So Mark over at Inca Kola News does a video each Friday of an artist he likes. This week it’s Lou Reed and his “deceptively simple melody, poetry as lyrics” performing Satellite of Love, a sensitive and whimsical little song. Among the poetry Lou sing/whispers “I like to watch things on TV”. I have always liked Lou, and the Velvet Underground for that matter. I saw him once back in the early 90s, with none other than the Feelies as the opening act. Awesome.
Hmmm, Lou Reed eh? When I saw Mark’s post my mind went to a lyric from the past… “I think… Lou Reed is a creep”. Hmmm, said I… “I think, color TV is a gas!”
So if Mark is going to post some of the most sensitive, poetic pseudo rock music on the planet I think it is my duty to post some of the dumbest, biggest and stupidest rock music on the planet (and I write those things most affectionately).
I give you the Dictators, live in CA in 1977, with the odd TV tie-in only enhancing the reason I need to post this in response. Can’t be too fucking laid back and sensitive, after all. It’s the weekend (oh jeez, now I have to link this Dictators song: Weekend).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZF4CjgLmqbY
And for good measure, here’s the studio version. Got to love the pro wrestling shtick.
It’s not lost on me that both of these artists, the thoughtful, wry and ground breaking Lou and the big, (purposefully) dumb and over the top Dictators each sound like New York. New York used to sound really good.
