Transformer

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Bockris, biographer of William S. Burroughs and Andy Warhol, presents a detailed portrait of former Velvet Underground frontman Reed. Born in 1942, the only son and eldest child of a Jewish middle-class family from Long Island, Reed still harbors resentment toward his parents for having raised him in a suburban lifestyle, according to Bockris. An ``outsider'' fueled by a desire to belong and to control, the singer developed, then destroyed, relationships with his mentor Warhol, former bandmate John Cale and glam-rock superstar David Bowie. A bisexual and former speed addict, Reed is accredited to be the godfather of punk. Though the author relies on too many clichd phrases, he provides insight into the private life that led Reed to create many of rock's memorable songs, including ``Heroin'' and ``Walk on the Wild Side.'' As a bonus, Bockris concludes with a 1979 episode in New York City when he introduced Reed to Burroughs, an amusing anecdote in which the writer assured the rocker that ``it is not very often that a writer will have to actually make it with his publisher in order to get published.'' (Aug.)

Library Journal

A journalist at Andy Warhol's Interview from 1977 to 1981, Bockris (Keith Richards, S. & S., 1993) here presents the life and transformation of rock pioneer and poet Lou Reed. He chronicles Reed's life from adolescence in Freeport, New York, to his involvement with Warhol and the Velvet Underground. Also covered are his glam and punk rock phases, his reunion with the Velvet Underground in 1993, and his recent association with Laurie Anderson. The author does a good job of providing balance in presenting Reed's career through a multitude of interviews with Reed's cohorts as well as Reed himself. This first full biography of the influential performer and songwriter is an important addition to the genre. It is thereby recommended for large public libraries and academic music collections.Ronald S. Russ, Brooklyn P.L.

Gordon Flagg

Although a scant commercial success, the Velvet Underground was, except for the Beatles, probably the most influential 1960s rock band. Unlike the individual Beatles, Velvets leader Lou Reed has remained artistically credible ever since the band broke up, and his recent albums are among his strongest. Chronicling Reed, Bockris evokes the Velvets' downtown-NYC milieu, detailing the pansexual and pharmaceutical hijinks that characterized their music and their lives. Indeed, even covering the period after Reed straightened out and adopted a rigorous work ethic, Bockris digs up intriguing gossip, such as Reed's current affair with performance artist Laurie Anderson. Although it fails to do justice to Reed's dark, compelling music, Bockris' occasionally wretched prose somehow suits Reed's prurience-arousing private life ("Lou had succeeded in bringing [singer Nico] to her once-proud knees" ). Fans will find plenty here to inform their view of the many faces Reed has presented the public during the past 30 years.