Pass Thru Fire was created. ... Read more

Product Description
Art-rocker, iconoclast, contrary noise merchant and junkie, Lou Reed has always been fascinating. Few people, if any, will love his entire body of work: Reed's oeuvre is at times perverse and wilfully unlistenable, while at others he proves himself a master of melody and the songwriter's craft. However, it is impossible to deny his standing as a colossus of the rock world: it's a tribute to Reed's standing that even punk rockers, with their scorched earth policy towards all pre-punk music, had a healthy respect and regard for Reed. Velvet Underground are one of the all-time greats, of course, yet in many people's eyes, Reed has produced his best work solo, since the demise of that band. Despite this, no book has to date attempted to analyse and celebrate the fierce intelligence and literary merits of Lou Reed's post-Velvet Underground music. This is that book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

DIVERSE & PROVOCATIVE
It's remarkable how well Reed's lyrics work as poetry.The lyrics encompass his work from 1965 to 1990, from "I'll Be Your Mirror" (Velvets) to "A Dream" from the Songs For Drella album.Many areilluminated with notes, eg. "PR shoes" in I'm Waiting For The Manrefers to *"puerto rican fence climbers", All Tomorrow's Parties,*"This was Andy's favorite song",Candy's Song (with a shortbiographical note on Candy), Pale Blue Eyes (written for someone whose eyeswere hazel), How Do You Think It Feels ("By speed I mean injectableliquid Methedrine") and so forth. Many lyrics are from albums pannedby the critics (Legendary Hearts, The Bells, Sally Can't Dance, Mistrial,Growing Up In Public). There is one poem from a literary magazine: TheSlide, from Unmuzzled Ox. Then there are the interviews with Vaclav Haveland with Hubert Selby. The Bells ends the book, in Reed's own words:"... it remains my favorite to this day." The discography/indexlists all the lyrics and the albums on which they appear. The hardcoveredition has a classy black & gold dust jacket. This book is essentialfor all Lou Reed fans, for pleasure reading and as a reference.

Five stars is not enough for this book...
I've been a Lou Reed fan for about a year now. This book has a lot to do with it.When I heard one of his songs,I thought it was just so beautiful.A person I care about very much let me borrow this book, andtold me to read itsince I loved that song so much. This book reallytouched my heart, and I read it the whole thing in one day.I've neverread more achinglybeautiful poems and lyrics in all my life.No otherperson hasLou's gift for writinglyrics. This is a wonderful book thatmade me see life in a totally different way.Anyone who doesn't own thisbook should buy it now.You have to read it yourself to know what I'mtalking about. ... Read more