Lou Reed Looks at Andy's Chest

Posted by Kendall Defoe Nov 13, 2006

"Andy's Chest" was very personal for Lou Reed. Warhol was almost killed by one of his retinue at the Factory in 1968. Reed and the Velvets had moved on into a different direction with their direction and were not working with their mentor at the time. But it must have been on Reed's mind. The music became lighter, warmer, more focused on a clear pop structure that would tempt an entry into the charts. Yet, there are no real tributes to Warhol on the last two Velvet Underground albums. Maybe "Pale Blue Eyes?"

As a solo project, Lou Reed's "Transformer" was a way for the artist to review his life in the sixties and the reputation gained through his music. Obviously, "Walk on the Wild Side" is the tribute to end all tributes to the late-sixties New York nightlife scene and the hustlers and fringe dwellers. He remembered the ones that everyone else would have forgotten. This continued with "Andy's Chest," a beautiful tribute to the artist. I almost missed the message in it the first time I heard it. The tempo of the song doesn't lend itself to solemnity, which is a good thing. And the lyrics:

"Shoop, shoop; rock, rock"

Rather simple and perfectly effective.