On this date in 1942, Lou Reed was born in New York City. As the co-founding frontman of The Velvet Underground, Reed supplanted himself as an influential figure in the late-1960s counterculture movement and in subsequent decades affirmed his importance on the American artistic landscape across a variety of audio and visual media.
Reed is best known for his work with The Velvet Underground and a successful solo career that produced the well-known favorites “Walk On The Wild Side,” “Perfect Day,” “Satellite Of Love” and others. Reed, who died in 2013 at the age of 71, also collaborated with several talented musicians from a wide range of genres. This edition of Saturday Stream presents a Spotify Playlist of Reed’s memorable collaborations that occurred throughout his acclaimed career.
Recordings featuring Reed’s VU band mates, Moe Tucker and John Cale begin the set, the latter selection coming from the joint Cale/Reed album honoring Andy Warhol, Songs For Drella. While Reed recorded a full album (2011’s Lulu) with Metallica, the metal band can be heard backing Lou on a live version of The Velvet Underground’s classic “Sweet Jane.”
Reed’s widow Laurie Anderson appears prominently on the playlist. There’s also a track featuring the late bassist Rob Wasserman and another featuring his daughter Sara Wasserman. Reed collaborations with Gorillaz, The Killers, Booker T. Jones, Paul Shaffer, ANOHNI (Antony & The Johnsons), The Smithereens, Dave Stewart and more are included in the playlist. There are also collaborative tracks from Reed’s 2003 Edgar Allan Poe-inspired album The Raven featuring Ornette Coleman, The Blind Boys Of Alabama and David Bowie.
