Lou Reed’s ‘Hudson River Wind Meditations’ to receive first vinyl release
The final solo album by the late Lou Reed, Hudson River Wind Meditations, is set to receive its first vinyl release in January.
The LP initially arrived in 2007 through the Sounds True label. It is a collection of ambient and drone recordings by Reed intended to relax the body, mind, and spirit. Musically, it is a stark departure from the rock music he established himself making.
The new release comes from the Seattle indie label Light In The Attic, in collaboration with Reed’s wife, Laurie Anderson and the Lou Reed Archive. The vinyl is scheduled to arrive on January 12th and is not currently available to stream.
The package of the new vinyl version arrives with remastered audio and liner notes from the yoga instructor Eddie Stern. There will also be an unreleased interview featuring Anderson. Deluxe editions also include five 8×10 photographs of the titular Hudson River that the late Velvet Underground man took.
Reed states in the original liner notes of the record: “I first composed this music… to play in the background of life—to replace the everyday cacophony with new and ordered sounds of an unpredictable nature.”
In a new statement discussing the album’s re-release, Anderson explained: “I guess by ‘life,’ he meant something like what Brian Eno might mean–ambient music that colours the air in very interesting ways. For me, it resets my brainwaves.”
“In Tibetan Buddhism teachings, heart and mind are the same word – citta – close to the chi of Tai Chi, which is pure energy,” she continued. “This music is pure energy; it breathes in and out. It’s not like here’s the beginning: dum da da! And now it develops, and now it ends! Rather, it’s one long loop that keeps changing in subtle ways.”
In other Reed news, earlier this year, his glam rock counterpart Iggy Pop covered 1972’s ‘Walk On the Wild Side’ with Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith.
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