Lots of musical birthdays today. James Taylor, Liza Minnelli, Al Jarreau, Steve Harris of Iron Maiden. But today, in 1967, is also when the Velvet Underground released their debut, “The Velvet Underground and Nico.” While the rest of the pop world was looking to San Francisco, wearing bright colors, taking acid and singing about flower power, the Velvets were with Warhol in New York, wearing black leather, doing heroin and singing about doing heroin. And heroin.
You wonder if Lou Reed regrets that song? Oh, sure. Artists will be artists and all. But it's impossible to deny that some fairly large number of white kids from the suburbs have gotten interested in smack over the last few decades because of what Lou Reed glorified. Is "he made heroin way more popular" really something a guy wants on his resume?
Anyway, this is "Run, Run, Run," from the same record, a much better song.
