“The most fantastic thing”: The artist Lou Reed said outplayed him and Patti Smith
Lou Reed was never particularly easy to please. Behind those dark sunglasses, Reed’s eyes were constantly darting around, taking note of the up-and-coming groups and artists making waves in her native New York City, though he viewed many of them with suspicion. In fairness to the Velvet Underground songwriter, his songwriting skill and legendary reputation within the music industry afforded him an unparalleled position within alternative music, and he did lend his support to a select few groups emerging from the New York underground.
New York has always been a haven of inventive musical expression, from the jazz domination of the 1920s to the guitar-led indie rock which dominated the early 2000s. One of the most prolific periods for New York’s music and art scene, however, came during the 1960s. Coinciding with the rise of Andy Warhol and the pop art explosion, Lou Reed formed The Velvet Underground in 1965 alongside John Cale, a move which would forever alter the landscape of rock and alternative music, as well as inspiring future generations of New Yorker musicians.
The Velvet Underground was essential in influencing the rise of punk rock, in particular. The subversive, inventive nature of Reed’s songwriting with the Underground was adopted by the progenitors of the city’s punk scene, which emerged from the sweat-stained walls of CBGBs and Max’s Kansas City during the early 1970s. With artists like Patti Smith leading the charge, Manhattan’s East Village became a haven for this bold new era of abrasive rock and roll music, but Reed was fairly apprehensive when it came to the bulk of this new wave of artists.
After all, by the time punk rock hit the mainstream, Reed had already largely moved on from creating youthful and abrasive rock music, striving for something a little more mature, diverse, and considered throughout his solo career. Punk rock might have taken a significant influence from the work of The Velvet Underground and Lou Reed, but very few punk bands were creating music in an effort to appeal to an established star like Reed; they were aiming to speak to the kids in the venues and on the streets.
That is not to say, however, that Reed wrote off punk rock entirely. There were certainly artists of the punk age who endeared themselves towards the songwriter, not least Patti Smith, whose unique blend of anarchic rock, poetic tendencies, and desire for musical development made her a lasting icon of the CBGB punk scene. Aside from the pioneering tones of Patti Smith, Reed also held a healthy appreciation for the Ramones.
Having been introduced to the revolutionary sounds of the band back in 1975, at the hands of the Ramones’ manager, Danny Fields, Reed became an instant fan. Reportedly, upon hearing the band’s early demos with Fields, Reed exclaimed, “That is without doubt the most fantastic thing you’ve ever played to me! It makes everybody else look so bullshit and wimpy – Patti Smith and me included, man!”
“It’s what everybody’s been waiting for,” he claimed, per Mojo. “The Stooges? No! The Stooges weren’t smart. What they did was natural. This is calculated, it’s so insanely perfect.”
Complete with leather jackets, blue jeans, and a blitzkrieg delivery style, The Ramones arrived fully formed and went on to define the punk landscape of New York City. Although their music rarely – if ever – crossed paths with Reed’s, the support lent to the band by the Velvet Underground songwriter speaks to his lasting reputation in alternative rock and his devotion to keeping track of up-and-coming groups and scenes in New York City.
