Bono describes New York as the ‘complete universe’ of Lou Reed’s songwriting


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U2 frontman Bono has left his thoughts on Lou Reed after the legendary songwriter’s death last month.

Writing on Rolling Stone, Bono describes the importance of New York to Lou Reed’s craft, labelling it the ‘complete universe of his writing’.

“Lou Reed made music out of noise,” Bono writes. “The noise of the city. Big trucks clattering over potholes; the heavy breathing of subways, the rumble in the ground; the white noise of Wall Street; the pink noise of the old Times Square. The winking neon of downtown, its massage and tattoo parlors, its bars and diners, the whores and hoardings that make up the life of the big city.”

“New York City was to Lou Reed what Dublin was to James Joyce, the complete universe of his writing. He didn’t need to stray out of it for material, there was more than enough there for his love and his hate songs. From Metal Machine Music to Coney Island Baby, from his work in the Velvet Underground to his work with Metallica, the city that he devoted his life to was his muse more than any other.”

New York City will get its chance to pay tribute to Lou Reed when a public memorial is held at the Lincoln Centre tomorrow (November 14th).


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