April 4, 2023

"There were four of us literally locked in a room writing songs. We just churned out songs, that’s all. They would say, 'Write ten California songs, ten Detroit songs,' then we’d go down into the studio for an hour or two..."

"... and cut three or four albums really quickly, which came in handy later because I knew my way around a studio, not well enough but I could work really fast. While I was doing that, I was doing my own stuff and trying to get by, but the material I was doing, people wouldn’t go near me with it at the time. I mean, we wrote ‘Johnny Can’t Surf No More’ and ‘Let the Wedding Bells Ring’ and ‘Hot Rod Song.’ I didn’t see it as schizophrenic at all. I just had a job as a songwriter. I mean, a real hack job. They’d come in and give me a subject, and we’d write."

Said Lou Reed, quoted in Episode 164 of the podcast "A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs" — "'White Light/White Heat' by the Velvet Underground.'"

This episode is very long and full of so many varied things — lots about John Cage before we get to John Cale and Lou Reed arrives much later. The stories merge brilliantly. I'm just pointing you at this wonderful episode, not quoting something representative of the whole.

I chose that quote, because that's the point that cued up a snippet of "Cycle Annie," which I found in full here. The label is Obnoxious Records, and it's not on Spotify, so maybe you're not supposed to listen to that. It's so clearly Lou, produced under conditions that you'd think would exclude a recognizable distinctive voice.

I paused the podcast to listen to "Cycle Annie" quite a few times, and I'm only halfway through the episode, which is over 3 hours long. Most of what I've heard so far is about avant garde art music, so it's in that context that "Cycle Annie" felt so intriguing.
Now little Cycle Annie, she has got a guy named Joe
And he follows her around just everywhere she goes
Now I ain't saying nothing, baby, I ain't sayin' that I mind
But when both of them get on that bike, it's Joe sits behind

The song also rhymes "meaner" and "Pasadena," which generously acknowledges the debt to "The Little Old Lady From Pasadena." Jan and Dean flipped the gender stereotype of driving before Lou did, and I'm sure there are many other older songs about fast driving women. "Maybellene," etc. 

23 comments:

tim maguire said...

It always amazes me when I see how business-like some people are creatively yet still manage to create classics. And also, even among the geniuses, there are probably 99 pieces of dreck for every diamond. Most art isn’t very good and that alone keeps many people from creating or showing their own art.

Another old lawyer said...

A wonderful, informative podcast series where I've learn so much about rock history and the musical industry. I'd never heard the story of Paul McCartney's role in breaking the Bee Gees.

Thanks again for recommending.

Jake said...

I used to listen to that podcast.

Whiskeybum said...

Jan and Dean flipped the gender stereotype of driving before Lou did...

Not only that, they flipped the age stereotype too.

Whiskeybum said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Robert Cook said...

"It always amazes me when I see how business-like some people are creatively yet still manage to create classics."

Creative artists who really create--that is, they produce work regularly--will all say it requires that one sit down every day (or stand before an easel, etc.) and work. They say that waiting for an "inspiration" is self-indulgent and a waste of time. The "inspiration" comes from doing the work. And doing the work every day improves one's craft (if one is talented to begin with) and generates forward momentum. This dictum to work everyday applies as well to artists whose minds produce ideas continually and without effort and for those who have to sit and work at it to prime the pump, so to speak.

Shouting Thomas said...

It’s amazing how, after working for one of the richest and most powerful corporate law firms and spending the past 50 years as a civil servant with a lifetime guarantee of job security, Althouse still looks upon herself as the rebellious rock and roll girl.

You also wouldn’t know that her ideology, feminism and gay worship, is now the spearhead of U.S. imperial wars abroad.

Iman said...

“Sister Ray” is a personal fave.

Temujin said...

Just noticed this new episode was posted. I'll be giving it a listen.
PS- 'Mustang Sally'

John henry said...

Yup. Thanks again for originally recommending the podcast.

I've not listened to this ep yet but I've listened to every other one. I've fallen in love with several artists who I'd not really known before.

Thank you.

I also listened to ep 1 of the jk Rowling podcast last night. Not into Harry Potter but the podcast was great.

