Lou Reed: 1942 - 2013

I was trying to figure out what I was going to do for today's Music Sunday post when I came across the news, reported by CNN here, that Lou Reed has died at the age of 71. Apparently, there was a hoax death report regarding him a day or two ago, but it appears that since the news is now coming from his publicist, the new report is true.

I'll be honest. I don't know Reed's music well. But I do know what an influence he has been on the music world. And I do know that when I first heard "Walk on the Wild Side", when it came out when I was in high school, I was astonished. I had no idea that anyone could say things like that on a song on the radio. On AM radio, even.

Certainly, "Walk on the Wild Side" is not a "pretty" song, either in sound or in subject matter. But it is a singular song, and amazing in its own way. And so I will leave this here and leave it at that for Music Sunday this week: