Kill Your Suns

Freshman year in college I would hunch over my guitar and sing "When the smack begins to flow, and I really don't care anymore," and I'd feel great rhythm and power flowing through me. (Later cassette recordings don't necessarily bear this out.) But it was the messy early to mid '70s solo albums where Lou really registered, that I got the most personality out of; even though the first three Velvets albums were more authoritative and were better music.

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Eventually, in New York, in the early '80s, I finally went back and got on top of the Sister Ray groove. Was the first groove I'd ever mastered, and it was actual power. But back in the ugly college '70s I felt the guy more. He was a truth teller who didn't like himself much, which brought out the wrong truths — he couldn't believe a truth unless it went against him. Or, anyway, the — true — love and idealism had to hide between the lines, a photonegative of what was going wrong, sentimental self-dislike. A thoughtful, very kind, well-behaved high-school girl told me Berlin was a "fine album." I didn't say anything in response, rather than going, "No, it's self-pitying shit." I couldn't stand to listen to it, but day by day I couldn't stop myself from singing its songs, mouthing its words:

They're taking her children away
Because of the things that she did in the streets
In the alleys and bars no she couldn't be beat

Caroline says
As she gets up off the floor
You can hit me all you want to
But I don't love you anymore

All your two-bit friends they're shooting you up with pills

How do you think it feels
When you've been up for five days
Hunting around always
'Cause you're afraid of sleeping

How do you think it feels
And when do you think it stops
When do you think it stops

Okay, I'm a rock critic, here are the two albums I consider most underrated:
Lou Reed (the first solo album) ("Ocean," "Berlin," "Wild Child")
Sally Can't Dance ("N.Y. Stars," "Kill Your Sons")

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The star I identified with most.