Keep the recommendations coming!

John Henry

John henry said...

Cook is right. A huge part of the creative process is just doing something. If you wait for inspiration it may never come.

I write a lot for publication and long ago found that the hardest part is getting started. I force myself to sit down and start writing anything. Often complete dreck for the first page or two.

But I get a flow going eventually and it gets less drecky.

Print, go through with red pen, replace 50-75% and I get a reasonable 2nd draft.

Polish in a 3rd draft and submit.

But the most important part is doing something.

After figuring out what the topic will be, of course.

John Henry

rcocean said...

Lou Reed? Lived to 71 despite liver cancer and diabetes. An odd combo. according to wiki, a alcoholic and meth user.

Sebastian said...

"We just churned out songs, that’s all. They would say, 'Write ten California songs, ten Detroit songs,' then we’d go down into the studio for an hour or two..."

How long before AI takes over, churning out more in less time?

donald said...

I’ve had the opening of White Light White Heat by Robert Quine from that live album stuck in my head for about 45 years. That is one of the two best songs to have banging around in your brain if you’re officiating four or five baseball games in a day.

Also, it always cracks me up that Mo Tucker lives in the middle of nowhere in Southeast Georgia and is MAGA all the way, which gets some really shitty responses on her FB page, not that she gives one damn.

Critter said...

Dylan wrote about breaking free from the corporate music ball and chain in Maggie’s Farm and Desolation Row. But, he maintained the discipline required to hone his song-writing skills to write upwards of 500 songs and dozens/hundreds of great/superior songs.

John henry said...

Also, in first pass I don't let get bogged down with fact & figures or looking for the right word or phrase. I put something down and press on. I bold and highlight to come back to it.

"there are (HOW MANY?) plants in the world making antibiotics, most in china. There is 1 small plant (CHECK) in the US

(from an article I am writing about the need to bring pharmaceutical mfg back to the US)

The key for me is, once I get started writing, don't stop.

John Henry

JZ said...

Lou Reed plays a shallow, commercial record producer in Paul Simon’s movie, One Trick Pony. It’s funny.

NKP said...

Ditto Robert Cook and John Henry... with a twist on John's work-flow list.

Whether writing an op-ed, magazine article, speech or negotiating position, I did the 'steps' but I knew these mostly ended-up being practice swings. They were also handy when clueless and meddlesome 'others' insisted on progress updates. This work HAD TO be done.

After the final draft was polished to a blinding luster, I set out producing the actual item. From the first word to the last, that item was nearly all brand new and written in one session, rarely lasting more than a couple of hours. No new source material, no collaboration, no interruption. Solo effort in 'an disclosed location'. Revision limited to spell check, in most cases.

Just about everyone between me and the individual who "authored" the article or delivered the speech screamed bloody murder. The "named" person, on the other hand, was consistently delighted to be associated the'out-of-nowhere Miracle Baby'.



who-knew said...

Over three hours? Wow! Now I know why I don't listen to podcasts. It took way less time to read the transcript (maybe an hour? I don't remember exactly but it wasn't much more than that). It was a very interesting episode. Never was a big Velvet Underground/Lou Reed fan and I still hold it against him that when he played the Riverside in Milwaukee in the mid-
80s he didn't bother to hire a few local colored girls to sing 'doot da doot da doot etc'. That was one of only two concerts I walked out on early.

BudBrown said...

Fun, fun, fun, 'till her daddy takes the T-bird away.

mccullough said...

Velvet Underground’s music has held up well.

I don’t think any of Reed’s post VU work is as good.

I lean toward the view that the creative period of good artists is about 10 years, similar to peak athletic performance for pro sports. Unlike athletic performance, however, this peak creative period can happen later in life with some artists.

mccullough said...

Velvet Underground’s music has held up well.

I don’t think any of Reed’s post VU work is as good.

I lean toward the view that the creative period of good artists is about 10 years, similar to peak athletic performance for pro sports. Unlike athletic performance, however, this peak creative period can happen later in life with some artists.

khematite said...

Seems that Reed might have gotten his work ethic from Andy Warhol: "All that matters is work."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CId2GPpIge0