Lou Reed's Berlin

Just re-watched "Lou Reed's Berlin" - I know this film might not be for everyone and I actually know a few folks who didn't really like it, this always freaks me out when I am so completely moved and mesmerized by a film or piece of art and someone, I know and also love, doesn't love it too... still I find "Berlin" hypnotizing.

I just had to update a recent note I posted on my facebook - because I left out two huge influences on me - Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson - who got married in last year, the same year Jean-Pierre and I got married - coincidence? I don't think so.

That's the strange thing about influences that you don't know personally... I am aware that Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson don't really care about me but they have improved me 100% with their art. I used to listen to Lou Reed for hours and hours, sometimes the same album (mostly "Berlin" and "Transformer"- but all of them really and Laurie Anderson's "Big Science") over and over.

I used to live in NYC in the Lower East side. It wasn't an altogether happy time for me, but productive and transformative. I saw Lou Reed and John Cale's opera Songs for Drella and loved it - one song in particular "Work". I had the lyrics printed up above my computer.

So, having just watched Berlin again, I printed up the lyrics to Work and posted them above my computer. Thanks Lou and Laurie.

From Work:
He said I was lazy, I said I was young
He said, "How many songs did you write?"
I'd written zero, I'd lied and said, "Ten."
"You won't be young forever
You should have written fifteen"
It's work, the most important thing is work
It's work, the most important thing is work