LOU REED: NO MORE HEROES, BUT PLENTY OF RESPECT

One of the words mentioned most often in regard to Lou Reed's work is honest so I may as well start this story with a confession. I met Lou Reed once before I talked to him on the verge of Street Hassle's release. It was in 1972; a small and devoted bunch of us rock 'n' roll crazies had taken over our college's concert committee and our inauguraral presentation wound up being Reed's very first gig as a solo artist. It meant, a lot to us that he was going to play two nights in the enchanting Millard Fillmore Room on the campus of the University of Buffalo. The one and only time that I'd seen the Velvet Underground live was during their final glorious stand at Max's Kansas City two summers previous, and that show affected me more than any other concert I'd ever seen before.