Lou Reed might be a complete asshole these days, but he was undeniably amazing back in the sixties (and even for a small part of the seventies). WFMU’s Beware of the Blog has uncovered the 1964 novelty single from the Primitives, and they’re sharing both sides: “The Ostrich” b/w “Sneaky Pete.”
Remarkably, this single “generated enough interest to put together a band for a few live gigs. And amazingly enough, that touring version of The Primitives featured John Cale…”
The A-side featured an alternative guitar tuning with all the strings tuned to a D. This tuning became known, not coincidentally, as Ostrich tuning, and was later employed by Reed on several Velvet Underground songs.
Via the gum.
I have a short list of musical heroes that I would never want to meet in person because of every horror story that I’ve read about them. At the top of that list: Lou Reed. The Mojo interview is a perfect example of why I’d never want to meet him and hats off to the interviewer for holding her own, reporting the facts, and still delivering an enjoyable read. If it were me, I would have run out bawling like a disappointed child.
I love that Reed vs. Bangs chapter in Psychotic Reactions.